“Denia, Jared and I are going out tonight. Do you want to come? Jared’s got a really cute friend. I’m sure you’d like him,” said my roommate Lila.
“Umm, that’s nice of you to ask, but I have to stay here and study,” I lied as I tried to stare contently at the massive book in front of me.
“For what?” she asked as she went into the bathroom to get changed.
“For my calculus exam,” I replied quickly. Truth was I already knew calculus. School and family was all I remembered from the car accident I was in two years ago. My parents told me that I was driving through an intersection, when another car had barreled into me. I never got to meet the people who took away my past, because they didn’t survive. My parents have been overprotective of me ever since they accident, especially since I don’t remember much.
“Denia, I’m in the same calculus class as you are and we don’t have an exam. Professor Burns rarely gives us exams,” said Lila as she walked out and slammed my book shut. “Come out with us tonight. All you ever do is stay inside. Besides, you might surprise yourself and actually have fun.”
“Well, I need to study if I want to stay on the Dean’s list,” I replied.
“Denia, you’re like the smartest person I know. Take a break from the books and enjoy life. I know you love to dance and we’re going clubbing tonight so you have to join us.”
“Lila, I don’t know. I mean, I have like nothing to wear,” I said flipping through my closet of jeans and tanks.
“How about this?” asked Lila as she pulled out a skimpy black halter dress.
“I’d look like a slut,” I replied distastefully.
“No you wouldn’t. I mean, I bet it’d look nice on you. Why would you even buy it if you didn’t like it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember why on earth I’d buy something like that,” I said.
“Denia, its just one night. Jared’s friend Josh is expecting a knockout,” said Lila as she shoved me in the bathroom.
“And why on earth would he be expecting that or anything for that matter? I mean, you didn’t even know if I’d go,” I replied.
“Girl, I know you so well. We’re best friends, and I know you could never say no to me,” she shouted through the door.
“All right,” I said glumly as I walked out. “How do I look?”
“You look great! I knew this dress was hot,” she said as she threw me a pair of shoes.
“Lila, these are frickin’ stilettos. How the hell am I supposed to walk in these, nevertheless dance in them?” I said holding them up.
“Oh, just put them on and try them. They’d look good with that,” she said.
“Ugh,” I said as I plopped myself on the couch and slipped them on. I got up and I almost fell over at first, but quickly regained my posture. I walked around the room with them and felt as if I had been walking in them all my life.
“You were born for those shoes. You’re like Mariah Carey in them,” remarked Lila.
“Sure,” I said sarcastically. “When are they supposed to be over here?”
“Soon, so hurry up and get your make-up on.”
I looked around my closet and found what I was looking for on the top shelf. It was a blue plastic case. I opened it to find an assortment of lipsticks, lipglosses, nailpolish, blush, eyeshadow, mascara, and other trinkets that people use to jazz themselves up. I had never remembered wearing this stuff before, but my mom had brought it over one day, saying I’d probably missed it. Here it is, for the first time in over a year, I will actually be using it. I found myself subconsciously reaching for various items and putting them on my face. After twenty minutes or so, I took a step back and glanced in the mirror to see a very familiar image. “Maybe I used to wear this all the time in my past?” I thought to myself. I brought my hand up to place my hair in a French twist fastening it with a few bobby pins.
“Ding dong!” rang the doorbell as I slid the case back on the shelf and emerged from my room. I could hear voices in the other room as I walked down the hall.
