The NEWBIE

Chapter 27

***27***

ELSA

I sat in front of the mirror, waiting for Mom to come in the bathroom and work her magic. Staring at my own reflection, I imagined the kind of things that might happen tonight. Will I ever enjoy it like what the kids at school say it was?

The school sent everyone home two hours early, even the freshmen who aren't part of the dance. I heard a bunch of guys tell to a couple of kids that they sneaked in to the dance hall and saw how the hall looked like but I didn't hear the next thing they said because I was hurrying toward the school bus. I bet those boys are just spoiling what not to expect. But of course, it will never bother anyone because it's an annual event. Everyone already knows what to expect, although not me.

Mom suddenly entered the bathroom, her purse at hand. She didn't let go of the idea of me just braiding my hair so I was a little unsure. Just above the mirror, she opened the cabinet and took her old trusted hairspray.

"But I thought you didn't like those things that women do to their hair nowadays?" I said, recalling what she had told me before.

"It's just a trick to keep your hair still, everybody knows that." She answered as she began brushing my hair. "You don't want to look like you rode a rollercoaster after that strong wind out there."

"If you say so." I said rather hopelessly, not quite hoping for the best. She started braiding my hair, the same as she did at my room.

When she was done, she grabbed the hairspray just sitting at the corner and said, "Cover your eyes." I did what she told me, my eyes shut tightly, and then Mom sprayed all over my head. "Okay, we're done with the hair."

I opened my eyes and looked at my hair. Well, it's better than the bun. Mom finally opened her purse and took her make-up kit. She went in front of me, and then told me to close my eyes again. I followed. I felt her dabbing my eyelids. I hope she wouldn't put too much eye shadow. When she was done I opened my eyes again. Instead of just seeing light eye shadow, I saw that Mom decided to make my eyes smoky. I looked at Mom.

"Trust me, okay?" Mom chuckled when she saw the disagreeing look on my face. She took out a lipstick from her purse and then commanded, "Puck your lips."

I stared at the very dark shade of red on that lipstick. "But that's three shades too dark." I demanded. I thought she was doing the opposite of what she told me.

"No, it's not. I know better." She told me. "Now puck your lips."

"Fine." I said, slouching in my chair. I followed her command again and swiped the lipstick across my upper lip. I smacked my lips and then looked at the mirror, once again.

I expected myself to look not like myself. But when I did, I looked the same but in a positive way. The dark shades of the eye shadow and lipstick didn't look too much. "I must say, I look okay."

"I told you, honey." She said. "Oh wait, almost forgot."

She scrambled the things inside her purse, digging for something. "Aha!" she said in alas. She released a clip with a diamond flower on the end. She leaned in closer and placed the clip on the side of my hair. "Now, just wear that dress and I'll go tell Anna that it's her turn."

Mom pointed at the blue dress hanging on the door. "Okay." I said. She went out of the bathroom to check on Anna. When she closed the door, I removed my bath robe and then gently snatched the dress from the hanger. When I finished putting it on, I was happy with what I was seeing before me.