Awakened

Sixteen

Sam comes into my bedroom with a towel wrapped around her body. "Holy shit, Katherine. You look hot." I am standing in front of the mirror, and the little black dress is hugging my curves.

"Do I look stupid? You can be honest. I just don't-" I am rambling, and she cuts me off.

"No, you look hot. I promise. You HAVE to wear it." she says as she looks me up and down. I take a deep breath and look at myself in the mirror again. This dress makes my legs look longer, and my waist look smaller. My hips cause the fabric to bunch slightly. The scooped neckline is the only thing semi-conservative about it, but the way it shows my collar-bones makes it just that much sexier. I run a brush through my wet hair, and decide on throwing a few loose curls into it. Sam pulls a wine colored mini skirt from her bag and pairs it with a simple black top. She looks amazing, and even more so when I see the fishnet tights she intends to wear.

"Girl, you are the one that looks hot!" I exclaim. She does a little turn and cocks her head to the side.

"Oh you think so?" Her playful tone makes me smile, and now we are both giggling uncontrollably. Shelly knocks before entering and her mouth drops open when she sees me.

"Okay, when I bought that I thought there was a zero chance you would ever actually wear it." she says, the shock still apparent on her face.

"Well... what do you think?" I look at my aunt for approval, and she smiles.

"You look incredible kid." I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly.

"Do you think I could borrow your makeup again?" I ask, and she nods enthusiastically.

"Will you let me do it tonight?" Sam asks and holds up a bottle of foundation. I agree, and she begins to brush the liquid onto my face. This is already more makeup than I have ever worn before, and I am terrified to see my reflection when she finishes. She presses some liquid lipstick onto my lips, and tells me to blot. Once she is finished, she calls in my aunt to assess her work.

"Well I'll be damned. My niece looks like a supermodel." I roll my eyes and stand to walk towards the full-length mirror.

"Shit." I say aloud when I see the girl looking back at me. I mean, it still looks like me... but a much better version of myself. I never wear much black, but right now I am rethinking that style choice. I don't look like a child right now, that's for sure. The person staring back at me is a woman. Shelly hands me a pair of black sandals with a small heel to them. I am glad they aren't too high. It doesn't matter how good I look if I can't walk.

I run my fingers through the fresh curls in my hair, and grab a small purse from the dresser that Shelly is letting me use. I never use one, but this time I want a place to put a few things in case I need to touch up my face at some point. Plus, I learned my lesson about leaving me phone out. I slide the purse onto my shoulder, and continue to give myself a pep talk as I make my way towards the door.

"Hey, Katherine." My aunt stops me. "Have fun tonight, okay? You look beautiful." I thank her, and meet Sam outside on the porch.

"You ready?" she asks me. I hesitate, and it is obvious that I am nervous. She grabs my hand and pulls me back into Shelly's condo.

"Hey... Shelly?" she asks timidly.

"Yes? Everything okay?" my aunt replies.

"Is there any chance you have some liquid courage for Katherine? I hate to even ask you that... but look at her. Shes freaking." They both look at me for a second, and Shelly walks to the kitchen without another word. She puts a bottle of clear liquor down on the counter, looks at Sam, and then retreats to her room closing the door behind her.