DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, I don't own The Office. Shocked?
First off, let me thankyou all so, so much for the encouraging reviews, honestly, they mean a lot to me. Thank you so much, guys. Sometimes I feel kinda low after reading all the amazing stories on here, so it really lifts my spirits when I know you guys enjoy my stories. You're all rock stars.
On the morning of prom, the sky was thick and padded with stormy grey clouds and the air was heavy and cold. Pam took it as a sign. She didn't usually believe in signs, they were superstitious. But for some reason, she felt very worried as she looked through her curtains at the darkening sky. She bit her lip and sat on the wide windowsill. Pam had always wanted a window seat, ever since she was a little girl, and this windowsill, wide enough to sit on was as close as she ever got. She loved it, and every weekend she'd spend a little time arranging vases of flowers and candle and old books on it. Today, though, on this shadowy Saturday, Pam shuffled over to the windowsill clutching her thick blanket around her and settled down, pulling her knees to her chest. She expected big, salty tears to fall but they didn't come. She felt broken and lost and weak but she didn't cry. Instead she sat silently, staring out at the clouds. There was a dull ache in her throat and a rock in her stomach and she pulled the blanket closer.
Claudia rang at 9.00, excited and ordered Pam to meet at her house.
"Today," she announced, "is a girls' day. You, me, Stacey, Leslie and Terri are going to get ready for prom!"
"But I-" Pam began but Claudia interrupted.
"No excuses, Pamela Beesly! Come on over!" She said firmly, giggling and Pam gave in. The clouds were beginning to clear and so was her head. The girls were more excited then Pam had ever seen them – it was contagious. They spent all day together. They went to get manicures and pedicures, Pam chose a pale pink polish and she admired the way they gleamed. They went to the hairdressers, and spent a small fortune freshly washing and drying their hair, straightening, curling, crimping, waving and highlighting. Pam had her hair straightened and had it twisted into a beautiful, shining bun on the top of her head, adding pearls here and there. The hairdresser gushed over it and other hairdressers followed and praised it. Pam blushed madly and laughed awkwardly, still not completely used to be complimented. Stacey laughed whenever Pam blushed, patting her knee and telling her that she needed to get some more self confidence- she had a great smile and she needed to laugh more. And finally, the girls finished their trip by getting their makeup done. For Pam it was a soft, hazelnut haze for eye shadow, light strokes of black mascara and just a touch of eyeliner, a brush of glittering pale pink blush and finally a little pink lipstick. And finally they hurried home in the drizzling ran, newspapers over their heads, sharing umbrellas and laughing.
They went to their separate houses to get in their dresses, agreeing to meet at the prom. Pam went straight to her room, relieved to see that her hair and makeup hadn't been affected by the rain. Her mother and sisters joined her oohing and aahing and helping her pack her handbag. There was a moment of panic when her pair of stockings had a small hole but every single one of her older sisters held up a spare pair, and then sheepishly laughed. But they were all went downstairs before Pam dressed in the stockings, shoes and dress, wanting to be surprised. Alone in her room, thoughts flooded Pam's head. Jim, the chalk giraffe, the blue butterfly, Roy, the green bikini, prom, notes, secrets, Dawn, smoking, the dress, smiles, laughter. It made her feel sick and dizzy and muddled. Pam felt tears behind her eyes, but she didn't let them flow. Tonight was her night. Instead, she carefully stepped into her new, gorgeous dress. She unzipped the bodice so it would fit and then zipped herself up again. She twirled once or twice, admiring the way the skirt fell and spun out, silky and cool against her bare legs. Then she caught herself and pulled on her stockings and slipped on her shoes. Finally, she looked at herself in a full length mirror. Yes…the midnight blue went perfectly with her auburn hair. The pearls in her hair added an elegant, graceful touch. Perfect…almost. Something was missing, but Pam pushed aside the feeling and grabbing her purse (containing a small bag of mints, a handkerchief, some dimes and five dollar note, a tube of lipstick and a small comb) she descended downstairs.
She rested one hand on the rail of the stairs and walked slowly and shyly, as her family and Roy all smiled up at her. She felt like a princess but she didn't really like all the people looking at her this time. It made her feel hot and uncomfortable but she held a smile and took Roy's hand at the end. Her mother was crying (of course, as all mothers do) and her father was staring Roy down with a warning eye. Her sisters fussed and beamed, glad that Pam was coming out of her shell; they smoothed her skirt and tucked away non-existent strands of loose hair. After around 200 pictures and 3 rolls of film, Roy opened the door for Pam. Her stomach flipped and somersaulted and her legs refused to move.
"Go ahead." Penny, her eldest sister whispered. Pam stared pass the open door and into the indigo night. The clouds were coming closer, dark and grey. Roy waited patiently, holding out his hand. She ordered herself to breathe in and breathe out and forced her legs to move. She smiled nervously, taking Roy's hand and stepping out the door. She turned and watched the door close. It was time to go.
So, another short chapter, but the next one is super important. You can tell by the italics that it's really important. I emphasis a lot of words, so don't take that too seriously. But it is important. Anyway, hope you enjoyed and stay tuned! Xx
P.S Oh, and as you probably know I don't turn down reviews (hint hint).