Chapter 6 The Dress Up

Jade and Nora dress up for the dance

      "I will kill him!" Nora cradled my face in her hands as she examined hy now purple/blue left eye. I was in the wake of her empty dorm room. Her side of the wall had a huge poster of a rock band. Paramore. Her covers just plain black. Her black hair fell over her face as she continued look at my eye. A tall mirror stood at the front of her bed, covered in stickers. The smell of air freshener and her fabric sotener smelled so sweet, also mixing with fresh air from the window that was barely open.
      "I told you," I moved away from her hands. "It was an accident."
I remember the time Bradley whispered in my ear. It sent shivers down my spine when he did. The feel of my heart squeezing at the thought of his voice, of him. He was so cold, mean. Yet, why do I get the feeling theres more to his his image? Something must of happened to him.
     "Yeah right," Nora was looking through a black make-up bag. "He's a horrid man through and through. He is just bad work. Right before the dance too." Nora whined. She had a dreaded look on her face.
      I clutched the necklace's chain.
My necklace I got of my father, when he was on his way to the hospital, the last day I saw him... Alive.
      I inhaled a quiet deep breath, not wanting to cry. I always cry, but not infront of people.
      A flashback popped in my memory.
I was six year old. In a white frilly dress, holding my mothers hand, walking down this burgundy carpet to a room. Entering a room, smelling strong wood varnish, flowers. A large wall-window, with heavy well dusted red curtains. A large casket in front of us. The color rich chestnut brown. My eyes prickling with tears, my father in the casket, lying peacefully. Restrained. Drained. The feel of his skin ice cold. He wasn't my father. My father was someone alive, colourful, full of life. Who refused to get taken by the poison inside of him, eating away, slowly. The man in the casket was someone who tried his very best and it wasn't good enough. But, it was good enough for me. As I stood still with my mothers hand in mine. My mother, tears rolling down her eyes, her expression broken. Her hair tied back, eyes avoiding mine, avoiding the man in the casket that she called 'Husband', 'Love' and 'Darling'.

My eyes opened, with Nora staring straight at me, lips parted.
"What?" I let go of my silver chain, feeling suddenly hot and my hands ingraved with the pattern.
      "Nothing," She went back to the make-up bag. "You looked sad just a moment ago, and you looked deep in thought." She pulled out a bottle of foundation.
       I am always deep in thought. Thinking of the past that was the best and the worse. Thats what makes me stronger.
       "Foundation?" Nora waved the small bottle around weakly with a this-is-all-I've-got smile. I grimanced. Make-up like foundation is heavy for my face, and sensitive, I don't know how the girls here wear bottle loads. I smiled.
        "Well," Nora picked out dark sparkly eye shadow. "We can always mask it." She had a huge grin on her face.
         I didn't mind people doing my make-up, as long as it was acceptable. But I trusted Nora. So I would allow her, then I thought for a second.
         "I don't have a dress." I then had a sad expression plastered on my face. Nora squeeked and jumped of her bed, with the movement the fabric softener from her clothed wafted. It smelt wild.
          She danced to her wardrobe, my eyes relentlessy following.
I stood, my eyes taking in the whole black image of her clothes, dresses, shoes. Her gothica sense was incredible. I spotted a pair of skinny jeans ripped, maybe she done it for the style? I looked at the top shelf, seeing gloves fingerless, black and white. Gloves, also black and fingerless, reaching the elbow.
          "Wow." I mouthed.
"You like?" Nora smiled sweetly.
           "This is amazing." Nora plucked out a black dress. The probably most suitable dress for a dance that wasn't as goth.
            She held the dress against me. As I looked down, I seen diamonds lining along the arms, the cuffs hanging loose and falling midlength at my lower arm. The neck piece would show the collar bone, and some of the shoulder. The bottom loose and a bit frilly, black and white fish net frills, the bottom would reach my knees on me. Little white diamond skulls ran along the sides of the dress, the skulls also holding little pink bows. I smiled at the cuteness and the beauty of this dress.
            "Hmmm." Nora looked up and down. "Lemme see, get changed." She handed me the dress and ran out the door.
             I looked suprised. She would actually lend me a dress for the dance?
I smiled warmly, a silent thank you.
            I changed.
I felt the the dress tighten around my waist, the frills glittering with glitter at when I moved that I had not noticed before. The skulls adjusting at my sides, feeling the weight of the diamonds along my arms. It smelt sweet and exotic. I felt feminine for once. Always hiding myself in hoodies and jeans, baggy shirts. Now I felt different, I felt free and beautiful. I smiled in wonder, and jumped as Nora shouted.
            "Done?"She bellowed with excitement running through her voice.
I said a quiet and yet happy, "Yes."
             Nora came in, she gasped in complete wonder and awe.
"You look absoloutely beautiful, Jade!" She squeeled. I couldn't help but giggle with her. I fingered the sparkly frills at the bottom.
             "It's a beautiful dress." I admired.
I remembered the mirror behind me, I  needed to look at myself properly.
             I was about to turn, then Nora grabbed both my shoulders, firm and gentle.
            "You are going to wear the dress for the dance." She smiled at me.
Knowing it wasn't a question, I nodded. Her smile grew even wider. "Right, you are not to see yourself until I have done your make-up!" She squeeled again, buzzing with excitement.
           "O-ok." I muttered with a smile.
We sat on the bed, she made sure that the mirror was behind me while she did.
           "I think a smokey purple will do..." She got a thin split fibre brush and dabbed a dark sparkly purple along my eye lid. I opened my free eye and watched as a satisfied grin appeared on her face.
           
After 20 minutes of Nora doing my make-up. She looked at my hair.
          I was desperate with how I looked, I itched to turn around to look at the mirror. 
          "I have an idea," She grinned, her teeth showing a suprised grin.
She moved me to the desk where a chair was with hair brushes and clips scattered messily on the surface. I looked up, the wall. I slouched, I needed a mirror.
           Nora grabbed a brush, brushing my soft hair here and there. I was dozing off.
Remembering how I loved my hair being played with. When my father used to play with my hair to get me to sleep. I smiled a broken smile.
        
After 10 minutes, Nora was letting some hair loose beside my ears, I had a good feeling about my hair. Then she sighed, satisfied.
         "Right," She looked down. "Shoes. Not flats, don't know about heels..." She turned, then stopped suddenly and came back, pulling me along from the stiff chair that really hurt my back.
          She looked at the bottom of her wardrobe, where flats, heels and boots rested, black, neon pink and blue. They where all beautiful.
          She picked up a pair of heels. About 3 inch and black, the heel however was thick. I loved that about them heels, unlike the thin stick like heel that looks like they are about to break. The front of the heels showed diamonds along the straps that went once around the foot. I smiled at the small white skull with a pink bow on the head that lay innocently in the middle.
            Nora asked, "Shoe size?" She crossed her fingers and squeezed her eyes shut, I couldn't remember for a second, then smiled.
            "Five."
"YES!" Nora shouted, doing a little dance on the spot and grinning, and dropped the heels in front of me. I slipped my bare feet in them.
 Feeling how comfy and strange they felt to my feet. I never wore heels, only on special occasions and that was my uncle's wedding last year, and the heels where 2 inches. I cringed and laughed.
            Nora looked at me funny then waved it off. "I'm not even going to ask." She smiled, then stepped back, looking over me, un and down, doing it constantly I thoigh I'd go dizzy just watching.
            "Right," Nora smiled, "Please," She did in a throaty royal voice. "Turn around Jade Kane." She jumped and gestured the mirror behind me.
            With all the excitement bubbling inside me, I twirled in impulse feeling rather stupid and childish then stared, amazed at the girl in the mirror.
             My hair was up, with little diamond swirls in my hair, a curled lock of my dark brown hair hung in front of my ear, the same on the other side. My eyes looked amazing, could barely make sense of the black eye. Only the color under my eye didn't stop it from showing, it only looked apart of the top eye make-up. I smiled. Seeing how my curvy figure fit perfectly into the dress, I smoothed my hands down my sides, feeling the skulls hit my fingers, and smoothed my hands over my stomach, which showed a little. I hated my stomach, I had a right belly.
             My eyes landed on Nora's pleased expression, she looked like a proud mother, honestly.
             "Your stomach?" She looked at my eyes that trailed along my belly through the mirror behind me. I seen her think then she clicked, and smiled, turning away from me. I seen through the mirror as she leaved through her drawers getting a diamond belt. A belt that was stretchy and fitting. She put it on me from behind. It flattened my tummy. I smiled, and looked at my feet, where my toes where exposed, I'm actually glad I painted them last night with dark purple.
              "Are you sure about this?" I turned to her. She looked at me with a funny look.
               "No, Jade," She said sarcastically. "I just lended you my clothes and did you hair and make-up just for you to take it back off again." She laughed. I couldn't help but smile, I was looking forward to the dance.
                Then Nora went to the wardrobe and took out a black dress with a huge skull image on the front, with black shredded lacing along it. The straps for the shoulders held a cute button with a emo face. I smiled at how cut it looked. The dress looked like it would reach her thigh mid way.
                 "Are you wearing that one?" She looked at me as she placed the dress on the bed.
                 "Hell yeah," She smiled. "I love this dress." She ventured to the drawers again. Pulling out a pair of tights, ripped, I smiled at how she was goth. She got changed, I turned and looked at myself, seeing me hair glitter with the diamond swirls placed in it. Then I seen how my necklace cradled at the top of my cleavage. I held it and inhaled, while doing so, a crisp wind flowed in through the window. I went over to it, wobbled a little bit on the heels. The dress felt comfortable as I moved, I reached the window. Looked down to see Lewis, talking to Bradley walking towards the Cafe from the boys dorm. They were still dressed in their uniform. I looked at the clock beside the window.
                It was only half five. They had an hour to get ready, or where they going? Then I remembered Bradley's promise to see me at the dance. The reminder. I suddenly shivered, then seen a head turn towards me. It was Bradley, looking at the girls dorm doors, then traveling his gaze upwards, I shut the window quick and hid behind the wall, slumping on the bed. Thankful the dress didn't tear.
                I seen Nora, she looked like a goth princess.
Her hair now down but back combed to look big. No eye make-up yet. But she looked stunning. She smiled to me. "Well, lets get cracking." Sh headed for the wardrobe while I peeped out the window.
Mine and Bradley's eyes locked.