Makeover

(Day 3: Tuesday Afternoon)

"I don't get why you want to look pretty for Ben if he's just going to love you anyway, but this purple dress has always looked nice on you."

Mal stands behind her, "I still need to play the part. And besides, I've never been on a date before. It would be nice to have some kind of experience, even if it isn't really real."

"I suppose so," Evie softly replies, before she takes another item from the closet. "You should wear this black jacket with it."

Mal nods, "Looks cool enough." and takes the items from her. "Let me just go to the bathroom and change."

She tries to smile, "Okay."

Mal looks down for a moment, "I know this must be hard for you, but it isn't real."

Evie sadly laughs, "I know that."

"And even if this date with Ben were more than just some ploy…" She looks at her, "What we have, it's not like that. There's nothing more than friendship between us. You have to know that."

"Mal," Evie gulps and turns her chin up in attempt to not cry. "Of course I know that."

"Good," Mal responds before looking down at the steel blue carpet. "That's good." She pretends to smile at her, "I'll be out in a minute." Evie can only nod in response, and when her 'friend' leaves into the bathroom she lets out the breath she'd been holding. She hears herself whimper and gulps again to rid herself of that annoying sound, before she struts over to grab the sparkly blue makeup bag from her bedside table. She takes a tissue out and places it beneath her eyes before the tears can pool out. What is she kidding? Mal will only ever see her as a mere friend or some sister, even if she does flirt and kiss her every now and again. She takes in a deep breath, before she puts down the tissue and grabs her blue mascara. There's no way she could let Mal see her looking like such a mess, not over her. She lets out a calming breath and puts the mascara away, before she hears the bathroom door open. "How do I look?"

"Absolutely beautiful," Evie tries to smile. "Ben's going to love you."

"That's the plan," Mal lets out in a stressed breath.

"Oh. Except your hair," she comments in unsureness. "We really need to do something about that. Can't you at least make it look softer or something?"

"I'm not sure. Do you have anything I could use?"

Evie gives her a look, "All of my hair products are for dyed hair, remember? Yours is all natural. We couldn't possibly know how it would react to yours.

"Right," Mal shakes her head. "Wow. I've been really forgetful lately."

Evie laughs, "Can't you just use a spell or something?"

"Maybe." Mal walks over and picks up the spellbook from her bed and begins shifting through the pages. "New hair, curly, straight, and a load of colors. Volume. Non-frizz. Ah. Here. Soft hair spell. Permanently repairs current split ends and makes your hair appear softer up to five hours."

"Sounds promising."

"There's no stars next to it, but my mother probably didn't use hair spells much anyway." She gives Evie a questioning look, "Should I still try it?"

She smiles, "Totally. I've been dying to see you without split ends."

"Okay, then." She looks back down at the book, "Beware. Forswear. Make the hair softer and repair." She points at herself and does the finger movement the book says, and when it's over she places the hand to her head. "Ow. I've got a major headache now. How many people paid for this?"

Evie goes over to her sewing machine and opens the log book, "Fourteen."

Mal lets out an agonizing breath, "And they actually told their friends to do it?" Evie nods. "Well, please tell me it at least worked."

Evie smiles, "Don't worry. It did."

Mal falls back onto her bed, "Thank evilness for that. The last thing I needed was to have both a headache and to show up to my date with a rats' nest on my head."

"Come on. Let me do your makeup now."

Mal glares at her, "I told you already, Evie. I don't want any of that gunk on my face."

"But you're looking so pale," she insists. "At least let me put some blush on you."

"Ugh." Mal gives in, "Okay. Fine."

"Yay," Evie squeals, and Mal covers her ears. "What about eyeshadow and lip-gloss?"

Mal widens her eyes, "If it keeps you from screaming like that, then sure. Do it."

"Yay," Evie says again, this time more quietly. "You won't regret it. I promise."