Page 30 of Cheap Shot

In the few minutes I’d been gone, the destruction had already begun. Ella’s bed was covered in clothes, and Sadie was sorting through a pile on hers.

“Oh boy.” I inched closer. “What’s going on?”

“We’re putting everything in piles by decade,” Krystal said from behind me. I turned to see her dump another armful of clothing onto Ella’s bed. “I think that’s it.” She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips.

She tossed her shiny black hair over her shoulder and faced Sadie’s bed. Out of all of us, she was by far the most stylish and stayed up to date on trends. She credited her Korean background since their websites and magazines were so fashion-forward. From her flawless skin to her impeccable outfits, she was intimidating until you got to know her. She was so sweet and generous. She genuinely enjoyed helping others and sharing what she had. When I first met her, I thought she was a nursing student with Cassie and was shocked when she told me she was a chemistry major. Her goal was to work in cosmetics to come up with more sustainable and earth-friendly products.

I joined Cassie on the far side of the room while the other three went to work. Within a few minutes of quiet chatter and exchanging clothes, five neat piles were arranged on the floor.

“Ella, Cassie, me, Sadie, Haley.” Krystal pointed to where each of our outfits were piled. “Get dressed so we can see if we need to make any adjustments.”

I stepped up to mine, trying to guess the decade. There was a pair of high-waisted, wide-leg jeans and a red shirt with white piping along the neckline and sleeves.

Krystal came up to my side with her phone out showing me a picture of Farrah Fawcett. “This was my inspiration. I think if we curl your hair to fan out, it will pull the look together.”

I never would have thought of dressing up like this, but it actually fit me. Cute, and not overly sexy. “I like it.”

I changed into the clothes, tucking my shirt in like the picture showed. I checked in the mirror on the back of Sadie’s closet door and twisted. It was subtle, not a disco jumpsuit or grunge rocker outfit. I liked that it looked authentic.

When I turned, Ella was dressed in a black flapper dress complete with a feather headband and long strands of pearls. “Oh, you look amazing!”

“Thanks! I didn’t realize how perfect my hair was for this.” She smoothed her bangs to swoop across her forehead and curled two sections along her cheekbones. She looked like a modern Daisy Buchanan.

“What do you guys think?” Cassie twirled in her pink skirt, making it flare out around her. Her matching sweater was tied under her bust, showing off a narrow waist. It was a modest outfit, but her curves made the look sexy.

“I love it,” I replied.

She winked and plugged in a curling iron.

“I look like Marsha Brady,” Sadie said with her hands on her hips. Her multicolored daisy dress had a high neck with a thick white collar and hit mid-thigh, but the matching green flats did make her look like the character.

“Is that a problem?” Krystal asked.

Sadie shrugged. “I just don’t feel cute. Why can’t I wear the boots?”

“Because it’s not as authentic,” Krystal argued while buttoning her cut-off jean shorts.

“I don’t care. The dress is already shapeless on me, I don’t want to look like a kid.” She pouted.

“Fine, go get the boots.” Krystal pulled on a ripped Nirvana T-shirt then tied a red plaid shirt around her waist.

Sadie dashed into the hall and returned a moment later wearing the tall white boots. “How about now?”

“Oh so sexy.” Ella nodded.

“Much better,” I agreed, and Cassie sent me a wink.

With everyone dressed and satisfied, we hurried to finish our hair and makeup, taking turns helping each other curl or apply eyeliner. By the time we were done, I was thoroughly impressed with what we pulled off in such a short amount of time.

“Okay, what’s the goal for tonight?” Sadie asked while putting on another layer of mascara.

“Get Haley a man!” Ella suggested.

“No. No thanks!” I tried to squash that idea.

“You said you haven’t dated in a year.” Krystal smudged her eyeliner a bit more. “It’s time.”

“What about you guys? None of you are dating anyone,” I pointed out.