Page 16 of Falling With a Spin

Irritation bubbles inside me, and I look in the mirror, seeing Taylor holding in her laughter. I narrow my eyes towards her and grab the makeup wipe once more.

“What do you want Tay?” I ask through gritted teeth.

“I was coming in to see if you are almost ready to go, but I can see that it might be a little while. You got a little something on your face,” booming laughter comes from Taylor, and I continue to glare at her through the mirror.

“Ha ha ha. You’re so funny. You could be a stand-up comedian,” I throw the wipe in the small bin next to the toilet. Turning around, I hand her the tube of eyeliner, “Can you do it for me? I never learned since I always had Izzy do it for me.”

There’s an ache in my heart as I recall memories of Izzy and I getting ready for recitals. We would be at our station laughing and talking while all the other girls were on their own. When we traveled for competitions, we would share a room and watch movies while binging on ice cream and junk food. The following day, we would regret it, but it was always worth it.

Since starting college, we have fallen out of touch. Izzy continued with dancing and chose to stay in Arizona while I came here. Our friendship really only consisted of dancing, and it became too hard to watch her do the one thing that made us… well us.

“Emma?” Taylor’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.

Blinking up at her, I give her a weary smile. “Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. What were you saying?”

“Don’t worry about it. But babes, you really don’t need this. I’ve told you plenty of times that you look gorgeous without it.” She gives me a reassuring smile.

No matter how many times she tells me, when I look into that mirror every day, an average girl stares right back at me.

“Okay, yeah, but you’re my best friend. You have to say that stuff.” I roll my eyes, and a sad smile plays on my lips.

“Whatever you say, Em. Now close your eyes so I can finish your makeup and we can let loose and have some fun tonight.”

I sigh and close my eyes, leaning against the bathroom counter and letting Taylor do her magic.

“Alright, you’re all done.” She says and I open my eyes as she smiles down at me.

I turn around and look at myself in the mirror, and for just a split second, I actually like what I’m seeing. But only for that split second because I know what lies behind the fake smiles: a girl with broken dreams and promises. Sucking in a deep breath, I look towards Taylor, and she sees right through me.

I put on the best smile I can muster up and walk over to my closet to grab the tiny black dress off the back of the door. I bought it when I also got the lingerie set for Chad and mine's first anniversary. It’s still packed in the overnight bag, which I haven’t brought myself to touch. The dress stops mid-thigh and has thin straps, and I pair it with black three-inch heels knowing my 5 '3 ass will need the boost tonight. I walk back into the bathroom and brush my hair out, letting the waves fall down my back.

“Ready?” Taylor asks and I give her a small nod as I grab my bag and we head down stairs.

The Uber driver pulls up just as we are exiting the front doors, and Taylor gives the address to where the party is as soon as we climb into the back of the car.

“Hey, do you think Chad will be there tonight?” She asks, the quiet music from the speakers surrounding us.

“You know how he is. If I'm going, then so will he; you know he doesn’t like me going alone.” I look at her, shrugging my shoulders.

“But you won't be alone. You will be with me.”

I turn away from her, and for the rest of the drive, I stay quiet, not wanting to get into this with her. I’ve heard her endless comments about it, and after a while, it got old, so I stopped listening, and then she stopped giving me advice. Chad is only protective of me and only wants what's best. I don’t know why people can’t see that.

Twenty minutes later, we step out of the Uber and walk up the steps of a two-story house. The lawn is already littered with red solo cups and lingering bodies in drunken conversations.

I can feel the vibration of the music as we walk up the steps, saying hi to people we recognize that aren’t already wasted. We squeeze our way inside and see people are practically dancing on top of each other with little to no space around them. The air becomes heavy, making it hard to breathe, and the music is getting louder by the second, making it difficult even to hear my thoughts.

Taylor spots Garrett right away, and she turns to me, “Hey I’ll catch up with you later!” She yells over the music and I give her thumbs up and an awkward smile as walks over to him and a group of other guys.

When she sits down, Garrett's arm wraps around her waist, pulling her into a kiss, and I quickly avert my gaze. I want to go over there with her for a little bit, except I don’t want to be the outcast because that's what I am. Taylor is my only friend here, which I’m okay with, but she has no problem making friends anywhere she goes or even being noticed.

Shaking off the feeling, I take a deep breath and relax myself. The music that’s blasting from the speakers calls to me. It pulls me to dance and move along with it like an old friend or lover. But I resist for now and look around the crowd for Chad, and I quickly spot him over by the kitchen.

I make my way to him, attempting to squeeze my way through the crowd without bumping into anyone or spilling someone's drink on them or me. When I reach him, his back is facing me. I place my hands over his eyes and whisper in his ear, “Guess who?” Chad spins around, and my arms snake around his neck. He sets the two cups he was holding down on the table and grabs me by the hips.

“Hey, babe.” He whispers over my lips.

I can practically taste the alcohol coating his mouth before he pulls me into a kiss.

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