There was no time to flick through the rails and have a proper look. Honestly? I was more scared of Aphrodite catching me in her wardrobe than Dad walking in on my house party. There was no knowing how she’d react.
A flash of peach peeked out at me from underneath a dust jacket. I pulled out a dress that looked to be around my size. When I went to try it on, the dress slipped over my head and stopped just above my knees. Sorted.
The matching shoes – a pair of fabric-covered T-bar heels with a diamante flower on each – were labelled in a box beneath the dress. Thank goodness for Aphrodite’s militant streak when it came to fashion. I grabbed my ill-gotten gains and rushed back downstairs to my room, convinced that she’d come back any minute, murder of a dress thief on her mind.
I had every reason to be nervous. If the myths about Aphrodite are true, her vengeance knows no bounds.
THIRTEEN
The doorbell buzzed, and I rushed downstairs to meet Eros by the front door. I looked through the glass peephole to see Yasmin and a tall guy I didn’t recognize – it must’ve been her big brother, Isaac.
I leaned in to Eros. “Are you ready?” He nodded, but he looked nervous. I didn’t blame him. Neither of us wanted to be on the wrong side of Dad’s lightning-bolt temper.
I opened the front door. “Hey, Yas. Come in!”
“I’m Helen’s cousin. So great to meet you!” Eros shook both of their hands, and they walked through the door without a hitch. We’d cheated Dad’s intruder lock!
I could see why half of the girls in our year were coming to the party because of Isaac. He was seriously hot. He stood head and shoulders above Yasmin (which isn’t hard, she’s quite petite) and his beard made him look way older than seventeen. When he thanked me for letting them use the house, I felt my face turn beetroot.
“Didn’t I tell you Helen was the coolest?” Yas said. “And don’t worry. We won’t leave you to clean it all up tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow morning?” I said.
“Yeah! I assumed we could sleep over seeing as your dad is away. That cool with you?”
I nodded even though I felt like rolling up into a ball, armadillo style. What if Aphrodite came back in the morning? What if Dad arrived before we cleaned up the party debris? What if— I stopped myself right there. I couldn’t spend the entire night worrying about if/when Dad would come back.
The party was happening now. It was too late to turn back, so I may as well enjoy it.
Over the afternoon, a steady stream of Isaac’s friends turned up with drinks, snacks and music equipment. Including a massive sound system. It was shaping up to be that type of party.
I was trying to squeeze the cans of soft drinks into the fridge, Tetris-style, when Yas tapped me on the shoulder.
“Helen, what’s your postcode?” Yasmin asked.
“It’s N7 9—wait. Why do you need that?”
“Isaac’s barber’s cousin’s girlfriend and her mates are stopping by at some point. You OK with that, hun?”
I nodded weakly (this was the fourth time I’d given my postcode out in the last hour).
“Listen, Yas. Do you think we maybe, possibly, have enough people already? I just don’t want the neighbours to—”
“There she is!” Isaac said. He was with a couple of equally gorgeous guys. “This party would be nothing without you, Helen, yeah?”
I blushed crimson and shrugged. “It’s nothing, I had a free house so…” I mumbled.
“Don’t worry, Helen,” Yasmin said when Isaac and his ASOS-model friends went next door to set up the speakers. “The boys won’t let anything get out of hand. Neither will I.”
Still, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. I had complete strangers messaging me for my address! The scale of the party was finally sinking in. Was I going to regret this?
Daphne and Noor soon arrived, armed with enough make-up and hairspray to kit out a fashion show. Even though we spent a lot of time on make-up (well, Noor did) at our sleepovers, doing it for a party felt way more exciting. The thought that I could have my first kiss tonight crossed my mind. It gave me butterflies, but not the giving-a-monologue-in-drama-class kind. The good kind.
After Noor did my make-up, I had to sort out my hair. What was I going to do with it? I didn’t have the time or energy to blow-dry and straighten it.
“You should totally wear your hair down!” Daphne said.
“Do it, babe,” chipped in Noor. “Set your curls free!”
The last time I wore my hair down to a party was in Year 7. Boys compared me to a garden hedge, and most of the girls plunged their hands into my hair like I was a fairground attraction. It was rude, and all the touching made my hair frizz out even more. I’d avoided wearing my hair down ever since.
But I couldn’t go to a party with my hair in the same style I wear to school every day, so I took a deep breath, teased my hair out of the elastic and worked product into my curls.
After all, I was throwing a forbidden house party and wearing a stolen outfit – letting my hair down (literally) was the least wild thing I could do that night.
I changed into the dress and took a look in the full-length mirror. The rosy coral of the dress was the perfect colour match for the pink gloss on my lips. Mini beads covered every surface of the dress, making it shimmer from rosy pink to gold whenever it caught the light. The top half was sleeveless with a simple V neckline (it was a little lower than I would have liked, but it’s not like I have much to show off), but the skirt was an explosion of sequins in a unique floral pattern. I’d never felt more glamorous. Goddess-like, even.
Maybe Aphrodite’s powers of beauty extended to her clothes? Because I couldn’t believe that fabric and sequins and thread could have such an effect.
Yasmin interrupted my moment of vanity. “Rah, Helen! This look is flames.”
“You look increds!” Daphne examined the hem of my dress. “Is it vintage? I’d say 1930s, but that’s impossible. The condition is too good.”
“Wow! You’re giving me strong Zendaya vibes,” Noor said.
I finally understood why women spend hours looking for that perfect dress, deliberating over lipstick shades. Because, for the first time in a while, I felt like I could take on the world.
I’m not stupid. I know having perfect hair and a perfect dress doesn’t make me smarter or nicer or more fun to be around. But it gave me a superhero surge of confidence that I don’t have in my usual jeans and trainers.
I looked so good that I didn’t feel a shred of guilt for breaking into Aphrodite’s closet and stealing a priceless vintage dress. And I’m sure it doesn’t count as breaking in if a) the door was unlocked and b) the room is in your own house. Right? Right.
“Selfie time!” said Noor, brandishing her phone.
Usually, I protested when Noor wanted to take selfies – which was every waking hour – but what the heck? It’s not very often you’re glammed up to the nines and hosting a party with half of North London talking about it. This was a milestone for sure, and I wanted to remember every second of it.
FOURTEEN
Over a dozen people arrived at the door, one after the other. Eros had to welcome them all in one by one, but because he’s so warm and charming no one seemed to think it was odd. In fact, it seemed to put them in an even better mood. Eros has that effect on people.