The night of the dance, Vanessa insisted on coming over to do my hair and makeup. I stared at myself in the mirror as she slowly masked all my little blemishes and imperfections. She started with foundation, before she lined my eyes with dark, thick eyeliner and mascara, making my eyes stand out. She dusted a clear but sparkly eye shadow over my eyelids before she made me put on the dress before she did my hair. As she curled my hair into soft, natural-looking curls, I realised that she'd kept my makeup minimal – just the way I liked it.

"Thank you," I said as she finished off my hair.

"It's no problem, Ca – "

"I don't just mean about tonight. I mean about everything you've ever done for me." I told her. I watched as Vanessa looked up, her hands frozen on the curler as her big brown eyes looked up at me through the mirror. "Ains?"

I lifted my shoulder into a half-shrug and Vanessa slapped me lightly. "I don't just mean about him, Ness. We would have figured ourselves out eventually."

Vanessa smiled, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "You two were frustrating us."

I stared at her my mouth agape. "You and Camden were frustrating us!"

"We would have figured ourselves out eventually," Vanessa mimicked, laughing, and I turned around to aim a playful kick at her shins. Vanessa opened her mouth to say something, but then Dan cut her off, yelling my name from the next room. Vanessa suddenly looked in pain, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. She and Dan seriously needed to get over this awkwardness between them. So they kissed. So what? They needed to get over it – it was starting to become a massive pain in the arse.

"Hang on a minute," I told her, getting up. "He probably just wants me to do his tie for him."

I walked into the next room, right into the sight I was expecting – Dan, struggling to tie a tie. He turned as I entered, giving me a helpless look, and I laughed, walking over to him.

"You really do need to learn to tie this thing, Daniel." I told sarcastically. Dan gave me a small smile as I quickly tied the tie and stepped back. I noticed the nerves swimming behind his eyes and I surveyed him quickly – the suit that he must have guilt-tripped Dad into letting him borrow, the way his hair was swept back from his face.

"Nervous?" I asked.

"No," Dan answered automatically. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Yes. Give me a break, Caroline. It's the first time we've really been out since she came back."

"Yeah, because you've been too busy screwing each other's brains out for the past couple of weeks," I said. Dan glared at me, but I smiled, shaking my head. "Sorry. But Dan, you'll be fine. Zoe loves you. She left for you, and she came back for you. You could probably get away with a shopping bag."

Dan's eyes lit up at the idea, but I shook my head at him. "You are not wearing a shopping bag. You look nice, Dan."

"Not so bad yourself," he replied and I looked down at myself self-consciously, the nerves I'd kept buried all day bubbling up to the surface again. "Do you think he'll like it?"

Dan's eyebrows shot up in his hairline. "Care, you just – you know what, nevermind."

"What?"

Dan shook his head, laughing. "Girls are confusing. I'm sure he'll love it, Caroline."

"Caroline!" Vanessa shouted from the next room, and I gave Dan an apologetic look before I dashed back to my own room. I put on the jewellery we'd bought, a heavy necklace that looked like a thick chain. I then slipped my feet into my shoes – simple black pumps. When it was done, I looked at myself in the mirror as I heard Dan pull the car out of the drive.

"Nervous?" Vanessa asked me, quickly sweeping her hair to the side so that it gathered on her right shoulder.

I glanced at her, giving her a nervous laugh. "Yes."

Vanessa smiled. "You'll be fine."

I turned to her. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Vanessa shrugged, turning the chair I'd sat in around and straddling it. "You're going to ask anyway, aren't you?"

"Definitely. What's the deal with you and Camden? There's something off."

Vanessa smiled. "MI9 has made you sharp, Morgan."

"Don't dodge the question."

Vanessa sighed. "I'm thinking of breaking up with him. It just feels like we're not compatible – we fight too much, and I hate fighting with him. When we fight, what he says really hurts, Caroline. He says stuff about me being Australian, that I shouldn't even be here."

I stared, unable to believe this. I loved Camden the way I loved Dan, but hearing this was surreal. That didn't sound like Camden at all. My first thought was, Doppelganger, but then I shook the idea away. I knew doppelgangers. Camden wasn't one of them, even though what Vanessa was telling me sounded nothing like the boy I knew as Camden Augur. Eventually, I managed to say, "That doesn't sound like Camden."

Vanessa shrugged, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I just don't want to break up with him and make things really difficult on you and Ains."

I smiled, leaning down so I was eye level with her. "Vanessa, trust me, there is nothing that would make my life more awkward than it already is."

"But Caroline – " She broke off as we heard a car pull into the drive, and I smiled excitedly.

"Go. We'll talk about my relationship problems another time," Vanessa said, reaching over to hug me. The back of the chair dug into my stomach, but I didn't mind, hugging her back. Then she grasped my shoulders and pushed me back. I stumbled back a few steps, but then I righted myself – I may not be the most fashionable blonde ever, but I did know how to walk in heels. It was something I decided a few years ago – that if I had to be a head shorter than everyone else, I could at least do while wearing killer heels.