SKIN DEEP
ten | prom dress

When she woke that morning, her parents didn't speak a word to her, seeming to be full of guilt and shame. And she wasn't about to speak to them. She wasn't happy with them, just like she hadn't been for the majority of her life. She was actually thankful, for once, that they were silent instead of chatting her ear off, or getting frustrated with her because she had ignored them. At least now, it was a two way street.

Staring down at her delicate hands, Imogen picked at her cuticles. She knew that if she were to even bother looking around, that the Cullens wouldn't be in sight. Jasper hadn't been in class and she hadn't seen either of them around school, something that didn't surprise her considering it was sunny: that is if she believed that they were those type of vampires, ones that burnt in direct sunlight. It's probably why they chose Forks. There's always cloud cover.

She was quite shocked by how she had easily accepted that they were vampires. She was less bothered by that fact - the fact that the supernatural exist - than the fact that her parents had lied to her for most of her life, that they had already planned what would happen to her without her giving them consent or even having knowledge on what they planned.

"They're not here, you know?"Jessica's voice broke through the laughter and talkative voices around them that Imogen had drowned out the second she sat down. She didn't want to hear other people's laughter and obvious joy when she wasn't joyful herself.

Isabella acted all shocked, although Imogen knew Bella well enough to know that she had been looking around for Edward. The only that Imogen actually questioned concerning Bella was if the Swan girl knew the truth about the Cullens already, Edward having told her or her coming to the conclusion herself.

"Who?" Bella's eyes still flickering around her instead of focusing on Jessica.

Jessica sighed and closed her eyes, lifting her head in the direction of the sun slightly, looking like she was in pure bliss. "Whenever the weather's nice, the Cullens disappear."

Bella was twirling an apple in her hand, something Imogen noticed she ate a lot of. "What, do they just ditch?"

"No. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen yank them out for, like, hiking and camping and stuff. I tried that out on my parents. Not even close."

Imogen snorted, "Well, you seem pretty contempt where you are." Jessica just ignored her, continuing to capture the rays.

"Guys, I'm going to the prom with Eric," came the ecstatic voice of Angela as she joined the three girls in the sun. "I just asked him. I took control."

Bella smiled, "I told you that would happen."

Imogen smiled slightly at the girl who had a prom date, wishing for a second that she could feel what Angela felt. But, alas, it would be a big pain in the backside to go to prom, and very inconvenient for her.

Angela smiled at Bella sadly, "Do you have to go out of town?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders slightly and frantically said - making Imogen believe that what she was saying was actually a lie so she wouldn't have to go, and not an actual thing - "Oh, yeah, it's a family thing."

Angela turned to face Imogen who sat opposite Bella, "And you, Imogen? Are you sure you don't want to come."

Imogen smiled and shook her head, "Nah, I'm not too into the whole dressing up thing."

Angela sighed deeply, disappointed that both of the new - well, as new as can be after a couple of months - girls wouldn't be joining in on their celebrations.

Jessica glanced towards Angela, "Okay, we should go shopping in Port Angeles before all the good dresses get cleaned out." Imogen rose an evebrow at her just as the bell rang.

"Port Angeles? You mind if I come?" Bella asked.

Angela said in a 'duh' tone, "Yeah, I need your opinion."

Bella looked at Imogen when the words fell out of her mouth, "Are you going to come along? I can drop you off afterwards?"

Imogen just shook her head as she stood up, "No, it's okay. I've got something to do anyway."

***

Sitting in Biology - alone - she stared at the empty seat besides her. She jumped when a voice broke into her vacant mind, "Imogen, is Isabella driving you home again?"

Imogen glanced up with a glare at her mother who had been walking around the classroom checking on people's work, "Yes," then she decided to elaborate, "She's going to Port Angeles and I'm staying for extra credit, so she'll pick me up on her way back."

Evelyn just nodded and walked back to the front to sit on the edge of her desk, surveying the students to make sure they were still working. Imogen wasn't doing anything except tapping her fingers against the desk.

***

Imogen, of course, lied to her mother about the extra credit she had to stay behind for. She didn't want to drive home with her mother, nor did she want to go dress shopping with the girls, so she decided that she would have enough time to make her way home.

It would take her roughly three hours to walk to their home, which would fit in with her lie perfectly. She didn't care how stupid it was for her to walk that distance with her mother not knowing her true whereabouts, she just didn't want to sit in the car with her mother for 10 minutes, nor suffer through hours of dress shopping.

After around an hour of walking, the sun had already began to drop beneath the horizon, only a soft glow lighting up Imogen's surroundings, until it went away completely and the stars and moon were the only things lighting up her path.

Seconds later, she heard the roar of an engine as a car drove past, which happened every couple of minutes. Except this car came to a stop besides Imogen, the window rolling down to reveal Alice and Rosalie. 

Imogen's eyes widened slightly at the sight of them, before she smiled slightly. Obviously, she knew what they were, but they didn't know that she knew what they were. 

Alice smiled from the driver's seat, "What are you doing out here, Imogen?"

Imogen chuckled slightly, "Oh, you know, taking a little walk."

Rosalie scrunched up her eyebrows, but her face still looked as flawless as ever. "Are you walking home from school? Don't you live on the edge of La Push."

Imogen chuckled once again, "Yes."

Rosalie shook her head in disbelief at the girl, "Why?"

Imogen looked off into the distance at the road she had to walk and had been walking on for quite some time and shrugged her shoulders, "Isabella couldn't give me a lift home and I've had a little tiff with my mother and so didn't want to ride with her, thus why I'm now walking home."

Alice's eyes showed shock and horror at the girl walking home, especially when she knew how long it would take. "Was it a small argument about washing the plates or a big one?"

"A big one."

Alice smiled and offered something that made Imogen let out a sigh of relief, "You could stop at ours tonight if you wish?" Despite them being vampires, Imogen felt more comfortable with being around them then going home to her mother and father, who would surely bring up why they didn't hear Isabella drop her off, or see her for that matter.

She nodded and smiled, walking towards the back door and getting in, "Thank you for this. You don't know how much it means."

Alice smiled and looked at her through the mirror, "Anytime, Imogen."

Rosalie turned her head to look at Imogen in confusion while Alice drove them to the Cullens home, which Imogen would find to be a glass mansion. "Why isn't Isabella driving you home?"

"Oh, she went with Jessica and Angela to Port Angeles to shop for dresses for prom."

Rosalie frowned, "And why didn't you go with them? Surely you'll need a dress."

Imogen chuckled and looked out of the window at the trees flashing by, "I'm not going to prom. It would just be an experience I probably wouldn't want to remember."

Alice gasped, "Prom's are amazing."

Imogen rose her eyebrows at her, "How many proms have you been to."

It then dawned on Alice what she had said; as if she had been talking from experience, which she was but she shouldn't have been to a prom before, so she attempted to cover her tracks, which Imogen would've bought if she hadn't known the truth. "They look amazing. The movies make them look spectacular."

Imogen just nodded, acting as though she believed what she said. "Well, it would just be a pain for me."

Rosalie looked back at her once again and smiled sadly, "Nonsense. We're going, so you can come with us."

Alice jumped slightly in the seat and proposed ecstatically, "And Jasper could be your date."

Imogen blushed, looking down at her hands quickly to hide her rosy cheeks, not saying anything to Alice's statement. However, a second later, the car came to a standstill outside the Cullen's home, so the statement was ignored.

Imogen got out of the car, the members of the family inside the house hearing three doors open and close instead of the supposed two. She gasped at the sight, "It's gorgeous."

Alice smiled and bounced on her feet besides Imogen, "Yes, it is. Now, come on."

As they walked inside, four of the members just so happened to be hanging around the front door. Alice stated loudly to the four, "Look who's come to stay the night."

Imogen smiled, feeling slightly awkward. What Imogen guessed was Carlisle's wife stepped forward and pulled Imogen in for small hug, "It's so nice to meet you, Imogen. I'm Esme, Carlisle's wife. These lot" - she gestured to the two girls and the three males - "have told me so much about you."

Imogen was slightly shocked at the gesture and the statement and smiled awkwardly. But, she still remembered her manners, especially knowing that if they wished they could rip her head off without a seconds thought, though for some reason, she knew that they would never do that to anyone. "I'm sorry  to impose -"

Esme shook her head straight away, "It's perfectly fine. A friend of our children is always welcome in our home."

She smiled, and was about to say 'thank you' before Alice butted in. "We're going to take her upstairs and find her a dress for prom."

Imogen looked towards her with a raised eyebrow, "I'm not going, Alice."

Alice just pushed what she said to the side, "Oh, don't be stupid, of course you are."

Imogen just shook her head and let out a deep breath before allowing Alice to tow her to the stairs. Luckily, Alice did Imogen a huge favor, although it made Imogen slightly embarrassed, by carrying the oxygen tank for Imogen.

They entered a room where there was a very large wardrobe covering the whole of one wall, glass covering the second wall and the third wall having a shelf built into it, while the fourth had the bed resting against it. "This is, wow."

Alice smiled brightly, knowing that Imogen would like it. She walked over to the wardrobe, opening it to pull out a dress, before closing it again. "This is the dress you were destined to wear."

Imogen rose and eyebrow as she looked at the dress, a dress she believed to be styled as that of a flapper dress from the 1920s. And she actually guessed it was from the 1920s. "It's gorgeous." She ran her hand over the material slightly and smiled.

Alice pulled the dress away, hanging it back up. She knew it would fit Imogen anyway. "Good. There's no way you're getting out of coming to the prom."

Imogen shook her head and smiled slightly. "Thanks, Alice."

Alice smiled brightly, turning around to leave the room when she saw Imogen yawn. Just as she reached the door, she turned back to say, "There are clothes in the wardrobe that will fit you."

Imogen looked towards the wardrobe and nodded, hearing a quiet 'night' and a click of the door shutting.