Her Phone - A Dialogue Story

{10} - Welcome Home Party

Laylah wiped her sweaty hands on her short, navy dress, glancing around the crowded apartment room for the hundredth time. Only the laughing and joking faces of Marianne's university friends were smiling up at her. 

"How's it going?" 

Laylah looked up to see Keira standing beside her, holding a wine glass filled with clear liquid. It sloshed around inside the glass, and Laylah couldn't decide whether it was water or vodka, considering Keira's fondness for a glass of both each night before bed. 

"It's going alright. Just waiting for someone," she replied, flashing Keira a nervous smile. 

"Ooooo, really?" Keira asked, nudging Laylah playfully. "Who?" 

Giggling, Laylah shoved her back. "It's nothing like that. I just met him a while ago and haven't seen him in ages, if that makes sense." 

"Well, hope you guys catch up!" Keira chuckled, raising her glass towards Laylah before taking a sip. She then wrapped Laylah in a hug, spilling half the glass' contents onto Laylah, who stepped back as it began trickling down onto her clothes and legs. 

"Don't worry, it's just water," Keira told her, noticing Laylah frowning down at her dress. "Sorry about that though. I'll keep a look out for your friend if you want to just dry yourself." 

Nodding her head in thanks, Laylah picked her way through the living room, heading for her own bedroom. She closed her door, sighing in relief when the noise behind her became muffled and quiet. 

 Laylah walked over to her dresser, staring at herself in the mirror above it. As she pulled out a towel from the drawer, she gazed at the light blond hair that framed her face, which Mari had insisted on curling into soft ringlets. Since Keira had always been a fan of fancy parties, Mari decided they'd all dress up for the 'Welcome Home' one. At least she hadn't forced Laylah to deck her face in layers and layers of makeup. However, she hadn't been able to escape just a slight stroke of mascara and hint of blush. 

Reaching up to her fringe, she twirled it between her fingers, anxiously biting her lip. This hairstyle looked so strange on her, but she couldn't deny that she liked the way it flowed past her shoulders and back, falling in cascading waves, highly reminiscent of the crashing ocean she would often be casually gazing out her window at. Despite being so used to her usual ponytails and braids, she knew she'd be pleading with Mari to be fixing her hair up like it again very soon. 

She had just finished drying off the lace that covered the bodice of her dress, when the door to her room swung open, letting the noise from outside to suddenly flood Laylah's bedroom. 

"Guess who's here?" came the voice of Marianne, causing Laylah to spin around. Keira and Mari stood in the entrance, holding hands and both smiling brightly. Laylah felt her own mouth twitch upward slightly at the sight of the two of them. They were sometimes just too sickeningly cute together. 

"Really? Is he here?" she asked, trying to tell herself she wasn't excited. She felt her hands becoming sweaty again, and frantically started wiping them on her dress once more. Laylah took one final look at herself in the mirror, and carefully stepped back out into the crowded living room.