"You know I can't let you go, right?" The man asked, voice gentler than I was expecting it to be. I looked up and he was staring right at me, eyes uncharacteristically kind.
I nod slowly, whispering, "Go ahead."
~~~
Ava Williams is just trying to l...
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"Ow. OW! Not so tight." I reached up to grab the hair that was pulling but Alma smacked my hand away.
"Sorry, dear. Almost done."
I was sitting in front of the mirror, watching Alma delicately braid my hair. The bottom half of my hair flowed in dark ringlets down my back while the rest was pulled into a braided bun sitting at the nape of my neck. A few loose strands framed my face which has already been done up with makeup. Dark eyeshadow colored my eyelids and my lips were painted a deep red.
"So what's Jaime's dad like?"
Tonight's banquet was an annual holiday event thrown by Jaime's father. It would be the first time I have ever met him and I just wanted to be prepared.
"He was a hard father to Jaime. There's not many people that he likes." She must've seen my wide eyes in the mirror because she added, "But don't worry, he'll warm up to you." Alma put the finishing touches on my hair, putting small jeweled pins throughout the braid and sprayed hairspray on the fly-aways. "Alright, let's get you dressed and then you'll be ready to go." She pulled a dress from my closet that was still in its garment bag. When I tried to peek at it earlier, she shooed me away.
She unzipped the bag and I caught a glimpse of a dark, sparkling material. I reached out, grabbing the dress between my fingers and slid it out of the garment bag. It was a dark shade of purple, almost black, and glittered under the light. I had no doubt that Jaime picked this one out. The silk dress brushed against the floor with a slit that reached mid thigh and a deep v that stopped at a sharp angle at my sternum. Small delicate straps zig-zagged across my back leaving most of my back exposed.After a few frustrating minutes trying to get all the straps in the right places, I stood in front of the mirror and admired the beautiful gown. I almost didn't recognize my reflection staring back at me.
"Thank you, Alma. For everything." I pulled Alma into a hug, careful to not smudge my makeup.
"You look amazing." Alma wiped the tears from her eyes and gave me a heart-warming smile.
As soon as I turned out the door, I saw a fleeting figure down the hall. "Aren't you going to the banquet?"
Katrina wasn't in a gown like I was. She only wore a pair of leggings and a hoodie. She turned and stared at me for a long moment. "Unlike you, I don't have time to go chasing after fantasies." She scoffed at me and continued down the hall like I hadn't said anything.
"Katrina," I called after her. She paused mid-step. "I'm sorry if I've ever offended you but we don't have to be at each other's throats all the time. We don't have to be best friends or anything, but wouldn't it be nice if we could at least be civil?"
Her lips parted in surprise and she gave the smallest, almost imperceptible nod before disappearing around the corner. I felt a sense of triumph and relief. I honestly didn't think it would be that easy.
