Page 2 of Dagger

Chloe: Yes, LOL. What time will you be here?

Sabrina: Nine o’clock.

Chloe: What should I wear?

Sabrina: NVM. I’m coming over at 8 so we can get ready together.

Chloe: Thank you!

Sabrina: Girl, you don’t even understand how excited I am right now!

Chloe: Same, honestly.

When my mom leaves for the night, she barely even glances at me, tossing a quick, “Leftovers are in the fridge. I’ll be back later,” as she grabs her purse and heads for the door.

I don’t say anything, just watch as the door clicks shut. Sabrina, sitting cross-legged on my bed, gives me a knowing look and smiles. “You ready for this?”

I let out a shaky laugh. “I guess so.”

“Come on, let’s get ready.” She jumps off the bed, pulling a few outfits out of her bag.

She lays them out on my bed—a couple of skirts, some crop tops, and a few sparkly accessories. I pick out a short black skirt and a long-sleeve halter top that feels... risky. It shows way more cleavage than I’m used to, but Sabrina gives me an approving nod.

“That’s perfect,” she says, holding up a necklace to go with it. “Now we just need to do something about this hair and makeup.”

I let her take over, sitting in front of my mirror as she curls my hair into loose waves and dusts some kind of magic onto my face. The girl works fast, chatting the whole time about how much fun we’re going to have and all the boys who should be there.

When she’s done, I turn to the mirror and blink, trying to process what I’m seeing. My hair looks amazing, my eyes seem brighter, and the lip gloss she picked makes my lips look fuller. I don’t look like me—but not in a bad way.

“Whoa,” I say softly. “Is that really me?”

Sabrina grins and slings an arm around my shoulder. “Hell yes, it’s you! You look incredible, Chloe. You’re gonna kill it tonight.”

I laugh nervously. “Thanks, Bri. Seriously, thanks for this.”

She nudges me with her shoulder. “What are best friends for? Now come on, we’re gonna have the best night ever.”

I feel like I might actually believe her.

The bass from the music shakes the ground as we step out of the Lyft Sabrina ordered for us. The house is massive, glowing with flashing lights that pulse to the beat spilling out onto the lawn. People are everywhere—on the porch, leaning against cars, in groups on the grass. It’s loud, chaotic, and completely overwhelming.

Sabrina grabs my hand and tugs me forward, her excitement practically buzzing through her. “Come on, Chloe. This is going to beamazing.”

I hesitate for a second, looking at the sea of people, but I follow her up the steps and into the house.

The second we step inside, the noise doubles. The music thunders through the packed living room, where people are dancing and shouting over each other. The air smells like a mix of sweat, perfume, and something sharp that I can’t quite place.

Sabrina moves like she’s done this a million times, weaving through the crowd with ease, smiling and waving at familiar faces. I stick close behind her, trying not to feel completely out of my depth.

As we pass through the room, I notice people turning to look at us—or maybe just at me. Whispers reach my ears over the music.

“Wait, is that Chloe?”

“No way. She lookssodifferent.”

“Didn’t even know she went to parties.”

I feel my cheeks heat up. My instinct is to shrink, to hide behind Sabrina, but she just beams and keeps walking, like this is exactly what she expected.

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