Rebel Rebel Part 3 - Make it Your Own

Nikka, who was giddy at the prospect of going out was mish-mashing clothing styles while a makeup tutorial was playing loudly on her phone. She was working on how to lace the leather halter top on, some of it seemed decorative. “How … the hell do you lace it …” She grunted trying to contort herself, trying to what she believed were the laces that cinched the top. She was convinced clothing was just more difficult ten years ago.

Nike knocked on the door. “Need a hand with anything? She called from the other side.

“I think … Ahg … I got it …” Nikka said sound like she was wrestling something. “ … How did you not pull a muscle putting this ON!?” She blurted.

“You sure you’re good?” Nike asked, trying to respect privacy, but quirking an eyebrow at the same time.

“I'm still deciding!” Nikka confessed as she struggled. There was a moment of silence. “Okay …” Nikka said out of breath. “... Maybe I don't have the flexibility to wear this, little help. Please?”

Nike let herself into the room and bit the inside of her cheek. “Where did you… find all this?” she asked, closing the door behind her. All of her rave gear! Everything deemed contraband by Lars. Skirts and halters and so much fishnet material. So much. Nike picked up a fishnet crop top that was scattered on the bed.

“A few bags in the back of the closet. Like totally buried. I’ve been airing them out cuz they smell like … old …” Nikka explained. “ … I don’t even know even know how to put on half this stuff. “ She picked up a pair of fishnets a few sizes too small to actually wear with the crotch torn open to shreds. It was a cheap easy way to use fishnets for sleeves under a shirt or crop top. But Nikka didn’t know that. Growing up in Cali the vibe and fashion were very different in Arkangel.

“That’s not how you….” Nike said. “Why don’t you wear one of your pretty outfits? Like the shiny dress you wore last time?”

“Because I wanted to try something new.” She paused looking at the piles. “ … ish? You know, change it up a little. Besides, no one here wears that much color. I felt like walking a rainbow reflecting light like a parabolic mirror of rainbow death.”

“At a rave, that’s not such a bad thing,” Nike chuckled, helping her sister re-tie the halter top. Especially with red devils. People love shiny and rainbow when high on red devils.”

“Parabolic mirror of rainbow death.” Nikka stressed. “There is an acceptable amount of shiny and color and then there is half my wardrobe which seems to hurt people's eyes when they look too long at me.” Nikka chuckled. “But look at this skirt! You would definitely find this up in Cali! I think it needs mending it looks like it got a rip in.” Nikka said cluelessly examining the micro skirt.

“That’s supposed to be there to … yeah, I can sew that up,” Nike said, holding her hand out for the skirt. “It must have ripped.” She remembered back to the last time she wore it, deciding it would somehow disappear rather than being returned.

Not knowing any better Nikka beamed handing the skirt over to be mended. “I’ll wear it next time! Oh, and there was like a tackle box of cool accessories and … lots of safety pins …” Nikka noted wondering Nike was really into sewing in her teens. It seemed like the logical conclusion science she didn’t think of any other use for that many safety pins.

The thought of how she and Mathias self-pierced ears, eyebrows, lips, and other places wth those pins near made Nike cringe. “You know, we could go shopping this weekend and get you some accessories to make your own,” Nike offered, as Nikka picked up a sizable pentagram star.

Nikka tilted her head looking at the pendant. “Really?” Nikka perk putting the necklace down. “That would be cool.” Really part of just wanting to fit in better, having your own style was cool but she still wanted to connect with the crowd she was attracted to and her current colorful vibe kind of clashed and made her feel like a kid compared to what in her eyes was a much more edgy grown up kind of look.

“You want a little help?” Nike asked, “Maybe a something little less Cali, a little more sprawl, but still very Nikka?”