by Palladian
Lex had bowed her head as she’d finished, but looked back up again as suddenly she felt herself caught up in a big hug. To her surprise she saw Serena’s arms wrapped around her. The bags fell off Lex's shoulders, and her arms came up, seemingly by themselves, to hug Serena back. Lex closed her eyes and breathed in Serena’s perfumed scent, the gesture making her feel somewhat better yet infinitely worse.
“You poor girl,” Serena said, her voice low, sounding as if she’d been hurt by seeing Lex’s pain.
Lex felt a painful bubble pushing up inside her chest, and she had to clear her throat a couple of times and swallow carefully before she could respond, “Thanks.”
Her eyes closed involuntarily as she stood there for a few moments more, but they opened back up as she felt a large hand on her shoulders. Lex looked up to see Casey, and tried to smile.
“I'd be able to understand better if he was poor, but his family's loaded. They practically bought him that condo we were living in…” Lex trailed off, the thought suddenly hitting her that it didn’t matter anymore. She swallowed again, and it felt a little less painful, as the three of them moved to stand a bit further apart. Lex looked up at Casey before she spoke again.
“I told him I’d be back tomorrow at noon to pick up the rest of my stuff, and I was hoping, Casey, that maybe you could help me. In the morning I can go out and rent a van. I don't have any furniture right now, so it's mostly just small things—”
Casey interrupted, shaking her head. “You don't need to rent a van. We can sign one out of the garage.”
Lex looked at her in confusion. “What garage?”
The blonde grinned in reply. “Let's go down there now. We can check to see what vans they have in and make sure they have enough boxes.”
“Oh, OK,” Lex said, following Casey out of the kitchen.
To her surprise, Serena came along, as well. “I'm going to help, too, if you need it.”
“Thanks, Serena,” she answered, smiling feebly, “I'd really appreciate it.”
They all went down one level, and Lex found herself shaking her head. It hadn't occurred to her to ask what was on this level; she'd sort of forgotten it as she ran up and down the stairs. The stairwell door opened onto a large garage with a number of cars, vans, and other mechanical devices stored in it that Lex didn't automatically recognize.
The three of them found the mechanic onsite and signed out one of the smaller vans, then packed some empty boxes that they’d grabbed from a nearby storeroom into the back of the van. With that completed, the three women headed back upstairs. Lex felt tired and washed out again and sighed sadly, trying to keep it quiet. She stumbled a little in ascending, but Casey's strong hand on her back quickly steadied her. Lex looked over at her friend and tried to smile in thanks.
“So,” Serena said, turning to look at the two of them, “what are you planning to do this evening?”
Lex felt a pressing emptiness as she thought about that and her mouth tasted like dust again. She had no idea and hadn't thought about it since being in the metro this afternoon. The three of them passed through to the main level, and Lex cleared her throat again before answering.
“I don’t know. I have my DVD collection now, though, so maybe I'll just watch some movies…” she trailed off finally, trying not to look the other two in the eyes because she didn't think she could manage right then. They must think I’m pathetic, Lex told herself.
“Oh, no,” Serena replied, and Lex glanced at her as she shook her head from side to side. “We're going out. The worst thing you could do would be to sit around and mope. Trust me, I've been rejected more than a few times. We’ll go out and have a great time. There are plenty of men out there who aren't morons like your ex, so let's get out there and find some to make you feel more like you should.”
“But I'm not ready—”
Serena laughed, interrupting Lex. “I'm not saying you've got to have sex with them, I'm just saying that it’ll make you feel better to see that there are plenty more fish in the sea, and plenty who’ll be glad to pay you the attention you deserve. Understand?”
Lex stood still for a moment, not entirely convinced but willing to consider the idea. As she thought about it, it did seem more appealing than sitting around watching films, which probably wouldn't be diverting enough to keep her thoughts at bay, so she’d likely spend the evening feeling depressed. Being out with other people would be distracting and probably keep her from going over the scenes from the condo again and again in her mind. She went to pick up the bags she'd left in the front hall and heard Casey's voice.
“If you guys are going out tonight, I'm coming along,” she said, a trace of something like anger in her voice as she gave Serena a hard look.
Lex looked over to see Serena shooting Casey an interested glance in return. “The more the merrier,” she replied with a smirk.
As Lex turned to go upstairs, puzzled by the exchange, she felt a slim arm link into hers. “Come into my room, and we'll get you cleaned up and ready for tonight,” Serena told Lex, then looked back with a grin. Lex followed Serena’s glance to see Casey standing in the front hall looking fierce, her arms crossed across her chest.
Lex looked back at Serena as the woman tugged on her arm and got distracted as she had a bad thought, her heart sinking. “I just remembered that none of my dress clothes are here yet. The only things I have with me are workout gear and some business things.”
Serena seemed unworried, looking her up and down for a moment and considering. “Hmm…not a problem. We're more or less the same height, but I can tell you're broader than me because you’re obviously more fit. I have some slinky, stretchy dresses that will fit you fine, though.”
“Are you sure—” Lex began, feeling embarrassed by the redhead’s kindness.
“Yes, I'm sure,” Serena interrupted, elbowing Lex. “Now come on in so we can get you ready!”
Lex dutifully followed Serena to the room diagonally across the hall from hers. As the two of them entered, Lex just stood at the door for a moment, nearly gaping. The room layout was similar to her own, but slightly larger with no window. This had been compensated for by a projected picture of a beachscape with palm trees covering the far wall. The sun looked to be within a few hours of setting, and Lex could hear the gentle sound of waves hitting the beach and seagulls crying overhead.
She would have stood for a while dumbfounded by that, but then she caught sight of the oversized bed in the middle of the room. It had a circular shape and looked as if it could fit several occupants comfortably. Lex vaguely saw some additional furniture that looked tasteful yet somehow suggestive at the same time, but the rest of the room's details blurred as Serena grabbed her arm and hauled her into the bathroom.
“We've got some work to do before we go out tonight, so take time to relax first,” Serena said excitedly.
Lex noted first that the bathroom took up more space than the one in her room. As Serena switched the light on, she realized why. The shower stall looked more or less the same, but a huge sink with a vanity mirror had been added, along with shelves beside it and a huge bathtub so big that you could fit a couple of people in it. The room had been elegantly tiled, and different types of lighting had been added, as well. Lex looked around in confusion, not sure what to do next.
“You can put your bags on these top shelves so nothing gets wet,” Serena told her, moving some towels to a lower shelf. Lex followed instructions as Serena started the bath water running. She hummed as the water ran and added some bath salts from a crystal jar, which released the sweet smells of lavender and jasmine into the air. As she tested the water, Serena nodded to herself and stepped back.
“Go ahead and get in. I'm going to start putting your outfit together. I have a few ideas, but I may need to see how you look in a couple of things, so you'll have to be patient, OK?”
Lex agreed automatically. She didn't mind trying on a bunch of clothes, and the bath seemed really appealing, the feel of the
steam on her skin enticing and relaxing at the same time.
“Try to chill out for a while and forget about everything that happened today. Read some of those if you start feeling bad.”
Serena had gestured to a stack of magazines on the lower shelf as she left the bathroom, and Lex glanced at them, seeing Cosmo, People, and Vogue, among others. She began undressing but didn't pick a magazine out, opting instead for slipping into the deliciously warm water once she’d shed all her clothes. Lex felt almost as if she could do little laps due to the size of the tub once it had been filled. She smiled at the thought, closed her eyes, and let the warm water work its heat into her tired muscles and bones.
Lex faced the glassy, deep waterfall again. She put her arm into the water this time to gauge the depth, but had to pull it back when the water reached halfway between her wrist and elbow, due to the strength of the current. As she focused her attention, Lex spotted the frozen person on the other side of the waterfall again. She squinted to see more clearly as the person, who seemed agitated, continued trying to tell her something. Lex still couldn't make out the person's face, but this time something about the figure, maybe the way the hair had been cut or their general build, made her think that the person was a woman. Focusing on the woman's pale mouth, Lex finally made out “Watch out for—”
Lex jerked to wakefulness in the bathtub, splashing a little water around. She found that the water level had risen to her armpits and so turned the taps off. Feeling disoriented, just as she had the first time after that dream, Lex sat in the hot water quietly for a few moments, watching the steam rise off her skin. As she began to wake up a little more, Lex started to wonder what the woman wanted her to watch out for. Since she’d only had the dream once prior to today, she hadn't thought much about it, but now… What could it be? A person? A situation? Lex closed her eyes, trying to focus on the dream and see what meaning she could pull out, but eventually sighed in frustration because it seemed too vague. Maybe if she could see the woman better next time…
She sank a little lower into the bathtub, enjoying the hot water and the floral scents in the air. The waterfall had been cold—not icy or bone chilling but definitely uncomfortable—and the contrast with the water in the bath felt pleasant. Lex spread out in the tub then, allowing her limbs to float back and forth like a mermaid. She mentally admitted she couldn’t do laps but confirmed that a few more people could definitely fit in the bath. For a long, clear moment, Lex just felt happy. It confused her when she thought about it, but then she realized that despite the disturbing events of the past few hours (which she quickly pushed her thoughts away from), she’d felt more at home and cared for over the past two weeks than she probably ever had. She didn’t feel absolutely comfortable in her surroundings since Clara and Sauer seemed kind of weird, and she didn't appreciate having to go through so much medical testing. However, having time to hang out with Casey and get to know her, learning under Mr. Chen, and now being taken care of by Serena had made her feel as if she truly belonged. As a little spring of happiness bubbled up in her, Lex brought her knees up and leaned forward over them as if to protect that small feeling, and closed her eyes.
Lex whipped her head around as the bathroom door opened following a quick knock, but she relaxed again when she saw Serena poking in.
“I heard some splashing and wanted to make sure you were OK—” Serena began, but broke off with a gasp before she asked, “Lex! Who did that to your back?”
Automatically, Lex looked over her shoulder but sighed at the same time as she did it. She knew that Serena meant the scars, like everyone else always did. Swallowing hard, Lex responded.
“My, um, my dad. Unfortunately, there are more, too.”
Serena shook her head. “I see you've had more than your share of bastards in your life.”
Lex sighed. “Yeah, well, the latest one didn't like what the first one did. It was one of the things he was complaining about to his friend on the phone when I got home.”
“That asshole,” Serena said in a low, dangerous voice, “Lex, if I ever meet him, I'm going to slap him so hard that his head is going to swing around like he’s on the set of the Exorcist.”
Lex couldn’t help a small laugh, and Serena smiled in response.
“I know what I want to have you wear tonight now and where we're going to go. So, the jerk thinks there's something wrong with you because you don't look like everyone else? We're going to go someplace where people will appreciate you just the way you are.”
“What do you mean?” Lex asked, knowing her expression showed her confusion.
“Just wait,” Serena answered with a smile. “For now, though, relax a little while longer and then finish getting cleaned up. I'm going to make you even more beautiful than you already are before we go out.”
Lex gulped nervously, not used to anyone talking about her like that. “OK,” she finally replied, settling back into the water as Serena closed the door again.
Sometime later, Lex made her way out of the bathroom with a towel and some underclothes on, after pawing through her bags and remembering she hadn't packed any other clothes. Serena gestured her over to a low vanity table near the projected beachscape that had a large mirror on the wall behind it, various bottles and cases scattered over its surface, and two small lamps in the back corners.
“OK, let's get you ready,” Serena said after Lex sat down on a little bench in front of the table. Serena looked over Lex’s shoulder into the mirror for a little while, as if considering something, and then sprang into action.
Lex patiently did whatever Serena asked, even though she felt skeptical about the eventual outcome. Since her mother had spent so much of her childhood haranguing her about being an ugly duckling, Lex didn't think that anything Serena could do would have much effect. Trying not to worry about it, she closed her eyes and lost herself for a little while in the feel of the fluttering brushstrokes on her skin. When Serena finally told Lex to open her eyes to see the end result and asked what she thought, Lex felt astonished and disbelieving.
She could see her reflection, but she felt it really didn't look like her anymore. The dark color that Serena had used around her eyes seemed to bring their green color out, and the short horizontal lines she’d painted from the outer corners of Lex’s eyes made them look exotic and foreign. Her complexion seemed paler than normal, her hair now curled more than usual and tied up and back in a long piece of black lace.
“Now put this on,” Serena said excitedly, handing Lex a stretchy black dress. “Don't worry; it's one of these things that has a bra built into it, so you don't have to wear an extra one.”
Lex looked carefully at herself afterwards, not sure what to think. From the tank-style top to the hips, the dress pressed tightly against her skin. The skirt split along the sides just past the hip and came down to the knee on Lex, definitely the type of skirt designed to display your legs, she thought. When she turned, however, she nearly gasped as she spotted that the rear part of the dress scooped down nearly to her waist so that practically her whole back could be seen. She looked back at Serena uncertainly. Serena grinned widely.
“Yes, this is the perfect dress for you for tonight.”
“Are you sure about this?” Lex murmured, still staring at her reflection, feeling shaky and worried. “I don’t know. I’m not used to looking like this.” Or showing so much skin, she thought.
Serena shrugged, raising an eyebrow. “I was just trying to make you look like the rest of the folks where we'll be going. I think you look great, but it’s not hard to do when you've got good material to work with.”
Lex ducked her head as she felt her cheeks heat up, but finally managed to look up fractionally as she answered her friend. “Well, thanks, but I'm sure I’m not going to look as beautiful as you.”
She’s probably just saying that to be nice, Lex thought, trying to look at her back in the mirror again, her nervous breaths drawing in the scent of powder.
Serena le
t loose a brief burst of laughter. “Lex, you're not beautiful like me, you're beautiful like you. There's a world of beautiful people out there and not one of them looks like any other.”
Lex looked up at her uncertainly, her heart still pounding nervously, not sure what Serena meant.
Serena sighed then, looking at Lex’s uneasy expression. “All right, I've got to start getting ready so we can get out of here sometime tonight. Do you want to take your bags to your room and check up on Casey? Come back afterwards so we can talk some more while I finish getting ready.”
“Sounds good. I'll be back in a bit.” Lex breathed out heavily, relieved to be doing something other than looking in the mirror, and hurried out.
Lex saw Serena move to sit in front of the mirror as she closed the woman’s door behind her. After dumping her bags on the bottom of her closet, Lex went next door to Casey's room and knocked. She waited for a response as she realized she hadn't been in there before and wondered what it looked like until she heard a muffled invitation to come in.
Going inside, she saw Casey sitting in a large easy chair in front of a flat-screen television on the left side of the room. Through the open blinds Lex could see that the sunset had mostly disappeared and the lights in the buildings across the water shone out brightly. The bathroom and closet placement made Casey’s room a mirror image of Lex’s, and the blonde also had an extra-long bed in the right corner, headboard against the wall shared with the bathroom, a mostly full bookshelf in the far corner near the windows, and a few other chairs alongside the easy chair that she sat in. Casey gestured to one next to her as she remotely turned the TV off. She laughed and whistled as Lex sat down.
“Look at you!”
Lex twisted a little to try to see her back, uncomfortable with the attention. “Do I look stupid?”
“No, you look good. One thing I can say for Serena, she's got taste. If she makes up her mind to make someone look hot, she'll do it. Why? What do you think?”
“I was kind of surprised. It's just not what I'm used to looking like,” Lex replied nervously. “What are you planning to wear? Serena asked me to look in on you and see if you'll be ready to go soon.”