Hanna paced in her room, twisting her hands together as she glanced at her closet. A dozen hangers swayed back and forth, but nothing seemed right. She checked the time and finally grabbed her phone, dialing her brother with a shaky hand.
“Jacob?” She tried to keep her voice steady. “Have you… have you met Finn’s parents?”
There was a pause on the other end before he sighed. “A few times, yeah. They’re, you know, what you’d expect.” His tone sounded half-amused, half-sympathetic.
“What does that mean?”
“They’re… they have high standards,” he said carefully. “They’re probably just gonna size you up like anyone else Finn brings around. But hey,” he added quickly, “you don’t have to impress them, Hanna. Just be yourself.”
“Right,” she said, but the word felt hollow. Being herself felt like it wouldn’t be enough.
Hanna took a deep breath, still gripping the phone. “I don’t know. I just… want to make a good impression, I guess.”
The next thing she knew, she’d called Emily, who showed up at her house half an hour later, ready with a makeup bag and a wide grin.
“You’re going for a full transformation,” Emily said decisively. “Hanna, this is your chance to show that you’re… I don’t know, that you’re fabulous.”
“Fabulous?” Hanna raised an eyebrow, and Emily rolled her eyes.
“Finn’s parents will see what a catch you are, no matter what they’re like. And guess what? We’re gonna get you a dress that makes you look like you belong there—because you doEmily practically dragged Hanna to the fanciest store in the city, insisting that she try on dresses that made her feel, in her own words, “like a million bucks.” In the end, they settled on a deep green dress with a fitted bodice and a sweeping skirt.
As Hanna looked at herself in the mirror, Emily stood beside her, her arms crossed and a proud smile on her face. “You look like you could go to prom and win prom queen on the same night. I’m just saying.”
Hanna laughed nervously. “It’s a little… much, isn’t it?”
“Trust me,” Emily said, turning her by the shoulders to face her reflection. “You deserve this. And you’re going to look like you belong, even if they don’t act like it.”