Surviving the McLane Boys ('On Hold Still...')

Chapter 11 - The Princess and her Knight

Chapter 11

“We’re heeeeerreeeeeeeeeee!” A voice sings out, snapping me out of my reverie.

Mitch storms into my room followed by everyone else, “I brought the vodka cruisers!”

“Mitch!” I exclaim.

“I hope you didn’t.” everyone whirls around to see Claire standing in the doorway, her arms crossed and a none-too-pleased look on her face.

“She’s kidding Claire.” I say as Maddy slaps the back of Mitch’s head.

Claire smiles, “I know. But seriously, no booze. Have fun.” She walks out with a wave, shutting the door behind her.

“Ok, time to get started! Who’s getting their nails done first?” Tish calls out. I watch in awe as boxes of nail polish, make-up and hair products are set on the floor.

“Oooo! Me, me, me!” Charlie says, bouncing up and down with her hand in the air.

“Where’s Meghan?” I ask.

“She refused to come.” Mitch says sullenly, “It’s just ‘not her scene’”

“Oh…” I was actually hoping she’d come and we’d get to know each other better. I throw open my still half-full closet, “Well, you can hang your costumes in here for now if you want.”

Anna ties her platinum blonde hair up in a bun, “Give them to me and I’ll sort everything out together,” she says quietly. Everyone hands in their costumes, shoes and accessories to her which she sorts through and hangs up.

I join Mitch on the ground with Latisha and Charlie. Maddy kneels behind me and starts to lift my hair up in different ways, “I’m just going to experiment a bit with your hair first. Is that ok?”

“Yeah, it’s fine… as long as you don’t make it look too weird…”

Mitch laughs, “If you’re leaving your hair to Maddy then it will.”

Maddy stick her tongue out at her, “I’m not doing it, Anna is. I’ve got a couple of ideas on what to do and I’ll get her to fix it up.”

We look through the different nail polish colours as we wait for Latisha to finish off Charlie’s nails. Tish looks up at me while she shakes the bottle of forest green nail polish, “What time is it?”

“Um, 3:30.”

She nods her head and finishes off Charlie’s toes, “Ok… we’ve got around 4 hours people! Let’s get this party started!” As if on cue a mini stereo starts to belt out ‘Like a G6’.

Maddy grabs my hands and drags me to my feet, forcing me to dance in the middle of the bedroom with her.

Wait. When did I get a stereo?

‘Sober girls around me they be actin’ like they drunk’

“Wooo! Work it girls!!”

I slam the door in Dylan’s face.

*

“Omigosh! You’re still not ready!” Charlie squeals as I walk back into the room.

“Well, I was helping out everyone else,” I shout over the loud music. “It’s only 6:45, I’ve got an hour.”

Before I know what’s happening Maddy pulls the neckline of my top down, “Hey!”

“Good, you have the bra on. Strip.”

“Excuse me?”

She holds out the dress I’m supposed to wear, “You don’t have time to go to the bathroom, there’s like a line or something. Strip, we’re all girls so it doesn’t matter.” I take it and she stands there looking at me expectantly. She’s dressed in a Snow White costume that stops at her knees along with white knee-socks and a black wig to top it off. She’s chewing gum and she looks nothing like the sweet princess I’ve read about in fairytales.