Ken Life in the Gayhouse

The Music Store

     "How'd it go, Ken?" asked Barbie when her best friend walked through the pink doors of the dreamhouse. 

     "Great," he answered. "Going shirtless was a good idea." 

     "Fantastic!" Barbie cheered, then frowned. "You're not gonna break his heart, are you?" 

     "Pfft, of course not!" Ken reassured. "He doesn't have one!" 

     "True," Barbie agreed. 

     "All that will happen between me and him is a gay awakening, then he'll fall for a different guy," Ken said. "And then he'll leave you alone!" 

     "That'll be great! Thanks, Ken! I can always count on you!" Barbie tackled her best friend with a hug, so they were a tangle of plastic, blonde hair, and pink clothing. 

     "No problem, Barbie! You've been my beard girlfriend for a bunch of events, I'm just repaying the favor!" This was true, the two pretended to date before they remembered homophobia doesn't exist in Malibu. 

<3

     The two following days, there was no sign of Ryan or his cardboard cutouts. Barbie was able to shoulder her countless jobs and businesses and raise her three sisters without rejecting a grunge guitar player. Ken made a bunch of new additions to Closet, adding in sections for all of Ryan's favorite styles. It takes more than a perfect plastic face to woo someone. 

     Ken finally ran into Ryan at the music store, where he was shopping for earrings in the shape of music notes. 

     "Hey, Ryan." Ken smirked as Ryan jumped and turned to face him. 

     "Oh, hey, Ken!" Ryan said, nearly dropping his guitar. 

     "What are you doing here?" Ken asked. 

     "Buying....stuff," Ryan replied awkwardly. 

     "Nice." Ken gave his hair a little flip. "Tell me, which earrings look better on me, the quarter or eighth notes?"

     Ryan looked back and forth between the options. Ken stepped closer. 

     "Uhhh... Both?" was his answer. 

     "Okay! Thanks, Ry!" Ken tapped Ryan's shoulder, leaving his hand their for a second too long. 

     "Bye," Ryan waved and dropped his guitar. 

     Ken left the shop without paying, thinking about how great this was going.