Fractured Fairytales

Chapter 10: Friday Night Dates

Amanda:

Nikki was pulling on her denim underwear when I entered Room 17 on Friday night.

"Hot date?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

She shrugged. Friday night dates were incredibly common at PA. Weekends were the only time students could go off campus without special permission. And while we had a restaurant and a small movie theater on campus, we still took advantage of getting to go into town. There was a lot less of a chance of running into teachers.

Nikki usually spent her Friday nights drinking with some of the guys or seeing a movie with me and the other girls when we didn't have dates. Seeing as all of us except Eliza had dates, I wasn't expecting her to be wearing denim shorts and a tank top. It was too casual for Nikki.

"We're gonna walk around downtown with Ash and Mark," she told me, pulling on her favorite leather jacket.

I turned instinctively to Eliza, who looked the exact opposite of someone going into town. She was wearing Care Bear pajama pants and a PA Drama tshirt. I took a moment to take this in before realizing what Nikki had meant by "we". Her and John. I wasn't used to Nikki being part of a we.

Eliza laughed under her breath. To be honest, I've always kind of had this fear that she can read minds, she always seems to know what people around her are thinking.

"What are you doing tonight?" I asked her.

"You'll be jealous," she informed me, smiling and laying, stomach down on her bed. She pulled her laptop in front of her and held up our DVDs of The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, two movies which we both watched about once every two weeks.

I had this urge to cancel on Josh and join her. I loved 80's movies. I shook it off. Molly Ringwald could wait. And besides, Eliza had spent so much time this week listening to Ash's constant questions about Alex that she hadn't gotten any alone time. Eliza needed her alone time or else she tended to explode, and Eliza was really mean when she wasn't happy.

"Everyone else has plans," she told me. She didn't seem at all upset about the fact she hadn't been invited anywhere. Then she started to list off what everyone was doing that night. "You've got your date with Josh. Nikki and Ash are going downtown with Mark and John. And Char has her big date with Nick Pearsen."

"So you get the room entirely to yourself," I said.

"Don't throw any ragers," Nikki told her. The only way the sarcasm was notable was if you knew that Eliza would be caught dead before throwing a party. She didn't even have birthday parties.

"If I do, I'll be sure to call and invite you," Liz replied.

Nikki smiled. "Well I gots to go. Adios Bitchatchos." And she left, right as Charlie entered. "Good luck, hot stuff."

"Thanks," Charlie replied, smiling faintly at Nikki's retreating back. She turned to us, looking nervous.

"You're terrified aren't you?" Eliza asked, as if this was something enjoyable.

Charlie nodded. "He's Nick Pearsen," she said, looking more pale then usual.

Eliza stood up. "How much time do you guys have before you have to get to you dates?"

I looked at my phone. "An hour," I offered.

"Same," Charlie chimed in.

"Make over time," Eliza smiled.

Eliza had always been a makeover fanatic, since I met her, before she wore black all the time. And hour was more than enough time for her to makeover both me and Charlie to perfection.

I looked at my best friend. Her red hair was straighter than I'd ever seen it, thanks to Liza's super fancy straightener from Florida. She hadn't covered up Charlie's freckles like Nikki had, because she thought they were cute. She looked a lot more casual, and a lot more comfortable than she had in what Nikki had made her wear to the party, in a pair of Nikki's jeans and one of Eliza's black tank tops, the words "Stay Beautiful" printed on the front and a leather jacket.

"You look hot," Charlie told me, smiling. I turned to the mirror. My blond hair hung in loose curls, and my makeup done lightly. Dark wash short and one of Nikki's bright tank tops is what Liza put me in. I was strangely happy with the results.

"You both look hot," Eliza told us, pushing us towards the door. "I have a hot date with the 80's."