5 Year Reunion : Chapter Three

Sarah stood in the three-way mirror and turned slowly as she stared at her reflection. It didn’t look like her. The makeup wasn’t her. The shiny, black, strappy stilettos weren’t her. The short, tight, black dress with a v-cut neckline and a tiny metal snake bunching the fabric at the bottom of the “v” wasn’t her. She did look like something out of a magazine though, she had to admit. There was something a little fun about playing dress up like this, but it was still scary seeing a stranger staring back at her from the mirror.

“I found another dress if none of those work for you,” Lily said as she rounded the corner, “Oh god Sarah! Wow…”
“I don’t know Lily,” Sarah said awkwardly, “It just doesn’t feel right.”
“You could have Mark in a second looking like this,” Lily exclaimed, “It doesn’t feel right because you’re just not used to it yet.”
“I guess that could be true,” Sarah admitted slowly, “And I do look pretty good. But do you really think I can get Mark now?”
“Honey, you could any guy you wanted dressed like that,” Lily insisted.
Sarah smiled and blushed, “Then let’s do it,” she said decidedly, “But Lil, I don’t know if I can walk in these shoes.”
“That’s what the training will be for,” Lily explained, “I signed us up for a modeling class. It’s just two nights this week, but then we’ll be ready for the reunion.”
Sarah smiled and tried to picture herself with Mark at the reunion. She saw herself in this outfit, smiling at him and laughing at all his jokes. He was staring at her and grinning. Suddenly he asked her to dance and as she accepted and he pulled her onto the dance floor, she tripped over a chair leg and fell on the floor. Everyone turned and pointed and laughed.
“Oh god Lily,” Sarah exclaimed suddenly, “I’m going to fall in front of everyone and they’re all going to think I’m an idiot!”
“Ok, ok,” Lily acquiesced, “We’ll find a heel that’s shorter and less… wobbly. Now change and let’s get this stuff and go.”
Sarah began to feel a little less nervous and went to the dressing room to change. As she put back on her normal clothes, she stared at the black dress hanging on the door. She wondered if it would ever stop feeling like she was pretending to be someone else when she put it on. Would she ever get used to the makeup and heels and short little dresses? Would she even be able to enjoy being with Mark, if she could even get him, or would she always feel like she had to hide herself away in order to have him? She came out of the dressing room and walked to the register with Lily. Sarah tried to block all these thoughts and questions from her head. Lily smiled at Sarah with obvious excitement and Sarah forced a smile back. She decided then that she would just get used to it and one day it would feel like her and all this worries would disappear.