Meeting Point (Completed)

CHAPTER 8: The Party.

11/10/2024

      Alina had devised a plan during the time we spent together exchanging perspectives so that I could go to the contest party. According to her, she hadn't forgiven me for what happened with Daniela, but her actions showed that she still cared about me.

   "I'm going to talk to your parents. I'll tell them we have a Biology exam on Monday and that I need your help to study all afternoon and evening at my house. So they won't worry, we'll go to school together, and then you'll return home after choir, safe and sound."

 To my surprise, she managed to convince my parents to let me go and stay at her house... So I decided to enjoy that day to the fullest. The costume party had an elemental theme, which made it a bit difficult for me to find the right outfit: thankfully, I had learned to sew well, both by hand and quickly. Alina offered to help me, but I declined because I wanted to surprise her by doing something for myself, even if it was just once.

 Upon arriving at the venue, I was fascinated by how spacious it was. Colorful lights moved everywhere, and I couldn't tell what was louder: the music or the conversations of the people. With each passing moment, more and more people arrived. My heart skipped a beat every time I saw a new group of people enter: I searched desperately for my friend among the vaguely familiar faces.

 I decided to head to the bathroom to freshen up: I let my hair down from the ponytail and quickly arranged my curls. I put on the small cotton headdress I made by attaching them to a fantasy stone on the left side and added some long, smooth silver earrings, along with a matching necklace to which I added another stone at the end of the dangling part and a simple silver ring. Then, I put on my costume: a long dress, white in gradient towards blue. It had a straight neckline with ruched texture, and I added some puffy sleeves made of slightly more translucent fabric simulating clouds. Since it was a garment I didn't usually wear, I cut the hem to resemble raindrops in contrast to the white ruffled petticoat underneath. I struggled a bit to put on the low-heeled silver sandals, and finally, I applied some silver eyeshadow to the corners of my eyes and a little pink gloss on my lips. I couldn't put on more makeup because I painted a mask by hand with the colors of the outfit in a design of clouds and drops.

 I was so happy with the result that I couldn't stop looking at myself in the long mirrors.

 I went outside and continued to wait for Alina while crossing paths with classmates who stopped to chat with me despite not knowing who we were... It was a good time to meet new people and marvel at everyone else's clothes. There was a guy dressed as a tree, a girl in the middle of a tornado. There was one I couldn't stop looking at because she literally was a rainbow of silver and violet colors. I saw someone pass by with what looked like wings made of fabric that sparkled with colors when they moved to form beautiful shapes at will.

 I had to go get some water to snap out of my amazement. Unfortunately, the drink bar was in an area where I completely lost sight of the entrance. Suddenly, I felt a hand slowly move across my waist, which not only scared me to death but also...

   "I HATE LIQUIDS!" I heard a complaint from a familiar voice. "Be careful, you almost put me out!"

 She had spilled the entire contents of the glass on me.

   "ALI?" I asked alarmed, looking at the red-haired girl in front of me. Had she dyed her hair?

   "Yeah, idiot" the guy behind the counter, observing the situation, handed her some paper napkins, which she thanked with a nod of her head.

   "Don't ever do that to me again" I said, placing a hand on my chest. I felt like my heart was going to explode at any moment.

   "I don't want to spend the rest of the night covered in sticky drinks, so relax, I won't do it again... At least, not today. You have no idea how hard it was for me to do all this" she said, drying the water off my chest.