Soldier of Love

Are You Ready?

I looked at myself in my full body length mirror and did a 360. I'd already changed my outfit three times but I think this one was the one. It had to be. I'd run out of unique ideas and I was gonna be running late if I didn't hurry up and finish getting ready. I hadn't even done my hair or makeup yet.

Quickly, I scurried into my bathroom and plugged up my flat irons. While they warmed up, I did my makeup. I didn’t do anything too much. I just did enough to make my eyes pop. Either way, I wasn't that big on makeup, anyway. I didn't use foundation or blush and I rarely used eye shadow. So that leaves me with mascara and eye liner—all that I’d be using today.

I opened one of the drawers on my bathroom sink and pulled out my blue, green, and purple polka dotted makeup bag. I grabbed my black liquid eye liner and my Maybelline mascara. I drew thin lines on my top and bottom lids with the eye liner and then I put on the mascara. Sometimes I get crazy with it. I love to make my eye lashes long. Fluttering them is a thing of mine.

After doing my makeup, it was time for hair. I try to do styles that don’t involve a lot of heat because it’ll break off my hair. I haven’t been through it, but Breezy has. Breezy has never been the type of person to take anything anyone has to say to heart. But when she first started high school, she refused to walk around ‘nappy headed.’ Flat irons were her best friend and you know what happened next.

I took off my bonnet and exposed all the rollers that my mom had put in my hair last night. One by one, I took out the rollers and each time, a long spiral curl fell. I usually wear my hair naturally curly, but that’s a lot of work. You know, with the holding spray and moose and what not. Taking out rollers and going on about my day is much simpler.

My mom is the only person I've ever let do my hair, and thanks to her, my hair is down my back. That's a lot for a Dominican, Jamaican, & Chinese girl like me. Okay, maybe that was a bad example since Chinese in that category… but still, you get the point.

I once let Jamiya do my hair and she had me walking around like I was in the struggle. Never again. I promised myself, never again. The girl had me walking around like I needed to be a part of the hair shows you see on TV. You know, with all those crazy hairstyles? Yeah.

After taking out all my rollers, I stood back in front of my mirror.

Hair? Check. My spirals are really cute, and if you ask me, to die for. (Not literally, though)

Nails? Nothing like a little jungle red to spice things up!

Clothes? Semi check. Something was missing and I couldn’t figure it out.

I finally convinced myself that my outfit was cute enough for today’s event, but it just wasn’t popping. My choice of high wasted black shorts and a white bottom down blouse was pretty cute, don’t you think? But it was just too plain.

There’s nothing like a little jungle red to spice things up.

BINGO.

Excitement ran through my body and I quickly ran out of my room and into my moms. I surfed her closet, searching for a pair of her red stiletto’s. I know what you’re thinking. Aren’t you too young for heels? You’re already wearing makeup at that! Well, makeup is a given. I’m 14 now & in a couple months I’ll be starting high school. Now heels? Today is a special occasion. That’s a pass.

I grabbed the shoes and walked back into my room. I went through my jewelry boxes, searching for my pearls that my daddy gave me. To top it off, I put on a little bit of red lipstick and Vanilla perfume, courtesy of Bath & Body Works.

Now, I was ready!

I grabbed my purse and went down stairs to our kitchen. We lived in a four bedroom house that had two and a half bathrooms. Our house wasn’t anything special, either. We had cream colored walls and old brown couches. Just about everything was wooden and dusty.