For a Detroit suburb with over fifty thousand residents, Royal Woods didn't have much space in its borders for a grand venue. Most of the community was packed with modest homes and businesses. Around town, there were only two places big enough to host an event of this scale. One of them was the Mall, which had a giant function hall. Leni wouldn't have minded that arrangement and neither would the public, given how the hall had previously hosted SMOOCH when they were in town. Unfortunately, one figure that did have a complaint was the Fashion Club's budget; such a high-profile venue wasn't gonna open up to just any sideshow that expressed interest. This left the Club with one other place, the High School auditorium.
It was by no means a bad place. The giant space could seat at least a thousand people, not to mention the sound and lighting that came along with it. For Leni, it was fine (even if it wasn't the Mall).
Leni stood behind a tall red curtain off stage left. Through the veil, she heard a sea of people chatting about whatever it was they found worthy. From its magnitude, it appeared to be a good turnout. So many people for something like this.
To pass the time before the Show, her head leaned up, allowing her eyes to see all the way to the top, where the curtain connected to a metal hook along a vast horizontal bar traversing the stage. Of course, the main thing that caught her attention was the shade. Just by looking at it, Leni could tell that the curtain's scarlet material had seen better days, ones where its color was bold enough to pop even to the poor soul stuck in the back seat. Years of suffocating dust, blinding spotlight, and dank darkness had left the curtain with a faded carmine.
Seeing that muted shade fascinated her. Leni had little problem with a muted shade of red (the dress she adorned was a subtle crimson, leaning towards pink), but it was a shame that it had to get to the point by decay, a fall from something bolder. The process itself must have been so slow that no one stopped to notice until looking back.
"Are you ready to get started?"
Leni flinched. The elderly voice made her jump out of her skin, causing her to briefly forget her train of thought. It took three seconds to register who it was. And by then, she was more than comfortable to answer.
"Yup," she replied.
Mrs. Barnes was still only at the Junior High, but Leni knew she wanted her on board for this event. The teacher had been a beam of light, reflecting its glow on her undeserving soul. To not have included her would have been an insult. Indeed, Mrs. Barnes gently smiled at her former student.
After that simple affirmation, Mrs. Barnes strolled beyond the curtain, revealing herself to the awaiting audience.
"Thank you all for coming out to the Royal Woods High Fashion Show," Leni heard her say. The plan was for Mrs. Barnes to use a microphone and Leni envisioned that very event transpiring, even though she couldn't see it herself, "In addition to ticket sales, we are holding a donation bin in the lobby. I strongly urge you to pitch in whatever you can during the evening. All proceeds will go to Bartholomew's Helpers, a school that specializes in giving students with learning disabilities the support and education they need to live successful, fulfilling lives."
To Leni, no one could have said it better. That sweet voice felt moving enough that everyone could have been listening to their favorite role model. Indeed, the audience (which had hushed itself) applauded heartily at the end of the address. With her introduction complete, Mrs. Barnes moved off stage with a heightened demeanor. Leni noticed that her aging face had been animated from the crowd's affirmation. That had to tell her something, that this event was for a decent purpose.
As Mrs. Barnes stood beside her, Leni watched as the model came out. She recalled that Carol crafted that one. After all, none of the other seamstresses would have had such a fondness for blue (the light shade that herself and Lori tended to wear). Leni liked the work. The blue silk was sprinkled with sequins, creating hundreds of sparkling stars to glitter across the stage. It was a magnificent display.
"Yeah? What is it?" Helen asked.
Not wanting to hesitate, Leni launched her bag from her back and flew open the zipper. As she expected, the dress remained neatly folded in the large pulled it out and presented the outfit in full, making sure all the colors were visible.
"Ta da!" Leni declared proudly. Even as the dress hung like a flag, she shook it in an attempt to make the fabric flourish. After a morning in the dark backpack, the outfit needed both light and motion to wake up its brilliance.
"Wow. It's so pretty," Helen said, her muted tone conveying all the enthusiasm Leni needed. Hearing that lift in her friend's voice made all the difference, "I like it."
"Thanks," Leni replied, "but I didn't bring it just for showsies!"
"Oh."
"I think you would look great wearing it. How about being a wearer at the Fashion Show?" Leni asked. She meant it. By that point, she couldn't believed there was a time where she couldn't see her friend wearing that specific dress. To her, all the colors would have complimented her, from her fantastic hair to her perfect form. And what better way to make her friend feel good about herself; she was convinced that the house would come down once everyone saw how beautiful Helen was (though she had hoped no one would get hurt from falling debris).
Helen, though, didn't undergo the necessary transformation. Her eyes widened and her hands pulled in towards her stomach.
"Are you sure?" she asked softly.
"Yeah!" Leni shot back enthusiastically. With all her might, she wanted her friend to understand the sentiment was sincere. She would never do it if she thought others would laugh at her (so far as she could tell). All Helen needed was a little convincing, she told herself.
"Oh," she said, her eyes slipping away. They opted to rest on the opposite wall, more specifically at a classroom or a locker. Leni didn't want to take attention from her friend in her hour of need.
"What's wrong?" Leni asked, her smiling vanishing by the second.
Helen didn't move. From this distance, Leni could see that her throat contained an obstructing lump filled with letters, writing marks, and restrained emotions. What was her friend trying to hide?
"I don't know if I can do it."
It wasn't until the third model that one of her own creations was unveiled. It was inspired by her everyday attire, where turquoise ran supreme. That color ran all the way down to Paula's feet. Leni thought it was a miracle that she got one of Carol's friends to wear something of her's over the former's. It wasn't even that there was a shortage of dresses on Carol's part. It was only now, seeing pretty Paula sport that plump outfit that Leni had even considered the oddity. She made a note to talk with Paula sometime later on the matter.
Until then, Leni preferred to watch the show, seeing each smiling face being celebrated, showering in fame (an invisible spray that kept everyone dry). As if the designs alone didn't do the trick, the lighting escalated each outfit to a whole new level; bold shades popped, subtle hues lightened, assertive shapes were chiseled with the black backdrop. She was left to wonder how her own dress would look propped up against the stage.
Occasionally, usually between each run, Leni gazed down at the flash cards she had prepared for herself. Even with the glaring light reflecting just several feet away, it was difficult to read her own handwriting in the natural shade. She did what she could (tilting the cards to catch some of the Rays and squinting her eyes) to be able to process each of her loopy, simple words. The speech itself was alright, the best she could have produced on her own. Now it was a matter of waiting (and enjoying the show).
The following slew of models alternated between dresses of various creators. Even knowing multiple seamstresses were involved, Leni was baffled by how outfits had been crafted specifically for this event (a few suits also had to be made to accommodate some boy models). The program quickly fell back into a routine. A model emerged off stage right with the biggest smile they could produce, the audience roared into applause as she they slowing strutted along the wood floor, and eventually made their way off stage left.
Leni personally found it to be a great feat that so many people possessed that courage to come out on stage. Just imagining herself out there in front of all those hungry spectators was enough to make her heart flourish (even knowing that she was wearing presentable attire). It was never in her nature to go out and speak before big crowds, bogging them down with verbal tangents (and too many "likes" to be endearing). And knowing her friend, it also would have scared Helen.
"Come on! You're, like, the bestest person I know. Everyone will love you!"
All she got was a nervous groan. Helen's lips were puckered in, stretched out like a line. Leni understood that her friend didn't have much experience out on the stage or in front of crowds. But wasn't that only because she didn't have the chance? A simple nudge on a public platform was all that was needed to get the thrill of a lifetime. Maybe it was like one of those things from TV where someone had stage fright and they just needed a little encouragement to get over their fear.
Yes, Leni told herself. That had to have been it.
"You're so strong, Helen, that everyone will want to be your friend once they see you," Leni said, renewing her smile. Her eyes developed a laser focus on her friend in need. For that moment, she recognized that she couldn't let her habit interfere with her ability to connect, to really show her friend that she got it, "and if it'll make you feel better, I'll, like, walk out with you. That way, you, like, don't have to be by yourself if you don't wanna."
While she spoke, Helen's tense face remained frozen. Leni had hoped that was a good sign, that her friend was at least taking the time to consider her point of view (her offer). But even in the seconds after finishing, all she could see was that long bunched up face, mixed with those eyes. Those pinpoint pupils bore the sight of something dreaded, the heightened ears sensed ridicule from a mile away. Leni wished she could see what Helen was seeing and hear what she heard. All so that she could get down to it, so she could go up to whatever meanies lurked in her mind and say no.
But Leni didn't know of any such power. All she was left with was that face, clues that left her to gauge the damage and develop her own remedy. It wasn't a skill she was used to, but she was sure as heck gonna try.
"Helen," she said, lowering her voice. It sounded different, softer than usual. This wasn't like when she accidentally spoke too low for anyone to hear. This was a real effort to provide relief, to open herself up (anything other than a request to repeat herself), "please tell me what's going on."
That did produce a change. Helen's face relaxed a little and her mouth shifted. Maybe at the very least she could get an explanation (one that had been denied to her for some time).
"What do you mean?" Helen asked innocently.
"Is there something wrong?" Leni asked concerned, "is there, like, something that makes you not wanna go out on stage?"
The acts continued as planned. Taped to the wall backstage was a list of all the acts going in order. After one of them finished, Leni made the short walk to it to check it out. For all the applause each person got, the Show chugged along the list at a strikingly fast pace. Eventually, the parts where she had to participate would arrive.
For all that talk of encouragement, Leni had neglected to consider her own feelings of the situation. She herself got nervous at the idea of going out on stage. Even with a whole night of silence to try and figure out a reason, she couldn't piece it together (it was almost as hard as that puzzle she got herself).
Maybe there were more distractions than she thought, she tried telling herself. As the next person (name not on the top of her mind) passed by, Leni's ears stretched out. She felt their pulling and the instant influx of sound barreling in. The applause was noisy, indeed. Then, she squinted her eyes. Were the lights always that garish? In tandem, it created quite the distraction.
Yeah. That had to be it. She may have only thought of it now, but this event was quite the spectacle. Surely, no one could have blamed her for getting wrapped up in the moment. In fact, it was strange that she was even still thinking about all this when there were more amazing outfits to be shown. It felt rude to not pay attention.
And what a time to tune in, as she recognized the next act was the rainbow dress, the one she went through unusual circumstances to make and get out there.
She was really hoping for an answer. Now was a great opportunity to have a meaningful discussion. In all their mornings of gathering here, few people ever walked by (and she didn't pay much mind to those who did). Besides, it wasn't like Leni was trying to humiliate her friend. What was wrong with a little learning, a little encouragement?
From what she could tell, though, there was a lot more to it. While she was still standing using her pedestal to present the material goal, Helen was cramped. Her body was so crunched against the wall that it looked like it was gonna collapse upon itself. Her soul, usually relaxed, couldn't help keep herself together.
It was a long time before either heard a word from each other, however Leni was starting to get an idea of what was happening. Her own face couldn't help but deflate as she came to terms with her friend's discomfort. She was the one who had done this. It was she that took an eager Helen's hope for a happy morning and twisted it just for some dress. It was like a planned attack, how those mean army guys liked to draw up where everyone should go long before they actually do it for real.
Leni hated being a meanie. It was a horrible name given to those that were selfish and disrespectful. Being nice was better. In fact, it was better than even that. At this point, she realized it was a necessity to not be mean and hurt others (especially those she was close to). After hundreds of apologies laid out ten years ago, Leni still felt like she hadn't made it up to Mrs. Rowzanski for that one day where she let her "mindlessness" get the better of her.
All she had to do was not be mindless. And even now, she still couldn't get that right. Behold, what that had yielded.
It was only eventually that Helen worked up the courage to show her face. Luckily, there were no tears. But it remained a complicated mess. Red was sprinkled across her cheeks, the corners of her lips were puckered like lemons, and her eyes spoke only of desperation. The pang Leni got in her chest was the least punishment her friend could give.
"I dunno," was all she said. It was low, but the message was delivered.
At last, there it was. The preceding acts could not have prepared her for how stunning the rainbow dress appeared with all the lights. The gold shimmered, the purple penetrated the eye, and the seams were an exotic hue that complimented the scheme, characterized it.
"Here I am," Leni imagined the dress speaking, as if it were expounding its magnificent story to the audience, "I work hard even with what I was given. I am full. I like me."
She found herself smiling. While she was glad with the other outfits (both from her and the other designers), this one dress spoke to her. It was only now with the applause, the enhancement, and the perspective that allowed her to realize why this one dress had taken up so much of her time. Leni saw some reason behind the color choices (aside from they look good). That thread that she scavenged for felt like her (what she thoufht she could become). In that moment, it did make her feel complete.
And it was all thanks to Lori.
Even then, it still was mind boggling how easy it was to convince her big sister to step up to the occasion. Leni had barely finished asking the question when Lori just blurted out "Yes". No pressing, no contemplation, no deals. Lori was gonna be the model no questions asked.
Leni watched as her big sister waved to the audience, carrying out a healthy grin (she must have been glad she no longer wore those dreaded braces). And the crowd ate it up. It appeared like a win-win for both of them.
But was it? Yes, Lori did get her own round of applause, hundreds of people cheering just at her, for her. And her big sister looked happy to bask in all that attention, much like she appeared happy when she babysat. However, Leni didn't forget what was required for all this to be possible. She had to go to her big sister and ask her for something. What was she gonna get in return?
Whenever that question reared its ugly head, Leni tried to formulate an answer to spare herself of that humiliation. Certainly she had done something. Ever since Lori got her driver's license, the give and take game became much more two-sided; Lori drove her to the Mall and in return she did a chore for her. Sometimes those reminders worked, to ease her mind of the "unfairness" she inflicted on others.
But this had nothing to do with driving. All she was doing now was excuse making, assigning dues in places where they didn't belong. And that was always unfair to Lori. Leni grappled with the fact that she had begged her sister to do something where Lori apparently had nothing to gain. Leni had no money to pay her, no place to drive her to, advice to reveal, or people to introduce. She exhaled through her mouth as she reluctantly awaited Lori's exit off stage.
It couldn't have come soon enough. Lori carefully walked past the dimly lit wing, maneuvering her way around Leni. The spotlight residue illuminated the beads of sweat that had accumulated on Lori's face. Was it that hot on stage? And yet, she was still grinning.
Leni yielded, allowing her sister to slip by. No words were exchanged between them. Perhaps it was to allow the show to go on. Or it was a silent admiration for how much Lori owned that dress. Or Leni was just crafting more excuses. Either way, it was only after her sister vanished that Leni felt a tinge warm up, the urge to speak up. There wa so much she wanted to say to Lori. "Thank you. How can I repay you?"
Leni yearned to repay her sister, even if she never said anything about it. The way Leni saw it, the deal was a silent one. Lori must have felt it was fundamental enough to go without words. And if she couldn't pick it up, then that was gonna fall on her. And her alone.
From then on, the rest of the acts moved swiftly. It was as if the other models knew they couldn't top off that elaborate dress, so they brushed along to get the audience out of there. It wasn't like there was gonna be much now that her big sister had dominated the show (the way Leni saw it). Maybe that dress should have been the grand finale, Leni told herself as the acts transpired. Sure, she had made some of the dresses that came in the ensuing leg and sure, some of the models were on earlier in the evening. But that failure to plan accordingly didn't feel very good. All she could have done was shuffle those flash cards in her hands, not thinking about whether they would wind up out of order.
Alexis was the last model to cross the stage, this time in an orange glittery dress. Leni watched as her hands finished their sorting. She glanced down to insure that the cards had been returned to their proper assortment; the least these people deserved was a coherent speech. Once she made sure that was all set, Leni glanced back up to see Alexis quickly exiting off stage left.
Leni felt a nudge on her shoulder. Startled, she turned and saw Mrs. Barnes offering her a piece of paper. It was considerably larger than the flash cards, however Leni understood it was meant to arrive. But what surprised her the most was the teacher's smile. It was large and sincere. Even in the limited light, the two came to a realization. She graciously accepted the paper and turned back to the stage.
The next point in the program was clear. The audience understood it from their programs and everyone in the Fashion Club knew the routine. Now with the silence before her, Leni knew what she had to do as well.
Finding it in her, Leni stepped out of the dark wing and into the spotlight. Her eyes widened, fighting the urge to focus on any individual in the crowd (she didn't even know where her family was seated). The podium rested on the edge of the stage, dangerously close to the first row of spectators. As she made the unbearable walk, the temptation grew. A powerful voice in her told her no, to look at the back wall (secluded and tucked far away). Of course, she still needed to be able to read her cards. It was one challenge after another manifesting themselves before a live audience.
What she needed was a breath. Two, in fact. They happened slowly and deliberately. Hopefully, she thought, the audience would understand. Public speaking wasn't easy for anyone, even for the biggest stars out there. That extra time was enough to ease her nerves, give her the resolve she needed to start.
"Thank you for being so good to us tonight," she said, reading off the flash card, "My name is Leni Loud and I'm the 'prez-a-dent' of the Royal Woods High Fashion Club."
Leni gazed up at the audience as she switched to the next card. She knew it wasn't good form to sound stilted, but she couldn't help it. She didn't talk like this. Her speech was too full of filler that didn't belong in other people's ears; their patience was too short to hear her ramble like her normal self.
"Helping others is something that means a lot to me," she read, her eyes refusing to leave the writing, "that's why all the money is going to 'Bar-thaw-low-mews Helpers' because the kids there need our help," she said as she flipped to the next card, "These kids have a hard time doing things like talking, learning, making friends, and all sorts of stuff."
She paused to contemplate her own fate as memories of her own experience came to mind. Was she really in the same group she sought to help? Sure, others came into her life to make sure she acquired those skills (fantastic, unbelievable, perfect people). Leni had no doubt that once these saviors came to the school with their miracle tools that those kids would be rescued and rise to become far greater people than she could imagine. Maybe by doing this act of charity, she could at least gain a sliver of that honor.
"But these kids need us. They need to be loved and cared for," she read on, "to be shown that others believe in them. But another thing I learned is that these important things need one other thing to turn their lives around. They need money from us so that their school can pay for special teachers to come in and teach them them how to do stuff. They need money so that their school can buy books and computers and tablets that talk when you type stuff into them."
Leni found herself looking at the audience again. Perhaps this switch demanded a bit more than a blurry stare. Her eyes found themselves narrowing in, being able to discern individual faces. Who knew that the spotlight could be traced that far out. For the most part, they were strangers, people that couldn't cause her much worry. It was okay.
But then as her eyes wandered even more, Leni found an entire row of seats occupied by her family. Who knew that nine siblings and two parents could have taken up so much space. And yet the ones that gave her all these feelings only made up a small portion of the auditorium. Leni didn't like getting confused like that. Why couldn't things always appear the same? Still, when she saw their attentive faces, a stone entered her stomach. Her eyes did their best to avoid that specific spot, lest she lose focus.
"All of us in the Fashion Club," she continued, thinking about the others, "worked really hard making the dresses and they worked up a lot of 'curr-edge' to dress up and come out on stage. I want to thank them for all they have done to make tonight good."
As she shifted to the full piece of paper, Leni heard some applause. It was affirming hearing that everyone appreciated all the work her colleagues did (especially Lori). They were clapping for them, regardless of where they were in the building. And that was all Leni needed at that moment.
The applause continued as Leni glanced at the figure on the paper. She hadn't checked it before coming out, but that smile's message was clear now. Mrs. Barnes was always honest and encouraging, especially when the moment called for it. It was startling to see how positive the number was. She smiled, not even thinking about whether anyone could see it.
"And I am proud to say that you have raised $2,452 for the kids at Bartholomew's Helpers. Thank you all for your goodness," she said.
The cheering became amplified. That affirmation reminded Leni that she didn't truly understand the weight of that number. With each person clapping and whistling, Leni became happier. She realized that only a crowd of this size could have yielded so much money in a single evening. That smile grew.
"Thank you," she said under her breath.
Having finished her address, Leni collected her notes and moved off stage. She saw Mrs. Barnes awaiting her with that everlasting grin. And then, she did something she never thought she'd do with a teacher again. Leni approached Mrs. Barnes and embraced her. It was an impulse, the result of overflowing emotion.
The joy (satisfaction) racing through her veins left her body out of her control. Leni wanted to hug, she wanted to sing her gratitude for giving her this chance. There was so much left undone that she wanted to tackle it in one move. Pictures of love, fulfillment, her family, those clothes she made all blended into one tapestry superimposing each other. Everything from her arms to her legs wanted to do something, push her closer to showing everyone she cares about that the success made her validated.
"Leni," Mrs. Barnes said, chuckling, "you keep whispering to yourself. What are you saying?"
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Leni exclaimed. It was as if her teacher knew exactly what was on her mind.
"You're welcome. You were wonderful out there," Mrs. Barnes said.
Now it was Leni's turn to laugh. The girl giggled as more words accumulated for her to say. At that moment, there was nothing she could have done to relieve herself.
"What's so funny?" Mrs. Barnes asked gently.
Was that even a question, Leni asked herself. The truth (or at least the one she saw) was so obvious, there was no way Mrs. Barnes actually meant it. Some of her siblings had a special name for those type of questions, something beginning with an 'r'.
"You were wonderful! None of this could have happened without you," Leni said.
The two gave each other some more smiles, affirmation of each other's hard work. The soft roar of the audience was the background, masking any murmurs Leni had at that moment. Almost everything had gone perfectly. Leni couldn't have complained for such a fantastic evening.
Of course, Leni remembered her big sister. If she didn't meet up with Lori in the band room, she would have gotten mad (and that's the last thing her big sister needed).
She happily said farewell to her teacher before making her way to the hallway. Groups of models were chatting as she they made their way towards to the lobby. Leni approached the open doors to the band room. As expected, it was a raucous space where the conversations reverberated off the sounding panels. Her eyes wandered, scanning amongst the sea of students for her beloved big sister and her unique dress.
Even for Leni, that wasn't hard. Lori was tucked in the back chatting away with several of her friends (one of them being Carol). Those two in particularly were cheerful, traces excitement and spotlight still fresh on their faces. Leni grinned as she made her way through the band room, sliding across several conversing groups to make her way to her big sister, the one who made that dress the success it was. There was much to be said.
"Hi!" Leni said as she reached the group. The pack of girls turned to see the blonde and her pinkish dress. All of them appeared easy-going and broke out in a cacophony of greetings (they all knew her name). But the two reactions Leni paid attention were that of Carol and Lori. Both of them were thrilled, "Great job everyone," Leni added, insuring that all of them were included.
As each of them thanked her, Leni noticed her big sister say something to Carol. Sure they were both smiling the whole time, but the noise was too garbled for her to make out any words.
"Well it was nice chatting with you all," Lori said cheerfully. She even threw up her arms to display her energy, "I'll see you all on Monday."
Her big sister nudged her way through to circle towards her. All Leni did was wave her hand as she felt an invisible force guide her along with her departing sister. She briefly contemplated if there was something wrong with her sister, if there was a fight or a concern that she was unaware of. Lori sometimes had a tendency of acting weird to hide certain things she didn't want others to know (as if pretending there was nothing wrong was merely enough to discount it). But now wasn't the time to bring that up. Tonight had been a fantastic night. Did Leni honestly want to ruin it just to gain some "knowledge"? And what if she was wrong and she had just misread the gesture.
"Just shut up and move along."
"You were great tonight," Leni said once they were in the hallway. A compliment seemed like a decent way to jumpstart a talk.
"Thanks," Lori replied, smiling. A grin was a good sign, one that eased more fears than raised. She then gazed down at the dress, "it was fun getting to wear this. It's so unique!"
Leni simply nodded as they proceeded. It was a courteous thing for her big sister to say, a filler line that minimized the silence of their walk. No more was needed because shortly after, they entered the even noisier lobby.
Hundreds of people (parents, family members, friends, teachers, and strangers) were packed in the room which bore a low ceiling and lights that were dim and yellow compared to those in the auditorium. Leni tensed up, nervous that she would never reunite with her family in this forest crammed with trees. It was a good thing Lori was there to guide the way. Indeed, Lori grabbed Leni's hand and pulled her through the crowd.
As she nudged through each path, Leni's ears rang with a mixture of white noise and half-sentences. Occasionally, she made out a "Congratulations!" or a "Good job" and she tried to thank them as she quickly got pulled past them. There was no way she was gonna ignore the compliments she could discern. Leni did feel guilty if she felt someone couldn't hear her thanks in her quick stride past them. Lori was relentless in her mission to find the Louds.
Leni did her best to keep her eyes forward, alert of the path she was headed. It helped to see which people she would be able to hear next. For the most part, it was people that she wasn't too familiar with, granting her courtesies for her participation in the ceremony. She was glad that they were so kind to her even as she was being dragged along at a breakneck pace. However, her eyes quickly became attached to one person she was passing by.
There was no denying it. Alongside her right side was Helen and her two parents. Leni's eyes widened and her chest twisted. This was really happening. She got to see her friend after all, even if she couldn't find her on stage or in the auditorium. Helen had shown up despite the awkwardness that had ensued. And she was smiling, the ultimate marker of relief. As if Lori wasn't enough, Leni wanted to espouse her appreciation to her best friend as well, to tell her how much it meant for her to show up to this event. Perhaps she could have apologized for making her so uncomfortable (even though she had already done it both at lunch time and through text). A third time couldn't hurt.
Unfortunately, that long deliberative conversation didn't get to happen.
"Hi Helen! How are you?" Leni shouted rapidly as she was pulled along. Before she could have gotten an answer, Helen was already out of earshot. Leni's mind immediately refilled with worries. Did Helen catch what Lori was doing to her? Would she have understood why she couldn't have stopped for a meaningful talk? Helen must have caught it and she must have understood. They would clear it off with a text followed by a comment on how crazy Lori was. Right?
Just as the night was winding down, another blast hit her. It was the intimate chants of her family, who were pressed up against the back wall. All of them broke out into cheers. Lynn Sr. was the first to reach Leni, wrapping her into an intense, fatherly hug. From the corner of her eye, Leni caught Mom doing the same to Lori. The adulation song her siblings blocked out the general chorus of the crowd. In some ways, it was nice to hear things that could have been seen as positive. Leni even felt some tugs against her dress, most likely from the younger sisters.
It was a weird sensation being around her family. They kept using her name, asking Leni how she pulled it off, how Leni made all those dresses, how Leni was so kind and giving. Occasionally, she heard someone throw in Lori's name, but it was unusual. Lori was the one who took the trouble of acting as a model on a last minute notice. And that was on top of everything else she did, from applying to fancy schools to babysitting to being a really cool big sister. Why was "Leni" the word of the night for these people, these perfect people?
But this voice was suppressed by the fuzzy feeling of a person's warmth. Hugs and touching felt nice, even if it wasn't deserved. Even as she was asking these questions to herself, Leni remained smiling, eagerly answering all of her little sisters' questions about her dress. Attention was magical. Their smiles and high-pitched cheers were contagious, as was their laughter.
She joined in on it. Tonight was a night where she smiled and it felt nice. It would all come together somehow, some way. But for now, happiness was all that should matter.