After I'd returned to work on Thursday afternoon, Robin had wanted details so I told her about my lunch with Eddie and Annie's attempt at flirting with him. "It's pretty funny actually." Robin sniggered and I gave her a confused look. "You were always totally oblivious to Eddie trying to flirt with you. Now Eddie is totally oblivious to Annie doing the same." She continued. I considered this and made a mental note to keep an eye on Annie at the party, I didn't trust her not to exploit that and do something to get close to him. Later Steve had dropped me off first before driving Robin to Vicky's that evening, he told us in the car that he had asked Nancy to go with him...she had said yes.
Friday
"Alright I'm not gonna drink much tonight - I'll be the designated driver so you guys can let your hair down and go wild." Steve said smoothly as he locked up the store. "Really?" I raised an eyebrow, expecting Steve to have wanted to get trashed tonight since the store was closed tomorrow because the Senior Manager from Wednesday had ordered a bunch of other repairs to be done, including changing the stained carpet. Steve just shrugged his shoulders, "I wanna be sober enough to talk to Nancy without making a dick of myself." Robin and I looked at one another, "I hope Nancy does the same." I muttered only loud enough for Robin to hear and she nodded in agreement. Steve dropped us off at my house, my mom was in the kitchen trying to repair the toaster that was now on the fritz, her hair scraped back into the tight bun she wore on the nights she was going to work. "Hey mom, just grabbing stuff and heading to Vicky's, Steve's taking us from there." I draped an arm round her shoulder in a light hug. She set the toaster down and held me at arms length, giving me the 'mom' stare. "If you go home with Eddie just at least let me know you're alive." Robin did a spit take of the water she had just drank by the sink, I laughed with embarrassment and nerves. "Mooom!" I whined. "What?! I know what young people do when they're dating!" She protested, giving Robin a wink, relishing making me squirm.
Nancy met us and as we walked to Vicky's house, where Robin pulled out a key and let us in. "You have a key?" I asked in shock. Robin smiled and replied, "her parents are total angels! They got a key copied for me so I could just come and go. They're at work and I'm pretty sure Vicky is taking a shower." We could hear singing coming from the bathroom and I recognised Vicky's voice. Robin led us to Vicky's bedroom, which was actually huge and had the most comfortable double bed I'd ever sat on. Nancy set a bag down on the large desk as Robin crossed her legs and leaned in to me only loud enough for me to hear, "You're absolutely going home with Eddie tonight." I threw myself back against the pillows, an arm across my face. I really wanted to go home with Eddie tonight. I really wanted to jump his bones tonight too. But my insecurities were fighting at the mental door I'd shoved them behind, and I was afraid of them busting out. "just to with your gut." Robin whispered. Nancy and I grabbed our things and headed to the spare room next door as Vicky came out of the shower. The plan was for us all to come back here after the party, with Max too, so we had brought toothbrushes and clean clothes with us for tomorrow. Max always left clothes at my place for the times she crashed there, which I brought with me to Vicky's. We sat on the corner of the double bed, Nancy started looking round the plain room. "Feels like we're having a slumber party." She mused, and i knew we were both remembering the slumber parties that she and I had together when we were younger. "Well, if you don't go home with Steve that is." I gave her a sideways glance as I spoke. Nancy blushed and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "I'm not going home with Steve tonight," she began saying quietly, looking down at her hands, "I was surprised when he asked me about tonight. I don't wanna rush back into his arms though, y'know?" I nodded and gave her an understanding smile.
Vicky and Robin were obsessed with Blondie, so were playing Autoamerican at full volume in Vicky's room as the four of us got ready. Vicky was amazing at makeup and she wrestled Robin to the ground, sitting on top of her as she painted green and gold shadow across Robin's eyelids. "Let me do it! This colour is your colour!" Vicky pleaded, and Robin feigned a defeated sigh, stroking Vicky's thighs as she worked her makeup magic. Nancy's turn came next and Vicky added a shimmering rose coloured lipstick to go with the simple pink shadow on her eyelids and the shade of her blush. Vicky patted the chair infront of her vanity mirror for me to take a seat, I plopped down onto it and Vicky crouched by my head, "if you don't wanna wear any that's totally cool. Or I can do a natural look, or if you wanna do a genderbending kinda look I have lots of stuff that would work with that." She talked almost as fast as Robin and it made me giggle. I thought for a moment, considering how I was feeling, "Could you make me look...otherworldly?" I asked sheepishly, not really knowing what I had in mind myself. Vicky clicked her tongue, "absolutely." Not long after, Vicky stepped aside, holding her makeup brushes, and said, "voila." I gazed back at myself in the mirror, astonished. She was a freaking artist! Bold purple, yellow, and electric blue shades decorated my eyelids, with black eyeliner in a funky design framing them. Vicky had used the same shadows and liner to add tiny specs of colour across my cheeks, like cosmic freckles, and finished it off with a black lipstick. "Holy shit, this is amazing. Thank you!" I jumped up and hugged Vicky. I slipped on a long-sleeved fishnet crop top and then stepped into a knee length black dress with thick straps and lace designs all over. I sat on the chair by Vicky's vanity to lace up my chunky boots and pull on my red leather jacket, feeling eyes on me when I stood up. "What?" I asked them, self conscious and touching my hair that I'd just shaken out and let fall in messy waves. Vicky and Robin stared at me with mouths open, a proud look on vicky's face. Nancy grinned at me, "you look like a god."