Chapter ten

                                    

                                          
AJ twirled in front of the mirror. The soft fabric of her lavender dress floated around her knees before it finally settled mid-calf. It was light and airy and just what she wanted. What she had wanted. Now she wasn't so sure. She adjusted the thin spaghetti-straps, pulled the dress down a little and turned to see the back, holding her long hair up. She had felt so beautiful in the dress when she had bought it, and it still was a stunning piece, but staring at her reflection she just didn't see what she wanted. With a frown she let her hair fall.
                          
"Would you stop it with the face?" Lily asked from where she was sitting on the bed, "You look amazing. You are so lucky you don't have to wear a bra." AJ knew she meant it as a compliment, but it didn't feel like it. "A bra would totally ruin a dress like that."
                          
AJ sighed deeply and twirled once more. That, at least, still felt the same, she enjoyed making the dress move, it looked the best when it was moving. "Maybe if I just spend the whole night dancing," she mused out loud.
                          
"Have your dance partners all lined up?" Lily asked with a giggle. "Come on, put on the shoes, I want to see." She pushed the shoe box along the bed, closer to AJ.
                          
AJ glanced briefly at the silver heels. She had received them days ago but hadn't even bothered trying them on, probably a bad idea since the Spring ball was that night. She scooped them out of the box and slipped one on her right foot. Then the left. "They're not bad," she told her reflection. The heels were a little taller than she usually would wear and she needed to get used to them so she walked back and forth her room a little, testing them out.
                          
Lily had taken over the mirror in the meantime. "This is going to be so great," she said with a giggle as she smoothed out the tight skirt of her black dress. Slipping her feet into her black boots and spiking up her short hair to perfection. AJ watched her fasten her spiked leather bracelet before adjusting the black choker around her throat. She had to give it to her best friend, she had a look and she went for it. Lily turned to face her, tapping her black eyeliner on her cheek in deep thought. "How are you going to wear your hair?" she asked.
                          
"I don't know," AJ said in a sigh. I don't care, it's just hair, she thought but didn't feel like she could say that out loud. Lily was so excited for this night, getting ready together had always been their tradition, but she found it hard to find the old magic. "Just like this, I guess?"
                          
"No." Lily shook her head, returned to the mirror to apply her thick eyeliner, taking special care while drawing the wings in the corners of her eyes. "Wear it up, show off your shoulders, they're sexy."
                          
AJ shrugged and sat down in front of her little vanity mirror. Quickly pinning up her hair, leaving a few tendrils down her neck that always curled on their own. That would have to do, she couldn't be bothered doing anything else. Oh crap, makeup, she thought, Should I wear makeup? Do I even want to make the effort? The answer was no, but she knew Lily would make her do it anyway. Fine, she growled to herself, But just a little. Eyeliner and mascara would have to do. She opened her drawer, fishing out her eyeliner, but in the process, she accidentally knocked over the carved wolf standing to attention on her vanity. "Oh shit," she mumbled when she failed to catch it and it landed on her floor with a loud crash.
                          
"What's that?" Lily asked, turning around, craning her neck to see.
                          
"Nothing, it's- it's nothing." AJ placed the wolf back on the surface gently, taking extra care with it. She loved that wolf. Cherished it. It was from Dylan, and he had said it was from the heart. She couldn't get those words out of her head. She hadn't been back to see him in over a week, she didn't dare. How was she supposed to go back there, play chess and just pretend the whole kiss never happened? She couldn't. Everything was ruined now, and she wasn't sure if she had ruined it, or he had, or they both had. It didn't matter. Something had happened and she couldn't take it back. She touched her lips gingerly, remembering the feeling of his warmth, his tongue, even his annoying scratchy beard.