Thursday afternoon sunlight filtered into the apartment, casting a warm glow across the room. The loud knock on the door made Kathy leap off the couch.
"That has to be it!" she said excitedly.
Bella followed her to the door. And just as they hoped, it was a delivery, the package they had been waiting for all week. Their freshmen party dresses had finally arrived.
Kathy snatched the box from the delivery guy, both girls squealing with excitement as they hurried back inside.
"I can't wait to try mine on," Bella said, her eyes gleaming.
They tore the box open together. Lush fabric spilled out Kathy's emerald green bodycon dress with lace cutouts, and Bella's golden, sequined backless gown. Each dress shimmered with elegance and attitude.
"Okay, but we really did that," Kathy whispered, already unzipping her hoodie.
They each took turns trying theirs on. Kathy twirled in hers, checking herself out in the full-length mirror. Bella smoothed her hands over the fabric of hers, admiring the way it hugged her shape.
"We're going to shut down this party," Kathy said confidently.
"No doubt," Bella grinned.
While they were still admiring their dresses, Bella's phone buzzed. It was her dad calling. She quickly grabbed it from the nightstand and answered.
"Hey, Dad," she greeted cheerfully.
"Hey, princess. How are you and Kathy? Your mom told me something about a party?"
Bella smiled. "Yeah, it's the official freshmen welcome party this weekend. We just got our dresses delivered."
"Oh really? Must be a big deal then," her dad chuckled. "Do you girls need anything else for it?"
Bella hesitated. "Well… yeah. We're going to the salon tomorrow to get our frontals done, nails, lashes you know, the full thing."
Her dad didn't even pause. "Alright, I'll send some money. For both of you. Make sure you slay, okay?"
Bella blinked, touched. "Thank you so much, Dad."
"You're welcome. And I haven't forgotten about the car. Classes are starting soon you'll need to get around."
"Really?" she said, eyes wide. "That would be amazing."
"I'll call you later. Have fun, and be safe."
"I love you, Dad. Thanks again."
When she hung up, Kathy was already hovering. "He sent it?"
Bella nodded, showing her the alert. "Yup. We're covered for hair, nails, makeup, everything."
Kathy screamed. "Yessss! This party is going to be unforgettable."
Bella paused, looking at Kathy with excitement. "Can you believe we're doing this? First real college party. First time we'll feel like we're really here."
Kathy smiled softly. "We're making memories, Bell. Something to remember."
They cuddled up on the couch, gadgets and packages strewn around, the dresses on hangers nearby. Bella pulled out her phone again, opened the Lifetime Freshmen group chat, and saw messages about party planning, who's going, what after party vibes are, what DJ's going to be there.
A few messages stood out: someone asking who'd be front row, one girl talking about designing themed nails for the party, another asking if there'd be a dress code.
Bella typed a quick message: "Omg guys did y'all get your outfits yet? Need reco's for shoes!" She tapped send. Within seconds, responses flooded in snapshots of shoes, shared links to online stores, excitement spilling through the chat.
Kathy nudged her. "Look at that. Everyone's going full glam."
Bella nodded, smile wide. She felt like she belonged in that group, like she was part of something bigger.
"Frontals tomorrow at the salon," Kathy said, tugging at her wigline. "Nails, lashes too. We have to be perfect."
Bella nodded, turning from side to side. "Yes, I want that flawless look. The lashes long… lashes that flutter." She lifted a small mirror, scrutinizing her eyelashes, imagining the wig edges laid just right.
The dresses were already dreamy, but they both knew what would take the look from good to unforgettable: hairline, nails, eyelashes. They planned the salon session for Friday. Kathy had bookmarked a style photo she'd found online with lace frontals that looked natural, nail shapes that were squared with a touch of rhinestone, lashes dramatic but not clown‑level.