CHAPTER III. 1984
The rest of my first week in Foundered High was surprisingly pleasant. Even though my parents asked how it was going every single evening, I found that my feelings on the school were surely improving. I had seemed to make a good impression on all of my teachers and peers, Lana's group of friends being my main base in the cafeteria from now on. Harry hadn't bothered me much more either.

It was now last period on Friday August 19th and it was Mrs Croft's English Literature class. This was the only class I had with everyone else in Lana's group. Lana sat to my right, Dua sat on the desk behind me, Kendrick was at the other side of Lana; and not surprisingly, both Harry and Kian were placed on the back row.

Mrs Croft was discussing the use of foreshadowing in works of literature when I suddenly felt Lana nudge me, before she passed a small piece of paper my way. I took it and opened it to reveal a note that read 'Party at my place at 7. Harry.' Bewilderment took over me as I turned to look at Harry with a raised eyebrow, only being met with his usual stubborn stare before he turned to the teacher again. The bewilderment faded, however, when I noticed every single other student get the exact same piece of paper. I rolled my eyes and continued listening to Mrs Croft.

There were ten minutes left in last period when Mrs Croft announced that we'd be studying George Orwell's 1984 in our next class. Harry perked up from the back row, asking, 'why would we study 1984 if it's already passed?'

'It was written in 1949.' I couldn't help but to reply.

'So why did he write it if he didn't know what 1984 would be like?' Mrs Croft rolled her eyes as I turned around to Harry.

'Because it's a fictional story.'

'Not completely fictional because 1984 was an actual year.'

'Earth is an actual place, but The Handmaid's Tale is still fictional.'

'The Handmaid's what?' He swiftly flicked his ray ban sunglasses from the top of his head to over his eyes.

'Forget it.' I turned back around.

'Jeez, did you write 1984? Since you're so passionate about it.' He remarked, which made some people in the class chuckle.

'You think I'd be sat in here with your dumb ass if I wrote a bestselling book?'

'Adriana, language.' Mrs Croft warned but followed it up with a small grin. 'That's enough bantering, class, I need to discuss your literature assignment for this year. It's an essay answer to a question about 1984, of your choice, worth 50% of your overall English grade. So, get thinking about that over the weekend. Class dismissed.'

Lana and Dua stepped along with me to the school exit as we left the class. Lana was wearing her hair in a high ponytail that day, tied with a red ribbon, I assumed it was her favourite colour. Dua was wearing a green bomber jacket and bright blue jeans, she seemed to enjoy colourful fashion.

'Are you coming along to Harry's party later?' Lana asked when Dua and Kendrick had left. I noticed Kian and Harry weren't too far behind us in the corridor.

'I don't know.'

'Hey, Adriana.' I heard Kian speak up and I turned to give him a friendly grin.

'How're you doing, Kian?' I asked, catching eye contact with Harry but he looked as stubborn as ever.

'I'm good, I'm not very stoked about the English assignment though.' He chuckled, and I do too.

'If you ladies are done with your conversation, I'd like to leave now.' Harry said, pushing Kian past us. 'See you two later.'

'Who says you will?' I fired back.

'I do, darling.' He fired back just as fast, then Kian and Harry are gone. Harry always seemed to know how to rile me up.

'You should come along, it's always fun at Harry's parties.' Lana spoke up again as we continued walking.

'How many parties has he thrown?'

'He throws them every Friday, his dad lets him do it once a week, Harry is renowned for his parties.' She explained, 'With a mansion like that, who wouldn't throw parties?'

'I guess.'

'So, you'll come along? You can get ready in my house and we can go together.'

'I don't even have any party attire.'

'That's fine, you can borrow something of mine.' She offered. 'So, you'll come?'

'Sure.'

It was 7pm when I arrived, by my father's car, to Lana's home. She lived in a one-story condo, similar to my old house. Her bedroom was exactly how I expected it, bright pink with dozens of Wham and Whitney Houston posters draped around the walls, but the rest of her house was extremely mundane. Her dad was called James and worked as a salesman, her mother, Morticia, was a housewife because she felt that her place as a woman was in the home; I enjoyed imagining the conversation she could have with my feminist mother.

'I'm guessing you like Wham?' I questioned as soon as I stepped into Lana's bedroom.

'Yeah. I love George Michael; I want to be with George Michael and look like Whitney Houston.' She explained, and I chuckled.

'Fair point. I wouldn't mind looking like Whitney Houston.'

'I don't think anybody would.' She nodded. 'Anyway, come sit down at my dressing table.'

I moved over to her padded seat and sat, she grabbed a huge bag and emptied out the contents onto the table. Mascara fell out, then powder, then bright eye shadows, then foundation. The table was full by the time her bag was empty. She got to work on my face immediately with concealer before contouring my cheekbones, then pencilling my eyebrows. It was when we got to the eyes that Lana's face lit up. She began with a light tan colour all over the lid before moving in with a deep brown crease colour, a deep black being placed at the outer corners. It looked very dramatic in the mirror at this point, and I found myself worried that it would look overdone. She then used a black pencil to line my waterline, a black eyeliner to create a small wing, before moving to eyelashes.

'Which ones do you want?' She moved to the table holding five new packs of eyelashes and I examined them.

'Those.' I picked the less exaggerative pair of lashes and she nodded.

Once I was done with eyes, she gently pressed a nude lipstick to my lips and set everything with powder. When I looked in the mirror, I was immensely pleased. I looked so different, yet it made me feel so confident and daring, like an alter ego.

'Now, we just need to find something for you to wear.' She said, travelling to her long wardrobe. After merely minutes, she turned around holding a black dress. 'This would so suit you, it's classy but sexy.'

'Lana, who am I even trying to impress?' I asked, still looking at my reflection in the mirror.

'Honey, we only get dressed up to impress ourselves.' She said and threw the dress at me. I laughed, and she did too, her hands grabbing a vinyl record to put onto the player. Whitney Houston's How Will I Know filled the room as we swapped places, her in the makeup chair and I heading to change in her bathroom. The dress fit perfectly, and I found myself liking how black looked on my frame. I fixed my auburn hair in the mirror, giving it a brush with my fingers, before leaving.

Lana's face lit up when she saw my outfit and she immediately grabbed a pair of black heels, handing them my way. My outfit was complete, and I found myself getting excited for the party. In all honesty, I was excited to see how the others would react to me looking this way. Lana was ready in record time.

'What was your hometown like, Adriana?' She asked when applying her eyelashes.

'It was average, but I met some really nice people and the neighbourhood was friendly.'

'Why did you move out here?'

I sat down on the bed and she perched beside me. 'Well, my mom is an author and one of her books became a bestseller. We had always wanted to find a bigger place to live and my parents wanted to be inspired by new scenery, they're very creative people.'

'What does your dad do?'

'He's a painter.'

'Really? That's so cool. You don't see people like that anymore, everyone nowadays is either working in business or journalism.' She said before going to get dressed.

It wasn't long before Lana was ready for the party.