Lily

Lily stood in front of her closet, a battleground of clothes that seemed to mock her. For six years, her wardrobe had been a sea of black and baggy outfits, each piece a shield against the world. But tonight was different. Tonight, she was going clubbing for the first time since her self-imposed exile. The thought made her heart race— from fear and something else excitement maybe— she wasn't sure.

"Okay, Lily," she began, squaring her shoulders and adopting her best motivational speaker voice. "This is your night. You're going to dazzle like a disco ball, not blend in like a shadow!" She opened the closet door wide, as if challenging the clothes to step up to the occasion.

Her gaze fell upon a bright yellow dress that had been lurking in the back, a relic from a time when she felt more like herself. "God I could go blind just looking at this"she exclaimed, pulling it out like it was trash, "definitely not" she said and threw it on the floor. She kept rummaging through her closet, discarding several clothing with exaggerated gestures. "Baggy? Boring? Not on my watch!" she muttered, tossing pieces across the room where they landed with a soft thud on her bed. Finally, she found a black knee length dress, when she put it on it hugged her curves but wasn't too tight it felt just right. Tears welled up in her eyes it was a gift her mother had given her on her 20th birthday last year. She missed her family but then they had left her, so she ignored the gnawing sadness because if she succumbed to it she wouldn't heal. The dress was pretty, But she felt unsure, after what had happened she had settled with clothing that hid every part of her body, she knew she had a nice figure, that's the more reason she wore baggy outfits, so her body wouldn't call attention to her.

But tonight she wanted to do something spontaneous and different, so she decided to go with it.

The dress felt good on her but she didn't look at the mirror, she hated mirrors.

The dress was a masterful blend of form and function, hugging her curves with a gentle yet confident grasp. The silk fabric accentuated her every step without constraining her. The fit was tailored perfection – snug enough to showcase her toned physique, yet relaxed enough to avoid feeling suffocating.

She went to her vanity, she didn't like makeup and didn't use it but she had a few makeup items. She wasn't going to do much, she put on lipgloss and mascara and that was it. She straightened her black hair and brushed it to make it look better.

She put on some stud infinity shaped silver earrings, a silver ring on her right index finger and a silver necklace with an infinity pendant. She went over to her shoe rack and for the first time, she wished she had bought other shoes instead of hauling black crocs and black sneakers. She picked her black Nike Air Force 1 sneakers and put it on.

She hadn't look directly in the mirror for years she hated it, she didn't like the person she saw. But she was determined to start healing and it starts tonight, so she walked slowly into her closet towards the big mirror and closed her eyes, standing directly in front of the mirror. After a few conflicting moments, she took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes and looked at the mirror.

She stared at her reflection for several minutes, taking in her face and her body and how the dress looked on her. A strange feeling overwhelmed her, she felt something she hadn't felt when looking at the mirror all those years back she felt— pretty

She stood silently, still staring at her reflection. Unconsciously a smile had found it's way to her face, a genuine smile not a fake rehearsed smile she had mastered but a real smile.

She took in her curvy body, her long toned legs and pale skin, her heart shaped face,her glossy soft pink lips and her small pointed nose.

She knew she was pretty, back then in high school all the boys wanted her. She didn't believe it anymore after that day,but looking at herself now she knew she was.

Feeling a rush of adrenaline, she left the closet. With newfound confidence, she grabbed her purse and her phone and went down to the living room to get her car keys. She stood by the coffee table where her keys were for a few seconds, contemplating on which car to use. She would have gone with her Kia without a second thought, but tonight she wanted to act differently. So she picked up the key to the G wagon and headed towards the garage, ready to embrace the night. "Let's do this!" she said to herself as she got into the driver seat. She felt a flutter of nerves and excitement. The world was waiting, and for the first time in a long time, Lily was ready to step into the spotlight.