melting [pearlet]

f i v e

VIOLET

   AFTER school, a number I'm not familiar with calls me. "Hello?"

   "Violet?"

   "Pearl? How did you get this number?"

   "Can I come over?" He sounds distraught.

   "Sure, year sure come over." I text him my address and he's here about roughly fifteen minutes after the phone call.

Once I open the door he looks up from his feet, he looks tired. This is the first time I take a good look at him. Messy hair, pale face, defined features, green eyes, tall, he's like every love interest in a indie film. But, gay. He's holding a brown leather notebook as if he got back from a class or something.

   "Hi, can I come in?" He asks.

   "Yeah." I reply. I then notice the cut across hit temple down to his cheek, "Pearl, what's that?" I rub my thumb across his injury.

   "What? This old thing? I've had it forever." He shrugs it off as if nothing happened. But something did.

   We head up to my room. He stands in the doorway looking around. Almost like he's waiting for direction from me. "You can sit down." I offer as I rest on the chair next to my bed.

   He nods and shuffles over to my bed, placing himself on the edge facing the chair I'm comfortably seated in. He looks uncomfortable, his eyes keep shifting from place to place as if someone's watching him.

   "Pearl, what really happened?"

   "Nothing!"

   Pearl is almost too transparent. I can see right through him, I know something happened and it's not just nothing. But I feel it's best to leave him alone.

   Pearl's holding a leather note book.

   "What's that?" I point to the book placed neatly between his torso and folded hands.

   "Oh it's my sketch book. I'm an artist." He answers.

   "Can I see?"

   "Of course." He doesn't oppose my argument, for once. He gingerly sits on the floor of my room and I follow too. He hands me the note book. I flip through what seems to be all women. Bimbos. Big lips, too big to be natural. Big breasts and their whole body hanging off of their defined cheek bones.

Every detail is too disproportionate for the rest of her body. She's very cartoon like. Glamorous pearl necklaces and outfits.

   I look up with curiosity gleaming in my eyes, "She's beautiful. Does she have a name?"

   "Never thought of one."

   "Have you ever...tried painting her on yourself?"

   "What do you mean by that?"

   "Makeup."

   "Never."

   "Maybe today's the day." I get up and go to the bathroom, grabbing as many brushes and products I can hold in my tiny fragile hands.

   His eyes widen as I walk through the door. His eyes bore into my collection of eyeshadows, lipsticks, brushes, foundations, etc.

   I sit down next to him, my face a few inches away from his. I fish through my foundations and try to find the best that match his skin tone. Once I find it, I get to work. Looking back at the drawings and Pearl.

   My brush smoothly slides across his hooded eyelid as I almost finish my finishing touches. Two minutes later I'm done. I pick up a mirror, shining it in his face. He touches his face in marvel. He takes the mirror himself for a closer look.

   After examining and feeling his face for about five minutes he puts the mirror down. "How did you do this?"

   I look back at him wondering the same thing. I've always practiced makeup on myself but never on someone else.

   "I couldn't tell you."

"Oh come on." He smiles jokingly pushing my shoulder causing me to sway in place.

"I'm serious." I admit chuckling.

He cocks his head pouting. After a long pause he jabs his hand into my side and starts tickling me.

"Get off me!" I shout in between laughs.

"Not until you tell me!" He replies giggling.

I try fighting back but it's no use, he's built like some kind of god. And I have noodle arms. I'm still squirming around trying to fight back. He straddles me starting to get my neck.

   Our laughter fills the room until finally he stops. I lay down catching my breath. He lays down next to me. I point to him gasping, "You got me there."

   "I know I did." He replies looking up at the ceiling.

   He turns on his side to face me, I follow doing the same.  His phone buzzes, getting a text. I notice the background on his phone. It's a sunset.

   "So you like sunsets." I ask grazing over his shoulder to see the phone screen.

   "Yeah," He shoves his phone back in his pocket, "Have you?"

   "Nope."

   "You've never seen a sunset?"

   "I've seen them, just never watched them."

   "Well, that means I have to take you to one" He gets up, "And it will be the prettiest one you've ever seen."

   "Oh really?"

   "Yes really."

   "We'll see about that."

   His phone starts buzzing, interrupting us. There's an angry muffled voice at the end of the phone.

   "Yes. I'll be there..." He fights with the person, "I heard you! Okay? Bye."

   "I'm sorry. Phone calls always ruin our bonding time." He apologizes packing his things up.

   "Yep."

   He starts walking towards the door, before reaching the it he turns around. "And it'll be the prettiest one! The prettiest!" He screams for emphasis.

   I shake my head laughing. He goes home.