unhinged ↠ 𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞

Dance

_____________

Kitioma Hadlee

The cool air breeze runs through my hair, but not enough to mess it up. My face feels fake with the makeup Ally insisted putting on, even though I know it is only a bit of mascara and highlighter.

The ball is tonight, and everything has been so carefully planned, if it messes up, I'm sure the universe...well, the universe has already show that it hates me, so I'm guessing something will go wrong but whatever.

"Ready?" Ally's voice snaps me out of my thoughts as I play with a loose string on the corner of my deep purple dress.

I don't like how I look. Pale skin. A British accent. Blonde hair. Brown eyes. None of it fits me. Besides, it's been weeks, and I've had to deal with not talking to anyone but the other girls. The teachers don't even know my face. I am invisible, my lips pressed together, the raindrop falling from the sky, exactly like the droplets around her. I'm not different. I am not the girl who popped her bubblegum and made an entrance so many months ago.

Who am I? I should be Kitioma Hadlee, the Gryffindor heir, but instead, I am Trina Nicklebook, a nobody.

I sigh tiredly and take the dose of polyjuice potion that should hold me over until at least midnight, where I...

"Um, we have a problem," I murmur, staring down into the flask, then turn it over. Ally and the other girls stare as the last drop of the potion drips out of the bottle, sizzling quietly on the stone floor.

"You're joking," Jac scowls, ripping the flask from my hand, her black, skin tight dress contrasting with her wavy brown hair, now straightened for the ball. "Seriously? My next batch can only be ready next week!"

"Shit," Ally mutters, and looks at the watch. "We have until exactly midnight to get him up into the astronomy tower. That means he can't see any of us, he'll know what we're doing."

"Wait..." My eyebrows crease together. "We're holding this in memory of the death of me, but won't he know something's up?"

All the girls smile, Ellie and Eboni snickering. "We made sure he was in the common room a couple weeks ago then faked a whole show. I would say it was pretty convincing, people looked pretty concerned. We were discussing where to hide your body, but no one knew we were talking about you except Tom. Then we purposely made eye contact, acted scared, and ran off. He tried chasing, but we lost him pretty quick."

"So he think you two murdered me?" I say with a raised eyebrow. They both nod. "Nice. Anyways, time is ticking, we have," I glance at my watch. "Four hours."

Ellie walks into the room first, her dark green dress making her red hair look like fire. She doesn't attract much attention, though. Luck must be on our side.

"Good luck, Trina," Eboni elbows me, then walks into the ballroom, where moving pictures of my face adorn the walls, the mood lively, but mournful.

Why they hold balls in favor of the dead, I don't know, but it suits us tonight.

"Ready?" Ally asks. I nod, and we walk in together. My dress is simple, a light pink dress with lace spilling down the sides. I absolutely detest pink, but I'm also not pale-skinned, so to hell with the old Kiki and welcome Trina Nicklebook.

My last night of being Trina Nicklebook, hopefully.

What a strange name.

I take in a breath and follow Ally, dressed in a light, pastel blue hue into the ballroom. The crystal decorations shimmer, glinting on the walls. Green adorns the walls, not Slytherin green, but rather the colour of grass. Someone must have told them that my favourite colour is green.