In Her Boots

I don't know how the six of us managed to fit into the room Grace and I shared, but somehow we did. Clothes were everywhere, our wardrobes were stripped bare, shoes lined up against the wall, makeup bags exploded across both desks. Music was blaring from someone's speaker, and the air smelled like perfume, hairspray, and excitement.

"This is ridiculous," I laughed, trying to wriggle into a leather mini skirt that definitely wasn't mine. "Whose is this?"

"Mine," Les said from the corner, curling Tooney's hair like she'd been born with straighteners in her hand. "And you're stretching it with your big ass!"

"Excuse me," I protested, "I'm enhancing it."

"You're a menace," she muttered, but she was grinning.

Esme was on the floor with eyeliner in one hand and her phone in the other, somehow managing to do winged liner while also reading messages from the squad chat. "Okay," she announced, "the plan is: we leave in two waves, spaced out. Meet by the service entrance at ten. Apparently one of the staff drivers owes Keira a favour and will drop us off a few streets away from the club."

"Solid," Grace nodded, attempting a bold red lip in the mirror. She'd gone for a black one shoulder top and blue denim jeans, with heels. Simple, classy but very Grace.

"We'll get caught anyway," Tooney said, twisting around as Les sprayed her hair. She was in a mini dress with trainers, classic Tooney. "Fans will see us. Paps will see us. Sarina will definitely see us." It was inevitable she was right. We were getting busted for this.

"Not if we're back before she wakes up," Stanway cut in. She was wearing shorts and a shirt that was open over a white Tee. She looked cute and cool. "Ten quid says we're on TikTok by midnight, though."

"Twenty," Esme muttered. "Also, Amaya, are you seriously wearing a plain black top? This is your first proper night out with us, you need to look hot."

"I do look hot!" I insisted. I was in denim mini skirt and a black top, I'd borrowed from Grace, paired with boots. I'd let my hair down, blow-dried sleek and shiny, and Les had bullied me into a winged eyeliner situation. I felt... grown-up. A little sexy. Definitely not "plain."

Lucy was going to have a fit when she saw the length of my skirt. She often didn't approve of my choices when it came to fashion, but somehow I always leave the house in what I want. Except that one time we were going to dinner and she pulled her hoodie over me and made me wear it the whole time and it was 30 degrees out. I was boiling alive under there.

"Leah's gonna faint when she sees you," Grace said slyly, smirking as she reapplied her lipstick.

"Oi, it's not about Leah," I said quickly, cheeks warming.

"Sure it's not," Esme sang, making kissy noises until Stanway threw a hairbrush at her in my defence. I was smug when it hit her. Esme rubbed her arm.

By the time we were all finished, the room looked like a bombsite, mascara stains on the bedding, half our wardrobes on the floor, empty water bottles everywhere. But we looked good. No, dangerous.

"Okay, final check," Esme said, holding up her phone. "Squad chat says wave one is out. We're wave two. Let's move."

We crammed into the hallway, whispering like absolute idiots even though there was no one around. Grace led the way, tiptoeing dramatically, and Tooney was filming the whole thing for her private story.

"This is going to end in disaster," I muttered, clutching my clutch like it was going to save me.
"Obviously," Grace whispered back, grinning. "But it's going to be legendary first."