It's only one night, She kept reminding herself as she looked in the mirror. Though her appearance was a soft spot for her, like many a woman before, she had to admit, she felt... Pretty. Her wavy light brown hair had been mostly pinned up, though tendrils hung down to frame her face, and the lids to her blue-green eyes had been painted to perfection in a smoky purple hue. Her dress, though short and tight in her opinion, made it a point to accentuate her best features. Alabama shook her head, ridding herself of such thoughts, now wasn't the time to ogle over her own appearance.
"Allison!" Michigan called out, hoping against hope that she wasn't still curled up asleep, "Are you ready?"
It's now or never, she thought letting out a large sigh and steeling her nerves. "Yeah, I'll be down in a sec', alrigh'?"
Michigan let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding in. If there was one thing he was terrified of, it was waking up a Southerner, getting them to dress up came in close second.
Hearing a soft clicking of high heels of hardwood flooring, Lucas looked up to see his favorite sister all decked out for a night on the town or in their case a night in a festival. Michigan let out an appreciative whistle causing her to give him a death glare that rivaled Russia's. He laughed as she stumbled and grabbed the banister for support to which she pouted and flipped him off.
"Lu!" she whined, "You're suppose't' help your family not laugh when they're in mortal peril!"
Michigan just continued to laugh, Alabama eventually joining in.
When Lucas finally calmed down enough to string together more than two word at a time, he said, "It's gonna' be wicked cold to you, so you better bring a coat or something."
She nodded, grabbing a denim jacket as they walked for the door, "So, where are we goin'?"
Lucas threw his arms in a dramatic gesture with a groan of frustration, "For the last time, it's a secret!"
"Jus' tell me, Lu."
"Fine. The Friendship Festival in Buffalo."
"Wait... Other people we know are gonna' see me in this?" she questioned, already feeling her stomach drop to her knees.
"Uh, yeah. Why else would I tell you to dress up?"
"As a joke, jus' like this is?" she asked hopefully.
He laughed again.

"Everything's ready, right, NY?" an ashen blond man with forest green eyes and a serious look on his face asked while peering over the top of wooden clipboard.
Jason turned to him nodding; His check-list was clear. "Ya' know," he started, placing his own clipboard under the crook of his arm, "not a lot a' ya' comes every year. I mean, I think I only saw Yukon last year."
Ontario raised an eyebrow, "You also got drunk off your ass last year. I surprised you even remember seeing Victor."
The state let out a loud, snorting laugh and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, mighty saint, Jayden who's never drank a day in his life! Pussy!"
Ontario laughed along with his friend, "Just because I don't smell like your liquor cabinet on St. Patrick's Day..."
"Don't mean you don't drink like it," New York finished for him, "I know. I know, but you and me haven't went to a bar in f'rever! Come on! Drink with me t'night!" His eyes widened and his lower lip quivered as he folded his hands and tried to look as sad as possible.
"Alright! No need for the puppy eyes!" Jayden shouted making the shaggy black haired man shout in victory.
"I knew you'd see it my way! And go change. You look old."
"I am old," Ontario quipped.
"Not as old as me," the state retorted, "Now, go change."

Walking around in a dress wasn't so bad. That is, when people didn't stare at her like she was a piece of meat. Alabama's face scrunched in disgust as a man fell off his bar-stool while leering at her.
It had been Lucas's idea, much like everything else that day, to spend a majority of the night in the beer garden getting free drinks from random strangers. At first, she had profusely disagreed until a bet was mentioned.
At this point in the night, she could hardly remember what it was over, but the rules still rang in her head, 'Whoever leaves first loses, but if we leave at the same time, it's whoever drinks the least.' There were many things that one could say about the brunette that would be marginally true throughout her statehood, but one thing could always be said with certainty, she was never one to pass up a bet. Thus, here she was, in the middle of the beer garden with three pints already in her system as she was nursed on the fourth.
The man slouched beside her wasn't much different. His hair was a messy array of ashy blond locks which stood at odd angles from the hand that constantly toyed with them. She briefly wondered if his hair was as soft as it looked before mentally slapping herself. He was probably a human and no good could come with her getting any semblance of close with him.
But then again, it had been a long time... 'Oh, what the hell!' she thought, turning towards him.
"Hello," she said with her best smile, "I'm Allison. Who migh' you be?"
Ontario looked over when he heard someone addressing him. He looked her over as she introduced herself, 'Nice legs, decent chest, and a pretty face. Not too bad for sitting here in silence.' As the question registered in his mind, he cleared his throat and gave her a heartwarming smile, "Jayden Williams, but my friends call me Jay."
'Williams?' she wondered, 'Where have I heard that name before?' Shrugging and brushing it off as mere coincidence, she said, "It's nice t' meet ya', Jay. Say, you wouldn' mind too terribly tryin' t' help me fin' my brother would ya'?"
"Do you usually coarse strangers into doing things for you?" he asked jokingly, standing up and holding out a hand for her.
Though later she'd blame it on the alcohol, her face grew warm as she took his hand, "You don' have to. I jus' hoped to get some help from someone who wasn't looking at me like," she gestured to one of the many patrons, who was staring at her and drooling, "that."
Jayden laughed, his rich voice unknowingly sending shivers down her spine, "It's not a problem Allison. I have someone I should be looking for as well."
Her spirits deflated a bit at that, of course a gorgeous man that wasn't looking for a girl to take home was either gay or taken. "So who ya' lookin' for? Maybe I can help ya' find 'er."
Ontario smiled pleasantly, "You'd have a hard time if you were looking for a girl. I'm looking for my friend Jason. You'll know when we find him: loud obnoxious guy with an ego complex."
Alabama laughed, so he was a jokester too? Good to know. "Tha' sounds a lot like someone I know. Wha's his las' name?"
"Jones."
"Really? Shaggy black hair? Touchy 'bout 'is height? Thick Queens accent?" she asked getting nods with each question.
"I'm Ontario, who are you, really?"
"Alabama, nice t' finally mee' my brother's man crush," she said with a pleased smile.
He laughed at that, "So we're both looking for NY?"
Alabama shook her head, "I'm lookin' for Michigan. He's my ride home."
Speak of the devil! There he was with some unsuspecting girl sprawled across his lap. Half of his shirt unbuttoned and the other half wrinkled beyond all repair, with the girl's hand tangled tightly in his short hair.
The state rolled her eyes, apparently that plan was out. It seemed the man beside her had the same thoughts, as he said, "I can take you. It can't be that far. Now of course I'd have to demand you go on at least one ride with me."
As she tried to protest, he clutched her hand and brought it to his lips, laying a soft kiss on her knuckles, "After all, I wouldn't want a lady to be alone on such a beautiful night."
Her face heated up impossibly as she nodded her consent, letting him lead her to the colorful carnival rides. Passing up most of them, Ontario finally stopped at the Ferris wheel. Luckily, they didn't have to wait very long as the line was on the short side.
Alabama slid in first and Jayden right next to her. As the door shut, she wondered why the worker was smiling at them like he knew a secret they didn't. When they stopped the ride halfway up and announced the upcoming fireworks, she knew exactly why. "You planne' this," she stated, slightly accusing.
"I did plan the fireworks," he admitted, "but I didn't plan I'd have such a beautiful woman with me as I watched them." He stated to lean in, but was stopped when Allison's hands pushed his shoulders away. He gave her a quizzical look before she laughed and explained, "I don' kiss 'til the third date."
"So not only is she beautiful, but she's a lady as well? I didn't think I'd find someone like you!" he exclaimed excitedly, "When do you want our next two dates to be?"
"Two? I sai' thir' date, Jay'en."
He nodded, "This is the first one."
"Since you didn' formally ask me on a date, this 'ould be zero," she quipped matter-of-factly.
He laughed at that, "I love your accent. It's adorable. I epically love it when you're being sarcastic. The insults just have more bite than usual."
Allison's face lit up faster than a fire to a wood pile, "Thank ya'."
"So," he began just as soon as the fireworks began, "When are the next three days you're free?"