Lies of a Makeup Junkie

Chapter 1: Who needs a highlighter when there's humidity

Lenox had been in Ashwick for two weeks and it was as boring as she thought. Her grandparents didn't even have wi-fi or cable TV. What they did have, however, was an abundance of floral. Floral curtains, floral couches, even floral wallpaper. It was like spring had caught the flu and regurgitated all over the house.

"Lenox, dear. Are you finished with those?" asked Grandma. She was in her recliner with her feet propped up, watching her favorite soap opera.

Lenox, who was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, held up the scissors and newspaper ad. "Just one more coupon to go." She'd been cutting coupons for the past twenty minutes and her legs were starting to go numb. "You really should think about getting a smartphone. You could save time and do all this through apps." Her grandma had one of those old flip phones that could only call and text.

"What was that?" Grandma asked. Well, more like yelled. The TV was blaring so loud Lenox was surprised the neighbors didn't complain.

"I said you should get a smartphone!" Lenox shouted back.

"No, no. Too complicated. I wouldn't know what to do."

"It's not that hard. I can show you," Lenox offered. But her grandmother's expression said she wasn't having any part of it. That seemed to be the norm around here. Her grandparents had a set way of doing things. Dinner, for instance, was at five, followed by watching the news, dessert and then bed. They didn't deviate a single night. It was maddening. Where was the spontaneity? The fun?

A text from Molly popped up on Lenox's phone.

Molly: Missing you.

Attached was a picture of her and some friends on a beach with their arms around each other. They wore bright smiles and even brighter bikinis. And why shouldn't they be smiling? They were surrounded by white sand, clear skies and blue waves.

Jealousy snaked through Lenox. She should be there. Not stuck in a house with no air conditioning. And good grief, did this house need it. Not only was Ashwick blistering hot, but the humidity here was ridiculous. When she sat on furniture her skin would stick to the fabric. It was gross and utterly disturbing.

"Are you almost finished? We need to head out soon," Grandma reminded her. How could Lenox forget? Every Tuesday and Thursday at two o'clock they went shopping.

"I'm done," she replied. A bead of sweat formed by her temple and she wiped it off with the bottom of her shirt. Ugh. Why weren't there more fans in this house? The only good thing about grocery shopping was the frozen food section. While her grandma perused the aisles, Lenox stood in front of the ice cream section and cooled off.

She texted Molly back, then quickly scrolled through her Twitter feed. She may be in the middle of nowhere but that didn't mean she had to be out of the loop. She liked a couple tweets and shared some that made her laugh. Then something caught Lenox's eye. She read the tweet and blinked. Twice.

No way. No f-ing way.

Lenox suddenly scrambled to her feet, too excited to sit still. "Oh my God. This can't be happening."

Startled, her grandmother's brown rimmed glasses slipped down her nose. "What? Is something wrong?"

"Kaylie is hosting a meet and greet in Fairview." Lenox couldn't believe this. Fairview was the biggest city closest to Ashwick. It's the airport she flew into when she came here.

Confused, her grandma asked, "Is this one of your friends from school?"

"I wish Kaylie was my friend. She's a YouTuber. She makes these awesome beauty videos," Lenox explained. A thrill shot through her. She'd been dying to meet Kaylie but it was always too far away. And now here she was, easily within driving distance.