The hotel room was a gentle cocoon of soft lighting and whispered silence, the kind that made everything feel far away from the chaos of the outside world. Helen sat on the edge of the bed, her heart feeling like a deflated balloon after the sudden storm of emotions stirred up by Dave’s unexpected breakup. She could still hear his final words ringing in her head—selfish, unkind remarks wrapped in a façade of concern. Or… maybe that had been her words?
“I’m not going anywhere till I know you are okay, Helen,” Tommy said softly, his eyes concerned yet filled with kindness, as he gently placed his arm around her waist. The warmth of his touch seeped through her, providing a strange comfort amidst the turmoil. Helen leaned into him just a bit, allowing the shared warmth to melt away some of the tension.
Helen pulled Tommy to the door by his hand, but ended up lingering behind him as they walked the hallway. Helen’s mind was partially distracted by the situation surrounding them. She had just witnessed how much Tommy cared about his sister, and the weight of concern dulled her own lingering heartache. Tommy’s strides were purposeful, and she melted into the rhythm of his movements, enjoying the familiarity of him by her side. It was a comforting dynamic until, suddenly, Tommy stopped dead in his tracks. Helen, lost in thought, didn’t notice until it was too late. She raised her hands instinctively to halt herself, but not before nearly colliding with his back. “Whoa,” she exclaimed softly, stumbling back an inch.
Just as she regained her balance, she caught sight of what had caused him to stop. There, a few steps ahead, was Dave—carrying Tommy’s sister, who appeared to be completely passed out from a night of too many drinks. Helen glanced at Tommy, back to Dave, then to the sister. “What the f*^k. Why the hell are you with my sister?” Helen’s heart raced at the sudden shift in the atmosphere. Cherry on top, Dave found them together again. Plus, she could see the tension radiating off Tommy’s back, a protective energy coiling tightening at the sight of his sister and Dave.
“Tommy, thank goodness.” She said, smiling at his kiss, shuffling him in quickly. She had questions.
“I mean, what even is girls’ night?” she asked, swiping a hair roller out of her face. With her hair still in rollers and her makeup half done, she frantically flipped her phone over, hoping to find some inspiration in her Pinterest boards. “Do I bring snacks? Do I talk about feelings? What if I accidentally say something about the weather and it doesn’t land?” They had managed to make it to the kitchen.
Tommy, her patient manager, had arrived earlier, ostensibly to assist with her transformation into a social butterfly, but his assistance mostly consisted of not being able to get a word in and following her around the house. They were definitely getting their steps in today.
“Seven outfits, Tommy! Seven! But what if they don’t like me?” She had managed to get back in her room, closet a war zone. “What if I spill something? Or what if—what if they talk about things I have no idea about? Like pumpkin spice whatever—“ In the mayhem, she snatched a short, flowy dark dress speckled with mysterious purple flowers, holding it up like a triumphant flag. “This one!” she declared, oblivious to the fact that her hair was still an explosion of rollers, giving her a startling resemblance to a grumpy poodle.
Pumpkin, who was having a grand time weaving in and out of Helen’s legs, like she was working on her own agility course. Helen did a mad dash to the bathroom, slinging her heels over her shoulder like a soldier. “But what about snacks?” she shouted through the door. “What do we bring? Do I bring a casserole? What’s a casserole? Do they even like Thai food? Or will that make them uncomfortable?”
Helen burst back into the room, now significantly less disheveled and somehow even more panicked. “Chips! Right! But if I bring chips, what if they’re too casual? I can’t just show up with chips when everyone else is bringing, like, artisanal cheeses! Or cookies! Do I make cookies? What if they notice my cookies don’t look like Pinterest??”
Back downstairs Helen applied her lipgloss, her head spinning at the thought of new friendships. Pumpkin flopped down beside her, wagging his tail like an adorable little cheerleader. [color=rosybrown] “Alright! Alright!” she huffed. “Deep breaths. Chips and maybe cookies. And—”
Tommy pointed to his own head, signaling her rollers, as he herded her back toward the bathroom. With his gentle nudging and Pumpkin’s keen watch, Helen finally settled into a sense of, perhaps, slight readiness for her first sleepover, embracing the anticipation that fluttered nervously in her stomach. With just moments and a few curls to go, she held onto a sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, the night wouldn’t end in complete catastrophe.
“Have fun tonight, you deserve it, Helen.” he said, genuinely, before stepping back and leaving her to her fate. “Thanks, Tommy!” she called after him, her mind spinning with excitement and a pinch of dread. She climbed into her car, casting one last glance in the mirror at her high riding, purple-flowered dress that danced with every movement.
Upon arrival at Josie’s, early may I add, she parked and peered through the car window. Watching. As guests, each adorned in stunning outfits with perfectly coiffed hairdos, swirled in and out of the door. They looked impossibly put together, laughs floating through the air like confetti.
Helen grimaced, feeling slightly more awkward by the second. “I’ve survived crazier situations than this,” she told herself, squaring her shoulders, remembering catwalks and high-pressure photo shoots—like that one time a squirrel managed to get on stage while her mid-walk and she didn’t miss a beat. “You can do this,” She rolled her shoulders, pep talking herself. “You’re a model for heaven’s sake.”
But just as she reached for the door handle, a surge of realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Her heels! They were still slung over the passenger seat, completely and utterly absent from her feet. With wide eyes, she dashed back, nearly tripping out of the car in the process. “Focus, Helen!” she muttered.
Helen jumped back in, hastily fumbling for the shoes as if they were the keys to tonight. She slipped into the heels, automatically feeling better. Seeing that the world was now taller and she had a satisfying click accompanying her every step, she navigated back towards the house.
Helen stood at the foot of the steps leading to Josie’s door. taking in another deep breath to steady herself, after all the meticulous preparation, the hair and makeup, the frantic rush, she didn’t want to mess this up.
She lifted her hand and knocked on the door with a flourish she could only hope looked polished and classy rather than desperate. Knock knock.
“Please, for the love of all that’s good, do not let her have a Ring doorbell,” Helen prayed silently, her mind racing through the checklist of what to say once she was inside. The door swung open…
Not Okay by Robert Grace followed by Mercy by Shawn Mendes…Incase anyone was wondering
