You!

The Fashion Emergency

"Can you stop staring at him, it's creepy," I whispered under my breath, hoping to snap her out of it before Luke caught on to her infatuation.

"Creepy intense yes, mmm!" Lucy replied, her eyes never leaving Luke's perfect profile. I swear I just saw drool coming out of her mouth.

"Are you going to help me with an outfit or should I join the party with this?" I gestured towards my less-than-stellar attire.

"Leah?" I heard my mother call from the other room, causing a wave of panic to wash over me.

"No word about the party, if she asks, you met me at the beach the other night and were in the same grade," I whispered urgently to Lucy as we heard my mother's footsteps drawing closer.

Are we? I don't even know how old she is, she looks older than my mother.

I straightened up as my mother barged into my room, Lucy standing next to me.

"Leah you haven't.." my mother began, her voice trailing off as she took in the sight of Lucy.

"Hallo Mrs Anderson, I'm Lucy," Lucy said cheerfully, sticking out her hand as if she were meeting the Queen of England. My mother looked her up and down, clearly not approving of her unique sense of style. I could practically see the wheels turning in my mother's head, silently scolding me for having yet another quirky, unconventional friend.

As Lucy and my mother engaged in a silent battle of fashion vs. conformity, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. It was like watching a sitcom unfold in front of my eyes. Lucy, with her goth look, stood tall against my mother's perfectly pressed blouse and sensible shoes.

"Mr Anderson and I won't be back tonight, we will see you tomorrow," my mother started but paused as she looked between Lucy and me.

"What's going on here? Are you going somewhere?" my mother asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. Lucy, on the other hand, looked like she was trying to hide a guilty secret, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape route.

"No, we're just going to watch some movies and order takeout," I said, flashing my best fake smile. Lucy nodded along her expression a mix of relief and panic.

My mother nodded and turned on her heels, heading out the door. As soon as she was out of sight, I let out a sigh of relief, not even realizing that I had been holding my breath. Lucy and I exchanged a look, both of us bursting into laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. This was going to be a night to remember.

"Okay, let's find you something to wear," Lucy said, her eyes scanning my closet with determination.

I watched as she started digging through the piles of clothes. It was a lost cause, really. Luke's stupid dog had taken a liking to my wardrobe and had chewed up most of my clothes. The ones that were left were either too small, too big, or just plain ugly. And to top it off, some of them were hand-me-downs from my deceased grandma. Not exactly a fashion statement.

As Lucy pulled out a neon green T-shirt with shoulder pads that could rival a football player's, I couldn't help but cringe. "Um, I don't think that's going to work," I said, trying to hide my horror.

She shot me a look before tossing the sweater aside. "Fine, but we need to find something soon. The party starts in an hour."

I nodded in agreement, but deep down I knew that finding a decent outfit in my closet was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Maybe I could just wear a potato sack and call it a day.

I was about to give up hope, Lucy let out a triumphant cheer. "Aha! I think I found something that might work."

I held my breath as she pulled out a mini black dress that actually looked like it belonged in this decade.

I pulled the dress over my head and to my surprise, it didn't look half bad. It was flowy, definitely not something I would usually pick out for myself. I turned to Lucy, who was already beaming with excitement.

"Perfect!" she clapped her hands together, clearly pleased with her choice. I couldn't help but wonder where this dress even came from.

I rummaged underneath my bed to find my trusty sneakers. Not the most fashionable choice to pair with a dress, but there was no way I was going to endure a night in uncomfortable boots or towering heels. Comfort over style, always.

"Okay, let's do something with your hair," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

I should have known better than to trust her with my hair. I mean, have you seen hers? It looks like a bird's nest after a hurricane. I watched in pain as she grabbed a brush and started attacking my tresses.

Urgh!

"Perfect!" she called out, as I examined my reflection in the mirror. Well, maybe not perfect-perfect, but close enough. I mean, my hair didn't look half bad... except for that one rogue pin that had somehow managed to make my hair stick flat against my skull.

With a mischievous grin, I plucked the offending pin from my hair, releasing my locks from their flattened prison. With a few deft movements, I rearranged my hair into a low ponytail with a few playful bubbles here and there. Much better.

"Are you ready?" I asked Lucy as I opened my bedroom door, the thumping bass of the music downstairs getting louder with each passing second.

I could already see the chaos unfolding in my mind's eye - the crowded backyard, the red cups littering the lawn, the questionable decisions being made left and right. Maybe ordering takeout and watching a movie sounded like a better idea after all.

But Lucy wasn't having it. With a determined glint in her eye, she dragged me by the arm down the stairs, my heart racing with every step we took towards the backyard.

Navigating through the hallway, we had to weave through groups of people who reeked of vodka and bad decisions. "Sorry, excuse us, halo!" I called out to a guy blocking our path to the patio.

The group of boys turned to look at us, their expressions a mix of amusement and suspicion. One of them leaned in to whisper something to his friend, who burst out laughing as they exchanged words.

"Oh my god!" I blurted out when I saw what was going on outside. It was like a scene from a wild college movie, except this was happening right in our backyard. The music was blasting, the pool was packed with people, and there were cans and cans of beer everywhere. And don't even get me started on the girls in their barely-there bikinis.

I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched people jumping from the roof into the pool, some of them landing with big splashes, while others missed the mark completely and ended up belly-flopping. It was like a circus act gone wrong, with a dash of drunken chaos thrown in for good measure.

Oh and of course, Luke Anderson, the self-proclaimed Alpha of the party, goes around kissing every passing girl like he is in some sort of competition. It was ridiculous, hilarious, and slightly gross all at the same time. I mean, who even does that?