Becoming the Luna

"Mom! Can I get out of the bathtub now?" I yell to her, she was just in my bedroom doing whatever it was that she was doing there. "I've been in here forever."

"But I need the scents I put in to permeate your body, plus the bubble bath is supposed to give you a silkier skin it just really takes a long while to sink in so…"

"If you don't come in here with a bathrobe right now, I'm walking into my room still dripping wet." I threaten shortly, interrupting her rant.

"No! No! Don't." She says quickly and I hear her running around. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

I relax into the bathtub once more at her words, I didn't even support the scents she had thrown in, she claimed that she had gotten for herself and forgot to get for me too and there was no time to get a different one.

I just stared blankly at her as she ranted but I didn't miss the glimmer in her grey eyes when she tilted the sweet-smelling liquids into the bath.

Vanilla and Roses...

Like, what the hell? I'd rather I've gone without scent.

It's the morning of the Spring Dance and my nerves won't let me be, I'm so jittery that it's taking a lot just to sit still in the warm scented water with my hair wrapped in a towel on my head.

My mom eventually shows up with a bathrobe, looking hassled like she was preparing me for an engagement, not just a silly school dance.

"Mom, you're more worked up about this than I am." I tell her as she hands me the bathrobe and turns around to let me get out and put it on.

"Well someone has to do the worrying." She points out, wringing her hands impatiently. 

"So what's next?" I ask her when I'm snugly covered by the bathrobe. "Sleep?"

She turns around to inspect me, an incredulous expression on her face. "What? No! You just woke up."

"Over three hours ago and I spent all of it in that bathtub." I accuse, jabbing an accusatorial finger at the tub.

"It's already ten o'clock." She complains. "How am I going to get you ready on time?"

I give her a look like she has a bolt loose. "The Spring Dance doesn't start till five pm."

My mom just shakes her head and unplugged the drain so that the water would drain out, she turns to me and starts to nudge me out of the bathroom. "I still wish you could have stayed longer for maximum effect." She sighs dramatically.

I covertly glare at her from the side as we step into my room. "I'm going to burn all of your edible candles."

"No, you won't." She says smugly and I dread her next words. "All I have to do is put it on the top shelf, then you'd need a ladder to get to them." She teases savagely, laughing at her suave words.

I just give her a done look. "I should sell you." I say seriously. "Like to some meat dealer or something."

She laughs at this and directs me to the chair in front of my dressing mirror, I gape at the things piled on the dresser.

"You're coming along too as a chaperone right? Because there is no way all of these things are going on me."

"Oh it's not on you," She says reassuringly. "Just your face and hair, I need to get your waves bouncier and give you a slightly dark look to your eyes…" She starts to explain robustly, especially invested in this.

I make a face of disgusted terror. "And if I don't want any of that?"

"Then I'll let Shana do your make up." She threatens with a bright smile.

I shiver and decide to keep my mouth shut before I end up looking like a contestant for a drag queen race.

"That reminds me, Shana said she's on her way with your outfit." My mom says, taking off the towel on my head and applying some jelly cream that smells like flowers.

For a moment I just close my eyes and place both hands on my face, realization dawning on me. "Mom?" I ask patiently.

"Yes, baby?" She answers me, concentrating on getting locks of my hair around fat pockmarked cylinders.

"Did you get everything I would need in vanilla and rose scents?" I ask, staring at her through the mirror to gauge her reaction.

She blinks at this, then looks away. "That is a possibility." She says vaguely.

The door swings open. "Can I come in?" Shana asks, already striding in.

"For the last time Shana, I told you not to ask that after you're already in." I remind her with large doses of exasperation.

Shana looks honestly confused. "But, isn't it the polite thing to do?" She blinks cutely.

"Of course it is dear." My mom encourages her and I give up.

"I brought your clothes, Hay!" She suddenly exclaims, whipping out a clothes bag from behind her.

I become cautious, realizing now that maybe, just maybe I shouldn't have let the handling of my outfit be left with Shana.

"Why am I terrified of whatever is in that bag?" I ask, still eyeing the bag as she places it on the bed.

"Don't be a pessimist baby." My mom tuts but right now I am ready to be a pessimist.

I get up from my perch in my bathrobes and with the ridiculous contraptions on my head to walk over to the bed. "I hope there isn't a dress in there." I say in a calm voice, reminding myself not to hyperventilate, no matter what I see inside the menacing clothes bag.

Shana grins happily, slowly unzipping the bag. "Of course not, you said you didn't want that right?"

I make a face. "So if I hadn't told you, you would have gotten me a dress?" I ask in return.

"Yep." She says unrepentantly. "A pretty pink one, with corsets and frills and buttons all down the back…"

"Alright, thank you for your detailed description." I cut short her ranting, nervous now about what could be inside the bag.

"Could I get some water to drink?" Shana suddenly asks, stopping halfway through unzipping the bag.

"Shana." I threaten in a warning tone.

"I know, I know but it's just a glass of water." She says in that bright tone of hers, her face is lighted up in joy and she seems to get happier with every passing moment.

This just spikes my anxiety, "Fine, I'll go get the water for you." I agree stiffly, stomping out the door.

I really hope she hadn't gotten something outrageous because it was bad enough that I was going to the dance with the school's heartthrob, who is also a boy but wearing something like whatever Shana must have brought would be the end of me.

I quickly grab a glass of water and make my way back.

"You better have opened that bloody bag by the time I get there." I threaten darkly.

"Aww is someone nervous?" Shana coos and I want to pour the water in my hand on her increasingly happy face.

I glance at the bag and blink. "You zipped the bag again?" I ask in disbelief, staring open-mouthed at the clothes bag.

Shana just takes the cup out of my hand and takes her time drinking it. "For maximum flair, I have to open the bag from the very start then go all the way or it will lose it's intended use." 

I just fall on the bed, too exhausted mentally to argue or try to comprehend the gibberish Shana had just said, the pink-haired annoyance still took her time with sipping the water like it was choice wine.

When she is done, she places the cup on a side table and stepped forward to the bag, more of that slow unzipping that was driving me crazy and finally, the bag was opened.

I slip my eyes shut when this happens, initially, I couldn't wait to see what she had brought but now that I could I was willing to put off seeing it for as long as possible.

"Oh wow!" My mom exclaims. "This is so pretty…"

I die a little as my mom uses those words, it was definitely a dress or a skirt and she'll lie to me that it's a kilt.

"Baby, you have got to see this." My mom invited me and I close my eyes tighter, groaning.

"Is it a dress?" I can't help asking.

"Only one way to find out." My mom teases.

My eyes fly open at this and I get up, gingerly coming closer to the side of the bed they were on.

I take one look at the outfit Shana had gotten me and suddenly I start to feel dizzy. "Is it too late to run away?" I ask dejectedly, staring at the clothes on the bed with horror.