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“Phineas and Ferb.
 
This show is awesome!”

Roseline watched for a few minutes, amused by the platypus that was a pet by day and secret agent by night.
 
“Creative.”

“No kidding,” William nodded, eyes glued to the screen.
 

“Do you watch children’s shows often?” Roseline asked, fighting to hide her smile.

William switched off the TV and sat up.
 
“Hey, I know what you’re thinking.
 
What’s a genius like me doing watching a show like that?
 
Well let me tell you missy, brainiacs need a break too you know.”

Roseline giggled as William thrust his thumb into his chest.
 
“I see.
 
Wow, I didn’t realize I was in the presence of greatness.”

William nodded solemnly.
 
“And don’t you forget it!”

“Is he trying to hit on you again?” Sadie called as she bounced down the stairs.
 
Her usual spiked collar had been replaced by a dog choke chain; it clanged loudly as she landed on the ground floor.
 
She wore jeans two sizes too big, drooped at the waist and a Pink Floyd t-shirt.
 

“Oh not again,” William groaned.
 
“Aren’t you done with this phase yet?”

“Nope.
 
I’m still exercising my civil rights.”

Roseline grinned.
 
“Protesting the school dress code on the weekend too?”

“You bet,” Sadie nodded, slinging herself into the arm chair.
 
“Someone has to make a statement.”

“Well I’d say you’re covering that for the entire school,” Mrs. Hughes said as she brought a plate of freshly baked biscuits into the living room.
 
“Hungry Rose?”

“Yes Ma’am.
 
Forgot to eat this morning.”

“No kidding.
 
It’s like 5am!” Sadie groaned, shielding her eyes from the bright sunshine streaming in through the bay window nearby.

“Oh stop being such a sour puss,” William cried, tossing a pillow at his sister.
 
“It’s at least 7am.”

“It’s a tragedy, that’s what it is,” Sadie said mournfully.
 
“I never get out of bed before 10am on a Saturday.
 

“Then why are you awake so early?” Roseline questioned, knowing full well that Sadie and William had already been awake when she arrived.

A mischievous grin spread across Sadie’s face.
 
She glanced over at William, a conspiratorial gleam in her eye.
 
Roseline stared at the siblings with increasing suspicion.
 
“Alright, what’s going on?”

***

“How could you say yes without even asking me?” Roseline cried, leaping to her feet.
 
She was furious, ok maybe not furious, but she was certainly peeved.
 
Gabriel had stopped Sadie the night before and invited them to a party at his house the next night, and Sadie had actually agreed!
 

Mixed emotions washed over Roseline as she fought to control her rising panic.
 
Did she want to see Gabriel again?
  
Yes, but that’s where the kicker came in.
 
She wanted to see him far more than she should.

“I thought you’d be happy,” Sadie cried.
 
“You sure seemed to enjoy talking to him last weekend.”

“Yes, talking is fine…” Roseline agreed.

Sadie scanned Roseline’s growing blush.
 
“But he wants more, doesn’t he?”

William jerked upright, suddenly very interested in their conversation.
 
Roseline shrugged.
 
“He asked if I had plans.
 
That’s all.”

“So what stopped you?”

Thousands of reasons flooded her mind.
 
Like the fact that she was an Immortal with a husband who had a real jealous streak and was evil enough to happily rip Gabriel’s limbs from his body?
 
Roseline stared pointedly at her, choosing the only excuse that Sadie could understand.
 
“He has a girlfriend Sadie, you know that.
 
I don’t care how amazing a guy might look; I’m not a boyfriend stealer.”

William winced but Roseline ignored him.
 
If he didn’t like it, too bad.
 
It wasn’t like Roseline had given him any reason to hope for a relationship.
 

“It’s just a party Rose,” Sadie said, exasperated.
 
“I’m not asking you to marry the guy!”

She couldn’t stand still any longer.
 
Nervous energy attacked her legs as she paced back and forth.
 
Roseline hated how unsettled Gabriel made her feel.
 
Just thinking about him was bad enough, but after a weeks worth of dreaming about him, she was afraid she’d jump him the instant she saw him.

“What if you went with a date?” Sadie suggested, breaking into Roseline’s thoughts.
 
“That way you wouldn’t be tempted to break your moral code.”

“A date?” Roseline laughed.
 
“Where could I find a date on such short notice?”

William tripped over his own feet trying to stand.
 
“Me!
 
I’m free.”

Roseline smiled warmly.
 
“Thanks William but I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, his face drooping with disappointment.
 

“Definitely.”
 
There was no way Roseline wanted to risk giving William the wrong idea.
 
He was cute, no doubt about that, but he was more like a brother to her.
 

Roseline turned on Sadie, still trying to find a loop hole to get her out of the party.
 
“I thought you hated the in-crowd.
 
What’s with the change of heart?”

“Oh don’t give me that look,” Sadie pleaded.
 
“I know what you’re thinking, and yes you’re right.
 
Parting with snobs isn’t exactly my scene anymore…but it’s the first time since freshman year that I’ve been invited.
 
I gotta go Rose.”
 
Her pleas wrenched at Roseline’s heart.
 

 
Roseline let out an exaggerated sigh.
 
She couldn’t fault Sadie for wanting one night of feeling like she fit in, but Roseline thought it was a terrible idea.
 
Setting her own concerns aside, she couldn’t help but fear the night would not end well.

“I get that.
 
But you’ve tried for four years to rebel against these people.
 
Don’t give in just for one stupid party.”

Sadie’s upper lip tucked behind her lower lip, creating a pathetically endearing pout.
 
“Look…I know I’ll be the leper of the party, but I still want to go.
 
Can’t you give me just one night to feel like I’m special again?”

Roseline slung her arm over Sadie’s shoulder.
 
“The in-crowd is just a bunch of miserable drug addicts, alcoholics and sluts.
 
You really
wanna
be like them?”

“Well now that you mention it…” Sadie trailed off, grinning mischievously.

Roseline giggled.
 
“You’re shameless!”

“And proud of it!” Sadie crowed, not looking the least bit contrite.
 
“So what do you say?”

“Are you in on this too?” Roseline glanced over at William, who was still pouting over her earlier rejection.
 

He nodded before stuffing another biscuit into his mouth.
 
“I’m game.”

“I don’t have anything to wear,” Roseline protested, knowing it was such a pathetic excuse that Sadie would shoot holes through it in an instant.
 

But she was wrong.
 
William jumped first.
 
“No problem.
 
Sadie’s got a load of clothes that she never wears!
 
I’m sure she has something that will fit you.”

Roseline’s eyes darted towards Sadie, not wanting to be rude.
 
Sadie giggled.
 
“I don’t always dress like this you know.
 
I do own some normal clothes.”

“I didn’t say a word,” Roseline grinned.

“You didn’t have to,” William chuckled.
 
“Why don’t we pick you up after dinner?
 
That should give you about an hour to get ready.”

“Like that’s gonna be enough time,” Sadie scoffed, grinning conspiratorially at Roseline as she ushered her friend back towards the front door.
  

***

“Sexy,” Sadie grinned as Roseline hesitantly stepped out from behind the bathroom door.
 
She tread lightly, careful not to twist an ankle on the mountains of clothes that’d been carelessly discarded around the room.
 

Roseline smoothed her hand over the tight black strapless dress.
 
It hugged to her figure with perfection, and for the first time since she’d become an Immortal, Roseline felt nervous about her looks.
 
“You’re sure about this?
 
It seems a bit over the top.”
 
The dress fell along the upper portion of her thighs and was far more revealing than she would have preferred but Sadie was a few inches shorter than Roseline.

“Oh yeah,” Sadie grinned, giving her two thumbs up.
 
“Gabriel will love you in that one!”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Roseline groaned, reaching behind her to unzip the dress.
 
Sadie shrieked and shoved Roseline’s hand away.

“Don’t you dare!” she commanded.
 

“Oh why not?” Roseline grumbled, trying to use her arms to cover her slender waist.
 
The tight boning was beginning to dig into her side.
 
Not that she couldn’t handle it.
 
She’d worn dresses far tighter and heavier than this but that’d been a long time ago.

Sadie shoved Roseline in front of the mirror.
 
“Because you look freaking amazing!”

A knock on the door startled Roseline.
 
She’d been so worried over the dress that she’d let someone make it up the stairs without her noticing.
 
She was losing her edge.

“You girls ready now?” William asked through the door, checking for the third time in ten minutes.
 

Sadie threw a hiking boot at the door.
 
“Go away.
 
We’re not ready yet!”

Roseline smiled as she heard William’s heavy sigh seconds before he lumbered back down the stairs.
 
She could sympathize.
 
They’d been playing dress up for nearly two hours and Sadie had yet to decide on an outfit.
 
But Sadie seemed unfazed by the passing time.
 

“So…strappy or closed toe?” Sadie held up two pairs of black high heels.
 
Roseline chewed on her lip.
 
She would normally go for the strappy, but they were a bit too sexy.
 
“Definitely closed toe.”

“I thought you’d say that,” Sadie groaned.
 
She yanked her window open and chucked the closed toes shoes straight out of her second story room.
 
Her cat, Patches, howled as they landed nearby.
 
Sadie giggled and held out the strappy ones.
 
“I think we need to work on your fashion sense!”