Scars. |✔️|

Chapter 33: I Swear

Saturday, August 3
Bakersfield, CA
11:04 AM

"Hey, you almost ready to go?" James asks.

"Almost. I just can't get this wing even. It's really starting to piss me off," I hiss, referring to my eyeliner.

"What the hell? What does 'getting a wing even' mean?"

Why did I expect him to understand makeup? We've been through this whole makeup thing many times before. One time I asked him to pass me concealer and he handed me liquid highlighter. Like what in the hell did he think a sparkly bottle could conceal?

"You know what, never mind. There's no hope in trying to teach you."

"Nooo," he groans, wrapping his muscular arms around my waist and resting his head on my shoulder. "I want to understand. I mean you love makeup, I might as well try to learn about it. You know, so you can have someone to rant to about your uneven wings."

It's so cute to me how he's interested in the things I love. Whenever I'm talking about something I like, he always wants to know the why. Sometimes the questions are so dumb that all I can do is laugh, but I wouldn't ask for it any other way.

"Fine, fine, fine. Basically this is liquid eyeliner. In my opinion, it brings life to my eye so it doesn't look so dull and boring."

"Wait, are there other kinds of the eyeliner?" he asks seriously, causing me to laugh.

"'The eyeliner?' Why'd you say it like that? Anyway, yeah there is. There's liquid, gel, some people use a pencil, which I don't understand at all."

"They use pencils on their eyes! Why the hell would they do that?!"

"Babe, not pencils you write with, like makeup pencils."

I can't believe this dude actually thinks that people use number two pencils on their eyelids.

"Ohhh, that makes more sense. I was really about to call Poison Control for some people," he says, causing to laugh even more.

I lean forward toward the mirror and make one last flick of my wrist, filling in the last empty part of my wing. The entire time James just stands behind me concentrating on the movement of my hand and the previously applied makeup on my face.

"There! Finally, that took too damn long."

"JAMES AND AALIYAH! IF Y'ALL DON'T HURRY UP!" I hear Nia scream from downstairs.

"COMING!" James screams back.

"IF Y'ALL DON'T STOP SCREAMING IN MY DAMN HOUSE!"

"But mama, you're yelling too," Nia reasons.

"Nia, this is my house, therefore I do whatever I want to, lil girl."

Once James and I reach the bottom of the stairs, I am greeted by a squealing Lola and Laila. Even though I just met them, I already love them so much. They're just so cute and innocent.

"Awiyah!" they yell in unison, jumping up and down.

Even though they're almost 5, they still say my name like little babies.

"Hi, how are you guys?"

"Good!" Laila screams.

"Hungry!" Lola sighs, shaking her head.

"Well lets go eat then! Where do y'all wanna go?" Kendrick asks everyone.

"BJ's!" Nia screams.

"YES! I love that place. Their food is muy bueno. Is that okay with you, Aaliyah?" Kenneth asks with a soft smile.

"Um... sure. I'm cool with that," I reply.