Loving Benjamin

Nope, Not Ice Cream

It is Saturday. Meaning, formal. The night I've been looking forward to since last week. "Ashley, you better hurry up if you want to make it there on time." My mom warns me from the kitchen. It's go time. I think to myself as I slip on my black canvas Toms.

I had practice, Dragon Team practice. Formal is later. This year I am on music in which I play the cymbals; the past three years I've been under the dragon--lifting a 3'-foot-long wooden pole to create the image of an alive Chinese dragon crashing the flaming pearl. I drive down to school and run to the track in my Toms. Thinking that through the Toms, I'll even out my ghost white feet since  I'll be wearing black suede pumps tonight.

That backfired. The sun blesses me with a NeopoliTAN...

"Oh my gosh, Dara! Look! I have two tan lines now!" I internally cry as she laughs at my feet. "Ugh, it's going to look so ugly."

Motherly Dara lets out a breath, "It'll be fine Ashley, no one will look at your feet." Self-conscious about my ice cream shaded feet, I go barefoot.

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The second I unlock the front door, I tiptoe through the house into the bathroom. Being Asian, dirt entering the house is a no-no. I twist the hot water handle on and instantly hot water gushes through the faucet and then through the shower head.

As steam leaves the glass sliding doors of the tub and fills the air of the small bathroom, I hop in.

Usually when I'm in the shower, I sing a bit and dance around while trying not to slip and fall. Not getting a concussion today. I barely have time for my daily jam sessions, I mechanically go through the process. "Ashley! If you still want me to do your hair, you have to hurry." My mom shouts from the kitchen.

"Ok, almost done!" I voice back to her as I shut down the water. In an instant, I dry myself off and blow dry my hair.

My mom quickly but precisely curls my straight, basic black hair into flamboyant, tight beachy waves. After an hour of moussing, curling and and the use of a lot of hairspray, every hair on my head is curled to perfection. I run to the bathroom to take a look at my mother's masterpiece. She is so good at curling my hair. "I know it looks a little too curly now, but remember it'll fall slowly and it will look more like beach waves." The disadvantages of having naturally super straight, thick hair.

I slip on my dress, put on my shoes and head for the special night.