Learn To Love Again

Sometimes You Have To Lose To Win

We pulled up to the driveway. Shawn in parked in the remaining space behind us. We stepped out of the cars and Keegan directed us through to the back of the yard. He slid open the glass door and invited us inside. They dashed in and flopped on various furniture in the living room. I walked in and stood to the side.

It felt awkward to be standing in someone else's house. I didn't know what I'd be allowed to do. It wasn't until Chris grabbed my hand and dragged me in front of the couch did I relax a little. "Sit here. I'm going to do your hair and I'll fix your make-up."

"You do hair?" I was curious as to how he had gotten into the business, but then realized it might have sounded offensive. I bit my lip.

"Hair and makeup. I'm an artist. This is just one of my many secret talents. I'll be right back, take your hair down so I can brush it out." He walked off down the hallway and disappeared through one of its many doors.

Keegan came up to me and sat next to me on the sofa. Shawn and Zach were still sitting on bean bag chairs arguing about something I couldn't decipher. "Do you want something to eat?"

"I'm fine. We had a big lunch, remember?"

"Yeah. You have most of your classes with us, did you finish your homework?"

"Of course. Why did you invite me here?" I looked down at my hands, afraid the answer would be something I didn't want to hear.

I could tell he was looking at me. "Your a part of our group now. You have to stop doubting that. I don't know what you have been through before, and I don't know what you may still be going through. But if you allow us, we can help you through it."

Just then, Chris came back down the hallway, with him he carried a huge tool kit and a hair brush. "Turn around and face Keegan, so I can brush you- What the hell! Do you have rats living back here?!" I felt the couch dip behind me as he sat down. "My job is never done!"

My head was yanked back with every knot he came upon. Keegan kept making faces at me that had me bursting with laughter. I held my side, "Stop! Stop, I can't breathe!"

"Hold still!" He had finally finished with my hair, he pinned up the top half on the top of my head, keeping it out of my face. "Now turn around. Keegan, do you have a cloth or a napkin I can use to get the make-up off, I used all mine on my mural."

"Your mural? What are you drawing?"

He looked at me for a moment then said, "I'll show you sometime." He smiled and looked back at Keegan.

He jumped up and headed down the same hallway Chris did, through he stopped at the second door on the right this time. A second later he popped back out, holding two or three tissues in his hand, he passed them off the Chris. He sat on the arm of the couch, just behind Chris, and looked over his shoulder at me. "No making funny faces to her behind my back, unless you want me to screw her make-up up."

He gently cleaned my face with the wet tissues. My face felt sticky afterwords, I wiggled my nose at the scent. He pinched my chin between his fingers, turning it back and forth. His fingers hovered lightly over my cheek, as if trying to picture something. "Where did these marks come from?" His eyebrows furrowed and I could see the questions in his eyes.

Keegan moved closer, "Let me take a look." He grabbed my head and turned it slightly to the side. "Did you get into a fight with someone?"

"You could say that."

They shared a look and I noticed the whole room had gone quiet. I wanted to distract the attention from my face. "Will you show me how to use this kind of make-up. I haven't really ever had someone to teach me."