Author's Note:
In January of 2024, I attended my school ball. The photos of me in the following chapters were taken when I was getting ready for the ball and when I was at the ball.
Alice led Felix and I out of my bedroom, calling out to Jasper as we went.
"Jasper, I need your help! We have a fashion emergency! I'm dealing with Ella, but I need you to do something about Felix. Can you come and help him look like he's going to a prom?" She looked with frustration at Felix's bright carmine eyes. "And those eyes just won't do! They are an obvious vampire dead give-away. Jasper, hurry!" she yelled.
Felix and I listened intently as Jasper made the unsatisfactory climb up the staircase and came to the doorway. He held a suit and some contact lenses in hand.
"Better come with me buddy," said Jasper with resignation. "There's no point arguing with Alice when fashion is involved!"
Felix turned and looked at me with humour in his eyes.With a squeeze of my hand, he walked off after Jasper. River trailed after them obediently, as if she too was afraid of Alice's retribution.
With a sweeping gesture, Alice led me toward the lift and up into her dressing room. As we entered, I saw that two beautiful dresses were on display. The first dress was arranged onto a headless mannequin and was made from many layers of tulle in the most dreamy lilac. A fitted bodice of the same colour crowned the ensemble. The waistband encircling the dress was decorated with a finely engraved brooch that glimmered mysteriously in the half-light.
The other dress hung on the top of the doorframe. It was constructed from soft fabric of the deepest pink. The sleeves hinted at a design that would drape effortlessly across the wearer's shoulders. It also involved a fitted bodice with boning that cinched the wearer in at the waist. A skirt made of layers of magenta tulle fell elegantly and collected just short of the floor.
"So, which dress would you like?'' asked Alice, after giving me sufficient wait time.
"I like the second option," I said confidently. "Right, let's put the dress on."
"Put the dress on now?'" snapped Alice incredulously.
"What do you mean? I've chosen my dress ..." I said confusedly.
" You've forgotten some crucial elements - your makeup and hair," she said, a look of pain crossing her face at my apparent refusal to cooperate. "Tara! Briony! "she called towards the door in a crisp voice. The door opened and in walked two glamorous-looking women.
"I'm Briony," said a stylish woman with a neatly cut auburn bob and beautiful face. "I'm doing your makeup today".
"I'm Tara," said a tiny blond bombshell with bright blue eyes and luxurious black eyelashes. "I'm here to style your hair."
"These two are the best of the best," said Alice assertively. "Do everything they say."
With a flurry of makeup brushes, hairdryers and curling wands, Briony and Tara set to work.
After what felt like hours, Tara spun me around so I could look in the mirror.
"What do you think," she asked.
My hair fell in shining waves past my shoulders. My face glowed with a moon-like complexion. My eyes, hidden under blue contacts, shone with joy and excitement.
"I love it," I said happily.
We finished thanking Briony and Tara for their stellar makeup and hairstyling skills, then they left.
With the utmost care, Alice helped me into the pink tulle dress, moving the sleeves across my shoulders so it sat perfectly. She added a sparkling silver bag to complete the look. I was finally ready for the prom!
There was a knock on the sea-spray coloured oak door.
''Who is it?'' Alice asked.
The door opened willingly, as if it too, was welcoming the unexpected visitor. In strode Emmett with his signature goofy smile on his perfectly airbrushed, moon-like complexion.
"I have brought the device that you requested of me, Ella.'' He was holding a red contraption with four wheels.
''Thank you, Emmett,'' I said as he placed the device on the floor in front of me.
Alice (who had been silent during this exchange) looked from the wheeled device then back to me with an extremely quizzical expression on her face.
'' You are not the only one who's been prancing around with secrets on their lips this past week,'' I explained in answer to her expression. I smiled with a mischievous glint in my eye.
''This is my walker,'' I said with a laugh. "It is a mobility device that provides support for people with balance and coordination difficulties."
With grace, I stood and transferred from my wheelchair to the walker. As I stood, my hands grasped firmly on the handles of the walker.
Alice's eyes suddenly filled with tears. 'But how did you learn to stand up so easily?" she uttered with a shocked glance at my standing form.
Emmett grinned widely at me with a proud expression."The girl knows how to train!" he said enthusiastically. "She's seriously hard core."
Explaining further, I added "I needed to train to build up the strength to use the walker. Emmett has been helping me train to use it."
''Does this mean that you will be using your walker all the time from now on?'' Alice uttered breathlessly.
"It does not automatically mean that," I said, "and I will tell you why. People with cerebral palsy may use different mobility devices at different times to get around. This will depend on the situation. The reason the walker is perfect for the prom is because it allows me to dance safely and show off my dress. I will still be using my chair most of the time as it's the easiest was for me to get around," I finished assertively.
"That makes a lot of sense," said Alice proudly. "I love how you are able to explain your disability to others. You are the first disabled vampire I have ever met so I need this explained to me."
"Thanks for your curiosity," I said with a smile.
With one final ruffling of my skirt, Alice led me out of her dressing room and down the lift to the lounge room. When I got there, I saw Felix. My heart fluttered as I walked in my walker towards him. He was bedecked in a suit of the most luxurious shade of blue. His eyes were the cornflower blue I remembered from before his vampire transformation. I knew instantly that Emmett had applied contact lenses to cover his red vampire eyes.
We both smiled as we laid eyes on each other.
Felix knew I had been practicing with my walker, but had not seen me using it. For the first time, we were almost the same height standing. As I looked into his eyes, I could read his thoughts clearly: Felix thought I looked beautiful.
"And you look very handsome in your suit too, my kind sir, " I said with a smile.
"Alright, lovebirds, let's go," said Alice, shepherding us both to the door. "Just wait until you two see the mode of transport," said Alice in suspense.
As the door unlocked and creaked open, my mouth opened in shock ...
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