Everlance Academy

Chapter 3

"What on earth does one even wear to these events?"

"I don't know. Jeans and sneakers?"

"But then I'll be underdressed for the party."

"Then wear a dress."

"But then I'll be overdressed for the game!"

Exhaling loudly, Addie puts the magazine she was just looking at on her lap.

"May? You're really getting on my nerves right now."

"For Christ's sake, my name is June. And I'm sorry, but I'm stressed. I didn't want to go to this stupid game in the first place!"

Half of my closet's contents are draped over my bed, yet I have not found anything I want to wear, my hair is not done, and I was supposed to meet Noah five minutes ago.

My sanity? Currently hanging on a very thin thread.

Suddenly, it knocks on the door, and when I go to open it, it reveals Noah standing in the hallway. When he sees me, he slaps a hand over his eyes.

"I didn't see anything!"

"Noah, I'm fully clothed."

He peeks through a little gap between his index and middle fingers, then drops his hand.
"Oh. What a relief."

I roll my eyes at him and leave the door open when I turn around and step back in front of my closet. Noah follows me into the room carefully.

"I don't have anything to wear," I complain. I sound like a spoiled brat. In my defense, it's my first event here, and I want to leave a good impression.

On who, I am not sure.

"She's lying. She has plenty to wear," Addie mumbles, sitting on her bed, her nose in a magazine again.

Noah turns around. "Oh. Hi Addie. I didn't see you there."

"Hi Noah."

"Your hair looks great. A bit lighter, isn't it?"

"Yes! I tried a new dye. Much cheaper, and it doesn't make me look as much like a corpse. Do you like it?"

"I love it! You know, my aunt from Belgium—"

"Guys, I don't mean to be an attention whore, but can we focus on me for a second? I'm kind of losing my mind over here!"

I internally cringe at my own words. Clingy much?

For a second, I contemplate explaining myself to them but think better of it.

The words Hey, sorry that I'm so annoying about looking good; it's just that growing up, neither of my parents cared about my intelligence or other personality traits.

To them, I was most useful when I looked appealing to the sons of their business partners, so they would run back to their daddies and tell them to invest with the Lockwoods. Old habits never die, I guess might be a mood killer.

So I keep my mouth shut.

Noah sighs and crosses the room with two long strides. He grabs my shoulder and pushes me aside, so he's standing right in front of my closet. Flicking through the coat hangers, he pulls out a black flower-ish skirt and a black blouse.

"What do you think?"

I croak my head to the side.
"It's alright, I guess, but I'm going to be sitting down most of the night, and a short skirt may not be the best for that. I don't want to flash the whole basketball team."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind," Addie comments, and I throw one of her converse at her. Meanwhile, Noah has picked out something else.

I must admit, I like his fashion sense.
He picked out a black corset top with black leather pants and heels.