marella gets the song dead girl in the pool by girl in red

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--marella redek-

I am a woman of spontaneity, is what I would tell someone if they asked me what I was doing.

What I am doing is dying my hair burnt orange as a last-minute fashion choice before sleeping over at Rimeshire.

"You think they'll like this?" I ask after guzzling the elixir down. So, a little too late, maybe, to second guess myself.

A girl with curly brown hair and warm medium-toned skin snorts behind me. "You mean, will Dex like this? Yeah, I think he will. Apparently, he has good taste, according to what I see here."

Stina is standing behind me, her tall frame towering over mine in the bathroom mirror. I invited her over- well, by that I mean I gave her the consent to come to my house whenever she pleased and she chose to do that this morning, and now she's helping me pick a look to show up to Dex's house with.

I smile despite myself. Not many girls would be willing to help their best friend impress the guy they despise themselves. Stina is a rare one, that's for sure.

"Thank you," I say softly. "For trusting him."

Stina snorts again, but her gaze is softer now. "He's a good guy. Annoying...and kinda dorky, but good. How I feel about Dex is..." She pauses. "Kinda like how you feel about Tam. And anyway, I don't have the right to boss you around about who you're gonna screw."

I laugh. "As if you could."

Stina shakes her head with a smile on her face- one only me and one other very, very special person can get out of her cold, dead heart. "It's been four years, and I still have no idea what I'm going to do with you, Marella."

"That's what they all say. Like I need someone to do something-" I load the sarcasm on those two words "-with me in the first place. I'm Marella Goddamn Redek, I can do things with myself."

Stina chuckles. "That's the Marella I know and love." Her eyes widen as she looks in the mirror. "Marella, look."

There, my blonde hair has disappeared and in its place is a color of welcoming warm soups in wintertime, contrasting my piercing ice-blue eyes.

"Woah, I look hot."

"Damn right. Now, I've got a date to go on with Maruca..." Stina's navy blue eyes slightly crinkle at just her name, "but I wish you the best. Your outfit is on the bed. Don't screw anything up."

My nervousness and tension slightly thaw away at the playful jab. "Stina, when have I screwed anything whatsoever up?" I say with a teasing tone lacing my voice.

"You want a list?"

I laugh. "Go makeout with Maruca and leave me alone."

Stina's eyes widen, because there's only one person in the world capable of making Stina Heks's face heat up, and it's certainly not me. "We're not going to make-

With all of the muscle I have in my biceps, I drag Stina to the doorway and slam the door in her face. "I can't hear you!" I say with a singsongy lilt.

"Have fun, Marella," I hear Stina say before she glitters back to Sterling Gables, and my Imparter rings, chanting Dex's name.

I lean onto the bathroom sink and pick up, taking Dex's appearance in little by little. His strawberry blonde hair is tousled and stringy, but his sparkling periwinkle eyes are as bright as ever.

"Hey Dizznee," I greet, watching his eyes widen at me.

"Nice hair, Redek," he grins, flashing adorable dimples at me. I remember the old Dex that stuttered whenever he tried to talk. Oh god, he was hopeless back then. He's improved now.

I smirk. Okay, maybe he's done a little more than improving...

Alright, Marella, no checking anyone out yet, you have more self-control than that.

"-here yet, the house is all to us," Dex says excitedly. "Took a while, but my parents have taken the triplets to a seaside town in the human world. You know how they've always wanted to see the beach."

I snicker. "If they think crabs at the beach look like those macaroni portraits they did of some, they'll be in for a rude awakening."

Dex cracks up.

"You want me to come over now?" I ask him.

"Yeah, sure," he says, glancing sideways out one of Rimeshire's icy glass windows. "Tam and Linh seem to be making their way up already. See you soon, Redek."

I wink, watching Dex's face flush slightly pink. "See ya, Dizznee." I hang up. And with that, I get another call, this time from Linh.

"Marella!" she says once I pick up the phone. "Your hair!"

"Yeah, I decided I needed a change, I suppose," I say with a smirk.

"You look amazing!" Linh agrees, and my heart melts a little bit when I look into her eyes and see only the purest of sincerity. "Dex'll love it!"

"I already called him, actually." I fail to quell the lovesick grin on my face. "Yeah, he likes it." I pause and frown. "Wait, why do you assume that's the only thing I care about? He may be, well, y'know, Dex, but I'm still Marella."

"Okay, fair. You don't care about what anyone else thinks of you. Sure." Linh rolls her eyes, but her smile is still plastered onto her lips.

"I don't!"

Okay, well maybe I do care what Dex thinks, but I don't let that influence my decisions!

I sigh. "Alright, why did you call me again?"

Linh grins even wider. "I'm just...so excited! I need some social interaction to keep me from squealing too much. Do you want to show up together?"

"I'd like that. I'm just gonna get dressed." I gestured to my t-shirt and shorts. "Can't go to that freezing ice castle of a home with some warm attire, can I?"

"Second that. I'll leap to your house and wait by the door. Bye!" Linh clicks off and I walk back to my room to get changed, the smile that Linh coaxed out of me lingering on my cheeks.