She rushed down the stairs to answer the door. Wanda stood on the welcome mat with her back turned to Natti. An old Chevy idled along the sidewalk, the overhead light glimmering in the night. A woman waved through the open passenger window. “Have fun with your sleepover, girls! And good luck on your American Literature project!” she called.
“Bye, Mom!” Wanda waved. “I’ll see you tomorrow after school!”
The beat-up old car rolled along the circle and turned onto the adjacent street. Natti looked at Wanda with a raised brow, making Wanda blush. “American Literature project?” she questioned.
“Well, I had to tell my parents something.”
Natti laughed. “Come in.”
Wanda stepped into the hall. Bastet inched forward from the steps and sniffed the stranger. Wanda bent down to greet the kitten. Cringing a little, Natti eyed Wanda’s clothes then looked at the backpack she was carrying.
“Did you bring extra clothes?”
“For tomorrow. Why?”
Natti sucked in her breath. “Well, fortunately we have some time to get ready. And I think I might have the perfect outfit for you.”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Wanda glanced down at her flower print shirt, faded jeans, and tennis shoes.
“Nothing really, but this is a party! You want to turn heads when people see you.” Natti played a little with Wanda’s hair, her mind cranking with different possible styles that would flatter the young girl’s face. She then took Wanda’s hand. “Just trust me.”
“Won’t the party be starting soon?”
“Wanda, rule two: always arrive fashionably late. Now come on! Let’s get to work.”
Natti dragged Wanda up the stairs and into her room with Bastet tailing behind them. Letting go of Wanda’s hand, she pointed to her desk. “You can lay your stuff there. Do you have contacts by chance?”
Wanda crinkled her nose, making her glasses slip. “Yeah, for emergencies. I don’t like wearing them, though.”
“You’re not allergic or anything, right?” Wanda shook her head, and Natti grinned. “Brilliant! Go put them in. I’ll pick out our outfits.”
Wanda unzipped her pack and grabbed her things before Natti guided her to the bathroom. Natti then ran for her closet. Shuffling through her colorful tops and blouses, Natti pulled out a long, golden sleeveless and a plum, one-shoulder tee. She laid them out on the bed along with a pair of faded jeans to go with the plum shirt. Wanda stepped out, blinking her eyes and trying to adjust. Throwing open her dresser drawer, Natti tossed her a fresh pair of black leggings and handed her the golden sleeveless shirt.
“Here, put these on!”
Wanda stared at the leggings before walking back into the bathroom. Natti took the opportunity to change herself into the plum tee and tight jeans. She looked over her bare shoulder, pushing back her hair, to make sure her henna tattoo was exposed. Her thoughts traced Seth’s fingers over the ostrich feather, making her shiver and heave a heavy sigh while she thought about the sensation brought on by his touch.
Stop it! she commanded herself, trying to take her mind off of Seth and covering the tattoo. She wasn’t even sure what those sensations were or how he created them, but she was definitely convinced it was his doing, somehow.
The bathroom door opened, and Natti grinned at the sight of Wanda. “This shirt is a bit big.” Wanda held the baggy fabric that extended down to her mid-thigh.
“No, it’s perfect! Just give me a second.” Natti walked back to her closet, rifled through several belts and scarves, pulled out a long, sleek black sash, and walked back to Wanda. Wrapping the black fabric around Wanda’s waist a few times, Natti tied a perfect bow just over her hip. She then stepped back to admire her work. “I am a genius! Hmm, as for your hair, that’s going to need a little more work.”
Natti pulled Wanda into the bathroom and gently pushed her into a seat at the vanity. Opening a cabinet, she pulled out a makeup case and a curling iron. Wanda eyed her curiously.
“I’ve never seen you wear makeup before. Except at the festival, of course.”
Natti flinched, remembering her father’s tongue lashing. “I don’t typically. I keep some for special occasions.” She plugged the iron into the outlet, and then dug into her makeup case. “Let’s see what I have.”
She pulled out several shades of lipstick, eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara. Glancing at Wanda’s light complexion and the golden outfit, she started by grabbing the brown eye liner.
“Look up at me,” Natti told her.
Wanda did as she instructed, and Natti began to outline her lower rim of her eyelids. “You’ve done this before.”
“What? Put on makeup?” Natti chuckled.
“No. Attended parties like this.” Wanda paused. “You mentioned something about it at lunch.”
“Yeah, a few times back in London. I’ve even gone to a night club with some friends.”
“You went to a night club?”
Natti shrugged. “Yeah, well, my father wasn’t too thrilled with the idea. Though after some considerable pleading and a promise to take over kitchen duty for two weeks, he finally let me go. Now close your eyes so I can do your lids.”