“Don’t leave without me,” I said, slamming the bathroom door.
By ten-fifteen, one of them was banging on the door and I heard whining yells.
“Amy, let’s go!” called Adam.
“Everything’s locked up; time to move it,” Chris added.
I wanted to torture them for longer but I couldn’t. I was giddy. I wanted to get to Sean’s. I checked my complexion and outfit one last time and collected the essential supplies, lippy and pocket concealer, to pop into my bag before I opened the door and stepped out to the hall. Both Adam and Chris were leaning against the wall looking bored and impatient. Until their eyes landed on me.
Adam raised his brows. “Whoa, cuz!”
I looked down at my attire – was it too much? Oh God, I wanted to change.
“You’re wearing a dress?” Chris’s brow furrowed in confusion.
I shifted awkwardly under their scrutiny. The vivid green, lacey, summery dress that flowed to above my knees was something my mum had bought me years ago in an attempt to get the tomboy out of me. I had never worn it; instead, it had hung in my cupboard all this time with the price tag still attached. Seeing as I was pushing my comfort zone today, I decided to try it on and, to my surprise, along with my tousled waves that fell over my shoulders, I didn’t hate it.
“Do I look all right?” I flattened the fabric out with my palm, self-conscious of how different I felt, and of Adam’s and Chris’s reactions. “Do you think I should change?” I bit my lower lip.
Chris closed his eyes and rubbed at his temple as if the very thought of me changing was going to give him a migraine. “Amy, if it were up to me, I would want you to change,” he said.
My heart sank as my fears were confirmed; I looked ridiculous.
“But seeing as you’re not going to I will have to settle with taking a shotgun with me to the party instead.”
My eyes flicked up to meet Chris who scratched his jaw with a smile.
“You’re such a moron, Chris,” Adam said, shaking his head. “He’s saying you look beautiful.”
“Oh,” I said. My heart silently ached at the gesture from my sweet, over-protective cousins.
Chris pushed himself off the wall. “Come on, let’s go.”
Adam slung his arms around my shoulders as we followed Chris down the hall, spinning his car keys around his fingers as he walked.
“Maybe we should all change,” said Adam.
“Oh?” I curved my brow.
“Do you think this party can handle so much Henderson beauty? I mean look at us … We’re gorgeous!”
My laughter echoed as we reached the landing.
“Well, you and I are, anyway,” Adam whispered.
Chris paused on the staircase looking back at us incredulously. “I’m standing right here, you know.”
Our laughter was interrupted, light flooding the landing as the door to my parents’ apartment opened.
Dad walked out in his dressing robe. “You’re off, then?” he said.
“Yep,” Adam said with a grin. “We’re burning moonlight.”
Just as we were about to continue our descent, Dad said, “Amy, love, do you think we can have a chat before you go?”
I looked from Dad to Chris and Adam. “Um, sure.” I made my way warily up the stairs.
“Do you want us to wait?” Chris asked.
“You blokes head off,” Dad said. “This might take a while. I’ll drop her off.”
Adam and Chris exchanged glances, before they headed down the stairs. I felt a little uneasy until I met my dad’s kind, grey eyes.
“You look beautiful, love,” he said. “Don’t worry; we’ll try not to keep you too long.”
Mum sat on the couch in her silken nightgown and matching pyjamas, massaging hand cream into her hands. She looked up from her task, her face lighting as I entered the room. “Aw, you look lovely. Where are you off to, then?” Before I could answer, Dad, being Dad (who knew everything), answered for me.
“There’s a party at young Sean’s tonight,” he said, taking a seat in his chair.
Mum’s eyes narrowed and her smile fell. “I see.” She moved aside on the couch and tapped the space next to her. “Take a seat, honey, we have some things to tell you.”
I would usually have plonked on the couch with an air of ease, grabbed the remote control and made myself at home.
But tonight I had other plans.
“Your father has told me a few things and I wanted to say I was sorry for how I acted towards you earlier today. I was just a bit … shocked, that’s all.”
Mum looked at me pointedly and I knew exactly what she was referring to when she meant ‘shocked’.