Sara and Demi

Christmas Party Tickle Fundraiser *Part 1*

"This is the worst," Sara said. A groaning sigh escaped her lips. Her eyes unenthusiastically gazed over her reflection in the dressing room mirror. 

"No, you look so cute!" Demi said, standing behind her. Sara grumbled as she looked disapprovingly at herself from different angles. She adjusted the outfit she had been given to wear for the evening's event. It was a revealing set, reliant more on skin than cloth, that still managed to be festive for the holiday season. A top mimicking that of the typical Santa Claus suit, red with puffy white lining, clung tightly against her chest. It was cut off just below her breasts, exposing a toned, athletic midsection. It hung off of her shoulders and left her armpits uncovered. The top plunged around her collarbone to show off what little cleavage Sara had to boast. 

"I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate this," Sara said. The blush applied to her cheeks glowed brighter than the natural hue of her shame. The top was matched by a pair of shorts in the same style that somehow managed to be shorter than the ones in which she played volleyball. Both articles were accented by a pair of boots that replicated their fuzzy, warm texture. Sara fidgeted and continued to adjust the costume in hopes of finding a sense of comfort with it. Demi helped Sara inspect it from all angles. Running her hands across Sara's arms, Demi felt her shivering.

"You're just nervous," Demi said. "Look at me." Sara turned to look at Demi, smiling sweetly up at her. She was wearing a similar outfit, identical except for the color scheme. Where Sara's was red and lined with white, Demi's was white contrasted by black puffy accents around the edges. Both had a modest amount of makeup applied and their hair styled beforehand. "It's going to be okay, okay? You're going to be fine. Just breathe. Breathe." Sara sucked in and exhaled long, dragging breaths with Demi. Her racing heart started to slow. Sara began feeling more comfortable in her outfit and skin. 

"How are you so calm?" Sara asked, her mouth dried out. Demi shrugged.

"Used to being in front of people, I guess," Demi said. 

"Yeah, but not like this," said Sara. Demi stroked her arm.

"We're going to get through this," said Demi. "I know it's not your preferred role, but it'll be fine. You may even have fun. And we'll all be doing it with you." Sara swallowed and looked up to see another friendly smile reassuring her from across the room.

"It's really only scary at first," said Holly, another girl taken in as a Second Circle Sorority protégé and brief friend of Demi's in high school. She was an angelic figure who shared in Demi's diminutive height, though her features were much less pronounced. Holly was a smiley, mousey girl, her golden hair adorning her head like a halo. The dressing room they shared was large enough to accommodate a chorus, the air scented with the ghostly remains of hairspray caked onto the walls. Vanities lined all four sides in abundance, obnoxiously lit by powerful bulbs. Holly looked into one as applied a light pink gloss to her lips. Her outfit, the same as the others, sported an opposite color pattern to Demi's, predominantly black with white trim. 

"You've done this before?" Demi asked. Holly's eyes shifted.

"Not this exactly," she said, "but something like it."

"Should have guessed," Sara said, smirking. Holly blushed.

"Once it's happening, it's not so scary," said Holly. "Hard, but doable. Trust me, you'll be fine." Sara's eyes went back to Demi's. She took her hand and sighed.

"What about you?" Sara asked.

"What about me?"

"Will you be okay?" Sara asked. Demi gave her a reassuring grin.