𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝒕𝒘𝒐

 Just when you thought your first day in Concord couldn't be any more exciting, all four of your cousins bombarded your shared bedroom in order to prepare for the ball that was to take place later that night. Together, they raided the closets and dresser drawers for appropriate gowns and stockings. It was amusing to see the house so alive with gossip and meaningless conversation. You wouldn't have had it any other way than to be surrounded by family, especially now.

Meg sat alone on the wooden stool that someone had brought up from the kitchen. Jo had taken a rounded hot iron and was twirling thin, dark strands of her sister's hair around it. You'd seen other girls at school using this method to curl each other's hair but you always refused to have it done to yourself. It looked too dangerous. Besides, you liked your hair just as it was.

You and Amy were sitting side by side on your bed, both on your nightgowns. She had offered to do your hair for the ball and you already felt bad enough that she couldn't go along with her two older sisters so you agreed. She got to work quickly, weaving your hair into two long plaits that fell down the back of your neck. As she braided along, she carefully took pressed flowers she had saved from the spring and tucked them into each individual strand.

"I know exactly who I want to dance with," Meg mused with her eyes closed and shoulders slumped. It was the most relaxed you had seen her since your arrival earlier that afternoon.

"Who will you dance with, Jo?" Beth peeped from where she sat on the bed furthest away from the candlelight. Beth was, as far as you could tell, reserved and somewhat shy. At least, around you. You could barely see her from where you were seated but the reflective face of her porcelain doll flickered and cast a dim glow over her face.

You were grateful that Meg and Jo extended their invitation to you, despite only the two eldest March sisters being invited. They shook off your thanks, insisting that it was a great way to get acquainted with the rest of the town.

"You know I don't dance," tsked Jo with her tongue between her teeth. She was deadly focused on Meg's hair to the point that she didn't even bother looking up. Once she completed the second strand, she put the curler back over the tea candle that was resting on the vanity.

"Why can't we all go? It's just not fair," Amy pouted, still tugging on your hair. When she was finished, she tapped you gently on the shoulder and you stood up from the bed to walk over to the mirror. Once you finally got a good look at your hair, you gasped and turned all the way around. It was better than anything you could have come up with. Giggling, Amy came up and hugged you from behind, compelling both of you to sway back and forth. 

"My nose will simply not look refined," she said, unlatching herself from your shoulders to poke and prod at her own face.

"I like your nose," Beth mumbled into her pillow.

You turned around and gathered the skirt of your nightgown in one hand before tiptoeing across the room to sit down beside Beth. You were raised as an only child and never had many girls your age to talk with. It was nice to have a sense of kinship with these girls despite not knowing them as closely as they knew each other.

Carefully, you removed one of the larger flowers from your hairdo and tucked it behind Beth's ear. She said nothing but hugged her threadbare pillow closer to her chest.

"Are you sure you don't want flowers in your hair, Jo?" Amy asked, shaking the small box of leftover wildflowers. "They look lovely on cousin (Y/N)."

Jo shook her head and took the iron off of the tealight, once again pressing it against Meg's scalp. "I already feel ridiculous, I don't want to look it."

Beth gasped and you pretended to be offended as Jo realized what she just said. Her mouth gaped wide open like a fish and she broke her focus away from Meg. "No offense to you, of course, (Y/N). You look divine."

Amy stopped dancing around the room to run her fingers through Jo's unruly auburn hair. "You could be pretty if you tried, Jo."

"Don't want to."

"I don't want to go," Beth announced unprompted. "But I do wish I could hear all of the music."

You leaned your head down against her shoulder and patted her arm. You understood her perfectly. "I'll keep it all in my head and sing it for you tonight before bed. Does that sound alright?"

"You would do that?"

"Of course," is what you were about to say. But before the words could leave your mouth, Jo's eyes went wide and Meg shot straight up out of her seat, screaming. Jo held the curler high up in the air and you saw a thick, smoking strand of detached locks dangling from the end. You quickly cupped your hand over your mouth to hide your laughter.

All at once, the room erupted into combined laughter and sobs. Even Beth began to shriek joyfully, though you knew she felt bad for her sister. Amy laughed to the point of silence and was leaning up against the wall, wordlessly pointing at the strand of hair that Jo was still waving back and forth in front of her.

"Meg," Jo gasped. "I am so sorry."

"What have you done?"

"You shouldn't have asked me to do it!"

Meg pounded her feet against the floor and the reverberations could be felt all throughout the room. "Marmee!" She wailed, unshed tears resting at the corners of her almond-colored eyes. All of a sudden, you found yourself unable to keep back your laughter and it all came rushing out at once along with every single preconceived notion that you had about living with your cousins. 

 (A/N: I know this is short but I didn't want this chapter and the ball chapter to bleed into each other if that makes sense. This was one of my favorite scenes of the movie and it just makes me smile. Anyway, I have a few more chapters lined up that just need editing so I might have those out either today or tomorrow).