It was the night of the Bluebell Festival, and Fawn and Tinker Bell were at Fawn's house getting ready.
"So, Sil, Ro, Dessa, and Vidia will meet us there!" Tinker Bell hurried around trying to get her earrings on and searching for favorite lip color. She wore a strapless dress in her favorite shade of green that spilled down from her tiny waist to a puddle on the floor around her tiny slippered feet. "But we'd better hurry or we'll be late!"
"Thanks for coming to help me out, Tink," Fawn hollered from where she was slipping on her dress that Hawthorne had made.
"No problem, Fawn," Tink said, gently pressing her lips together to spread the bright red color over them, then dotting her little finger into the corners to wipe away smudges. "It's more fun to get ready together. Speaking of," Tink snapped her head up from the mirror. "Let's see that dress!"
"Ok, what do you think?" Fawn emerged. Fall colored leaves of red, copper, and gold wrapped together to create a form-fitting dress. On one side, the material wrapped up over her shoulder and down her arm to where it trailed off at her wrist. The other arm and shoulder were seductively bare. The hem was much higher in the front than Tinker Bell had expected of the animal fairy, and a bronze belt wrapped around her hips at an angle. She wore tall brown boots and a green vine necklace completed her outfit.
"Gee, Fawn," Tinker Bell gasped. "You'll look great!"
"Thanks!" Fawn seemed happy but nervous. "I don't still smell like skunk, do I? I soaked for hours in that rose petal bath Rosetta insisted on, but I'm not sure if the smell is gone!"
Tinker Bell laughed. "You smell fine to me! And you look amazing! Now, for your hair."
Tinker Bell led her to a small vanity that she had tinkered together, just for the occasion. Fawn sat on the small toadstool and stared into the mirror at her ruddy, freckled face. "Tink, you're wearing your hair down?"
"Yep," the tinker fairy said, as she swept her wheat colored hair behind her shoulder. "But I couldn't resist putting a headband in so it wouldn't get in my eyes."
"For all that emergency tinkering you might be doing at the festival," Fawn joked.
"You know me so well," Tinker Bell smiled. "Now, stop trying to change the subject. What are we doing with your hair?" Tinker Bell frowned into the mirror as she held fistfulls of Fawn's hair. "Ooo!" Her sudden shout made Fawn jump.
"Gee, Tink!"
"Sorry! I just thought of a great hairstyle! We could just take it out of the braid, brush it through, curl it a little, and leave it down! It'll look all wavy and natural! It'll be great!" Without waiting for Fawn to respond, Tinker Bell set to work, murmuring to herself. "If it was anymore complicated, we'd have to go find Rosetta, but thankfully, I know how to make some curls...I just need a...aha!"
Fawn ignored her and began staring into the mirror again. She thought about how the evening might go and felt a knot form in her belly as she pictured the crowded ballroom, the gross fancy food, the ornate dresses, and the dancing. She just knew she was going to look like an idiot. Why did she let the girls talk her into things like this? Then she thought of her friends, and how they would smile and tell her how beautiful she looked, and be surprised that she wasn't covered in dirt and animal fur for once. Then she pictured Vidia, wearing that beautiful dress, and looking sexy as hell. All of the sudden, the knot in her stomach crumpled and broke into pieces that flittered about inside her like she'd just swallowed moths.
"Tinker Bell!" Fawn shouted suddenly, causing her friend to jump.
"What?" Tinker Bell yelped.
"I don't know if I can do this! I just know I'm going to make a fool of myself. And I think I'm coming down with something. My stomach feels uneasy." Fawn clutched her middle and hung her head. She was startled out of her misery by Tinker Bells jingling laughter. "What's so funny?"
"You have butterflies!" Tinker Bell said it like an accusation.
"Ok, so?"
"How often do you get butterflies in your stomach?" Tinker Bell put her hands on her hips.
"Maybe.. like...well...I'm pretty sure...this is the first time," Fawn said, sheepishly.
"Who's going to be there, Fawn?" Tinker Bell had a knowing look in her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Fawn was utterly confused.
"I always have butterflies when I'm trying to impress Terrance. So who is it? Is it Buck? Did he finally confess his love?"
"What?" asked Fawn, taken aback. "Buck? Ew...no.. we're just friends, I-I have no idea what in the world you are going on about? What, just because I have butterflies, it means I'm in love or something?" Fawn put a lot of sappy emphasis on that one word so that Tinker Bell would realize how ridiculous her question was. "As if!" Fawn scoffed. "I just don't like dances. It's probably my hungry tummy realizing there will be nothing decent to eat all night!"
"Whatever you say, Fawn," Tinker Bell sang. "Anyway, your hair's done. It looks great!"
Fawn saw the golden brown curls falling all around her shoulders and smiled at the surprising attractiveness she saw in herself in that moment. "So, can I talk you into sharing some of that lip color you have?"
"There definitely is someone you want to impress," Tinker Bell charged. "But your secrets are your own. And you can totally have some lip color. This red will look perfect with your skin tone!"