Breaking Down the Unbreakable

There I was. Sitting upstairs in Evan's house next to the stairwell screaming at myself for agreeing to come. I didn't go to parties! I wasn't the type to come to a party and just have fun!
I looked down at the green dress I'd found in Evan's closet after Ali had deemed all of my clothes anti-party clothes. Ali had spent an hour staring out my bedroom window only to find Seth and Dominic never came into the room. And Then she spent 2 hours ransacking my closet and deciding jeans didn't cut it for a party.
So I was whisked off to Evan's double-house. At least that's what it looked like to me. It looked like 2 houses meshed into one. It wasn't big enough to be a mansion, but it definitely wasn't a house.
And inside her walking outlet store she called a closet we found a green halter dress I was pushed into like a life-sized Barbie doll, which is something I could have lived without experiencing.
The next 2 hours after finding the "perfect outfit" as Evan had declared it, was spent curling my hair and adding make-up. Not without a fight mind you. I have a small problem with artificial skin. So they had to settle with eyeliner and eye shadow, because I did not sign up for blush.
At 8 o'clock sharp, Evan was downstairs playing happy hostess to all the nerds who show up on time. I mean, if I wasn't new friends with the host and her best friend, I'd have been one of those nerds, so don't think I'm making fun of them. I'm one of them in spirit.
Ali had decided that I wasn't allowed to look in the mirror before I was presented, so I was about 50% sure that I'd been painted like a clown, but I didn't let anything near my face other than my eyes, so I could only reasonably claim 50% uncertainty.
The music from the DJ downstairs in the main hall was pumping through the walls, and it's a good thing Evan lives in the hills and has no neighbors.
I looked at the digital readout clock on the wall in front of my hiding place. 10:00. I'd been sitting here for a half hour since Ali left to make her entrance. I'm pretty sure it was really just because Ethan had shown up, and I'm almost certain there's more going on there than she's willing to admit.
Maybe, if I stayed up here long enough, I'd be able to go completely unnoticed and I could slip into Evan's room, mess up my hair and fall asleep on her California King bed looking like I'd just partied too much.
Of course, that would never work, so I leaned my head back against the wall I was hiding behind. The satin on the dress tickled my skin and the heels that had been shoved onto my feet were sparkling in the little light coming from the small light I'd left on in the bathroom down the hall.
"Riley?" See, it would never work. Poop. "Where are you?"
Ali emerged at the top of the stairs and spotted me in my green trap with my sparkling death heels and sighed.
"I'm right here." I shrugged my shoulders.
"Well you're supposed to be downstairs." She stood smiling at me with a DUH face. The confidence radiating off of her stunned me. She donned a purple and black plaid skirt with a black tank top. Of course she could wear a tank top, but I had to wear the fancy dress and heels. I mean she was wearing converse!
"Why? No one's going to miss me."
"I did." She slid down the wall next to me, careful to keep her skirt from flying up. "And I think I know at least 1 other person that 's missing you."
"Right! Who?"
"Oh, that's not for me to tell. If I told you, then I'd have to kill you. And I like you, so I don't really want to have to do that" She smiled and nudged me with her shoulder. "You look amazing, and if I do say so myself, you're hair looks Fantabulistic!"
"That's not a word."
"Exactly!" Her smile exploded, and I couldn't help but laugh. "There's the 100-watt smile I've been looking for."
"You know, you're an amazing person."
"I know, darling." Only it was more like dah-ling. "So, are you ready to party like it's 1999?" She popped up like a Pop Tart in a toaster and held out her hand to me, which I took, still not totally ruling out the bed idea.
"Depends. Do I have to listen to Britney Spears?"
"Oh, I think we can figure something out." She linked arms with me and lead me to the stairs where I got my first official glimpse at a party.
I started slowing down, but she didn't want to let me. Once we were halfway down, I think she decided that I didn't have much choice, so she let go and clomped down to the floor about 10 steps ahead of me.
Once on the floor, she noticed a bunch of people had stopped dancing, and everyone was looking in her direction. Except, she wasn't the subject of the stares. She turned around with a slightly confused face which soon turned to a giant grin.
Of course, I was still baffled. Half the room was staring at m, and the other half was wondering what they were staring at.
Soon enough, the whole room was staring at me, and I was 2 seconds away from running back up the stairs to make sure I really didn't look like a clown when I heard a familiar voice off to the left.
"You know, it might be a party foul to come out looking better than the hostess." Evan grabbed my hand and brought me down to the dance floor. "But since you're a friend, and I did help with your hair, I'll overlook it."
And not 5 seconds later, the party was back in full swing. I thanked her quietly, but she didn't respond. All she did was turn me around to face a mirror above a small table with pictures of Evan and her parents.
I'm not sure, but I think my jaw hit the floor, because the girl in the mirror was not the girl I'd known for the last 17+ years. this girl was beautiful and had curled hair and was wearing a dress that showed off her cleavage a little and her back a lot. But I caught my own eyes in the mirror and knew it was still me.
But this me was just the part of me I'd been afraid to show. I almost fell after realizing that I could be tough and wear a dress at the same time. Though I think I could live without the heels.
I spun around as fast as the torture heels would allow and grabbed Evan and Ali in a big bear hug. Until they were claiming a lack of oxygen.
I knew they were happy just because I was. And that made my smile a million times bigger. I had friends! I had friends that wanted me to be happy and feel pretty. And for the first time I was at a party. And I was going to have fun.
"Ok, so I know you both look like prima donnas, but I came to dance, so I think it's time to show the world that these 3 musketeers know how to have a good time!" Ali's smile had taken over hr face and her hands pulled me and Ali onto the dance floor where we started dancing.
Soon a few guys had come to dance with us, and we were all moving together. I didn't know any of them, but I didn't care. I was simply a girl, dancing with some guys and having fun.
I wasn't Riley, scary military brat tonight. I was Riley, I know how to have fun, so come and try to stop me.
It was a few songs later that I was dancing with a guy behind me to some song I'd never heard of and not caring that I didn't know who it was.
Then he whispered in my ear.
"You look like an angel." I smiled. I didn't have to turn to know who it was.
So I responded by pushing back into him and wrapping my arms around his neck. I made a mental note to find out the name of that song.