Time felt like it was flying by for Serenah. Before she knew it was the day of the dance. The past two weeks had been a whirlwind of activity in her classes and at the law firm. She felt overwhelmed and looked forward to a break from all the work. She was still doing Amanah's homework in addition to her own. She couldn't wait for the report cards to be emailed next week. She knew that Amanah should have straight As on it, and she would finally be free of that task.
She missed having time to herself. She shook her head. She needed to focus on the teacher. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She frowned, sliding it free and hiding it underneath her textbook. She glanced down at the text and grinned. It was from Romeo.
She unlocked the screen and read his message.
Romeo: You ready for tonight?
She thought about it and then responded.
Sera: Mostly, I guess.
She didn't feel prepared. She felt nervous and anxious. Thoughts of her twin potentially wrecking this dance like the last one made her ill. Her phone vibrated, bringing her attention back to the screen.
Romeo: Want to talk about it?
Did she? Talking wouldn't change the future. No, it was best she stopped dwelling on the what-ifs and focused on the here and now.
Sera: No, I'm good. Can't wait for tonight. I've got my phone ready to grab a picture of your face when you see my dress.
She grinned. She was telling the truth. She anticipated a great reaction from Romeo over her dress.
Romeo: I heard it's something amazing, though Liz and Penelope wouldn't tell me what it is. I wanted to color coordinate with you, but it's all good. I can't wait.
She sneaked a covert glance in his direction. He'd wanted to coordinate their outfits? She felt a warmth spread through her at his thoughtfulness. No one had ever tried to match outfits with her. She used to be jealous of the married nobles who came to events with complementing clothes. Now, it was her turn to experience it.
Serenah blinked, blushed, and averted her gaze. Romeo's knowing grin made her embarrassed at being caught staring. She had to force herself to focus for the rest of the school day. This was hard to do because Romeo flirted with her via text in every class. The rest of their friend group teased her about it, making her even more flustered.
Finally, the day was over, and Liz and Penelope rushed her to Liz's house to get ready for the dance. Despite her misgivings, Serenah decided to wear the ombre-colored dress. She laid it on the bed and unzipped the garment bag. Carefully, she pulled it out and hung it on the nearby clothes rack.
"Sera, you can take a shower first. Then Penelope and I will go after," Liz explained.
"Okay." Serenah grabbed her bag and went to the bathroom. She didn't take a long shower because they were on a tight schedule. She came out, and Liz gave her a thumbs-up before going inside.
"Come on, let's get started on your hair," Penelope said, guiding her to the nearby vanity. "By the way, I don't think I said this before, but I love your hair. It's so long and silky. So let's do something a little different."
"Different?" Serenah wasn't sure what she thought of that idea.
Penelope patted her shoulder. "Trust your girl. I got you."
Serenah nodded. She knew Penelope wouldn't do anything bad to her. "Okay."
Penelope clapped her hands. "Great. Let's do this."
Thirty minutes later, Serenah stared at herself in awe. Penelope's hair styling skills were amazing. Her friend had parted her hair into two sections. Penelope braided the top portion into thick braids before coiling them into a bun. She left the ends of the braids free by putting rubber bands near the bottom to keep the braids from unraveling. She then curled the ends and the bottom portion of Serenah's hair.
Penelope leaned forward, placing her chin on Serenah's right shoulder. "What do you think?"
Serenah stared at her friend and her reflection. "Beautiful," she whispered, getting choked up by an emotion she couldn't quite name.
"Glad you like it. Now it's time for makeup."
They both turned at the sound of the bathroom door opening. Liz came out with a smile. She whistled, making Serenah blush.
"Damn, girl, you look stunning. Guess it's my turn to do the makeup. Penelope, the shower is all yours."
Penelope patted Serenah's shoulder and headed for the bathroom.
"Give me one minute to dry off and put on a robe," said Liz, putting action to words.
Serenah waited patiently. Some more minutes later, Liz approached and picked up the makeup palette. "Let's do this," she stated, grinning broadly.
A laugh escaped Serenah's mouth at her friends' antics. Fifteen minutes later, Liz was done. Liz didn't give her time to admire herself. With a gentle push, Liz pointed at Serenah's dress.
"Go ahead, put it on. I'm going to get ready. The shower stopped, so Penelope should be out in a moment."
Penelope emerged from the shower just as Liz had said. Serenah put on her dress and waited for her friends to finish. They stood before the three-way mirror and admired themselves.
"Girls, we slay!" exclaimed Liz.
Penelope chuckled at her exuberance. Serenah grinned. She loved being with Penelope and Liz. Never a dull moment with the two of them.
"Thank you both," Serenah told them, her tone sincere. "I mean it, truly, thank you so much."
"Sera, don't cry! Your makeup will run," chided Liz.
Serenah dabbed at her eyes. "Sorry, I'm so emotional. It's been a stressful few weeks."
Penelope hugged her. Liz joined in the group hug. Serenah felt comforted by their embrace. She didn't realize how starved for physical touch she was.
Finally, they broke apart at Alastar's arrival.
"Shall we?" asked Penelope, a twinkle in her eyes.
"Yes, let's go. Tonight is going to be amazing. And," Liz fiercely added, "your bitch sister and her goons will not be ruining it. I promise on all things I hold dear. Even if it means I have to give somebody an epic beatdown."
Serenah gasped. "Liz! I don't want that."
Liz gave her a stern look. "Sera, you might not want that, but I'm your friend and will go to bat for you. So will Penelope and the rest of the gang. We want you to enjoy yourself. That is our goal for tonight."
Serenah's chest felt tight, her throat clogging with too many emotions to express. Was this what true friends were like? She'd never experienced this in her short life.
"So, no more worrying," insisted Penelope. "We got your back, Sera. Now, let's head out."
Serenah nodded and took Liz's hand. The group went outside and got in Penelope's SUV. Penelope started her car, and they were off to the dance. Serenah's anxiety simmered in the back of her mind. She prayed that this dance would be different from the last one.