26. look at you, all dolled up

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trigger warning: physical assault.

Madison curls the last few strands of my hair with her thin wand. The device gives my hair small, bouncy curls to resemble Tai's hair from the movie.

"Okay, done!" She exclaims, setting the tool down on her vanity. "Now you need to get dressed."

I nod, standing up from the chair to grab my bag that carries my costume. I leave her bedroom, making my way down the hall to the bathroom.

She and Vanessa are already dressed for the party, and they look amazing. Their outfits fit them perfectly and they did a great job finding outfits that matched the characters' perfectly. Vanessa wears the iconic yellow plaid matching set, and Madison wears a similar set, except hers is black and white plaid with a red shirt underneath.

Finding an outfit that resembles Tai's was a bit difficult. I settled on wearing a tight black skirt with a cropped red shirt that has a white heart right on the center of my chest. I also ordered the cropped green and red plaid sweater Tai sports in the movie. To top it off, I bought long black socks that reach just above my knees.

"Oh my gosh, you look hot," Vanessa says as I walk back into Madison's room. I tug my skirt down a bit, realizing it rides up my thighs as I walk.

"You look bomb!" Madison smiles as she clasps her hands together.

"Thank you." I laugh, setting my bag down beside her bed.

"Okay, now all you need is a little bit of makeup." She waves me over to her vanity, where a mess of makeup and hair tools are scattered throughout the surface. "And also the black heels."

I press my lips together. I didn't buy the heels, the main reason being that they looked uncomfortable and hard to walk in. So I settled on wearing my Converse tonight.

"You didn't get them," she says. "Estella, you can't wear your Converse!"

"Why not?" I question.

She looks at me with a narrowed eyes. Without a word, she walks over to her closet, pulling out a pair of black heels. I think someone could poke an eye out with those heels. She makes her way over to me and holds them out for me to take.

"These won't fit me," I say, grateful that Madison is at least three inches taller than I am.

She rolls her eyes before turning around to put them back in her closet. "Ugh, you're just lucky you're short, Estella. Or I would force you to wear them."

I stifle a smile, trotting to her vanity in satisfaction. I take a seat on her chair again so she can begin the task of putting makeup on my face.

"If we leave any later we'll end up missing the party." Vanessa groans from the bed as Madison finishes up my makeup look.

"Almost done," she mumbles, staring at me with concentration etched into her features. She brings a fluffy brush to my face, presumably patting on some blush onto my cheeks.

She smiles proudly as she spins the chair so I'm facing the mirror. I examine my makeup, noticing the blush on my cheeks, my magnified eyelashes, a small eyeliner wing that I actually really like. My lips are a glossy, tinted with a nude color. She didn't do anything to my eyebrows. They're already thick and perfectly shaped after a long and painful tweezing session with her and Vanessa earlier.

"Thank you, Madison." I smile gratefully.

"Do you like it?" She asks.

"I love it."

"Great," she says, nodding. "Let's go."

-

The house where the party is being held at is a large one-story with a white exterior and a black roof. It seems to be well-maintained, the lawn is neatly trimmed and the plants lining the porch are alive and flourishing. My mom could learn a few things from the owners of this house.

The three of us walk up the pathway leading to the front door, which is already wide open. We pass by clusters of students hanging out on the front lawn, getting some fresh air from the packed house.

"I'm going to go find Austin!" Madison announces, her voice loud over the blaring music playing. "Be right back!"

I give her an encouraging thumbs up before she walks further into the house to find her boyfriend. As Vanessa and I enter side-by-side, I take the time to examine the party.

The house is packed, people seem to be in every room: the dining area, the living room, the kitchen. From what I can see, there has to be at least 100 people inside of the house. Most are engaged in conversation, bopping their heads to the loud music. Some dance to it, smiling as they move their bodies to the beat while holding red cups in their hands. A majority of the people in my sight carry the same cups, which I believe are filled with some sort of alcoholic beverage.

All in all, it's exactly how I'd imagined it would be.

A random guy hands me and Vanessa red cups filled to the brim with liquid. I bring it up to my nose, attempting to figure out what the cup is filled with.

Before I know it, the cup is snatched from my hands and shoved into someone else's who was walking by.

"Lesson 101 when going to any party," Aaron says as he appears in front of me. "Don't take drinks from other people."

I angle my head, looking up at him. "Yes. I know that, thank you very much. I've watched teen fiction movies. And I also like to think I have some common sense, at the very least."

His smile grows as I speak to him. "Good. I'm glad, Estella."

"Hi, Aaron," Vanessa says from beside me. "I like your costume. It's creative."

He's not wearing a costume.

"I'm not wearing a costume," he replies.

She laughs loudly, running a hand through her hair before placing it on his arm. "Has anyone ever told you how funny you are?"

"Yeah, all the time," he responds, nodding. "Anyway, your friend is over there." He points behind her, where Madison is talking to Austin in the hallway near the kitchen. "We'll see you around."

He places a hand on my back, ushering me forward before I can refrain him from doing so. We walk to the living room, where I find Asher along with many others. Some I recognize from school, others I don't.

He takes a seat at an empty spot on the big couch, patting the one next to him for me to sit on. I walk over, becoming self-conscious once I realize the sets of eyes watching my every move.

"Did I tell you how good your costume looks?"

I watch as Aaron's eyes graze over my body. My throat feels like sandpaper. I don't think I could get a word out if I tried. His proximity never fails to make me lose all of my brain cells in a matter of minutes.

I clear my throat. "It's cute, right?"

"Mhm."

He wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him.

Asher stands up from the couch perpendicular to the one Aaron and I sit on. He blows smoke into the air as he makes his way over to us. He doesn't wear a costume, either. Just a pair of Dickies and a black sweatshirt.

"Scoot." He uses his knee to push mine over and make space for him on my right. I do, even though there isn't much space for him to take up.

"No costume?" I ask him.

"Yes costume," he replies. "I'm Asher on a Monday."

Huh?

"I don't get it."

"Smoke?" He mumbles, ignoring my comment as he holds out a joint in our direction. "It's good."

Aaron shakes his head in response. Asher looks to me, raising his eyebrows. "No thank you," I politely decline.

"Well you guys are looking real fucking cozy." He sighs. He brings the joint up to his mouth, inhaling the drug and leaning his head back on the couch as he exhales. I watch with awe as the cloud of smoke disintegrates into the air.

"And you're looking real fucking miserable," Aaron responds, nudging Asher's shoulder with the hand wrapped around my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not miserable." He laughs before taking another hit. "Just bored. This party sucks ass, doesn't it?"

"I'm doing alright." Aaron shrugs.

"I see that." Asher nods, raising his eyebrows. "I'll be back. I'm gonna find something to drink."

He gets up from the couch with a groan, walking away from the living room to get to the kitchen, where the variety of drinks are being kept.

"I hope he's alright," I mumble as I watch him enter the kitchen and make conversation with one of the students at our school. I don't think Aaron hears me. If he does, he doesn't say anything in response.

"I like your hair down," he says, running his free hand down my hair. "And the curly look, too."

"Thanks." I smile. I try to find a way to compliment him, but nothing I say will sound as natural as his compliments do. So instead, I tell him, "I have to use the bathroom."

I actually do. Really bad.

"Okay." He nods.

I lift myself off of the couch and begin my search for the bathroom. It only takes a few minutes to find it, the long line leading up to a door in the hall being a dead-giveaway to where the restroom is. I get in line behind people who all seem to be here together, conversing as they wait to use the restroom.

"Estella." I hear from behind me. I turn around, finding Jacob standing a few feet away from me. He's dressed in all black, wearing a black beanie on top of his head. I assume he's supposed to be a robber. Or someone who just likes black.

"Hi, Jacob." I smile tightly.

"I like your costume," he says. "You're matching with Madison and Vanessa, right?"

I nod. "Yeah, we're the Clueless trio."

He smiles, making his way closer to me. Even the way he walks intimates me. "You shouldn't have to wait in this line to use the bathroom," he tells me. "Come on, I'll show you to the other one."

I shake my head. "No, it's fine. I don't mind waiting."

"I know you don't mind." He moves his head in the direction he came from. "But you don't have to wait. Come on, follow me."

I stand still, studying his sincere expression. Then I turn back to the line, counting about eight people in front of me. "Okay. Thank you."

He nods, leading me away from the line. We walk toward the other side of the house, where another long hallway leads to a closed door. He takes a key from his pocket, unlocking the door to reveal a bedroom.

"That's not a bathroom," I say, standing on the other side of the threshold. "I think I'll just go wait in line."

"No, Estella." He laughs. "The room leads to the bathroom."

He turns on the light, pointing to an open door on the left side of the room. I nod, slowly making my way inside the room. He waits by the door of the bedroom as I enter the restroom.

"Thank you," I say to him as I shut the door to the bathroom, walking back out to meet with Aaron again. But before I can exit the bedroom, he closes the door so softly I can't even hear the click.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"What's the rush?" He counters, locking the door. I take a step back, my heart beat already beginning to pick up speed. "I've been wanting to talk to you all night, but I don't think Aaron would even let me get a word in."

I nod slowly. "We can talk outside. No big deal."

"But then we won't have any privacy," he replies with a shrug. "Vanessa told me you wanted quote unquote private time with me."

It's okay to say no.

"Well, she lied to you," I say, trying my best to mask my shaky voice. "I just want to go back to the party."

He makes his way over to me. With every menacing step he takes, I take one back. All the way until I'm practically up against the wall.

"So everyone can see you in this sexy little outfit?" He smiles. A crooked, wicked smile. "You wore it on purpose, didn't you? Such a tease."

I avoid his eyes. "Leave me alone."

His laugh is ingenuine, almost as menacing as the way he walks. "Look at you, all dolled up."

He places his hands on my hips, gripping tightly. I reach to shove his hands away from me, but he has a tight grasp on my body. "Let go of me, Jacob."

"Do you really want that?" He mumbles, bringing his mouth near my neck. I can feel his hot breath on my skin. "Cause that's not what your friends told me."

I reach my hands up to his face, shoving him away from my neck. "It's what I'm telling you right now."

"Don't pretend to be innocent, Estella."

I struggle to get out of his tight grasp. He wraps his hands further around my back, bringing me closer to him. My hands are shaking; my body is shaking. I'm being suffocated by his body weight and I can't, for the life of me, push him off.

"Get the fuck away from me," I growl, bringing my knee up to kick him in his groin as hard as I possibly can. He elicits a loud groan, collapsing to the ground a few feet away from me, curling up into a ball.

"Fuck you, you bitch!" He groans again, shutting his eyes tightly as he cups his area.

I unlock the room, staring at him with wide eyes. I sprint out of the bedroom before he has the chance to recover. I run until I make it to the living room, where I left Aaron earlier.

Once I make it, I try to calm my breathing as I walk up to the common area. My eyes search for him frantically. I can hardly hear the music over the loud beating of my heart. By the erratic rhythm of it, it seems like it's about to burst from my chest.

Where is he?

"You okay?" Asher asks me as he comes from behind me with a red cup in his hand. He stands in front of me, studying my face with concern.

I crack each of my fingers, nodding my head in response. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

His gaze falls down to my hands. A split second later, he's ushering me away from the crowd in the living room. His hand rests on my back. "What happened, Estella? And don't lie to me."

"Nothing happened," I lie. His green eyes continue to graze over my face. I don't think I've ever seen Asher so focused. "Where's Aaron? I was just looking for Aaron."

His expression doesn't change. He continues staring at me with a taut jaw and wildly-searching eyes. "I don't know where Aaron is."

I take a deep breath, grabbing his forearm to lead the both of us outside of the suffocating house. I'm about to sit us down on a bench on the porch, but I feel the need to get further away from Jacob's home. As far away as I possibly can.

"I don't believe you," he says once we're sitting on the curb out front. "Tell me what happened, Estella."

I shake my head, not wanting to relive what just occurred minutes ago. I don't know what he would do to Jacob if I told him the truth. What I do know is that I would rather not find out.

"Nothing." I laugh, a weak, fake sound. "I was just looking for Aaron after I used the bathroom. That house is a lot bigger than it looks, you know."

"Let me take you home."

I shake my head. "I'm okay. I'll wait for Aaron."

His eyebrows furrow in deep thought. I presume he's deciding whether or not he wants to let it go. For my sake, I really hope he does. I'll have all night to recall tonight's events. But right now, I just want to talk to him and avoid the subject entirely.

"I hope you're telling me the truth."

I nod my head before turning to look at the street. I can still feel his eyes on me as I look at the streetlight illuminating the area we're sitting at.

"Hey, what happened?" Aaron's voice comes from the front door. He walks over to me and Asher. "I was waiting for you in the living room, Estella."

I don't remember seeing him on the couch after what happened. It's the first place I checked.

"Sorry, I guess I— I didn't see you there."

"Asher, can you give us a minute?" He asks. "I just wanna talk to her alone."

Asher hesitates, furrowing his eyebrows as he looks up at Aaron, then down at me, then back to Aaron.

"Yeah. Sure."

I watch as he stands up from the curb, walking up the path to house to leave Aaron and I alone to talk. But that's the thing. I don't want to talk. I don't want to think about what happened. I just want to leave and never come back to this house from hell.

"Aaron, this is going to sound lame." I break the silence between us. "But I think I wanna go home."

"You wanna go home already?" He asks.

"Yes."

"How come?"

"I— I'm tired."

He takes a deep breath. "I'll take you."

He stands up, holding his hand out for me to take. I grab onto it, lifting off of the curb. He walks me to his car, which is parked pretty far away from the house.

"You look like you're in the middle of running a 5K." He laughs as he examines my miserable state. "You want a piggy back ride to the car?"

I laugh, shaking my head. "I'll be fine."

A few minutes later, we're in his car on the way to my house. He turns the music up. He drives in silence, his right hand on the steering wheel while he brings his left up to his mouth, the fingernail of his thumb between his teeth.

"What are you doing?" I ask as he parks in front of my house, opening up his door. I do the same, meeting him outside on the parkway.

"Walking you to the door like the gentleman I am," he replies, shrugging.

I smile as he wraps an arm around my shoulder, walking with me up the concrete path leading up to the front door.

"Thank you for the ride," I say once we're standing on the porch. "And for walking me to the door like the gentleman you are."

He smiles. "It's just what I do for the people I like."

Butterflies fly freely around in my stomach as he cups my face with his hands, leaning down to press a chaste kiss on my cheek.

"Good night, Estella," he whispers, his face still close to mine.

"Good night."

He stares at me for a moment before he leans down again. This time, he presses his lips to mine in a soft kiss. I bring one hand up to his face, caressing his cheek as his lips move against mine.

I have no clue what I'm doing.

I've never done this before.

His arm comes to wrap around my waist to pull me flush against his body. My other hand reaches up to his head and I rake my fingers through his hair. His hands roam my waist, mine through his hair.

Yup. Just as soft as I've imagined.

He pulls away from me. "Okay. Good night for real this time."

I smile. "Good night. For real."

He trots down the porch steps, and I turn around, touching my lips with my fingertips. Grabbing my house key from my clutch, I refrain from shrieking out of happiness.

I just had my first kiss.

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