sitting at your vanity , catherine stands behind you —— hands atop your shoulders before a finger teases the long , burnt - sienna ringlets . you had to blink a couple of times for your eyes to settle with the blush - pink contacts . as an added accessory , a pink headband sits on the top of your head . you’d vomit if you didn’t care about the ensemble created by your own hands : these were colours you wouldn’t dare to drape on your skin , but it was a necessary evil .
❛ I don’t know , catherine . ❜ the first set of words that broke the silence . you looked nothing like yourself ! though the appearance was different , your accent was still strong , telling . ❛ can I even pull this off? ❜ uncertainty coats the tone of your voice much like the butterflies did in the pit of your stomach . in response , catherine kneels in front of you , forcing the both of you to meet eyes . ❛ of course you can ! I do this all the time , remember ? you just have to step away from alyssa and be . . . this person . what do you want her to look like ? sound like ? act like ? get to know her , and soon you’ll believe her . ❜ she moves aside and you come to a stand : you’re taking in the sight of the frills , the pastels , the thigh-high stockings and pink pumps . ❛ I look like I stepped right out of mean girls . . . I mean , alyssa and pink doesn’t mix at all and —— ❜ catherine cuts you off , ❛ pink and alyssa doesn’t mix , but pink and charlotte does . ❜
❛ charlotte ? that’s the name we’re goin’ with ? ❜
❛ yes , and charlotte is new to the city . charlotte also wouldn’t have a new yorker’s accent , so we’re going to have to work on that. ❜
❛ what am I supposed to do , not talk ? ❜
catherine winks , ❛ no , you’re going to talk , and by the time I finish you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. ~ ❜
and before you knew it , alyssa jones was no longer the person the reflection staring back at you . you were charlotte st. thomas.