The change from before the coronation to now is insane.

I don't think Reenee even knows how bad it is. The public/press/whatever are insane little vultures. Is this how Mom felt at our age? Because if so, I want to go back in time and punch someone. Every time I leave the house to get ice cream, or get our mail, or whatever, there's a camera and microphone, being all "HEY YOU WHERE'S YOUR EVIL SISTER MWAHAHAHA WE'RE GOING TO FORCE HER OUTSIDE!"

Like guys. My sister is awesome. You are idiots. That's all I'ma say in interviews, unless you all want to set up a real one instead of ambushing me outside my house. Otherwise I've just been saying whatever nonsense pops into my head. My favorite so far has been when they asked me where my evil sister was, and I responded with "you keep saying those words. I do not think they mean what they think you mean," girlishly waved, and trotted back inside. It was on the news that night, and when the reporter read it, he laughed so hard they had to go to the weatherman until he recovered.

But Reenee herself is a lot better. She and I have been having sleepovers in each other's rooms to catch up on all we don't know about one another since we'd been ignoring each other. Like her favorite movies are the Percy Jackson movies---just so she can make fun of them! I love that. She was shocked to hear mine was "Anastasia". When we'd guessed each other's favorite musicals, she correctly guessed mine as "Six" (with "Beetlejuice" or "The Lightning Thief" as a close second) since it was something that I asked to karaoke a lot. But I had no idea for her, and she'd laughed and said it was "Anastasia". Which is why she was shocked that "Anastasia" was my favorite movie. We argued forever, because she likes the musical better, but I'd never seen it before, so she ended up looking it up online and insisting I watch it. We'd stayed up late that night finishing it, then geeking about the whole thing. I can't decide between the movie and the musical! Both are amazing.

The day of Cotillion, we'd worked it out that all the girls would go to Lucy's house so we could make sure our dresses were okay and all that, while the guys would go to Finn's house to kill time since they take like no time to get ready.

All of us already have our dresses on, except Lucy, who is buzzing around us, making sure they fit right and making sure they haven't been damaged yet. Aunt Evie is here with Dizzy, doing all of our hair and giving us accessories if we need them. Aunt Evie insisted I have a silver tiara/headband-thing on, even though I'm technically not royalty. Technically, my grandma gave her kingdom to Great-Aunt Anna, so Grandma wasn't really Queen anymore... but whatever.

Another addition that has never been done before---this Cotillion is a masquerade! (Masqueraaaaade, paper faces on paraaaade) Apparently Queen Isla decided that enchanted masks would help keep people away from Serene, Brietta, and herself. So everyone is wearing enchanted masks. Enchanted masks work so that if you were there when the person put the mask on, you still recognize them, but if you weren't, they're a complete stranger to you. (Unless they're pointed out and named to you, then you recognize them.) It'll be perfect for tonight. Well, it's more complicated than that, but that's the bare rules. Basically if you're cool with that person recognizing you, then they will. Kind of. Eh.

"Spin." Lucy orders me. I obey, feeling my ruby-red skirt twirl around my ankles. Lucy sighs happily, touching the fabric. "You look perfect."

"Good! Now get in yours!" I beg, shooing her away from me.

She laughs and shakes her head. "Fine! Fine. Be right back!" She pulls the pins from her hair and runs from the room. She comes back in record time beaming proudly, wearing an elegant white dress with an orange design, holding the skirt with one hand, spinning in a circle.

Brietta whistles. "Finn is going to faint."

"Finn? Why Finn?" Lucy asks.

Brietta rolls her eyes. "Oh, please. He obviously likes you, Lu. You hadn't noticed?"

Lucy flushes pink. "I was too busy trying to get over my crush on him."

"YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM?" I scream. "HE HAS A CRUSH ON YOU!!!!! ASK HIM OUT!"

"It's the night of!" Lucy protests.

"So?" Isla asks. "Brietta asked Max. Why can't you ask Finn?"

"Because..." Lucy says feebly, picking at the gems on her dress.

"Lucy's a romantic." Serene says, coming over to me, fingering her necklace. It's a red velvet choker with a snowflake charm. She'd hesitated wearing it, because the snowflake is more Mom's symbol, but I convinced her. 

"She wants to be asked, not ask." Serene continues.

"But it's the twenty-first century!" Eleanor says.

"I'm allowed to be a romantic!" Lucy huffs, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "But... I guess I was hoping he'd ask me."

Danielle shrugs. "You never know. Maybe he'll ask you tonight. It is like guys to procrastinate things that make them nervous. Like Max." She smirks pointedly at Brietta.

Brietta shrugs. "I'm a modern woman."

"You're sixteen." Serene argues.

"Girl, then. Teenager." Brietta waves her hand nonchalantly. "Lu, want me to do your hair?"

Lucy shakes her head. "I'm just pulling it back a little."

"Well, that's no fun." Aunt Evie says, coming over and fingering Lucy's hair. "Can I at least braid it?"

Lucy wrinkles her nose. "Can it be a fishtail braid?"

"I don't see why not." Aunt Evie pulls Lucy over in front of the vanity, and sets to work on Lucy's hair.

"Are you going to do anything, Bri?" Danielle asks Brietta.

Brietta shrugs, pulling her fingers through her pink-streaked hair. "Nah. I kinda like being able to look at it."

"Oh, we all like looking at it." Isla promises her.

"Done!" Evie proclaims, spinning the chair back around. She's also done Lucy's makeup in a simple but pretty way, giving her highlight and rose-gold eyeshadow that barely shimmers, and accessories. Lucy ties her dad's bandana around her neck, then stands and spins in a circle.

"Are you all ready to go?" Brit asks, coming in. Catching sight of her daughter, her jaw drops. "Oh, Lu..."

"You like it, Mama?" Lucy brushes away nonexistent creases in the skirt.

Brit's eyes well up with tears as she nods and goes over to her daughter, hugging her tight. Lucy smiles and hugs her back. "You look so grown up." Brit says. "Stop it!"

"Where's dad?" Lucy asks, pulling back. "I want to show him before we leave."

"Right." Brit tries and fails to stop crying, rubbing furiously at her eyes. "Um, I can get him... am I driving you all?"

"No, Bri's taking us." Eleanor says. "Right?"

Brietta nods. "I can transport all of us with my wand. I can at least do that."

Brit smiles at her. "Well, I hope you guys don't mind if I take a few pictures?"

"Pictures?" Isla whines, but Eleanor elbows her in the ribs. "I mean, pictures! Whoo-hoooo..." Brit leaves to get Gil and her camera, and we all line up in front of the mirrored wall in the back.

Evie smiles at all of us, Dizzy standing next to her as well. "You guys are going to knock everyone's socks off." Dizzy tells us. "I gotta go---I have a few more appointments before Cotillion starts---but have fun, you guys!"

"Bye, Aunt Dizzy!" Lucy hugs her, and then Dizzy rushes out.

Isla fluffs her hair in the mirror. "I look awesome."

"We all do." Serene agrees, holding a fold of her dress in her fingers. I take her hand and hold my phone out in selfie mode.

"Smile!" I cheer. Reenee rolls her eyes, but obliges. I widen the screen to let everyone else in then, and we all make goofy faces. For a few minutes, we take pictures on everyone's phones, dragging Aunt Evie in a few of them too, and a few with our masks, until Brit and Gil come back with their cameras and we take some more professional-looking pictures until Reenee finally yells, "Okay! We have to meet up with the guys to eat beforehand! Is everyone ready?"

"One more!" Brit says, and snaps a final picture of all of us standing in a row, our arms around each other. "Have fun! Be safe!"

"See you later!" Lucy says, hugging her father and mother before linking hands with the rest of us. We disappear, reappearing at Finn's place, where the guys all yell in shock.

"Why are you surprised, dorks? I texted you we were coming." Danielle scolds. "Get up. We're going to go eat somewhere before Cotillion!"

Evan looks down at his phone. "I didn't get a text."

"Who said I sent it to you?" Danielle asks. "I sent it to whoever was listed first in my contacts. I texted Max last, so he was the one I texted now."

Max goes red and looks down at his phone. "Um... I turned it off."

Finn tosses his hands in the air. "Let's just go!" 

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Didn't feel like spreading them thru the chapter so HERE! DRESSES!!!

Isla's: 

Lucy's: 

Janessa's: 

Brietta's: 

Serene's: 

Danielle's: 

Eleanor's: (with the crown from Hayder)