Something passes over her face. “Nothing,” she answers and turns back to the closet.
I open my mouth to respond, but something catches the corner of my eye. I reach out and check the bottom to make sure there are no hidden shorts. “What about this?”
Eve takes it and holds it against her body. The dress is sky blue, with thin straps and a square neckline. The hem hits midway between her knee and ankle. “I forgot about this,” she says. “This … this could work.”
I smile triumphantly. “We’re going to the social.”
As the hours pass, I reassure Eve over and over that it won’t take me long to get ready and help her prepare for the formal. Girls have it bad, I learn, when I realise she lists all the things she needs to do. While she applies makeup, I iron her dress, find a pair of strappy heels she has hidden somewhere in the closet, and turn on the curling iron.
Later, Eve asks me to curl the hair at the back of her head, and though I’m nervous that I’ll screw it up, I find it easy after she gives me a quick lesson. I stand behind her and wind hair around the hot rod while Eve chats about nothing in particular — what the decorations will be like, what people will wear, how many people are having pre-drinks because alcohol is prohibited.
We don’t go beyond shallow topics, though there’s so much we have to say to each other. I know she’s dating Oliver. I wonder what she knows about my situation.
What will happen after the social? Will everything go back to normal? Will we be friends again?
After I finish Eve’s hair, I rush off to my house to have a quick shower before getting dressed. In the middle of fiddling with my hair, Ben’s head pops in the bathroom.
“You’re going to the formal?” He’s delighted.
“Yeah. With Eve.”
“That’s fantastic. You two have a good time.”
“Ben?”
He knows I’m going to ask for a favour, and he raises a brow.
“Can you give us a ride?”
He nods. “Sure.”
I brush my teeth, straighten my tie, put on my shoes. Half an hour before it’s time to leave, Eve arrives at mine. She looks wonderful — not too different from when I saw her last, but more polished. Hairspray keeps her curls in place, she’s wearing a gold necklace and bracelet, and her dress shimmers when it moves.
Ben acts like a proud mother and makes us take photos, first in the house, then in the garden, then in front of the lake. Eve and I pretend to complain, but our smiles are real.
Afterwards, we lounge on the couch. Eve texts Oliver to let him know that she’s going to the formal after all, which reminds me to text Kaito and Declan. They’re surprised and ask how I got tickets last minute. I admit I bought them a week ago, just in case.
We end up leaving a little later than we should because I lose my ticket before finding it five minutes later. “It’s all part of the strategy,” I reassure Eve. “Arriving late is cool.”
When we arrive at The Frederick, it’s easy to find the place to go: all we have to do is follow the line of teenagers to the circular building separated from the rest of the hotel, surrounded by lush garden beds. Behind the building is a pretty park, the perfect backdrop for photos.
At the door, teachers check our tickets before welcoming us inside.
Strings of lights decorate the walls, chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and the polished wooden floor gleams. On one side of the large room is the sitting area, filled with circular tables. A section of the room is dedicated to dancing, shrouded in darkness so the rainbow lights will stand out when they’re turned on.
People stand around and talk, suits blue or black or grey, plain, striped, checked. There’s a dress of every colour, and girls wear glittery eyeshadow and sophisticated heels.
Beside me, Eve looks down at herself, her mouth twisted.
I nudge her. “You look fine.”
“That’s what every girl wants to hear,” she says drily.
I chuckle, remembering the words from our first conversation on the lake. From Eve’s quick smile, she remembers too.
“You look beautiful,” I amend.
“Thank you, Noah.” Eve’s shoulders slide back, and she straightens up. “And you look handsome.”
