Learning to be Beautiful

Learning to be Beautiful ~10~

It was a Saturday night, so I, of course, was doing what most people my age would be doing: playing Twister with my best friend and an oddly charismatic twenty year old.

Callie had claimed spinner-duty, leaving Gavin and I to stretch and bend like rubber dolls.

The white sheet with the different colored dots in front of me was probably much more daunting than it should have been. Come on, Aislyn. I scolded myself. Little kids can do this, so why can’t you?

“Right foot blue,” called out Callie’s taunting voice. She had long since abandoned spinning it and had taken to just calling out whatever caught her fancy. Unfortunately for us, the players, that usually meant getting twisted into pretzels.

Gavin and I groaned simultaneously as we realized that only three blues were left unoccupied. All of them were an arm’s length away. I stretched my leg out while trying to keep my balance on only three limbs. Gavin did the same.

It was a mad race for the closest blue and I was determined to win.

But determination does not always mean one will win. Sometimes… craftiness will win.

Gavin shoved my leg roughly away from the colored circle, upsetting my perfect balance. I wobbled slightly, then crashed onto the floor with an ‘Oomph!’.

Gavin, being the complete gentleman that he is, leapt to his feet and began his victory dance that consisted of what would be impressive dance moves if he wasn’t such a terrible dancer. Honestly, he was worse than my mom… and my mom had absolutely zero rhythm.

“Thanks so much for the hand up,” I remarked sarcastically as I stood to my feet, rubbing my sore rear. “You’re such a great friend.”

“I know I am!” He laughed, throwing his long arms around me in a tight embrace.

“Okay, guys, I hate to break up the love fest, but if the grumbling noises my stomach is making are any indication, it’s food time.” Callie slipped off of the stool she had been sitting on and started to pad towards her kitchen. “Let’s go, party people.”

Callie had invited Gavin and I over to hang out to “make up for the sucky time ya’ll had at Pierre’s”. She felt bad that I had spent almost my entire night next to an unconscious, drunk Linc, and that she had stepped on Gavin’s foot with her spiky heels.

In the kitchen, she had a gigantic bowl of tortilla chips and a crock-pot full of melting cheese. Gavin spotted this and made a bee-line straight for the paper plates, then piled it high with the food. I just grabbed a handful of chips and leaned against the counter, watching the other two stuff their faces.

Over the din of those two eating, I distinctly heard the ring of the doorbell. I looked over at Callie, but she was busy trying to shove a carrot stick into Gavin’s mouth because he had dripped cheese into her hair. Instead of waiting for her to go get the door, I decided to open it.