So I know some of the doesn't match what goes on in the show. Let's just pretend for simplicity sake that Amber and Mara get along. Since this technically takes place later on than where the story is now I'm going to pretend this is what happens. This is my longest chapter yet and there's only a little more left to write about. I do have another story idea bouncing around in my head. Joker236 wants me to write it so at the end of the story I'll give you all some info on it. Or if you really want to know about it PM me. Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!
Chapter 5
After the morning's insanity, the rest of Friday went pretty smoothly. Mick didn't say anything to Nina or Fabian about the dance and the whole day was relatively drama free. Relatively. Jerome tried asking a girl in their history class to the dance and she slapped him in the face. Apparently when he asked her he also used a bad pick-up line.
During supper everyone was lost in their own conversations when Jerome turned to face Nina. "Say Nina, since neither of us actually has a date tomorrow, would you like to be my date to the dance?" Nina, who had been taking a bite of pasta, started coughing and choking. Fabian quickly handed her a glass of water and Mara began gently patting her on the back.
When Nina was finally able to breathe again she looked up at Jerome and said, "Excuse me?" She stared at him bewildered. This had come out of nowhere and Nina was totally shocked.
"I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, but I need a date. So I thought I'd ask you," Jerome said. He gave a small smirk and Nina stammered a moment, trying to think of how to respond.
"Well Jerome, here's the thing. I already have a date," Nina said apologetically.
"You? Who would ask you?" Patricia scoffed.
"I did," Fabian finally said. The entire room fell dead silent. All eyes were on Fabian and Nina. Amber quietly clapped to herself and grinned at Mick. The pasta that Alfie was eating fell out of his mouth. Mara was looking back and forth between them s if she couldn't figure out what had just happened. Jerome and Patricia both sat there silently, in total and utter shock. Nina looked at Fabian then back at her fellow housemates and grinned sheepishly. Suddenly Jerome began laughing hysterically.
"This is too much. Rutter, you and Nina are going? Together? I-I can't believe it," Jerome managed to say while laughing. He wiped tears out of his eyes and pounded his fist on the table. "I can't believe you actually asked someone Rutter."
"Shut up Jerome. I think it's sweet," Mara defended. Amber and Mick both nodded in agreement. Patricia shrugged her shoulders and took another bite of food, uninterested in the conversation. Alfie was still frozen in shock; his eyes wide, mouth agape.
"Alfie if you sit there with your mouth like that you'll catch flies," Trudy said as she walked in the room. "What's everyone so silent about?"
"Nothing," Nina, Fabian, Mara, Mick and Amber all said at the same time. Trudy looked at them oddly, shrugged her shoulders and went back into the kitchen. The rest of the meal was spent in complete silence.
Later that night Nina and Amber were sitting in their room. Amber was brushing her hair and Nina was writing an e-mail to her Gran. "That was an interesting supper wasn't it?" Amber asked absentmindedly.
"Yeah, it sure was. Jerome really surprised me," Nina agreed.
"He surprised all of us I think. I wonder if he fancies you."
"Doubtful. I think he just wants a date so his self esteem wouldn't take a blow or something. Who did he go with last year?"
"Nelly Wilson. She was in our class but she switched schools halfway through the second term last year. I think it had something to do with her grades. She was a sweet girl and I think she fancied Jerome a bit. Don't know what she saw in him though." Nina shook her head, trying to imagine a girl liking Jerome. He never took anything seriously and all he ever did was play pranks on people.
Amber then got out of her chair and went over to her closet. She pulled her dress out and hung it up on a hook. "I still haven't picked out a necklace to wear with this. Should I wear one?" Amber stood there pondering while Nina finished her e-mail. Her Gran had told her what time her flight back to America was going to be and she had just asked what time she was going to arrive home. "Nina?" Amber called. "Nina!" Nina snapped her head up to see Amber standing in front of her with a big pink box filled with sparkly jewelry. "What do you think? Is there anything here that would go with my dress?
"Amber, I'm not the right person to ask this. You're going to have to figure it out on your own." Amber frowned and shut the box. A light knock made them both jump and Amber dove forward and hid her dress under a blanket.
"It might be Mick," Amber said when Nina gave her a puzzled look. "I don't want him to see it yet."
"Amber it's not a wedding dress," Nina said as she got up to open the door. Standing there was Mara and Patricia. "What's up?" Nina asked. The scurried into the room and Nina shut the door.
"We want details. Well, it's mostly me that wants details but I made Patricia come with me," Mara said. Nina gave them a confused look and Mara sighed. "Details about how you ended up becoming Fabian's date."
"There's not a lot to tell. Yesterday I was walking around before lights out and Fabian came up to me and asked me. That's it," Nina said. Mara looked pleased with Nina's answer but Patricia snickered. That made Nina very nervous.
"What about this morning then?" she asked. Nina stood there, puzzled, for a moment but her eyes grew wide when she realized what Patricia was talking about. When Fabian had held her hand as they neared the school. Patricia must have seen them. "I saw you two, so don't bother trying to deny it." Amber and Mara looked back and forth between Patricia and Nina. Neither of them had any idea of what was going on.
Nina looked down at her feet, trying to hide the growing blush in her cheeks. She really couldn't tell Patricia about it, she could barely figure it out herself. It had just sort of happened. "I don't know how to explain it. I really don't," Nina said softly.
"Then why don't you just admit you like Fabian and we can all move on with our lives? But I understand if you don't want to. Maybe Alfie and Jerome can get it out of Fabian when I tell them about it," Patricia said with an evil smile.
"No!" Nina yelled. "All right, I'll admit it. I like Fabian. Happy? Just don't tell Jerome and Alfie. Neither of us will hear the end of it if they find out."
"Fine I won't say anything. I'm sure they'll find out on their own someday." Nina was about to argue back when a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. The door creaked open and Trudy stuck her head inside.
"Sorry to interrupt but I have something for Amber," she said. The door opened up fully and Trudy walked in holding a basket of clothes.
"My clothes!" Amber cried. She took the basket from Trudy and began to look through the clothes. The once pink blouses were back to being pure white again.
"It took quite a bit but I finally got the pink out of them. Oh and girls I recommend going back to your rooms soon. Victor will be calling for lights out any minute now." Patricia scowled but followed Trudy as she left the room. Mara followed after and shut the door as she left. Nina then started to work on packing her suitcase, as if nothing had happened. Amber slammed Nina's suitcase shut and stared at her.
"You want to tell me what that was all about?" Amber demanded.
"Not really. Can I finish packing now? I have a lot to do if I want to be ready to leave on Sunday." Amber huffed and moved away from Nina's bed. With everything that had happened in this past week she Nina was behind on packing. A few minutes later Victor's sharp voice could be heard throughout the house telling them it was time for lights out. Nina shut her suitcase and climbed into bed. With a click she shut off the light and settled down into her warm covers. Just as she was falling asleep Nina thought about what had happened between her and Fabian earlier on. She would never tell a living soul, but she had wished he had held her hand just a bit longer.
The next morning Amber woke up earlier than normal. She shoved the covers off and climbed out of bed. Trying to not wake her roommate she pulled her dress out of the closet again and hung it up on a hook. She then sat down on her bed with her large jewelry box and tried again to find something to go with the dress. Everything was either too sparkly or not the right cut of diamond or wouldn't look right with the dress. "This is impossible!" Amber sighed louder than she had intended. She slapped a hand over her mouth and looked over at Nina. The brunette stirred slightly but didn't open her eyes.
Amber sighed and looked back down at her jewelry. She would have to try finding something later. She had a lot to do to get ready. Gathering up her things Amber silently walked out of the room and into the bathroom. After a long hot shower Amber wrapped her hair in a towel and got dressed. She put on a button up pink shirt and a black skirt. For once she didn't bother putting make-up on since she would be doing it later that night.
When she got back into her room Nina was awake and finishing up her packing. "Good morning," Nina said cheerfully. Amber smiled and set her things back on her bed.
"Are you excited for tonight?" Amber asked.
"More or less yeah. I mean I think the dance will be fun but I'm just not comfortable with the whole dancing thing. I've never gotten the hang of it. But I'll try my hardest to have fun, I promise." Amber smiled and hugged Nina tightly. Nina broke off the hug and gathered up her stuff to take a shower. They still had a little while before breakfast so Amber sat down in front of her mirror and began brushing her hair.
When Nina came back in the two girls headed down to breakfast. The only other people down there were Fabian, Mara and Mick. On Saturdays Jerome, Alfie and Patricia all like to sleep in. "Morning," Fabian called when he saw Nina and Amber walk in. Trudy came out a minute later with a plate of pancakes. The small group ate the entire stack.
"All right. Nina and Mara, are you two ready to get ready?" Amber asked when they were done eating.
"Amber, we still have hours before the dance," Nina protested.
"You've never seen Amber get ready for a dance. I think a three legged sloth moves faster than Amber," Mick whispered. Amber heard him and gave him a glare. Her face soon softened up though, she could never stay angry at him. "Well you girls have fun pampering yourselves. I'm going to go out for a run." Mick carried his plate into the kitchen and set it on the counter. He waved good-bye, gave Amber a peck on the cheek and left the room. Amber jumped up and skipped around the table to where Nina and Mara were sitting. She grabbed them by the wrists and pulled them up from the table.
She handed them their plates and pushed them into the kitchen, then pushed them right back out. "Fabian, remind the boys that our floor is off limits until the dance. We don't want you guys prowling around while we're trying to get ready. Time to go work my magic!" Amber grinned and shoved Nina and Mara out the door. Fabian just sat there shaking his head. Sometimes he didn't get girls.
As the three girls reached the top of the stairs they saw Patricia walking down. "When you're done come to my room. We're going to start getting ready," Amber called as she walked past. Patricia gave a small wave and tiredly trudged into the living room. Mara ducked into her room as they passed by it and she soon emerged with her dress in hand.
Amber found her box of curlers and plugged them in. While they heated up she found all her makeup and spread it out on the vanity. "Why are we making an all day thing out of this?" Nina asked.
"Because beauty takes time. Now sit down. Have you figured out what you're going to do with your hair?" Nina sat down cross-legged on her bed and shook her head. "All right. Then you're at my mercy." Nina gulped; this could go bad very quickly. Amber got on the bed and began playing with Nina's hair, pulling it up into a bun and then a ponytail and then back into a bun again.
"Amber, go easy on her," Mara cautioned. Nina silently thanked Mara for being on her side. The door then opened and Patricia walked in with her dress. The curler box beeped and Amber got to work on doing everyone's hair. While the curlers were in Patricia's hair she took a curling iron and worked with Mara's natural curls. Patricia helped Nina pick out a color of nail polish and they painted each other hands.
When Patricia's hair was done curling Amber took the curlers out and started reheating them. She then took a huge bag of bobby pins and began twisting sections of her hair back and pinning it up. Nina pained Mara's nails and when Amber was done working on Patricia's hair she made Nina sit in a chair while she curled her hair. "Nina, stop fidgeting. Do you want to get burnt?" Amber scolded. She curled the last few sections then took a hair tie and pulled her hair back into a low side ponytail.
"Hey Amber, where's your brown eyeliner? Mine ran out the other day," Mara asked. She was digging through Amber's endless supply of makeup with little success.
"In the bag with the green polka dots," Amber responded. Amber stepped back to look at Nina's hair and snapped her fingers. She ran over to her jewelry box and opened one of the little drawers in it. She came back holding a headband with little diamonds on it. "I know you don't like a lot of sparkle but this will look so perfect with your hair," Amber said as she placed the headband on the top of Nina's head.
Nina took a quick moment to examine her hair; it was curled in large rings and back in a side ponytail on the left side. The thin headband sparkled in the light. Even though Mick wasn't kidding about Amber being slow, she had to admit her hair looked nice. Mara's and Patricia's looked really nice too. Mara's hair was all down, lying in curls around her face. Two small strands had been pulled back and were pinned behind her head to keep her hair from getting in her face. Patricia had a lot of her hair pinned up in a bun but her bangs were left down to line her face.
With everyone else's hair done Amber began working on her own. While her curlers were in she began applying her makeup. Mara was just about done so she worked on painting Amber's toes. Nina sat down in front of all the makeup, completely unsure of what to do. Makeup had never been her thing. She usually tried to avoid putting it on. Patricia noticed her confusion and sat down to help her. "Don't worry, I won't go overboard," she reassured. Nina relaxed a bit when she heard that. While Nina was getting her makeup on, Amber had finished her hair and was putting the final touches of makeup on.
Amber's hair was all up in a messy, curly bun. She had a thick headband with lots of glitter and sparkles on. Her makeup wasn't much different than normal; there was just more of it on. Mara had minimal makeup on, same with Patricia. After what seemed like forever Nina's makeup was done. She examined it carefully in the mirror. Patricia had stayed true to her word, she hadn't gone overboard. It was still more makeup than she was used to wearing though. "Nina you should wear makeup more often. You look gorgeous," Mara said kindly. Amber turned her head to see and smiled.
"Now do you believe you look like your mum?" she asked. Nina took another look at herself and nodded. "Oh man, we're going to be late if we don't hurry!" Nina looked up at the clock and saw that they had fifteen minutes before the dance started. In as rush all four girls slipped into their dresses; being as careful as possible to not ruin their hair, nails or makeup.
Amber tossed a necklace to Nina that she had picked out the day before. It was simple, just a chain with a single diamond on it. She slipped into her shoes and then went to help Amber get into her pink poof of a dress. "Don't forget earrings and a bracelet," Amber reminded as she put her own earrings into her ears. Nina went over to her end table and picked up the jewelry Amber had lent her the other day. Her bag as already packed so Nina stood back and looked at Mara and Patricia.
She hadn't seen their dresses before and Nina thought they were both beautiful. Mara's dress was white with one shoulder. There was an intricate patter made of gold jewels and diamonds like a belt around her thin waist. The same pattern was on the shoulder of the dress. It went to right above her knees, the same length as Nina's. She had on gold heels and golden accessories that she borrowed from Amber. Patricia's dress was deep burgundy. It was a full skirt that went down the floor and had pickups. A thick, black satin bow tied around her waist. Her shoes were black and unlike everyone else she didn't have any jewelry on. "Are we all ready? Let's get going, I'm sure everyone else is downstairs waiting for us," Amber said happily.
"I'm going to kill myself in these shoes I think," Nina said fearfully. Amber laughed and linked Nina's arm in hers.
"You'll be ok; just don't try to walk fast." They all grabbed their bags and walked out the door.
"Say Mara, did that guy in our history class ever ask you?" Patricia asked as they walked down the hall.
"As a matter of fact he did. I'm meeting him at the dance," she replied happily. As they reached the staircase Nina saw Mick, Jerome, Alfie and Fabian all standing there looking rather bored. They must have been ready a long time ago.
"Time to go!" Amber called cheerfully. Nina swallowed and began walking down the stairs. After a week of preparing for the dance, it was finally time.