For What You Are

Kara looked at herself in the floor length mirror behind Hailey’s door. Twirling around, she couldn’t even believe it was her looking back at her through the drastic change.

“This is amazing,” she gushed, staring at the flowing gold material. “It has to be older than time.”

“So be VERY careful,” Hailey warned. “If you ruin it, I’ll be dead.”

“There’s another one,” Kara said, pointing to the box. “Why don’t you wear that?”

Hailey stared at the box and shrugged away the dress that was almost identical to the one Kara wore. “I might go a bit more recent. I don’t think ancient really suits me.”

“So…1900s?” Kara asked in response.

“Um,” but she was saved answering by her phone ringing. Exit Wounds by The Script rang out through the room and she looked at the caller ID questioningly.

“Kale,” she said wearily to Kara as she pressed answer. “What’s wrong now?”

Kara heard inaudible ranting on the other end of the line.

“Pants,” Hailey said randomly, “And are you seriously changing your mind NOW?!”
Pants? Kara thought, What the hell was she on?

“He’s changing the dress code,” Hailey relayed to Kara. “I am going to shoot him tonight. Apparently nobody wanted to actually dress up old and so he’s changed it to formal black and white.”

“Seriously?” Kara groaned, glancing back at herself in the dress. “You’re not going to be the only one killing him.”

“Hear that, you?” Hailey said into the phone. “You’d better hide behind those people that will now be all boring in black and white because we will be coming with murderous intent. Good-bye.”

She hung up and looked at Kara. “I guess we’re going to have to find some different clothes. And they definitely won’t be in this box.”

Kara reluctantly removed the Mayan dress she was wearing and put her normal clothes back on. “I’m not sure if I have anything black. Possibly white…”

“Don’t worry,” Hailey replied, waving away her words. “Wait until you see this.”

She led Kara through double doors on the left wall that Kara hadn’t seen before into the most enormous wardrobe she’d even seen. “How do you even own this many clothes?” she asked in astonishment, staring at the colour coordinated cloth lining the walls.

“I refuse to throw anything out,” Hailey replied. “And I get a lot of hand-me-downs.”

“Black and white,” Kara said as she walked along a wall. “Hailey…why is there a wedding dress here?”

“Uh…” Hailey stood in front of it saying, “Hand me down…my uh, mother’s.”

Not being able to think of any other excuse, Kara looked through the dresses until she found a white one that was beautiful. Elaborate beaded designs surrounded the neckline and it ended in a butterfly cut reaching just past knee-length.

“Wow,” she said. “Where did you get this from?”

“That one…was actually from that box,” Hailey said with a smile. “Good pick. I put the newer clothes in here; the ancient ones still in the box. Pick anything you want.”

Kara knew what she wanted and she pulled it down quickly, admiring the way it changed colour in the light.

“Here,” Hailey said, passing her an intricate mask. “This was made to go with it.”

“Do you often attend masquerade balls?” Kara asked.

“No,” Hailey said as she pulled a black dress down from next to her. “But I have a friend who loves them.”

Kara glanced down at her watch and noted in shock that it was already six. “I’d really better get home,” she said. “Thank you so much for these!” She hugged Hailey before running down the stairs and picking up her bag.

“See you tonight!” Kara called through her window as she reversed out of the driveway.

“Yeah,” Hailey said to herself even though Kara was already gone. “I just hope that Kale keeps his friends under control.”

She knew that most of them drank…human.