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CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
dancing queen
THE SUN HAD barely reached the top of the castle, waiting to be hidden under a shroud of cloud when Betty was awoken earlier than she would have liked by singing at the foot of her bed. Her body knew what day it was before her mind could work it out as the days of the year reeled through her mind, flicking through like photographs until she landed on the date. It was January eighteenth. Her seventeenth birthday.
But, she could feel the sugar pop pink of sixteen already leaving her body as her finger tips tingled, her eyes blinked awake and the barely early morning sun made the room around her seem a hue of green. She sat up, rubbed her eyes and looked to see Aisling and the rest of her dormmates singing with cheer as a perfectly frosted yellow cupcake sat in the palm of Aisling's hand. The fire tipped candle flicked slightly with the commencement of the singing.
A smile found its way to Betty's face as she stared with adoration at the girls in front of her. Her hair tumbled down her back as she leaned forward and screwed her eyes shut, trying to think of only one thing to wish for. Once she had her wish, her eyes popped back open as she blew out the candle in one soft go. Everyone cheered as her dimples showed prominently.
"Thank you!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Aisling into a hug and pulled her down on the bed, effectively squishing the cupcake between them.
"Betty! The cake!" Betty could feel the frosting starting to seep through her nightdress and couldn't help but giggle.
"Screw the cake!" Aisling smiled into her shoulder as she heard the unadulterated happiness in Betty's voice. Their nails dug into each other as the symphonies of girlhood chorused around them. With hair everywhere and light laughter that evoked bluebirds, they felt it. The feeling that they'd mourn once they left the castle for the last time—sharing beds, painting nails and talking about crushes. Because they were just girls and it was wonderful. "I should probably shower now."
Aisling burst into laughter as she used a hand to prop herself over Betty. "You think?" Betty stuck out her tongue. "Get on!" Aisling properly stood up and swiped a little of the frosting stuck to her pajamas into her mouth. She hummed at the sweetness so early in the morning as she walked over to her trunk to get her uniform. It was a Wednesday and everyone was ready for the barely new week to be over already, not knowing the consequence of willing time to move so fast. "Next year is your golden birthday!"
