~Chapter 6~

I woke up on Saturday morning to bright light coming in from my window. Slowly, I rolled over and looked at the clock. It was already 9:45. I couldn't believe I had slept that late. Maybe it was because I kept on going over my evening at Melanie's house.

I got up out of bed and went into the bathroom to get ready for the day. I would only shower and get dressed since Amanda was going to be here in a few hours to pick me up for the dance.

Shiver.

Great, I had to make myself think about the dance. I knew this was going to be a bad idea. Maybe I should just call Amanda and tell her that I am not going to go. I could tell her I had the flu or something. She would understand.

"Hey, honey. I didn't know you were up yet." My mother calling at me through the bathroom door. Nick had been gone since Wednesday morning and mom has been bored out of her mind and has been on me like glue.

"Yeah, I just got up. About to hop in the shower, do you want in here before I do?" Not like she didn't have her own bathroom, I was just trying to be courteous.

"No. I was just passing through. I'll be down in the kitchen. Did you want anything for breakfast?"

"Um, sure. I'll be down in a little bit mom."

I heard her footsteps moving away from the door and regretted instantly the morning breakfast. I loved my mom, but since she got together with Nick, my life had been a little less hands on and I guess I had gotten used to it.

About an hour later I was sitting across from my mom eating breakfast while she sat there looking at me. I had taken as long as I could in the shower, but I knew I had to get out sooner or later.

"So, did you want to drive to Twin Peaks today and check out the mall? I hear it has a few stores worth looking into. Although, it will be nothing like the stores back in Phoenix."

"Mom, Amanda is going to be here in an hour to pick me up for the dance."

"I thought the dance didn't start 'til 7?"

"Well, it does. But she wants to get ready together and all. She has a blind date set up for me tonight and she wants to make sure everything is perfect I guess." I had to end it on a sour note so that she didn't think that I was too into the dance.

"Oh. Okay." She was so depressed right now I felt extremely bad for her. Without Nick here to keep her company all day, she might actually go insane.

"Mom, why don't you go over some more sketches for that lady you were telling me about last night? I am sure she will want a variety of dresses to look over."

"You know what, your right. I think this would be the perfect time."

Without another word she got up from the table and headed off to her room, where she set up all of her materials and objects for her business. Hopefully that would keep her busy for a few hours.

I looked at the clock to realize that it was only now eleven o'clock and I still had an hour to waste until Amanda showed up. I couldn't just sit here because that should drive me nuts thinking about the dance.

I needed to do something to keep my mind busy.

I walked outside into our backyard and looked around. This was honestly the first time I had been outside in the backyard. I just wasn't used to having one. In Phoenix it was all sand and because we lived close to downtown, we didn't have a yard at all. All of the houses were close together. There was just so much open space.

I sat down on the cement bench that apparently came with the house and watched two birds sitting in the tree near my house. I couldn't tell from this distance what kind of birds they were, although I might not have been able to tell up close, I wasn't a bird watcher by any means.

As I looked closer I saw that they were sitting in a nest and that there were babies in there with them, although from this distance I couldn't tell how many babies there were.

I sat there for a little while just watching the babies and their mothers in their natural environment in awe. I was surprised to see that they were even out this early in the year; I thought they all flew south for winters. Guess that was just a fable.

A small breeze made its way through the yard, making me grab my jacket closer to my chest. I didn't think I would ever get used to this cold weather.

The breeze shook the small branch that the nest was sitting on, causing the smallest of the babies to fall from the nest, toward the ground. I was afraid for the baby because it didn't look old enough to know how to fly and it was going to land not in the soft winter grass, but instead in a bed of rocks that surrounded the tree like a shoreline.

I knew I would never make it across the yard in time to save that baby from hitting the rocks, and most likely having an untimely death. I wished there was some way to save that baby, it felt almost unfair that he would have such a short life.

Then as I watched the baby, it was like a soft gentle wind caught the baby and slowly lowered it to the earth, unharmed. It was the most amazing thing in the world to see. It was like the wind had a mind of its own. Like the wind could read into the future and see that same bird someday soaring through its winds.

However grateful I was that the baby was saved, I couldn't believe that this had just happened. I thought for sure that the baby was doomed. I would have bet on it, which I'm not a betting person.

As I sat there contemplating the impossibilities of what had just happened, I was shocked into the present when I heard someone calling my name.

"Hello Marie. Are you with us?" It was Amanda standing at the back door of the house.

I looked up at Amanda and smiled. "I'm sorry. I guess I was in my own little world. You ready to go?"

"I would say so. Yeah, I was knocking at the door for like five minutes before your mom answered."

"Really sorry about that." I didn't realize that the whole hour had already gone by.

"Well, let's go. We have to get ready." She turned around with a smile on her face and headed back through the house.

"Yay, let's go." I whispered to myself.

I looked up as we pulled into Amanda's house, not ready for the coming day. I hated anything to do with populace places and dances definitely qualified in that category.

We walked straight up to her room so we could start working on our hair and make-up. I really hadn't realized how she could use so much time to get ready for one dance, but then when I got to her room, I realized how. She had cosmetic products of every type strewn across her now small looking vanity. There was a very large variety of every color for each type of make-up.

She walked over to her vanity and started to examine different tubes, although since I didn't wear make-up products on a regular basis, I honestly had no idea what she was looking at.

"Are you going to come into the room and get started or do I have to drag you in and chain you down?" she asked.

"No need for chains. I'm not kinky like that."

She smiled and turned back to her task while I walked into the room and put my bagged dress on her bed.

"I think this color will look perfect with your dress. It's a soft midnight blue, very subtle but will look fabulous." I really wasn't paying attention so I didn't know what make up product it was that was soft midnight blue.

I walked over to her wall and started looking through her photos. She had one of those collages where you can stick pictures in different angles and still look like it was completely arranged just for that purpose.

She had a few pictures of some of the people at school, some I even recognized. As I continued looking, I saw a picture of the entire family on what appeared to be a family vacation on a sunny beach. The family looked like a group of angels standing there in their best summer outfits.

I had never seen their parents but I could see where they both got their good looks. Amanda resembled their mother in her good looks. Her mother was gorgeous and could have been a runway model in her youth. While their father was attractive, his looks were not present in either of his kids. He was the typical stereotype of a handsome, tall and dark. He looked to be around 6 feet tall or so and had jet black hair and was very tanned.

Adam, well, he looked beyond words. He had a perfect tan going on that contradicted his hair color making his hair stand out even more. His body was one of those that you see on younger looking male models in which their chests and stomachs are flat as can be and looked toned up to a fine point.

I stood there and stood open mouthed for who knows how long until I heard Amanda in my ear for the second time today, "Like what you see…?"

I spun around in complete embarrassment, not sure what to say. Was it that plain on my face?

"I don't know what you are talking about." I said. I knew, it was a dumb and lame line, but I couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Mmhmm." Was all she said as she walked back to the vanity.

I sat down in her chair next to her vanity so I could look through the mass amounts of cosmetics.

"I think these colors will look great with my hair color and dress. What do you think Marie?"

The look I gave her must have said it all because she started laughing. "Ok, so you don't really do make-up. Would you like some help picking out a few colors for you?"

"Yeah, that would be a little helpful. I am a little overwhelmed right now."

She looked through the make-up and pulled out four more items and laid them aside, then started picking up all of the other make-up and put it back into her drawer.

"Now let's see, what to do with your hair." She stood behind me and started fiddling with my hair, pulling it up into different angles and different amounts of hair before she would drop it again and start all over.

"Hmm. I think I like this." She let my hair fall and grabbed a few things off of the vanity; bobby pins, hairbrush, comb, a hair tie and a deep black satin ribbon.

Instead of coming back around the chair she said, "Stand up please."

When I stood up, she turned the chair around so it no longer faced the vanity, rather faced the opposite wall where she had a television perched on top of her dresser and was currently watching Grease in the background.

"Ok. Please sit back down."

"Why do you want me to turn around. I've seen Grease before."

'Oh, I'm quite sure you have. I do love this movie. However, I do not want you to see what you look like until I get done with you. I want you do to be surprised and pleased."

"How ridiculous. I am completely grateful for everything you are doing for me."

We sat there talking for a while about nothing in particular until the my stomach growled. She started laughing and I felt a little embarrassed, it was so loud.

"Guess I shouldn't have played with my breakfast so much." I said meekly.

"It's fine. I am actually famished myself. How does pizza sound?"

"Actually sounds quite good. What kind are you going to order"

"I was thinking pepperoni. Does that sound ok?"

"Love it." I smiled a winning smile at her and dared to look over at the mirror when she blocked my way and let me out of the room.

"I'm not done with my masterpiece just yet. You'll have to wait." she smiled at me then walked out of the room towards the stairs.

When we walked into the kitchen, she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a soda for each of us, then grabbed the phone to call for the pizza. I walked over to the kitchen window overlooking the backyard and looked out into the winter scene. In their backyard they had a gazebo that was covered in the white snow and surrounded by medium sized white rocks that I was sure surrounded a lovely garden.

I could just imagine the scene it would create in Spring when the flowers and trees began to bloom again.

"Ok, pizza will be here thirty minutes. I figure we can do our make-up when we get done eating that way we don't mess up our faces." She made a pouting face when she said that, "what a tragedy that would be."

"So, what to do in the mean time. Oh, I know, you could tell me who it is that you set me up with." I said a bit sarcastically and hopefully.

"Ha, that's a joke. You know I'm not going to tell you, so stop asking. By the way, I heard you asked Adam who I set you up with."

"Well, I had to ask. Especially after he spilled the beans that he knew who it was."

"Again I say, nice try. Why don't we go back up to the room and finish your hair."

"Wait, you're not done yet?"

"Hardly. I have at least another hour on your hair." She obviously saw the look of terror on my face because she started laughing hysterically. "Calm down, I was just messing with you. Really though, I only need to add a few finishing touches then I'm done."

"That was so not funny." I gave her my most evil glare, which isn't very intimidating, then turned around and walked back toward her room.

She followed behind me laughing at my pathetic attempt at hostility.

I walked back into her room and sat back down in the chair, only to turn and laugh at the mirror. It was covered by a sheet so I couldn't see myself before she was done.

"I covered the mirror before going to the kitchen, I didn't want you to try to come up here and see yourself."

I rolled my eyes at her then turned back for her to finish my hair. We sat and talked for a while until we heard the doorbell ring. "Ah, that would be the pizza. I'm going to go pay for it and grab us a soda. Promise me you won't look in the mirror while I'm gone."

"I promise." I said mechanically as I held up my showing her my best "girl scout" impression of a promise.

She laughed as she walked out of the room and down the stairs.

I heard her talking to the pizza guy so I figured I had a few minutes to look around her room. It honestly was very tempting to look at the mirror, but I did promise her.

I walked back over to her pictures and started to study them again. I looked back over the pictures of all the people I recognized from school and then looked at some more family pictures on another wall. This time however, I didn't see their parents anywhere near them. Maybe they were holding the camera.

"Ok, so it's already two thirty and the guys are going to be here at 5, so we need to get moving."

"Ok, well let's hurry up and eat then. I'm starved anyway."

We ate quietly, both too hungry to worry about talking. When we were done with eating, we cleaned up and done out make-up. Well, she done mine since I still wasn't allowed to see myself in the mirror.

"Ok, your make-up is done, your hair is done, all you need to do now is go put on your dress. Let me get my hair finished then we'll put on our dresses. I can't believe it's already four thirty."

I could tell she was getting excited, she was rambling on and on. But I didn't know who she was most excited for, me or her.

She helped me into the bathroom so I could put my dress on and then went back to her room to put her dress on. I was too scared to look into the mirror just yet, even though I hadn't seen myself since we showed up.

I walked back into her room, holding up my dress just enough so that I didn't step on the front. I was a little worried that I didn't look at all good, especially since she didn't say anything when I walked into the room.

"Well ok then, I guess I look terrible."

"Seriously Marie? How could you even say that. Did you even look at yourself?"

"No, I was a little afraid to honestly."

She pulled me over to her full left mirror behind her door and stepped away. I truly did not know what to say, or what to think. I actually looked good. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I was gorgeous, but I definitely stood out.

"Wow. I guess I don't look terrible. But, I can't really see the hair." I twisted and turned trying to get a better view, but I still couldn't see it all. She handed me a hand-held mirror so that I could see myself. Putting the mirror in front of me, I turned the mirror in a few degrees in each direction to what it looked like.

My hair was pulled up into a loose bun with strands of hair hanging out at odd ends. The pieces that were pulled into the bun were braided, with the black satin ribbon braided into the bun as well. She had used the bobby pins to pull the hair in and then curled the ends into loose spirals that fell all around my hair. She had even thought to pull some strands around my face as well, so that it looked framed.

"I have to say Amanda, you do wonderful hair. You just might have a career as a professional stylist. You are an absolute artist." I stared in awe at the masterpiece she had created, thinking all the while to myself that this would have been a perfect day for Adam to see me. Oh crap, I forgot. He was going to be here today.

"Well, it does help when my canvas has natural beauty."

"Har, har." We got to laughing and the next thing I knew, we heard voices come from downstairs.

"Well, I guess the guys are here." She winked over at me as she walked to the door. "We'll be down in a minute." She hollered downstairs.

"Ok, you know what. I can't do this." Great, now was the perfect time to panic.

"You will be fine Marie. Just breath. Besides, I know you are going to have a wonderful time tonight, so just relax."

"I can't believe I am going to do this. I don't even know who you set me up with." I was seriously close to freaking out.

"Ok, let's make a deal. If you get downstairs and you don't like who it is that I set you up with, you can just leave without looking back and I will take care of it. Sound like a deal?"

I thought about that for a minute before I realized that was the only way I was going to make it out of this house. I couldn't form words at this point, so I just gave her a small nod.

We walked out into the hallway and she started down the stairs first.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, I heard her Brian, her date give her the most glowing commendation I had ever heard outside of television.

"Amanda, you look amazing. Seriously, you look like you just walked out of a Hollywood television set."

"Thank you Brian. That's so sweet."
"You do look beautiful Amanda." Oh my goodness. Was that Adam?

"Marie, are you just going to stand up there the entire afternoon?" she called up to me.

"Is that an option now?" I squeaked back at her. Since when did I squeak?

"No, it's not an option, it was a figure of speech. Now get down here so we can go to dinner. I am sure the guys are starving."

"Well, I guess it's all or nothing." I whispered to myself.

I turned the corner and started down the stairs. My heart was beating so fast that I didn't know how had I made it as far as I had, which was half way down the stairs. I didn't have the nerve to look up so I decided to use the stairs as a plausible excuse and reason to keep my eyes down. But when I got to the last step, I knew it was no or never.

I looked up to see three people standing in the foyer. Amanda with Brian looking her over and Adam.