Emma's Six

The Christmas Party

We are having the Christmas party before my birthday, so we celebrate it on the 23rd, and my birthday party will be on the 24th. 'How are we doing for time?' I ask Mummy as I arrange some of the food in the kitchen. Mum had to kick Mummy out of the kitchen, so she is in the living room, preparing a couple of extra decorations besides our normal Christmas ones. She is hanging tinsel on top of the bookshelf, something she said she wouldn't do.
'We're doing fine,' she assures me. 'There are still a few minutes until we get underway. Besides, you're meant to enjoy yourself and spend time with your friends.'
'I know,' I agree. 'But my friends did this for years; this will be my first Christmas party with them. What if they judge me because of—'
'Emma, are they the type of people that would judge you?'
'No, but—'
'Then they will not judge you based on one party. Just relax and have a good time. Let Ruby and I stress about anything. Besides, aren't you meant to get changed?'

I am still in my usual t-shirt and jeans. We all agreed to dress up, not only in our standard colours but also try and make it Christmas-themed. Anne decided that the six of us will make our own costumes or mix-and-match the clothes we already have to create something different. We all went into town soon after Catalina's birthday to get supplies. Jane brought a white tank top and giant black pom poms. 'I'm going to be a snowman,' she said. 'I already have a lot of things at home, so I don't have to worry about getting too many crafting supplies.' Anne brought green netting and Christmas lights. 'Anne, what the...?'
'I want to be a Christmas tree, Janie!' Anna brought a Christmas dress and a matching red hat. 'How are you going to decorate that?'
'I don't know yet, but I'll have an idea soon.' Catalina already had a gold dress in her hands and matching netting.
'I'll use gold tinsel to make a halo.'

That only left Kitty and me. Not many Christmas costumes use pink and blue, so we had to get creative with our outfits. I brought a white trim and a light blue fabric. I also brought a pattern that looks a lot like Belle's dress from Beauty and the Beast. I made it in blue with white trim around the sleeves and the edge of the skirts. I also took the liberty of making the sleeves longer so they would keep me a little warmer.

Now, I take it out of the wardrobe and admire it. There is silver stitching on the bodice, and when I put it on, it feels comfortable. 'You need a hand there?' Mum asks. She is standing in the doorway wearing a red dress with a white collar and cuffs and a trim at the end of the knee-length skirt.
'Yes, that would help, thank you.' Mum helps me tie up the laces at the back, then turns me around so she can see me. 'Oh, my little princess,' she smiles and brushes the tears from her eyes. 'I think I have something that will complete the look.' She hurries out of the room, and when she returns, she is holding a tiara studded with diamonds. 'I've had this for a long time; it used to belong to my grandmother.' She places it in my hair. 'She always wore it to parties, and it was the one thing she never wanted to part with.'
'So, where did my great-grandmother get it from?'
'She was in love with a human,' she says, sitting me down. 'My family wanted her to follow her dreams, even if that meant marrying a human. The rest of society wasn't happy, and when she fell pregnant, they condemned her lover to death. She met him one last time, and he gave her the tiara.'
'If you don't mind me asking, what happened to the baby?'
'The baby was my mother. She understood why her mother wanted to marry for love. Her mother's new husband never liked my mother, so she ran away and married another Qetesh.'
'Then that makes you three-quarters Qetesh and one-quarter human?'
'My mother wanted me to have some humanity within me, but my father said no. He said that I could have human qualities, but I could not have any human DNA in me. She gave me a conscience.' Mum smiles at me. 'When my father banished me for falling in love with a human, my grandmother visited me for the first time. Before the Qetesh imprisoned me, she gave me the tiara and begged me to give it to her great-granddaughter, and she'll watch over you.'
'I like that story,' I smile. 'Is my great-grandmother still alive?'
'We keep in contact, and I told her about you and Sarah Jane. She wants to meet you.'
'I would like to meet her, too.'
'I'll see what I can do. I better go downstairs and make sure everything is ready.'
'And also to make sure Mummy didn't burn down the kitchen?'
'That too,' Mum giggles. She heads for the door, then turns back and smiles. 'We'll have a good time today. Don't worry about that, Emma. You have fun with your friends.'
'I will,' I promise. When Mum leaves, I open a shoebox and pull out silver heels. All of my friends are wearing high heels and encourage me to try wearing them. I am starting with small heels to see how I feel about them before I start wearing bigger heels. I put the shoes on and practice walking around my bedroom. I wobble a little and cling onto the bed before I try walking again. It's going to take a little getting used to, but I'm willing to give it a go.