Love on the Brain

Jade’s hair was wet and had been freed from her scrunchy. She was sitting on top of her bed, looking at the prom dress that hung on top of her closet, waiting for her. She couldn’t believe she’d come this far, and had the prom ahead of her. Her toes curled up by the idea of it, meanwhile her cousin entered the room, applying coconut oil into her soaked hair.

“I can’t believe you’re making me do this today,” Olivia announced, still petrified by her prom date, meanwhile her cousin took a sip from her beverage, ignoring her ranting.

The redhead had slipped into a loose t-shirt and a colourful floral skirt that stopped halfway down her thighs. Her face was all cleaned, and her mind was still trying to suppress that fact that she was going to prom tonight.

“Are you ready?” Esther announced happily, as she and Isabel, Olivia’s mother, entered the room.

“You girls are gonna look amazing!” Isabel assured the two teenagers, noticing that none of them looked as stoked as they were.

“Hopefully,” Olivia muttered, before she applied some lip balm until her dry lips.

“It’ll be so much fun!” Esther said, soon walking towards the closet and glancing over at the dress.

“Isn’t this just beautiful, Isa?” the older woman glanced at her sister in law.

“Oh, yes! Jade will look stunning in that!” Isabel agreed, running her fingers down the fabric of the long prom-dress Esther had insisted on buying to her daughter.

“Gosh, they’re growing up!” the older brunette muttered, looking over at her daughter, who was still scanning through a magazine, barely acknowledging what was happening around her.

“And they’re becoming gorgeous young ladies!” Isabel announced happily, bringing her arms around her daughter’s shoulders.

“Okay, we get it, mom!” Oli sighed. “Can we please be left alone now?” she all but pleaded.

“Of course, sweetie, but first you must pick up your dress! It’s downstairs,” Mrs Sanchez told her daughter, who soon got up from her spot and disappeared towards the stairs.

Isabel soon turned over to Jade and sat down at the end of her bed. “I’m so thankful that your friend is taking Olivia to prom. That’s very kind of him,” Isabel said, bringing her hand up to her chest.

“That’s nothing, tía,” Jade smiled sweetly at the woman. “I can assure you that he’s more thrilled than ever,”

“And I also have to congratulate you on Yale!” she beamed, this time making Jade somewhat worried, as she still hadn’t told Olivia.

“I haven’t told her…” Jade admitted, shifting her position in the bed.

“I know, sweetheart,” Isabel ran her fingers through Jade’s wet hair. “And that’s okay. I’ll talk to her,” she assured the teenager. “But we’re still very proud,” she smiled.

“Thanks,” Jade returned her sweet gesture, just as Olivia returned to her room, her hand holding unto her dress.

“J, can you help me fix my hair?” her cousin asked, meanwhile her mother got up from the bed and left the room, closely followed by Esther.

“Of course,” Jade said, as she left the magazine on top of her nightstand and watched as Olivia sat down in a chair, waiting for her cousin to curl her hair.

Jade watched as soft curls hugged Olivia’s dark bangs, creating more volume than usual. While Jade had curled her cousin’s hair, Olivia had started on her makeup. She applied a fair amount of foundation unto her skin, bronzing up her skin and applying some shimmery eyeshadow unto her lids. She finished it off with her favouite lipgloss and some mascara, watching as her hair came down to a style she was satisfied with.

“You’re gorgeous,” Jade told her cousin, who was now nearly settled for the prom.

“You’ll look beautiful too,” Olivia said, meanwhile the two of them switched spots, so that Olivia could help Jade with her hair. “You would look better if you got rid of that hideous hair dye though…” she said, wrinkling her nose.

“Stay tuned, because my mom is dying it back after graduation,” Jade announced, not so satisfied, meanwhile she could see the smirk on Olivia’s lips in the mirror.

“Are you seriously graduating with red hair?” she cocked her eyebrows. “Have you possessed your parents or something?”

This time it was Jade’s turn to smile. “I wish,” she said. “But no, they thought it could be difficult to get it done before graduation,” she stated.

“It’ll be some interesting pictures,” Olivia muttered under her breath, meanwhile she kept styling her cousin’s hair.

The two girls spent a lot of time up in Jade’s room, as they prepared themselves for the night ahead of them. Jade soon finished her makeup, pleased with what she saw, as the sound of the door bell caught their attention.

“What! Are they here?” Olivia all but panicked, as none of the girls had managed to change yet.

“Jade! Olivia!” Javier called from downstairs.

“Fuck my life!” Olivia growled, as she was still in her silk robe.

“Relax, we’re in no hurry!” Jade assured her cousin.

The redhead peeked her head out of her door and told the guys to stay in the living room, praying that she wouldn’t regret this, as she returned her full attention to her cousin, who was now wiggling out of her articles and stepping into her ballgown.

“This will be fun!” Jade announced, when the two of them had made their ways into their dresses and were ready to get down.

“No, it won’t,” Olivia half-snapped.

“Come on, Oli. You owe me this,” Jade reminded her cousin, who cursed under her breath. “You’re going to have fun, just stop being so uptight,” she added.

“Fine, mom,” Olivia rolled her eyes, before she stepped out of the room, her cousin following her.

God, it was really happening.