Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just like to play with them from time to time.
*I haven't been getting as many reviews I used to, but I'm going to post this anyway. But be warned, if I don't get at least 10, I'm not posting anymore.
"The eyes are the window to your soul" ~Unknown
Daisy had no idea what the girls had done to her. She had done her own make-up for the last Morp, but Shelby had practically forced her into the chair this time, telling her that she would do it. "Wait, don't look until you have you're shoes on...Now!" Shelby dropped two shoes onto the floor and Daisy slipped into them absentmindedly. She didn't know what she was supposed to do now.
"Look at
that!" Juliet squealed jubilantly.
The girl in the mirror
had fine, light brown hair waving softly back from her face. The highlights
shimmered when Daisy moved her head, so it must have been her- but it couldn't
be, Daisy thought to herself. Her eyes didn't have that dreamy
mysterious aura. Her skin hadn't had that dewy glow, and she didn't blush the
way that Shelby had shown her, to bring out her cheekbones. And her lips
definitely didn't have that breathless ready-to-be-kissed look to them.
"It's the lipstick," Juliet explained. "Keep your hands away from your face so you don't smudge it."
"It's
possible," Kat's voice could be heard behind her, but Daisy didn't want to
turn around and look for her. She had already seen what they had done to her.
"That you've gone a little too far with this, Shells."
"Don't you just love the way the dress curves into the floor?" Jessica asked as she fluffed Daisy's dress one more time for good measure. The Cliffhanger girls had already decided that they were going to send one girl out at a time. With the exception of Kat and Jess, who were going to walk out together. Unfortunately for Daisy, she was going to be the first one out. Daisy couldn't do anything but stare at her image in the mirror. The girl that was staring back at her, the one with the delicate cheekbones and the swan's neck, turned from side to side. The dress was silvery and shimmering, like yards and yards of starlight, and it made Daisy feel like she was a princess. Juliet's shoes appropriately looked like glass slippers.
"She's
speechless." Jess commented to her sister before sliding her own shoes on.
"Quick, lets throw her out before she tries to kill us."
She took one of Daisy's
hands as Shelby took the other. They led her to the door and Shelby kissed her
friends cheek, making sure to wipe off the faint lipstick print that her light
pink lip-gloss had left on her cheek. Then, by herself, Shelby led her to the
corner right before the stairs that emptied out to the grand ballroom below.
"You'll be fine." She whispered as a little comfort, sliding the ring
that she had kept in her top drawer onto Daisy's finger. Daisy looked at the
cold metal, than back at Shelby for conformation. "I was going to give it
to you earlier, but it just didn't seem right. Patty always let me borrow it
when I needed the strength to make it through the night. I think you'll need it
more than I will tonight." She let go of Daisy's hand and watched as she
cautiously made her way to the stairs. The guys were waiting at the bottom, and
the second that David and Ezra noticed that Daisy was at the top of the stairs,
they practically gave themselves whiplash trying to crane their necks to see
her. She descended down the stairs into Ezra's arms, and they moved away from
the group of guys. "Knock 'em dead." Shelby whispered to herself,
fingering the silver necklace that had also once belonged to her dear friend.
Shelby walked back to
the suite and went straight to the room that she and Daisy shared. She was the
next person in line to go down the stairs, and that meant that she had to get
dressed. She had already done her hair, and Juliet and Kat had already finished
her makeup. Now all she had to do was ask Connie to help her zip up her dress
and slide into her shoes. She checked her make-up as she left the room and
looked at the three other occupants of the suite. "Next?" She said
sweetly, running a hand through her somewhat stiff hair. She was amazed at the
hold of the hairspray. Jess slipped on the slippers that Daisy had been wearing
before it was her turn to go.
Shelby nodded to Connie
before she left the room, walking with Kat and Jessica to the stairs. Kat
wanted to see the reaction that Shelby got when she met Alex and Auggie at the
bottom step. Scott was standing a few feet from the stairs, waiting patiently
for Brittany, or so they guessed. But with Shelby's gown, Kat guessed that all
thoughts of Brittany would soon be forgotten when he saw her with Alex. Jess
kissed her sister's cheek and wished her good luck on her way down the large
staircase. They had been making jokes all day about how someone was going to
break their necks falling.
Unlike the other girls,
no one was allowed to see Shelby's gown until it was on her, and Daisy had no
clue about what to expect from where she stood at the table that the group
chose to meet at once everyone had made it downstairs. She was trying not to
stare at the stairs in anticipation. Giving her hair one good shake to make
sure the hairspray still held, Shelby took an uneasy step toward the railing.
"Give me strength." She whispered to the ceiling. She could just hear
Patty laughing at her as her eyes caught Alex's at the bottom. Kat patted her
on the back before she took her first step down. "Show time."
Alex held his breath as
Auggie and Scott turned their attention to the beautiful girl that was making
her way down the stairs now. At first they didn't recognize her because of
their first glance. She stood dressed in a gown of deep maroon that reminded
Auggie of blood. He found himself fascinated by the light rebellious curls that
hung over her shoulders, held out of her face by a simple, if somewhat
out-of-date, headband. Somehow it seemed that her curls were waiting to spring
free. Her figure was flawless and Auggie found himself imagining holding her
all night. Then his gaze was captured by the blue flecks of her sparkling eyes,
like two great gems shining across the room. His dark eyes widened in
astonishment as he realized whom the woman was.
Shelby walked down the
grand staircase in the ballroom of the hotel. She had been amazed at how the
decorations that Jess and Juliet created for the lodge fit so perfectly in the
ballroom. The fact that Alex put this together in a little more than a day was
astonishing as well. Then she allowed her gaze to fall upon Auggie and Alex at
the foot of the stairs once more, and her heart threatened to explode out of
her chest. She should kill Daisy and Juliet for showing her the dress, even if
they didn't know that she would buy it. She thought it was beautiful when it
was in the shop, but it was too low cut in the front for her taste. She wore it
proudly though, stopping at the middle of the staircase so a photographer could
take a picture of her alone. When she reached the bottom step she felt her body
shutter a little. She had made it this far by herself, but there was still the
mind-numbing question: What was she supposed to say to them?
"Juliet should be
down in a minute." She said lamely, not bothering to look at Alex. She
didn't need to see his eyes to know what he was thinking. She smiled as she
realized that Auggie hadn't said a word to her. "You okay over there,
Auggusto?" She threw him a sideways glance and he laughed nervously. He
didn't know what he was expected to say now that he actually looked at her as
what she was. A woman. She wasn't the Ice Queen anymore. She was Shelby
Elizabeth Merrick, and there was no mistaking the look in her eyes was a hunger
for what she knew she was able to accomplish with the help of Alex.
Alex smiled and held
out his arm. Shelby took it gracefully, acting like a movie star at a Hollywood
party. Even Alex wasn't allowed to see her dress until she wore it down the
stairs. He could never tell her how much he loved her. How much he wished she
would allow him to take her away from the life that she was living now. He
could give her the life that she deserved. If only she would let him. "You
look..." His voice caught in his throat as she looked down for a brief
moment. "Amazing doesn't even come close." He pulled her left hand up
to his lips and kissed it gently as they passed Scott.
As if on cue, Scott
stepped in front of them and smiled to Shelby. "You look great." He
said awkwardly, mentally kicking himself for bringing Brittany to the Morp.
Desire had reawakened in him as he had watched her float down the stairs, and
he knew that he had to possess this goddess again. Mentally, he chastised
himself for seeing her as an object. The highlights in her hair caught his
attention, and he stared into her eyes longingly, trying to tell her without
words how much he needed her. Shelby returned his gaze with her chin raised,
without a glimpse of love that he knew she was capable of showing. She took two
steps away from him and he felt his desire for her flare up again. There was no
way he was going to make it through this Morp without touching her. The velvet
clung to her hips like a second skin as she walked away from him, not looking
back, and he longed to run his hand over the smooth material, to feel the
curves beneath it.
As he watched her go,
Auggie suddenly appeared at Scott's side. "You know she is only doing this
to you because of Brit?" Auggie asked plainly. Watching the sway of
Shelby's hips as she hugged Ezra. Everyone in the room could tell that this was
just killing Scott. Then suddenly Brittany appeared behind him and Auggie saw
Scott's entire body stiffen. He didn't want to be there with her after he saw
everything that Alex could give Shelby. Auggie patted Scott on the back before
he walked over to the staircase once more. Taking a drink off of one of the
waiter's trays, he stared at the painting on the wall behind the raised dais
that the girls had entered from. There he waited for the love of his life.
Juliet revolved slowly
before the full-length mirror in the room that she and Jess shared that was
part of the hideously large hotel suite that Alex had gotten for the
Cliffhanger girls. Jessica sat at the foot of a big four-poster bed in the
middle, her blue eyes large and solemn with admiration. Peter was on the far
side of the room, arms crossed, looking more like a middle-aged father than a
'know no fear' Horizon counselor.
"I wish Shelby
could have found a dress like that for me to wear to the Morp," she said
as her eyes roamed the fabric of her own gown. It was a pure sweep of burgundy
satin, gathered tight at the waist and pouring into folds from the hips. Her
light gold hair hung loose down her back. Everyone told her she looked
beautiful in the gown, but the make of Juliet's was exquisite.
"I like you best
as the cute little princess." Juliet smiled at the younger girl, dropping
a kiss just below the hairline. Then she turned to face Connie, who stood by
the door that lead to the main room of the suite, needle and thread ready for
any last minute adjustments to the girls' gowns. "It's perfect," she said warmly. "We
don't have to change a thing." The girl in the mirror in front of her
could have stepped out of one of Juliet's books on the Italian Renaissance. Her
throat and shoulders were bare, and the tight bodice of the ice-blue dress
showed off her tiny waist. The long, full sleeves were slashed so that the
white silk of her chemise underneath showed through, and the wide, sweeping
skirt just brushed the floor all around her. It was a delicately beautiful
dress that she was sure her mother would have approved of. The pale, almost
clear blue accented her dark eyes perfectly.
She finally turned to
face Kat, who was standing behind Connie, attempting to put a necklace on her
neck without asking for help. "You ready to go?" She asked Juliet
softly. Juliet nodded and Kat took her hand and led her to the door. "Three
beautiful sisters." Kat smiled and slid into the slippers that they were all
sharing. The pair walked slowly to the staircase and Kat felt Juliet stiffen
when she turned the corner and looked at the ballroom.
"Beautiful." She choked
and Kat gave her hand a squeeze. "I guess now is as good of a time than any."
Her voice shook more than she wanted it to and she took her first step. "I'm
going to-"
"You mention anything
about throwing up and I will have Shelby kick you're as in those six inch heels
she's got on." Kat interrupted her without a second thought. "Now get down
there and kiss you're boy." Without another word, Kat gave Juliet a quick push
and she stumbled forward onto the first step
Looking down at the
table where everyone had agreed to meet, Juliet saw Shelby smiling at her. You
can do this. She told herself as calmly as she could. Kat had already
retreated back to the room, and now she was left all to walk down the stairs by
herself. She felt like kicking herself because she had the choice to walk down
with Jessica and she didn't take it. Shelby stood and began to walk to the
stairs and Juliet had enough courage to walk down the stairs and pose for her
picture alone. Then she saw Auggie…
Auggie held his hand out for Juliet as she came off of the last step. He quickly pulled her into him and kissed her lightly on the lips. "The hard part is over." He said softly, and they both laughed. He led her over to the table and Shelby stood and gave her a quick hug. "I'd like you all to meet Cinderella." Auggie joked as Juliet hit him lightly in the arm. Juliet suddenly felt better. As her friends joked about the ballroom and Peter's quest to have someone crowned Morp King and Queen, Juliet realized that she didn't need to visit her mother to go home. She was already there.
*Okay, it's time to cast your vote for Morp King and Queen. E-Mail you're votes to Darlasfriend@aol.com. Any votes posted with Reviews will not be counted. (Simply put MORP as the subject)
*I'm in desperate need of a beta reader, (one who is willing to preview my work before I even think about posting it). If you're interested, e-mail me at Darlasfriend@aol.com
