at that moment I didn’t care.
Fuck it , I thought. I’m going. Perhaps the worry would snap my parents to their senses.
See you at eight , I sent back to Estelle.
Dress older , Estelle replied.
I was a ball of nerves by seven thirty. I did not do well in crowds, and had a tendency to be rude, or dislike almost everyone I met. I was not a social person. I was a different species.
My parents weren’t aware that I was going out; I’d been hiding in my room for the last hour while I got ready.
What did girls wear to parties?
I never wore makeup; I didn’t see the point, but I knew people liked to dress up when they attended these things.
Being a bit of a tomboy, my wardrobe was limited to t-shirts and jeans. However, I was a similar size to my mother so I decided to scour her wardrobe while she was in the living room.
I rifled through her dresses, which were plenty, until I came across one that wasn’t too revealing. It was red and stopped just above the knees. The neckline wasn’t too low-cut, and the sleeves came to the elbows. I refused point-blank to show my legs so I thieved a pair of black stockings and stuffed them into my pocket.
I didn’t own any cosmetics, so I also stole some foundation, mascara, and eyeliner. Feeling bold, I also took a stick of red lipstick.
By eight o’clock I was ready, and extremely self-conscious. I felt ridiculous wearing the red dress and red lipstick. I’d attempted to do my hair, but it was so unruly, I left it as a wavy, disheveled mess.
At five past eight a horn sounded in the street, and I knew it was Estelle waiting for me. I took a deep breath and left my bedroom, clutching a tiny handbag my mother had bought me on a previous birthday.
I slipped out of my bedroom, and could hear the television blaring in the sitting room. I crept down the hallway with my shoes in my hand; they had a slight heel, and I didn’t want to be heard as I walked across the floorboards. To my surprise I reached the front door successfully and was able to pry it open without any noise.
Once outside I ran down the garden path to meet Estelle in her violently purple car.
‘Woah!’ Estelle looked me up and down as I jumped into the passenger seat.
‘What?’ I said a little defensively as put on the shoes I’d been carrying.
‘You look hot ,’ she said approvingly. ‘Red suits you.’
‘Uh … thanks,’ I said, tucking my hair behind my ears. ‘Do I look older?’ I asked.
‘At least eighteen,’ she said with a wink.
‘So, um, where is this party?’
‘It’s at a friends house,’ said Estelle, putting her car into gear and pulling away from my house.
I was extremely nervous. ‘I’ve never been to a party before.’
‘Never?’ Estelle asked, raising one of her penciled eyebrows.
‘Well, once when I was ten, I went to a party at chuck-e-cheese because my mother made me. It didn’t go so well.’
‘Hon, that’s not a real party.’
I shrugged. ‘It’s something.’
Estelle laughed. ‘I can tell you don’t go out much. That’s why I decided to bring you along.’
‘Are you sure it’s okay that I attend?’
‘Yeah! There will be heaps of cool people there.’
‘I’ll be younger than everyone,’ I said. Estelle was twenty-five, so I assumed her friends would be a similar age.
Estelle laughed. ‘Maybe in physical years, but not mentality.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I asked.
‘You don’t act like a normal seventeen year old girl,’ she said, glancing sideways at me. ‘And my friends certainly don’t act their age.’
‘Don’t leave me alone, okay? I won’t know anyone.’
Estelle gave me a knowing look. ‘I’ll introduce you to everyone.’
‘You won’t be drinking, right? I’ll be able to get home, won’t I?’
Estelle nodded. ‘I don’t drink and drive, sweetheart.’
Relieved, I leaned back in the passenger seat and allowed myself to be taken to the party.
When we arrived I knew at once that it
Fuck it , I thought. I’m going. Perhaps the worry would snap my parents to their senses.
See you at eight , I sent back to Estelle.
Dress older , Estelle replied.
I was a ball of nerves by seven thirty. I did not do well in crowds, and had a tendency to be rude, or dislike almost everyone I met. I was not a social person. I was a different species.
My parents weren’t aware that I was going out; I’d been hiding in my room for the last hour while I got ready.
What did girls wear to parties?
I never wore makeup; I didn’t see the point, but I knew people liked to dress up when they attended these things.
Being a bit of a tomboy, my wardrobe was limited to t-shirts and jeans. However, I was a similar size to my mother so I decided to scour her wardrobe while she was in the living room.
I rifled through her dresses, which were plenty, until I came across one that wasn’t too revealing. It was red and stopped just above the knees. The neckline wasn’t too low-cut, and the sleeves came to the elbows. I refused point-blank to show my legs so I thieved a pair of black stockings and stuffed them into my pocket.
I didn’t own any cosmetics, so I also stole some foundation, mascara, and eyeliner. Feeling bold, I also took a stick of red lipstick.
By eight o’clock I was ready, and extremely self-conscious. I felt ridiculous wearing the red dress and red lipstick. I’d attempted to do my hair, but it was so unruly, I left it as a wavy, disheveled mess.
At five past eight a horn sounded in the street, and I knew it was Estelle waiting for me. I took a deep breath and left my bedroom, clutching a tiny handbag my mother had bought me on a previous birthday.
I slipped out of my bedroom, and could hear the television blaring in the sitting room. I crept down the hallway with my shoes in my hand; they had a slight heel, and I didn’t want to be heard as I walked across the floorboards. To my surprise I reached the front door successfully and was able to pry it open without any noise.
Once outside I ran down the garden path to meet Estelle in her violently purple car.
‘Woah!’ Estelle looked me up and down as I jumped into the passenger seat.
‘What?’ I said a little defensively as put on the shoes I’d been carrying.
‘You look hot ,’ she said approvingly. ‘Red suits you.’
‘Uh … thanks,’ I said, tucking my hair behind my ears. ‘Do I look older?’ I asked.
‘At least eighteen,’ she said with a wink.
‘So, um, where is this party?’
‘It’s at a friends house,’ said Estelle, putting her car into gear and pulling away from my house.
I was extremely nervous. ‘I’ve never been to a party before.’
‘Never?’ Estelle asked, raising one of her penciled eyebrows.
‘Well, once when I was ten, I went to a party at chuck-e-cheese because my mother made me. It didn’t go so well.’
‘Hon, that’s not a real party.’
I shrugged. ‘It’s something.’
Estelle laughed. ‘I can tell you don’t go out much. That’s why I decided to bring you along.’
‘Are you sure it’s okay that I attend?’
‘Yeah! There will be heaps of cool people there.’
‘I’ll be younger than everyone,’ I said. Estelle was twenty-five, so I assumed her friends would be a similar age.
Estelle laughed. ‘Maybe in physical years, but not mentality.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I asked.
‘You don’t act like a normal seventeen year old girl,’ she said, glancing sideways at me. ‘And my friends certainly don’t act their age.’
‘Don’t leave me alone, okay? I won’t know anyone.’
Estelle gave me a knowing look. ‘I’ll introduce you to everyone.’
‘You won’t be drinking, right? I’ll be able to get home, won’t I?’
Estelle nodded. ‘I don’t drink and drive, sweetheart.’
Relieved, I leaned back in the passenger seat and allowed myself to be taken to the party.
When we arrived I knew at once that it
Similar Books
