"MAAA-THERR!" I screeched, marching out of the bathroom with the bottom of my gown held up in one clenched fist. "Look!"

"What.?" Mother took the material from me. "Good God, what have you done - this is a brand new dress and the party starts in an hour!"

"It's not MY fault Melissa's mascara is dodgy!" I protested, wringing my hands in frustration. "First the thing wouldn't open, and when it did, it snapped and I dropped it! Mum, what am I gonna do, that's a pretty large stain!"

"Wear it of course." She replied, dropping the red gown, which then fell all the way to the floor. "I hope you're not expecting me to buy you ANOTHER one! 'Cos that one ONLY cost me an equivalent of two hundred dollars."

Staring hard at her, I sighed, trying to push down the little lump rising in my throat. I was so doomed.

"I hope this teaches you a lesson to be more careful."

I turned around like a plank of wood, stomped back into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut.

The next half an hour was spent desperately scrubbing the dress with shampoo, laundry detergent, nail polish remover and toothpaste. It worked...in a way. There was now a white patch where the stain was. If there was a gun near me I would have shot myself

The tapping on the door didn't help my temper much either. "KAATT! Get out; I need to get ready too, you know! I haven't even started my makeup!"

It was Melissa, of COURSE. "Just wait, will you? It's your fault anyway!"
"What's my fault? Kat, get OUT this instant - "

"O shut up!" I seized the door handle and threw it open. We stared at each other, me trying to appear taller. I noticed she was wearing her black dress, so even if I had felt as evil as to let her use the mascara, it would be useless. "Have you died your hair blonde again?"

Melissa looked stumped. "Yeah, why?"

"Why? 'Cos you ARE blonde, what's the point - you can't get much dumber."
My sister swung her arm, but I ducked down before it connected with my head and ran away into my room. I shut the door firmly and locked it, smiling bitterly. This party was going to be such a disaster, I could almost sense it.