Though only a few seconds passed, to both of the women huddled into the skinny full body length mirror it felt like an eternity until the tension-filled silence was broken.

"Ino... holy shit."

Sakura's eyes weren't sure where to look as she stared at her reflection. Her pink shoulder length hair was meticulously curled into a stylish half up and half down bob that beautifully framed her face and highlighted her jawline. Sakura traced the soft skin underneath her eyes as she realized the soft dark circles that had become practically a staple to her face had now entirely disappeared. She looked fresh, bright, and healthy. Her skin carried a dewdrop like glow thanks to Ino's perfect choice of a soft rose gold highlighter that danced across Sakura's cheeks.

Seeing Sakura's eyes get a glint of life was enough for Ino to be satisfied. There was a sparkle in her eyes that told Ino the two hours of meticulous makeover work was well beyond worth all of the efforts she put in. Gently, Ino stepped behind Sakura and slid her arms around her waist, softly resting her chin on the lost in thought girl's exposed shoulder. For the first time since she saw her reflection, Sakura finally looked down at the outfit she was given. The little black dress Ino chose was definitely her speed. Long, slender sleeves hung off her shoulders, giving her collarbone a gorgeous frame. The dress itself was form fitting but still modest, only hugging her curves in the right places and accentuating her lithe frame. Paired with stunning rose gold heels, Sakura found nothing in the outfit or makeover that she didn't absolutely love.

"You look amazing, babe," Ino whispered through a self-satisfied grin before she kissed Sakura on the cheek and let her waist go. "Now it's my turn, give me half an hour and I'll be ready! Can you let the girls know, and I'll call us a ride?"

Ino grabbed a bag full of her things and ran off to the bathroom to get ready, leaving Sakura still in awe of who she was seeing in the mirror. It had been so long since she had seen herself looking this put together, this alive, and it was almost emotionally overwhelming. But before she allowed herself to slip into thoughts on how far she'd let herself go, she shook her head and turned away with a soft smile on her face. Sakura plopped down onto the couch with her glass of champagne in one hand and her phone in the other. She thumbed through the many messages that had gathered up in the girls' chat while Ino and Sakura were busy before sending a message of her own.

"Hey ladies, I'm excited to see all of you! Ino'll finish up soon and then we'll head that way."

Immediately after pressing send the chat lit up, as the girls began to bombard Sakura with a series of sweet, but seemingly superficial texts. "You missed me?" she thought with a tinge of sarcasm, "If you missed me why didn't-". Sakura stopped her negative train of thought before she began to paint her friends in a negative light. How could they have known she had been struggling so much? Sakura was excellent at painting a picture of a happy life, as shown by her social media feeds full of boutique shopping trips and healthy, well-planned meals. On the surface, Sakura's life was well put together and routine. Only her best friend, the one who pestered her with calls and texts all hours of the day, was able to break past the image Sakura portrayed to see what was truly going on behind her closed heart.

Announced with a click of sassy heels across Sakura's wooden floors, that same such best friend emerged seemingly right on cue. As per usual, Ino was practically glowing between her unbridled confidence and the faint little blush brought on by a few glasses of champagne. Her long blonde hair was loosely thrown over one shoulder, entirely intentional so she could show off her skin in the tight, black backless dress. Though it almost looked like a second skin on her, it was surprisingly modest for Ino's usual taste. The front of the dress went up high around her neck in a halter style, with a small and sultry keyhole slit giving the tiniest peek of her chest. Strappy black heels topped off her outfit, an all-black ensemble that truly made her pale skin and light hair pop in the nighttime.

Sakura let out a soft whistle as Ino spun around for show, giving her best friend a full look at her well-orchestrated outfit.

"Thank you, thank you. A true masterpiece, I know," Ino chimed as she seemingly floated in her tall heels over to Sakura. With soft hands, Ino's fingertips lifted the bottom of the glass Sakura was holding to make her bring it to her lips. "Now come on, our ride is already outside." Sakura's eyes went wide and she downed her glass, enjoying the little tingle of the bubbles as they warmed her up. They both grabbed their small clutches from the entryway table and stepped outside, waiting for only a second to let Sakura lock her apartment before quickly making their way down to the street.

A line of beautiful women and handsome men waiting wrapped around the corner of the building, but that didn't make Ino hesitate for even a second as she confidently made her way to the front of the line. "Hey handsome," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around the security guard's shoulders. Without a flinch or reaction, the man pried her arms off of him and pulled her around to stand in front of him. "Beautiful, if you keep draping yourself on me you'll scare all the cute boys away. They'll think I'm straight or something." He dramatically shivered as if the idea was too much for him, but eventually cracked up laughing and dragged Ino into a large hug.

"You're here for the reserved table, right? I'll walk you inside."

Sakura shot Ino a confused glare as she stepped out beside her, nudging her with her elbow as the guard led them indoors.

Reserved table? I thought this was a normal girls' night?

Only a wink is what she received as an explanation. Right as Ino opened her mouth to speak, they were both overtaken by the bumping sound of music and made their way into the depths of the nightclub.