Gucci in Juvie

Chapter 22

'Gotta paint my nails/ put my high heels on.'

-Sia, Cheap Thrills

I fluffed my hair, checked my teeth in the mirror, straightened my posture and stared at my reflection.

'You sure like staring at yourself a lot.' Nathan commented off-handedly as he stepped past me. 

'Well, stained prison bathroom glass aren't my thing.' I pouted, and raised my eyebrows at myself. 'I always liked looking at myself. I've missed having a clear view of this..' I stroked my reflection's face. 'Image of beauty.'

Nathan moved to stand beside me and we both looked into the mirror.

He smiled. 'We look pretty good, if you don't mind me saying.'

'We look hotter than the sunrise.' I corrected his statement, turning to adjust his hair. I didn't like it so slicked back. 

'You do.' 

'You do too.' I brushed off the shoulders of his suit jacket. 'Don't bring yourself down now.'

'Well-'

'Shhhhhhhhh.' I put a manicured finger to his lips. 'You're a very handsome piece of boy. I like your eyelashes, and your freckles are cute. Remember that.'

He flushed a little, rubbing his neck as I adjusted his tie. 'You're very....pretty.'

I looked at him with mock-offense. 'That's all? I'm just pretty?'

'N-No, I just-'

I laughed and patted him on the arm. 'I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I know I'm perfect.'

All joking aside, I really did look like a dream. So did my friends. 

With the precious plastic cards that my not-so-precious parents had given me, I bought myself, Hu Li and Nathan a whole new wardrobe. 

Well....they had told me that it was more like me bulldozing through every shop on the street and coming out each time with multiple shopping bags on both arms (that I later dumped on them to make room for more shopping bags), instead of calmly buying clothes.

Same difference.

I was now wearing a lavender dress that made me feel like some fairy queen. It was ethereal and lovely and I fell in love with it at first sight. Nathan was wearing a tuxedo, which I pretended to be cool about (but was really squealing on the inside because hot DANG), and Hu Li would be wearing a gorgeous dark purple dress. 

We were going to a ball. Hu Li had found out that the best lawyer in the town, possibly the state, would be there. I was going to hire her to expose J.U.V.I.E and let the other kids free. 

Perhaps it would've been more convenient for us to call him up and arrange a meeting at her office, but what was the fun in that? 

I hadn't felt brand name silk against my skin for what seemed like forever. 

Right now, we were in Hu Li's home. Her parents had been really shocked to find us at their door, but after a lot of happy crying and hugs, they generously let us stay until we could get rid of J.U.V.I.E. They were the sweetest people. I felt slightly jealous that my own parents couldn't be like that. Hu Li tried to seem like she was tolerating their gestures of affection/getting annoyed with them, but I could see her smiling more often and sinking into their arms more than resisting them. 

'You guys ready?' Hu Li walked in and I smiled appreciatively at her.

'You look great.'

'So do you.'