Chapter 6 Kaylee's Makeup

Pearl bit her lips and in the end, she gave up on the dress, and walked up to the attic.

Using her brainpower to the max, Pearl made some cuts on her white t-shirt and paired it with a deep blue denim skirt. The skirt ended just above her knees, with a perfect fit.

Pearl's white slender legs were in full glory, while the white t-shirt hugged Pearl's upper body, and the sleeves were rolled to the elbow.

With her hair let loose and a glossy lip balm, Pearl admired her masterpiece. Perfect!

Though Kaylee always said that baggy clothes looked good on her, Pearl thought otherwise.

'Maybe she still hasn't seen me in this outfit! Once she sees how beautiful I look, she will change her perspective.' Pearl thought.

Pearl stepped outside, tugging her white cap lower to hide her face. Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum. She wasn't sure if it was from nerves or excitement. Maybe both.

Clutching her phone, she messaged Kaylee.

"Meet me in Room 3B, okay? I have something cool to show you!"

Then, with hurried steps, Pearl made her way to the side door of the school and slipped inside, head still bowed. The hallway was mostly empty ... thank goodness ... and she quickly reached the empty classroom.

Kaylee was already there.

She stood near the window, her long black hair shining like silk under the sunlight. She wore a pale pink dress with lace at the sleeves and a glittery headband. Her beauty had always been soft, graceful, almost angel-like.

"Kaylee!" Pearl called cheerfully, pulling off her hat and running up to her.

Kaylee turned around, smiling at first ... until she saw Pearl.

The smile fell off her face like a leaf in winter.

"Ta-da!" Pearl twirled in front of her. "I fixed my own outfit! Cool, right? What do you think?"

Kaylee blinked. Once. Twice. Then her eyes narrowed a little.

"...Is that a t-shirt?" she asked, her tone flat.

Pearl nodded, still smiling.

"Yeah! I cut it myself. Look at the sleeves ... I rolled them! And the skirt was buried under a pile of stuff in the attic, but it fits perfectly. Doesn't it look cute?"

Kaylee gave her a quick once-over, then folded her arms. "You seriously came to school like that?"

Pearl's smile wavered. "Um... yeah. Why?"

"It's just..." Kaylee tilted her head and made a fake-thinking face. "I mean, it's kinda obvious you're trying too hard. Like, desperate much?"

Pearl's eyes widened. "What?"

Kaylee walked around her like a judge at a fashion contest.

"The shirt's all wrinkly, and it's super tight. Like, not in a good way. And the skirt? It's showing way too much leg. People are gonna stare... and not in a nice way."

Pearl swallowed hard. "But I thought... "

"And the lip balm?" Kaylee interrupted, making a face. "It's way too shiny. Looks like you drooled and forgot to wipe it off."

Pearl looked down, her hands twitching by her sides. "I... I just wanted to look nice. For the ceremony."

Kaylee gave a short laugh. "Pearl, come on. Not everyone's meant to stand out. That's not bad! You're like... comfy cute. You should stick to what works. Oversized sweaters, hoodies... You know, the you kind of style."

"But I wanted to try something different," Pearl mumbled.

Kaylee stepped closer and placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder. Her smile was sweet, but her eyes weren't.

"Trying too hard never works out, Pearlie. Trust me. People can smell when someone's desperate."

Pearl's stomach turned. The excitement she'd felt earlier was slipping away like sand through her fingers.

"I...I thought maybe if I looked pretty today, someone would notice me."

Kaylee leaned in and whispered, "They'll notice. Just not the way you want."

Pearl flinched.

"You want to attract Alpha Aiden's attention, right? I knew you would mess up. So I had brought just a dress that will suit you!" Kaylee stated and dragged Pearl to the girls' washroom.

Pearl stopped resisting the moment Kaylee mentioned Alpha Aiden. She was ready to wear whatever Kaylee gave her, as long as she could attract Aiden's attention.

In the girls' washroom, Kaylee dragged Pearl to the biggest mirror. She opened her bag and pulled out a dress wrapped in plastic.

"Tadaaa!" Kaylee said with a big smile. "Isn't it just soooo you?"

Pearl's eyes widened. The dress was bright orange with giant pink flowers printed all over.

The neckline had itchy-looking ruffles, and there was a weird green ribbon tied right in the middle like a bow on a birthday present.

"I thought... maybe something softer?"Pearl said slowly, trying not to sound ungrateful.

"Soft is boring," Kaylee said, already holding the dress up to Pearl's chest. "This screams fun! And bold! You want to be noticed, right?"

Pearl hesitated, but nodded. "Yeah..."

"Then this is perfect," Kaylee beamed. "Now, hurry, try it on!"

With a sigh, Pearl took the dress into the stall and changed. The fabric was scratchy, and the zipper jammed halfway. When she stepped out, she felt like a walking fruit basket.

But it wasn't over yet.

Kaylee clapped her hands. "Time for makeup!"

Pearl blinked. "Makeup?"

"Duh! You can't show up half done." Kaylee pulled out a small makeup pouch and got to work.

First, she dabbed pink blush, way too much, on Pearl's pale cheeks. Then she smeared bright purple eyeshadow across Pearl's eyelids, not even blending it. The mascara clumped, and she layered dark red lipstick over the glossy balm Pearl had earlier.

"Done!" Kaylee squealed and spun Pearl toward the mirror.

Pearl gasped.