Miss nobody strikes back

Make over

Chapter eleven.

Aunt and I were sitting in the car. Today, she was taking me on a tour to see her salon. The car stopped in front of a big building. Wow, is this her salon? It’s so big and beautiful.

We walked into the building. The interior was very nice—it looked like one of those salons dedicated to people of high caliber. All the staff stopped to greet Aunt.

“Morning, everyone. Today, we have a special guest—my niece,” she said, gesturing toward me.

“Hi,” I simply said, and they all responded with smiles on their faces.

“And, well, she needs a little retouching,” Aunt added. I didn’t quite understand what she meant by that, but it seemed like her girls did, because they all nodded and went back to arranging the place.

“Um, what does that mean?” I asked.

She smiled. “Well, I’m giving you a makeover. You’re going to return to Lincoln High like a confident swan.”

“A makeover? I don’t know. I don’t like the way I look, but a makeover seems a bit much,” I told her.

“You wouldn’t know if you haven’t tried it. You’re not confident in yourself, and a little makeover will boost it, trust me,” she said, and I sighed. It can’t be that bad.

A girl walked toward me. “Hi, I’m Elle. Please, take a seat,” she said, gesturing toward an empty chair in front of a mirror. I nodded and went to sit down.

“Wow, your hair is thick,” I heard her say as she wrapped a cloth around me and took off my hair tie. “We’ll begin with a hair wash,” she said, and I nodded. Beside me was Aunt and another hairstylist—it looked like she wanted to treat her hair as well.

The lady washed my hair, blow-dried it, gave me a trim, and then began to straighten it. I had never straightened my hair before. I won’t lie—I was nervous. I didn’t know how I was going to look with straight hair. When she was done, she turned the chair to face the mirror where I could see my reflection. Wow, I looked different. My hair was still thick but straight. I looked pretty.

“Wow, thank you,” I told her, and she smiled.

“We’re not done yet. This was just your hair. We’re going upstairs for skin care, and then we’ll do a little spa, manicure, and pedicure,” Elle said. I just stared at her—this is not what I expected.

Elle took off the cloth and gestured for me to stand up. We both walked upstairs. It was a big room—I guess this was where facials were done. There were beds and different machines.

“Oh my God, look at you—so, so pretty!” I heard Aunt’s voice as soon as I walked in. She ran toward me. “How do you like your new hair?” she asked.

I smiled. “It’s pretty.”

“So, this is the skin section. The doctor is going to work on your skin, make it flawless and shiny, and then we’ll have lunch,” Aunt said, and I nodded.

“Don’t be nervous. I’m going to be here the whole time, okay?” she reassured me.

She led me to one of the beds, where I laid down. From there, the doctor began his work. It didn’t take long, but after he was done, he told me to sit up.

“Your face is going to be a little red for tonight, but you’ll be as good as new tomorrow,” he said, and I nodded. I walked to the mirror. My face was indeed red—not too red, though. I turned to look at Aunt.

“Come on, let’s have lunch, and then, a little spa time,” she said, giggling. I smiled. I hadn’t done any of this in my whole life—it was so new to me. Aunt even took different pictures.

We went to a nearby restaurant. While I was eating, Jenny called me. She told me she was getting a spa treatment. I told her that’s exactly what I was doing, and she was so excited. We talked for a long time, and I promised to send her pictures.

“Who was that?” Aunt asked immediately after I dropped the phone.

“It’s Jenny, my best friend. She’s more than that to me—she was the only one who stood by me. We became friends, and now we’re inseparable,” I said with a smile.

Aunt noticed the change in my facial expression. “I see you really like her. I told you, people will like you just because of who you are, not what you do or look like. I just need you to have confidence and love yourself, okay?” she said.

I nodded. “Now, finish up—we have a pedicure to do,” she said.

The manicure and pedicure were so nice—Aunt even let me paint my nails. After that, we had a face massage, a body massage—everything felt so nice. My skin felt soft and glossy. Wow, Aunt is really something else.

After everything, we both went outside. My hair was in a ponytail, and overall, I was loving the new me.

“Nice work, ladies. My niece is looking gorgeous! You should all treat yourselves to something nice,” Aunt said, dropping some cash for them. They all smiled and cheered, and we walked out of the salon.

It was around five or six in the evening when we got back in the car.

“So, Aunt, where are we going?” I asked.

“To buy some skincare and hair care products. You need to maintain your skin. You don’t need too many products—that can cause breakouts,” she said.

“Okay,” I responded.

“It’s something you use daily. You’ll have a morning and night routine—I’ll teach you all of that. When you run out, just call me, and I’ll have them shipped to you,” she said.

“What I’m mostly excited for is a shopping spree. I’m going to change your wardrobe,” Aunt said. Wow, she really cares for me. She’s spent so much money on me since I’ve been here.

“Aunt, isn’t this a bit too much? You’ve spent a lot, and…” I started, but she shushed me.

“I’m your Aunt. Money isn’t an issue. I’ll do anything to make you feel the love and care you deserve. You’ve been deprived of it for too long, and I want you to experience it,” she said, and I just smiled.

Oh my God, I’m tearing up. I fanned my eyes so the tears wouldn’t fall.