Chapter 12: Bummed about her...

When I got to Lola’s house, Sandra was parking her car. We walked up to Lola’s door together and we were greeted by her older brother, Gregory. “Audrey! Sandra!”

We smiled at him. “Greg!”

He opened the door for us to enter and we followed him up the stairs. “How’s high school?”

I sighed. “Boring, I hate it.”

“It’s okay, I can’t wait to graduate,” Sandra explained.

Greg laughed. “You’ll love college. The parties are amazing; ramen noodles are also amazing, and it’s just a fun experience so far.”

We giggled and walked towards Lola’s room. I was grinning goofily and Sandra looked no different. Lola opened her door and rolled her eyes, yanking us inside of the room. “What did I say about talking to my brother?”

We smiled shyly at her and she rolled her eyes again before taking our bags from us. She took the dresses out and placed them on her bed, including our masks. She put the shoe boxes beside the dresses. “Your mom let you off of the hook?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, if my father asks- I’m here working on an assignment.”

I ran my hand through my damp hair. “My hair still isn’t dry from my shower.”

“We can always blow dry it,” she replied casually before reaching for the blow drier and plugging it into the outlet.

I grabbed it and began running it along my hair, slowly drying it. Once I finished, I picked up a straightener but Lola shook her head. “You’re curling your hair.”

“But my hair is already wavy and frizzy.” I frowned as I lifted a chunk of my dark brown curls. She shook her head and walked behind me.

“While you guys were dawdling around doing whatever you were doing today, I did my own hair so I cut time in half. I can do your hair now,” she told me as she plugged in her curling iron.

Sandra was staring at her dress, her lips pursed. “I’m not sure if I like my dress anymore,” she picked up the gold top half before dropping it against the bed.

“Well, we don’t have time to get a new one. Just wear it; you look gorgeous in it anyway,” Lola explained as she grabbed a tress of my hair and twisted it into the curling iron. I sat patiently in the chair she’d set up prior to our arrival.

Sandra frowned before reaching in her bag and grabbing her makeup kit. Sandra was a makeup wiz and Lola was a hair magician. I was…well, good at reading. I frowned slightly when I realized I had no girly specialty. Instead of dwelling on that upsetting fact, I watched in the mirror as Lola did my hair.

Once she finished, she sprayed it with hair spray and told me to stay where I was until my curls weren’t in any danger. I rolled my eyes and did as I was told. Once Sandra finished doing her makeup, she turned to me. “Do you want me to do your makeup?”

“Sure, it’s not like I can do my own makeup without it looking like a three year old found a crayon,” Sandra rolled her eyes at my comment. She knew it was true. I was terrible at applying makeup. That’s why I rarely did it. I can put on eyeliner and mascara but if you hand me eye shadow, I don’t know where it can go up to- whether your eyebrow is the limit or a centimeter below. Don’t even get me started on blush; making the two sides look evenly layered is impossible.

I watched as Sandra wiped her small brush in black eye shadow before I had to close my eyes. She began lightly dabbing it across my lid and slowly smearing it. She told me not to open my eyes or I’ll ruin them. I sighed, finally realizing that I am a destructive creature. Both of the girls don’t trust me with makeup or hair. “Stay still, I’m putting your mascara on.” She told me as she lightly brushed my eyelashes with mascara.

I opened my eyes and realized that I was turned away from the mirror. “Okay then.”

“Get your dress on first," she told me before it clicked in her mind. The bathroom has a mirror. “Go in the closet and put your dress on.”

“Because that’s possible; it’s dark in there,” I told her, biting my lip.

The girls sighed. “We’ll leave the room so you can get dressed but don’t look in the mirror, if you do…you’ll be sorry.”

The two girls left the room as I picked up my stockings and yanked them on. I quickly put my dress on and twirled around, giggling as the dress twirled with me, lightly landing back on my legs. I giggled even more before realizing I must sound like an idiot to the girls who were waiting right outside of the room. “You can come in now!”

“You didn’t look, did you?” Sandra asked as she entered the room. I shook my head.

“No, I do have a question. Why are my lips plain? I thought lipstick was your specialty?” I asked her as I pursed my lips and looked down at them. I must’ve looked like a fish.

“We’re going to put your lipstick on before you leave so they look fresh.” She told me as I sat down on the bed, preparing to lie down.

“Don’t lay down, it’ll ruin your hair!” Lola shouted from the seat where Sandra was preparing to put on her makeup. Sandra, I’m guessing, decided to cover the mirror with a sheet. It was most likely when I was staring at Lola’s posters of Justin Bieber. “Wait, come here really quick.”

“I want to put this red bow in your hair to match your eye shadow,” my eyes widened slightly and so did Sandra’s.

“You idiot! She didn’t know about the red eye shadow!” Sandra glared at Lola who just shrugged innocently.

“Well now she does, turn around,” I felt her clipping something into my hair and once she finished, I walked back over to my bed.

“So…is Grayson going to be there?” Lola casually asked and I groaned. Way to sound like my mother.

~~~

45 minutes later, Sandra was getting her hair done. She was getting her normally curly hair straightened, a style in which she rarely wears it. “Lola, can I see your phone? I want to play Temple Run.”

Lola nodded and dug the phone out of her pocket and tossed it aimlessly onto her bed. She’s lucky it bounced off of her comforter and landed neatly beside me. I lifted it and noticed that she had a text from Kyle. ‘Mine is green, Carson’s is blue, Shane’s is yellow, and Grayson’s is red.’ It was obvious that they were talking about colors. But what about colors?

I began scrolling up and reading the messages before it clicked. “You jerk! I want this eye shadow off! I’m going to go to the costume store and I’m buying a new mask that doesn’t have red in it!”

“What are you talking about?” Lola suspiciously asked me.

I unlocked her phone, seeing as I knew the password, and began reading off her texts. “’Oh, Kyle, are you guys going to Brenda’s masquerade party?’ ‘Of course, are you guys going?’ ‘Yeah, we are. What colors are you guys going to wear?’ ‘We’re wearing our favorite colors.’ ‘Which are?’ ‘Mine is green, Carson’s is blue, Shane’s is yellow, and Grayson’s is red.’ ‘I’ll stay away from those people.’” The rest of the texts were flirty and nauseating.

“Now, Sandra, take this stuff off of my eye right now,” I demanded, standing up and storming over to the two girls.

Sandra narrowed her eyes at me. “No.”

“Sit down, Audrey. Calm down, Kyle doesn’t even know,” Lola calmly spoke.

I scowled at them. “It’s totally incidental that my makeup, along with my accessories, are strongly based off of the color red.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re overthinking it.”

“Kyle’s smart! He’ll figure it out.” I snapped.

Both girls rolled their eyes. “Did you forget the fact that you’ll be wearing a mask? And makeup? And a dress? Do you wear these things often? No, so shut up and sit down. They won’t know it’s you. Feel free to flirt with Gray-Shane all night long.”

I glared at them before sitting down on the bed, letting my thoughts consume me. I don’t like Grayson, right? That would explain the constant thoughts of him dating that girl. That’s just curiosity. What about your thoughts of kissing him? It happened once and that was enough. Then why are you questioning it? I’m not.

~~~

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, shocked. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I look beautiful. My black dress is still awkward fitting and made me nervous, it was strapless and I was scared it’d randomly fall. The shoes I was wearing, which were black flats, made me look extremely shorter than the other girls. I was already a good three inches shorter than them; now add another 3 inches thanks to their heels.

My makeup was done fairly well, along with my hair. A few moments ago, Sandra gave me lipstick to apply and it was bright red. It contrasted greatly when compared to my pale skin. I really needed some sunlight. My eyes were the best, seeing as they were done by Sandra. My black eyelashes looked lengthened and thicker. The eye shadow was red and black, the occasional gray spotting around here and there. There was also a crimson color that finished off the eye and it clashed well.

“Here, toss the curls over your shoulder,” Lola instructed as she came up behind me and tossed a handful of curls over each of my shoulders. I fixed them, making sure the amounts looked even and they weren't sloppily placed. She sprayed it with hairspray and smiled in satisfaction.

My mask was in my hands and I was too nervous to put it on. “What if it smears my makeup when I’m there?”

Sandra shook her head. “It shouldn't but if it does, find me and I’ll redo it.”

I nodded my head as I lightly placed it along my face. I realized that the eye holes were large enough to reveal my whole eye, excluding the majority of my forehead which included my eyebrows. I was glad that Lola made me buy a mask that revealed more of my eye. The others only had small eye holes but this one reached to the bottom of my eyebrow. The girls stared at themselves while I suddenly had a realization. “Won’t they recognize our cars?”

Sandra laughed. “Already on it, little Audrey; I've called a taxi and it should be here soon.”

As if on cue, a loud car horn sounded outside and we grabbed our bags and rushed outside. We didn’t bother to bring coats and I didn’t realize that until we were out of the cold air and in the warmth of the taxi. As Lola told them the address, I knew that I’d regret coming to this party.

~~~

When we arrived, I sighed in amazement. It wasn’t a loud, teenage party. It looked…classy. I watched as girls walked inside elegantly. They didn’t stumble and slur their words like drunken girls did. Guys weren’t shouting at the top of their lungs and they weren’t shirtless. Everyone had something in common, we all had masks on. I ignored my friends as they chattered about whether or not they’d get into a cat-fight if a girl had the same dress as them while I took in the scenery.

Brenda’s parents must have spent a fortune. It wasn't hosted at her house and instead, it was at a very sophisticated establishment. The name was in French and I couldn't pronounce it; even if it was in English, I probably wouldn't have been able to pronounce it. As we walked down the hallway leading to the room, a sign caught my attention. “Brenda’s 17th birthday.” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“It’s her birthday?” I asked curiously. My friends looked at the sign and Lola shrugged.

“I’m guessing it is.”

I continued looking around the room, my eyes glued to the dark red walls of the vast room. The walls were very far apart and an actual dance floor took up the majority of the room. I heard heels everywhere, their distinct sound greeting my ears annoyingly. I frowned when I realized I wouldn't be able to dance. This is the type of place where you can only dance when you’re asked, or at least I’m assuming.

People are arriving in crowds and I bit my lip. My two friends were sat at the same table as me, anxiously talking. I again cut in with a query. “Won’t they recognize our voices?”

Lola snorted. “You’re right. I guess we’ll just have to change our voices.”

I rolled my eyes as I shook my head. There was no way I was going to talk like an imbecile for hours just to keep my identity secret. I wouldn’t need to keep my identity a secret anyway; it wasn’t like I was going to pants the hottest guy here. I giggled at the thought: Grayson being pants-ed.

I noticed a crowd gather by the entrance and I watched as Brenda, the birthday girl, came through the crowd with a light pink dress on. The dress was pretty but Brenda made it prettier. I’d never spoken to Brenda, and I was surprised she even invited me to this party. It was probably to broaden the amount of people that show up. Her dark skin contrasted to the color but it made her eyes pop. The light brown color was visible from over here, along with her bright teeth which were on full display as she smiled widely.

For someone who was very enforcing about the semi-formal (but guys must wear tuxedos) dress code, she was wearing something that seemed very formal. It’s her party though, so I guess she can break a few rules if she wants. The party didn’t have a theme, so everyone was wearing different colors and different types of masks. Some people decided on furry masks while others stuck to metal, colored masks. I chose the latter.

The DJ made an announcement that told us to ‘give it up for the birthday girl, Brenda Peterson.’ I did as told, along with the rest of the guests. We all cheered and shouted. I’m guessing Brenda is a popular girl, or maybe people didn’t have any plans for tonight. I felt someone elbow me in the side and I hastily turned, ready to snap but immediately stopped when I realized it was Lola trying to get my attention.

“They’re here!” she squealed and I raised my eyebrows.

“How do you know it’s them?” I asked her curiously as I turned my head in the direction she motioned towards.

“There are two guys with blonde hair and two guys with dark hair. They’re wearing yellow, red, green, and blue,” she gave me a flat look and I shrugged.

"Let's hope they're as dense as you," Sandra snorted.

“It could be a coincidence,” I smiled cheekily at her and she rolled her eyes. I could feel my mood lift for some unknown reason. My eyes drifted back to the guys who were clueless, standing near the doorway but pushed off to the side. Carson was mouthing the words to the song playing and Kyle was trying to do the robot. Shane was laughing at them and Grayson was shaking his head.

My eyes narrowed in on Grayson, as if examining him. His hair was gelled back and I preferred it messy but decided that it still looked good. He was wearing a black tuxedo, as was every member of his small group, but he had a red bow-tie and a white dress shirt hidden underneath the blazer. The rest of his outfit was plain but he made it so…handsome, I should say.

I heard a giggle beside me and I turned to see Sandra and Lola shaking their heads. “We've been calling your name for the past three minutes but you were too busy staring at Grayson.”

“First of all, I was glaring at Grayson and secondly, what am I even doing here?” I sighed as I attempted to run a hand through my hair but Lola shot me a death glare, causing me to slowly retract my hand.

“You’re here because you were invited, plus- you look so pretty! I’m sure guys will be falling at your feet, asking you to dance,” Sandra informed me.

I snorted. “Try not to get my hopes up. I’m lucky if someone even glances my way.”

Sandra shook her head. “Be confident, if someone doesn't ask you- ask them," he winked as if I knew who she was talking about. I narrowed my eyes at her and went to turn on my heel.

“I’m going to get something to drink,” I snapped, irritated, before turning and walking towards the refreshments table. I hate how they automatically assume that I’ve developed a crush on Grayson. So what if he’s cute and, sometimes, he’s funny? Overall, he’s a jerk and I strongly dislike him.

I went to reach for the ladle to pour the red punch into my cup before someone grabbed my wrist. My hand felt warm from the touch and I immediately looked at the offender. “You don’t want to drink that, I bet it’s tainted with alcohol.”

I had to bite my lip from letting my jaw drop. Grayson was standing there, his red mask resting lightly on his face. I coughed awkwardly as I turned and looked at the table, searching for an unopened can of something, anything really. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks.”

“One less girl falling all over the place, drunk out of her mind,” he muttered quietly as he shoved a can of Sprite in my direction.

“Thanks,” I muttered as I took it. I immediately searched the crowd for somewhere to go but wasn’t surprised to see that the area where my friends were standing only minutes ago was now ditched and abandoned. I frowned when I saw them dancing on the dance floor.

“So, are you here alone? Or do you have a date?” Grayson asked me and I pretended to be uninterested. I am interested. Does he know it’s me? Or is he completely unaware of who I am?

I let out an unattractive snort while I fiddled with opener on the top of the sprite can. “Yeah, are you?”

I didn’t know what I expected him to say. I assumed he’d invite that college girl here, unless she was already gone. I felt a pang of jealousy shoot through me for an unknown reason. Probably because a jerk like him got a girlfriend while I’m still single.

“Unfortunately, I am,” he muttered while I fiddled with my pinkie finger.

Sensing the conversation coming to an awkward end, I nodded. “Well, I’m going to go sit down.”

I slowly began backing away but he took a step forward. “How about I join you?”

“Can you not?” The words slipped from my mouth and if it were anybody aside from Grayson, they would’ve taken it to offense but he just laughed.

He smiled genuinely, which caught me off guard. I’d only seen Grayson’s genuine smile a few times and I’m pretty sure this is the first time it was aimed towards me. “How about I join you but I stay quiet? I won’t talk, I promise.”

I sighed and shrugged before turning and walking towards a random table. I didn’t like the way he made me feel- confused and awkward. It’s like all common sense left my body. An example is how I stupidly agreed to let him come sit with me because he broke his promise.

~~~

He continued talking and I laughed sincerely. My whole view on him was altering. It seems as if he’s only a jerk to me- or at least when he knows I’m me. I’m trying to give out as little information as possible- seeing as one slip-up could mess up the entire conversation. It’s pretty hard to do when he’s slinging random questions at me. So far, I’ve already ignored his two attempts at finding out my name.

“Where do you fit into the social ladder at school?” he asked me. It wasn't a random question because as we were talking about school in general, so I guess I expected it to come up at some point.

I shrugged, letting out another unattractive snort. “I don’t.”

He gave me a curious look. “Why not?”

I shrugged again, licking my lips and bringing the drink to them. “I don’t get along well with people.”

“Well, I didn’t get along with people until I was ten,” he replied honestly. His blue eyes bored into mine and I instantly looked away. It’s as if they’re trying to tell me something. Is he trying to apologize for all he times he blew me off when we were children? No, he probably doesn’t even know you’re you.

“Wow, that’s surprising,” I muttered as I spun the nearly empty can along the table, tossing it from hand to hand.