Sketchbook in hand, Jamie summed up the outfit parts they had decided on. “So, for Evan a black three-piece Victorian suit with the lining and vest made of the fleur de lis pattern, with a shirt made of the white cotton voile, correct?”

Evy nodded. Evan would look really stylish in a suit.

“Then the last outfit would be mine. A cape with hood made of the red taffeta, black satin hakama pants and… no top. You just want to see me naked, don’t you?” He snickered, throwing one of his devilish grins towards Evy. The girl blushed.

“You prick,” Liv interupted, “We were just out of ideas, okay?”

Jamie shrugged. Not that he minded.

“Because it’s vampire themed, I think we should get some fake fangs. I’ve seen them in some stores already, so I’ll fetch those this weekend,” Liv offered.

The group agreed and after cleaning the small mess they had managed to make in the club room, they all headed home.

* * * *

“What are your plans for the weekend?” Liv asked Evy, while they walked through the small park that connected their school to their homes. It was a shortcut that Liv had discovered last year.

“I’m going to the mall. My sisters wanted new clothes, so I have to come along too. It’s either that or my parents complaining I game too much.”

Liv chuckled.

“Is it fun having sisters? I only got a younger brother. He’s annoying.”

Now it was Evy’s turn to laugh.

“I can immagine. My sisters are pretty nice, though they love their hair and make up way too much. I on the other hand hate wearing anything on my face.”

Liv nodded and for a while they walked in silence, enjoying the sound of birds chattering in the trees and the wind rustling the leaves.

“You know, pink suits you, I love what you did to your hair. I think if you dyed it fully pink, it would bring out your face’s features really well.”

Evy blushed. Accepting compliments was still a thing that she had to learn.

“I don’t know. It’s quite a big step.”

“You don’t have to do a bright pink right off the bat. Try a light pink. Plus, light pink goes great with grey!”

Evy looked at her clothes, which were all in different shades of grey.

“Okay, I’ll think about it.” She noticed they were at Liv’s house already. “Alright, see you tomorrow!” She waved her goodbye, and then went on her way to her own house.

Maybe she really should try more pink.

* * * *

Finally, weekend was here! Evy and her sisters Mary and Anny took the bus to the mall. Mary had her long blonde hair in two braids, tied with a set of red ribbons that matched her red dress. Anny liked to wear hers in a neat bun, and wore some slacks and a blazer. They looked so put together, so stylish, that it made Evy slightly envious. She wore a plain black hoodie that was one size too big and some matching black sweatpants. She only had skirts and sweatpants, and her skirts were still drying after yeasterday’s laundry batch, so the pants it was.

“Do you wanna go anywhere?” Anny asked, already carrying two bags full of clothes. Mary held three.

“I might dye my hair.”

“Bold!” Mary exclaimed, “How so?”

Evy shrugged. “Thought it would be something nice for a change.”

“What color?” Anny asked.

“Light pink.”

Her older sister frowned. “You know dad already didn’t like you having that small patch of pink, are you sure you want to dye everything?”

“Yeah, I think I do.”

Anny sighed. “Don’t come crying to me later I didn’t warn you.”

After a few hours at the hairdresser’s, the previously blonde girl now couldn’t help but look at herself in every store window she came across. Her hair now was a soft light pink, and just as Liv had said, it really suited her. It made her less dark and boring.

She checked the time on her phone and noticed it was already three o’clock in the afternoon. Her sisters were waiting for her at the bubble tea store. She had to hurry.

Just as she arrived, she saw a speck of blue moving in front of the cinema. Liv? She took a few steps back to check, and just as she thought, it was her. And next to her was Evan. They were holding hands, looking at the movies that were showing. She saw Liv placing a soft kiss on Evan’s lips just before they entered the lobby. Were they dating?

“Evy, there you are! What’s wrong?” Mary called, snapping her out of the scenery that had just unfolded before her eyes. She shook her head.

“Ah, nothing. Let’s get inside, I want a strawberry bubble tea.”

* * * *

Sundays were Evy’s least favourite day of the week. She would be dressed in a shapeless, old-fashioned dress with ugly flowers and dragged to church, where she would have to spend the whole morning listening to someone explaining a book that, in her opinion, could be considered out of date nowadays.

After the scolding yesterday from her dad for dyeing her hair ‘such an abominable color’, she felt more and more like she was pushing against everything that she had been taught all thoughout her childhood. To her, everything seemed to contradict, and everything seemed to be stuck in it’s old ways. Find a good man, get married, have kids. Obey God, obey the church, don’t be a sinner.

Two hours later she was free again, breathing in the fresh autumn air. Soon it would be Halloween, her favourite holiday, a holiday her dad was against celebrating. Evy and her sisters had never been allowed to go trick or treating.

She sighed. Promising she would be back in time for lunch, she took a detour through the woodlands that edged the town. There was a clearing halfway along the path that she had discovered during summer. It had quickly become her sacred refuge, even though she gotten lost a few times, still learning the route. The clearing harbored a teahouse that always smelled of cinnamon and there were a few benches outside that were perfectly placed for catching the early rays of sunshine.

She sat down on one of them, the wood still a bit damp from the rain last night. Hell if she cared, the dress only caried negative connections anyway. Evy would gladly burn the thing at the first chance she got.

For a few minutes all she did was watching the trees move in the wind, the birds hop on the group and people coming and going into the teahouse. She got hungry and the smell tried to lure her in. But just as she wanted to get up, her eyes fell on a couple sitting close to the window. Blue hair, black hair. They got up and Evy watched as the two exited the building. She moved just a bit so a branch of a nearby tree would hide her. Lo and behold, it was Liv with Jamie. She held his hand, just like she had done with Evan. She kissed him, just like she had done with Evan. A thought popped up that she couldn’t control. Was Liv two-timing?

Shocked, she watched as the two left. They didn’t notice her, thank God, but now she needed an extra big cinnamon cookie. She would confront Liv about it tomorrow.