Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek.
Chapter One: New Year's Eve (Brie's POV)
"Brie," Sofia said, grabbing my arm. "You have to come with us to the party!" I glanced at her, unsure of how to respond. I wasn't really into the type of parties she liked. She enjoyed going to parties, getting drunk, and going home with a cute boy.
Me? I liked going to parties where I actually knew people, and guys weren't trying to hit on me all the time. Honestly, it was annoying to have boy after boy try and get me to go home with them. I'd rather just sit and read a book, honestly.
"I don't know, Sofia," I said, pulling my arm out her death grip. "You know parties aren't my thing."
"Oh, come on." Cala, Sofia's cousin, whined as she leaned on my shoulder. "Brie, how do you expect to meet a guy when you don't go to a party?"
"Maybe...in school?" I asked, putting a finger to my chin in mock thought. "Or perhaps at the grocery store."
"Lame!" Sofia shouted, twirling around me and flopping on my bed. Cala and I shared a dorm room, but Sofia visited so often that Cala and I considered her to be our honorary roommate. "You need to get out more."
"Yeah, like that's turned out so great for you two." I responded, untangling Cala's limbs from my body. She stuck her tongue out at me, smirking.
"It's not like your luck's been any better than ours," She said, brushing back her mop of black, unruly hair. She was ¼ Klingon, and many of the students at Star Fleet tended to avoid her. She was well known for her fiery temper, one that didn't take much to set off.
I sent a glare at the two girls, now both firmly seated on my bed, and walked over to my desk. Sliding into the seat, I pulled out my PADD, opening it up to study the directional controls of a Galaxy Class Star Ship. Memorizing the controls would be something I'd need to know in order to become a pilot.
"Stop. Studying." Sofia said, tossing a pillow at my head. I ignored it. I really, really did not want to go to a party. Especially not tonight. "Ugh! It's just a party, Brie - what's the big deal!"
"The big deal, my dear friend," I answered, turning to glare at her, "Is that today is New Years Eve. Which means any parties will last well past midnight."
"That's what's fun about it!" Cala exclaimed, tossing up her hands and sending me a scowl. When she made a face like that, you could just barely see the ridge lines of her Klingon heritage. "So what if we stay up all night - It's not like we have school tomorrow!"
"But I do." I said, turning back to study the diagram. But, before I could properly concentrate, someone grabbed my PADD out from under my nose. Literally. Turning, I tried to grab Sofia as she dashed away into the bathroom with my technology. "GIVE THAT BACK!" I shouted as I banged against the bathroom door. "SOFIA -"
"Not until you agree to go with us!" Came the muffled response. I stared, hands clenched to my sides, wondering if I should just try and hack the door. Then I realized I couldn't hack the door without my PADD. Sighing, I slid down and leaned on the door, staring up at the ceiling.
I really didn't want to go. Not. At. All. It's not that I'm anit-social or anything, I just...prefer the company of a good book rather than a humanoid person. Most of the time, anyway.
Case in point: Sofia holding my PADD hostage until I agree to go to a party.
"Fine." I said, resigned. This was the only way I'd get to study. "Just - don't delete anything."
Cala smirked as Sofia triumphantly walked out of the bathroom. She handed my PADD back to me, and I grabbed it from her. Examining the tech to be sure nothing had been tampered with. Thankfully, the only thing that had happened to it was finger smudges from Sofia's make-up covered hands.
"Now," Sofia said, squatting down so she faced me. Her dark brown eyes looked into my vivid green ones. There was a sparkle in her eye that made me shiver. "What are you going to wear?"
"Jeans and a t-Shirt?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and smiling up at her hopefully. She shook her head, and pulled me to my feet. I placed my PADD on my desk, and allowed Sofia to pull me towards Cala's side of the closet. Well, her and Cala's side. The two of them borrowed one another's wardrobe so often that it was hard to tell whose stuff was whose anymore.
"You don't go to a party dressed in just jeans and a t-shirt, Brie." She let go of my hand and pushed open the mirror closet door with a flourish. "You go in style." She opened her arms up to present the mass amount of clothing stuffed into the closet.
"What do you have in mind?" I asked, glancing at Cala for help. My klingon friend just smiled slyly at me. She was going to leave me to the fashion shark today.
"That all depends on what you want to say," Sofia said, looking back at me, and then at the closet. "I'm thinking… go-go boots, booty shorts, crop top - and a leather jacket."
"No." Cala and I both said at the same time. Sofia gave us both a pouty face and turned back to the closet. I sighed, and sat down on the floor by Cala's feet.
"Okay, fine." She tapped a finger to her chin, staring at the closet before her. On hand went to scratch her head of silky black curls. "Hhmm…"
I sighed again, and leaned back against the bed. This was going to take a while. A very, long while. And by the way things were going, I wouldn't be able to study until much later tonight, or would that be early next morning?
In the end, Sofia had decided that an emerald green dress would be the ticket for me. But not just any green dress - the one she made me wear was at half-thigh length, with a V-neck encrusted with diamonds (real ones), with spaghetti straps, a pair of diamond butterfly barrets, and black platform heels.
"This," She said as I walked clumsily out of the bathroom. "This is perfect."
Cala grunted her approval, glancing up from the newest Knives & Weapons Weekly magazine issue. I glanced back at Sofia, still unsure that this was the right outfit for me. I could barely walk in these heels - and the dress seemed so...so tight! How was I supposed to breath in this thing?
"I dunno," I said, stepping out of my shoes and dropping onto my bed. I couldn't figure out a way to sit down without having the fabric ride up to my hips. "It seems too...fancy."
Sofia snorted, and sat down next to me. She gave me a side hug and patted my carefully made up head.
"Trust me - you don't look too fancy." She said, giving me a peck on the cheek. "You're perfect - in fact - you are my masterpiece!" In an instant, she leaped upward, arms flung wide for an invisible audience to see. "You know what, I need a picture."
"Please, no." I said, trying to get off the bed. But I was failing, miserably. I couldn't even get up without help in this dress - how was I supposed to go to a party?
"Yes, please, you mean," Sofia said, scrambling around for her own PADD. It was buried somewhere in her purse, with who knows what else. When she found it, she gave the lense a quick wipe down before she pointed it at me and snapped a few pictures. "Perfect!"
"Fine." I sighed, folding my arms across my chest. "Can I get changed, now?"
"Absolutely not." Sofia stated, placing her tablet on the table next to mine and turned to face me. "The party's in an hour - Cala and I need to change, and then we need to leave."
"What?" I asked, glancing at the clock. It was already 9 pm. Great. My make over had taken four hours. And now I barely had time to memorize my workbook. "At least tell me I can study while you two primp yourselves up."
"Okay, fine." Sofia said, sashaying over to Cala. "Come on - we need to perfect our look!"
With a growl, Cala rolled off the bed and tossed the magazine on her pillow. Then the two of them reached into their closet and pulled out outfits as if by magic. Cala went with a pair of tight leather pants, silver spiked combat boots, a black crop top, and a leather jacket to boot. Sofia went with a slimming silver-gray strapless dress, black flats, silver bracelet, and her hair put up in a messy bun.
As they dressed and fussed over their make-up, I tried to concentrate on my studies. Unfortunately, before I could take in any of the information, my friends were ready to go, dragging me off the bed and out the door.