Chapter 13

Auntie Lila ushered me into the bathroom to get ready. Auntie forced me to sit in front of my vanity mirror after I took another shower. I shut my eyes and allowed her to do whatever she wanted with my face. After all, I do not know what should go on my face. When I initially heard the blower, I assumed she was drying my hair. Aunt Lila gently dries my hair, which causes my eyelid to become heavier over time. When someone gently messes with my hair, I feel relaxed and tired, so I generally fall asleep while Aunt Lila dries my hair. I was completely unaware that I had dozed off. The brush is gently applied to my face. Auntie patted me on the cheek gently to wake me up. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a woman staring directly at me. I blinked because the light had dazzled me. I knew I was the woman in front of me when my vision cleared. In comparison to my natural appearance, I now have a different appearance. Aunt Lila made me seem fierce, the polar opposite of my innocent face when I was not wearing make-up, and I now resemble one of those partying females. While staring at my mirror, all I can say is "it is wonderful." My hair is in a messy low ponytail, and I"m wearing sexy make-up. Some of the strands are dangling off my cheeks. "What do you have to say? Isn"t that great?" Aunt Lila replied as she looked in the mirror at me. "You should do this more often, you know. It ks not like you are always tied up in your room," she added as she fix my hair a little. "Auntie, you did a fantastic job altering my face. It is only until now, I did not believe I was beautiful when I put make-up on," I remarked, grinning and giving her a thumbs up. When I gave Aunt Lila a thumbs up, she laughed. She smiled and parted her hair slightly, posing like a beauty queen. We were both laughing at our antics. "All right, we are finished with your make-up and hair. You only need to bring your clothing and you are ready to head to the party!" Aunt Lila clapped her hands and shouted. She is very enthusiastic about it. I believe she made me go to the party just because she wanted to dress me up. "What do you want to wear among these three dresses?" She grinned as she added, "I brought the outfits I bought for you that you do not want to wear." I cannot stop myself from poking my brow. She seemed obvious to me. This is the real reason she consented to let me come to the party. She wanted me to wear the short-cut fabric garments she had purchased. All I can do is shake my head in disbelief at her antics. "Aunt Lila, you can be a crafty woman at times," I remarked, wincing slightly. "Did you plan this?" I accused her. "You just wanted me to wear this, that is why you consented." I am referring to the garments she is currently carrying and from which I am selecting. She gave me a smile when she heard what I said. She laughed because I had figured out her scheme. "You do noy want to wear them, so whenever I see an opportunity for you to wear them, I seize it," she added, a grin on her face. "Which among these three dresses would you want to wear? Choose, Anna," she urged as she raised the three outfits she was carrying so I could see them clearly. I stared at Aunt Lila, depressed. I am not sure if I can afford any of the three outfits she brought me. My sanity is being tested by the clothes. I believe that even a small amount of movement will make my chest apparent. The cut of such clothing is also short, so as I walk, people would most certainly notice my ass. "Can"t I just wear a t-shirt and jeans, Auntie? I suppose I could wear such kinds of outfits to a party, too, right?" I ask, hoping for the best. I do not want to put these on. I am not used to dressing in shorts. I am not at ease in it, and I cannot move properly because I feel like it is too revealing. "Honey, jeans are not appropriate dress for a gathering." Aunt Lila reasoned, "You should wear a dress." She wore the same grin on her face as before. She is the one who is happiest when I am wearing a dress. She used to complain that whenever I left the house, I always wore jeans or pants. She advised that I should start wearing dresses now that I am a young woman already. In that argument, I had no idea what she was referring to. So, what if I am a lady? Should a young woman dress in women"s attire on a regular basis? Is that, for example, required? Tsk. Not all women desire to look feminine or wear dresses. There are also persons like me who would rather wear clothes that are comfortable for me than garments that are attractive to others but uncomfortable for them. "Trust me, these clothing will look great on you," she replied, smiling. I just let out a gasp. Isn"t it as if I had a choice? With Aunt Lila"s obstinacy, I know I a. not going to win. I am well aware that she will not stop until I am wearing the clothes she got for me. "I will go with that black outfit," I muttered, my eyes closed. When I eventually made my decision, she applauded. Auntie enthusiastically peeked at the dress I had picked, and I absolutely gasped. "Wow! This will look great with the nude stiletto I got you," she says. "All right, put it on," she replied as she handed me the outfit and heels I had picked. I was compelled to use the restroom. I simply sighed before donning the aforementioned gown. I am not sure how many sighs I took this afternoon. I do not know how to count. After putting on the dress and heels, I assessed my entire appearance. A butterfly string bodycon dress was my choice. I had not given it much thought before choosing the clothing so Auntie could finally receive what she wanted. When I am wearing it, it does not look awkward to me, different from what I have imagined. The truth is, it is stunning. I think I am just uneasy because I feel like they will already be able to view my body. It is a bodycon dress, so it is quite close to my body. Before finally exiting the bathroom, I let out a long sigh. Aunt Lila was seated on my bed. She looked up at me as she heard the bathroom door open. "See?" she said with a smile. She got up and walked over to me. She strolled around me, checking how I was wearing the dress. "I told you these clothes were meant for you. You have got the curves that every woman wishes for!" She said cheerfully, and I grimaced. "Auntie, isn"t it a little too short? I am not sure if it is okay for me to wear this," I say, unsure. "Of course not! You look fantastic!" She said, her gaze returning to my appearance with glee. "Now take your stuff, and you are good to go," she continued. I was obliged to nod and even take the bag in which I had placed my iPhone and other necessities. Aunt Lila and I quickly made our way down to the living room. Uncle Sandro was watching television when we arrived. When he heard Aunt Lila and I conversing, his attention was drawn to us. Aunt Lila, who was overjoyed, took the lead and led the way. "Introducing Annalise Fay Amana, the stunning Annalise Fay Amana!" she whispered frantically, guiding her hand in my direction. That was the reason she dashed down the stairwell, was not it? She wanted to treat me like a princess and present me to Uncle. To her wacky little display, I shake my head. "Isn"t she absolutely stunning tonight, love?" Aunt whispered to Uncle, "I think I am dreaming." Uncle locked his gaze on me. "Hon, my Anna is always stunning. Is not her dress a little too short? She is going to a party, and Josh might have a lot of male guests." he said protectively. "I do not want a boy staring at my daughter," as he stated that, he frowned. Aunt Lila gently prodded him. "Of course, that is the dress"s design. What exactly are you looking for? Is your daughter going to wear a high-heeled gown?" Uncle Sandro"s sarcastic response from Auntie Lila. At the same time, Uncle and I grimaced. "Come on, Anna. It is past 7:00 p.m." Aunt Lila declared, "The party has officially begun." Mr. Isko will transport me to Josh"s residence. He will also come get me later. "Have fun at the party, Anna!" Aunt Lila remarked to me. "Do not worry about what your Uncle is saying; I will take care of him." I burst out laughing. Uncle had given me as many reminders as he had given me. He made me promised that I would not approach male visitors, that I would not become intoxicated, and that if there was a problem, I would text him. Uncle"s overprotectiveness is on the role tonight. Whenever I leave the house alone, he acts like that. He will always check in on me and inquire about my well-being. I merely nodded to Auntie, laughing. I could not help but be worried on the way to Josh"s place. This is my first time going to a party by myself. Normally, I attend Uncle"s company party with Aunt Lila by my side. Now, though, I am alone. I wish Lyka, my friend, were here with me. That woman would had to have come with me. I wpild like to invite her, but my brother"s friends, the ones who organized the party, do not know her, so I was scared to ask if I could bring a friend, so I did not. When I entered Josh"s house, the guard welcomed me with, "Good evening, Ma"am." Many cars were parked in front of his house. I thought we would be his only visitors, so there would not be a big crowd? Is this his idea of a small crowd? I could hear loud music coming from within the house, as well as yells from those who were still partying. When I arrived at Josh"s residence, I texted him. He gave me his phone number so I could text him when I got here. I believe I understand now why I need to text him. With so many people here in his house, he could not possibly see me in a timely manner. I waited for him to pick up the phone, shaking my head. I opted to phone instead of texting because there is a good chance he will not get my text. His phone rang several times before he answered it. "Hello?" The loud music in the background made it difficult for me to understand what he was saying. He was most likely inside the residence where the loud music was being played. "Baby girl? On the other line, I heard him remark, "Bro, baby girl is here." "Get her in, stupid." I heard Marco say something. The three of them must be together. "She might be lost in the crowd." I hear Elias" voice. "Ahm, I am here by the gate," I responded, and Josh hung up, leaving me perplexed because he did not even answer. Just when I was about to dial his number again, I saw him heading out of his house. "Hi," I said with a smile as I walked over to him and waved slightly. He fell silent almost instantly. He was simply speechless as he stared at me. I pressed my palm to his brow. What went wrong with him? Is he already too tipsy? He is looking at me like an idiot, eh? "Are you all right? Josh?" I remarked, pointing my head in his direction. Then he blinked and woke awake. "Wow, is that you, sweetheart? You have a distinct appearance now, in a very lovely way, though," he explained. "OK, this is awkward," I admitted, my face flushed with embarrassment. He was amused by what I said. He should have messed with my hair a little more, but he was taken aback. Instead, he softly pinched the bridge of my nose. "Come in, lovely," he murmured. What he said made me giggle. He grasped my hand in his and clung to it. I was still surprised by what he did, but I allowed him do it because I might be lost in the crowd if he did not. I was led to their table by him. We ran into Marco and Josh, as well as others of their pals, there. When they saw us, they came to a halt. "Woah, Fuentebella, who is this lovely lady you"re with?" accompanying a smirk on his face, the man with them inquired. I gripped Josh"s arm even tighter. He seemed to perceive my uneasiness and laughed, not minding the man with them"s query. Marco invites me to sit alongside him and says, "Come here, Anna." I did not think twice about taking a seat next to him. Rather than sitting with the other guy, I would choose to sit with these three wackos. That person from earlier is keeping a wary watch on me. He was really staring at me, and when I caught him staring at me, he was unfazed and would only grin at me. I find him really creepy. Elias grinned as he continued, "You look different, Anna. Our baby girl is now a genuine girl, huh?" He whispered it quietly enough for Marco to hear it, and he was smiling and staring at me at the same time. I sat between the two of them, which was fortunate because I dis not want anyone else to sit beside me. They are making me feel a little uneasy, especially the guy across me. "Anna, what do you want to eat?" Josh ask me. He pressed his face towards mine so that I could hear him. It"s just as noisy as it is here at home. I gave him a shake of my head. I ate before leaving the house because I wasn"t hungry yet. Josh nodded in agreement with what I said. "Just tell me when you need something, and I"ll fetch it for you," he replied, winking at me. What he did made me giggle. When the person across from me handed me a drink, I had to stop giggling. I was taken aback and gave him a surprised expression. He grinned and said, "You have to drink, this is a party, not a restaurant." He leaned back in his chair, proudly staring at me once more. What the hell is the matter with this guy? He"s starting to irritate me. I pull Elias close to me with a gentle tug. He looked at me with a raised brow. His sarcasm went unnoticed by me. I simply point to the man in front of me and ask, "Who is that guy? Is he your friend?" "No, we"re simply acquaintances," Elijah replied, "but we"re not friends." After he answered my question, he knocked over the bottle of wine he was holding. I was irritated, so I took the drink that the obnoxious man had offered me. When Marco saw what I did, he almost vomited out the alcohol he was drinking. I gave him a frown. "What"s up with you, Marco? Eww, that"s gross," I replied, referring to his near-spitting of booze. "Fuck, why did you drink that? Where did you get that, huh?" he asks, practically shouting, because in order for us to hear each other, you need to turn up your voice, because otherwise it would be drowned out by the speaker"s loud sound. "From him?" I asked, pointing to the man who had given me the drink. "Why? Is she not allowed to drink?" the man said innocently. My brow furrowed in concentration. Why does he appear to have a man with the same face as him seated beside him? I turned my gaze to Elias who had no idea what was going on. My forehead furrowed again when I saw that even he had become two as well. Does he have twins? What he looks like even mimics his movements. "Hey, Elias!" I hiccup as I call Elias. Elias frowned at me. His forehead met the look I saw. I smiled sweetly at him. "I can see your twin, haha." I said laughing. They both really look alike. "Wait, why are my sorroundings moving? Make it stop, I am feeling dizzy because of it." I said pouting. I leaned on Elias's shoulder when I felt dizzy. "Fuck you, Marco. What are you doing?" Elias said. "Delete those pictures, fucker. I will be doomed once Villareal sees that." I heard him added.