Chapter 14 - Turn the Tables

"As hard as you try, no, I will never be knocked down

I can't keep up with your turning tables

Under your thumb, I can't breathe

So I won't let you close enough to hurt me"

Ellie eventually found a theme for our costumes that me and Dylan also liked: Alice in Wonderland. She had seen its costumes on a local shop downtown, and immediately fell in love with them, sending me and Dylan a picture of the costumes. Then we went to meet her and bought our Halloween costumes.

Soon enough, the days had passed and Halloween was approaching, as we were now only two days from the dance. On October 31, Friday, we would not have classes so the school could prepare the gym for the dance.

Both Matthew and Aiden had been annoying me about the dance: asking me to go with them, questioning me about my costume, etc, etc. I answered them as politely as possible, saying I was already going with Dylan and Ellie. I did not, however, tell them what my costume would be.

Like Ellie, people from school were starting to get suspicious about Matthew and Aiden not being interested in so many girls as they had been on the previous years, and instead, being focused on just me.

I think that to end the rumours both of them had hooked up with girls, but not near me, so that they wouldn't ruin the chances of winning the bet.

Weren't they smart? If they thought their actions would hurt me, they were wrong. It only got me more furious and more motivated to turn the tables.

"Kiara to Earth." I heard Dylan's voice calling me. I snapped from my thoughts.

"What?"

"Me and Ellie have been talking about going to pick her up at her house on Friday before the dance so that the three of us could go together." Dylan answered. The Halloween dance started at 8 p.m.

"And I was telling Dylan that I thought it would be best if we met some hours before! That way we could help each other getting dressed!" Ellie excitedly stated.

"That seems nice. You can go to my house, if you'd like." I offered, inwardly happy that I finally had a female friend with whom I could prepare for the Halloween dance.

"Excelent!" Ellie stated. "This party will rock, and we will rule!"

Dylan and I rolled our eyes playfully, small grins growing on our faces.

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"Kiara, there's a girl called Ellie at the door." My mom informed me at 5 p.m on Friday, the day of the dance. She had come home early in case me and Ellie needed help, or, to say the truth, to make sure we dressed appropriately for a school dance. Not that she had any reason to be suspicious of me.

I made my way towards the door where a happy Ellie stood. Her costume was at my house, brought by Dylan the day before.

"Hello, Ellie." I smiled at her.

"Hi!" She beamed with joy. I always got amazed by the amout of energy and cheerfulness this girl had within her. "Are you ready?"

"To get dressed?" I chuckled. "Yeah, I am."

"Good!"

I opened up the door so that she could enter my house and after taking a look at my house, she saw my mom walking down the stairs.

"Hello!" Ellie greeted "I'm Ellie, and you must be Mrs. Raven."

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ellie." My mom answered, visibly happy that I had finally brought a female friend from school. The only other people that had been to my house were Dylan, Lori and Roxy. After all the greetings we said goodbye to my mom and went to my room to get ready.

"Do you think Dylan will need help?" Ellie questioned.

"He never needed, so probably not. He'll meet us here to take us to the dance."

Ellie sighed dreamly.

"Oh, the dance..."

"Come on, Ellie." I brought her back to Earth. "Let's get ready."

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For the next two and a half hours we did all those things that I saw in the movies but never really experienced. From the makeup, to the hair, to getting dressed... everything was funnier with a friend like Ellie, and easier to support. I made sure to tell Ellie that I didn't want makeup, but she insisted on an eyeliner and some lipgloss and after seeing my reflexion on the mirror, I didn't contradict her.

I let my hair loose and wavy, and so did Ellie. For my surprise she didn't really like all those complicated hairstyles, preferring, like me, a natural one. Also, a natural hairstyle was better if you were going to use a hat like me or a black bow like Ellie.

Ellie would be dressed as Alice, and me and Dylan would go as the Mad Hatter, him going as a male and me as a female, of course.

Ellie's costume consisted of a frilly blue and white dress above the knees, a black bow tied around her waist, a pair of black gloves that went up to her elbows, and finally some white boots.

On the other hand my costume consisted of a blue and black plaid dress, white socks above the knee, black pumps, and a large black hat with a purple bow.

My mom had helped us doing our makeup and so the two hours passed by pretty quickly. When I was taking a final look at myself on the mirror, the doorbell rang and my mother went to answer it.

"Girls! The male Mad Hatter is here!" I heard my mom saying, which meant Dylan was already ready and waiting for us.

"Damn, girl." Ellie said while looking at me "You look awesome."

"You too, Ellie." I smiled. "Or should I say Alice?"

Ellie smiled and we walked out of the room, going downstairs to meet Dylan. His costume consisted of a long red coat, a white shirt, some baggy black pants, black boots, a red bow around his neck and a huge black hat with a red ribbon.

His eyes first met Ellie's costume and his face opened up in a smile. Then his glance met mine and his face turned into a more serious expression, his eyes gleaming, a spark I couldn't quite understand.

I smiled at him, appreciating how well the costume suited his well-built body.

"You look beautiful." Dylan said, his eyes glancing from me to Ellie, and then to me again.

"Dylan, please, I ask you to keep an eye on both of them. I personally think their dresses are a little too much, and you're the only guy I trust to protect them." My mom stated, making me roll my eyes.

"Of course." Dylan agreed, his face serious.

"You look really nice, Mr. Mad Hatter." Ellie said with a playful smile.

"I certainly do not look better than you, dear Alice." He answered, turning his gaze to me afterwards "And  neither better than you, Miss Mad Hatter."

"Ok, guys, please gather around so I can take a photo of you." My mom ordered and we did as we were told, Dylan in the middle and me and Ellie on both sides of him.

"You look so good." My mom emotionally told us.

"Mom, this is a Halloween dance , it's not prom." I informed her.

"I know. When it gets to prom, I'll be crying." My mom answered without any kind of hesitation. "But you should get going. Have fun tonight."

We thanked her, said our goodbyes and then left, getting into Dylan's car. Halloween dance was about to start.

"Next time I'll be braver

I'll be my own savior

When the thunder calls for me

Next time I'll be braver

I'll be my own savior

Standing on my own two feet

I won't let you close enough to hurt me."

Picture of this chapter shows Kiara, Dylan and Ellie's costumes respectively. Music is "Turning Tables" by Adele :)