"Is that how a winged eyeliner is supposed to look like ? ", I asked Leah , who was peacefully doing her nails.
" Well, you look closer to a panda when you do that ", Leah shrugged ,"But we are pretty people . I could throw a potato sack on right now, and guys will still ask me out ".
"Not the one across the street though ", I smirked .
" Yeah well, you can't have everything in life ", Leah said.
" Like a good report card ? ", I asked. All the marks had been given out and my chemistry teacher seemed to have checked mine with a particularly bad mood.
"It's not like it's the end of the world ", Leah assured me ,"You'll get a lot of other chances ".
"Easy for you to say ", I said, drooping my head slightly. Leah always had been a high scorer, despite being the opposite of nerdy.
"Look", she said, firmly, " Marks aren't constant. There are lot of other things that matter . You have plenty of those things ".
I smiled half heartedly. If only I could be as good as her, or even nearly as good as her.
"Come on ", said Leah, cheering me up ,"Exams are over. We are going to a party...Now is not the time to sulk and ruin your mood. "
I finally smiled .
She was right. Somebody, I'd improve, look back and laugh on these moments. On how cranky and lopsided the chemistry teacher was.
"Come here , I'll do your hair ", Leah called me,
gesturing me to a chair.
The doorbell rang.
"Mom ?", we wondered as I followed her downstairs.
It was the same drunk girl from next door. Now sober, she looked quite pretty and shy.
"Hello", she said ," I am Daisy. I live next door ".
"Yeah, we know ", I said, slightly raising my eyebrows.
"I brought over some cookies", She gave us a small box of handmade cookies. Though not pretty, it was clear she had put a lot of efforts in them.
"Thank you . ", I said, taking the box.
"Where is your brother ", Leah asked, inspire of herself.
I gave her a side eye.
"He was right behind me. Dunno where...Ah, there he is ", said Lily, looking around .
Her " handsome " brother was jumping from our fence. Despite him literally trespassing, I could not deny he was good looking, with small dimples and wet brown hair slowly falling into his eyes. My sister has good taste.
"Your brother seems pretty experienced ", I commented loudly, so Leah could hear ,"He does this often ? "
"NO'", she said, clearly embarrassed, " I don't know why he's doing that ".
"It's alright", I said, smiling ,"As long as he does it in front of us . Or else there might be a little trouble ".
Oh not police trouble, I thought seeing her expressions. More like our automatic senser , which was thankfully off, would shoot him upon sensing danger ".
"I'm sorry", he said, as soon as he came near to us ,"There was a dog behind me ".
"Oh, it's no problem ", I said with a sarcastic sweet smile ,"It's quite common for people to jump over the fences in this neighborhood ".
"Oh really ?", he said, brushing his palm on his white pants ( My OCD just got triggered ) ,"I thought you'd call the police on me or something ".
"Here's the money", he handed me a red envelope. It was quite thick. Was my future brother- in - law rich ?
"What are you doing this evening?", Leah asked, in the same dreamy tone, I did not recognise.
"WE have a party to attend ", I reminded her, casually.
"Oh yeah", said Leah, as if hearing it for the first time ," Would you mind dropping us off ?".
Oh come on, some random neighbour was not driving a mile to drop us off a party he couldn't even attend .
"Actually, " he said , taking out car keys from his pocket, "I wouldn't mind ".
Ok , so there were more than one dumbass over here.
"Ok, then", she said, blushing like an idiot "Let's go ".
I looked at my half done makeup and my panda flip-flops. Surely, this girl wasn't serious ?
The guy walked out ( the front door, this time ) with Leah trailing behind like a puppy.
I made my decision in a splitsecond, as I ran behind Leah cause as she said, we twins were pretty enough.
Poor Lily, I thought as I looked outside the car at her staring at us with the same expression I had, namely- What-the-hell-did-just-happen-?
I should have probably felt sad for Damien too ( he was supposed to drop us off ), but he would probably be thank the heavens for the extra two hours of sleep .
×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
We were finally inside the big magnificent hall of the hotel which boasted lavish decor and sophisticated elegance. Twinkling lights highlighted the luxe furnishings and custom birthday decorations like balloons and banners. Fresh flowers added a touch of class to the setting. Gourmet food was artfully arranged on elegant tables, with delicacies like hors d'oeuvres, decadent desserts, and fine wines available for guests. Attentive waiters in crisp uniforms moved gracefully through the crowd, offering impeccable service and ensuring every guest's needs were met. The overall ambiance was opulent and celebratory, making for a memorable birthday bash in this high-end hotel.
I was amazed. Despite being in the upper middle class, attending such events was a rare opportunity for us. Everything seemed to scream RICH to me.
My eyes inevitably found Axel in the corner of the room. Dressed in a tuxedo, he looked charming as he tried to make his way out of the swarm of ladies that had surrounded him towards....
Amaya ?
I rubbed my eyes to check whether I was seeing things right. Sure enough, Axel was sitting on a couch near Amaya discussing something with deep interest . Now and then, both would laugh prettily, you know like those models - who'll just smile politely. Totally unluke her usual crackhead laugh when she was with me which sounded like a dying horse.
What did I miss ?
I checked over my shoulder. Leah was already near the food section, grabbing tater tots and cheese. I followed suit.
Just as I sit down, the commotion suddenly stopped. You know that silence, when you are complaining about a teacher but he's right behind you and your friend tries to signal you ? Yeah, that silence.
I looked over. Sure as hell, the birthday boy with his super hot girlfriend, who he probably got with
2 weeks ? Nah too much.
Probably a week ago.
The guy changed girlfriends like underwear. And he wasn't even good looking in the first place. But of course, money speaks louder than personality.
"Isn't that Cashandra ?", Leah said, her mouth still full.
Cashandra was the cheerleading captain, super gorgeous even by my standards.
A waiter brought the humongous 3 tier cake from one side- strawberry cheesecake ( the really exlensive kind ).
AAAAARGHHHHH
All of us turned our head back at once, where a red haired guy had collapsed- a greenish waiter right behind me.
It took both of us a moment to realize and then...