Cliche

Chapter 2

     If you were to ask me why I would need nails that are the exact shade of blue as my dress, I could not tell you. Pearl, however, could write you an entire essay from introduction to conclusion to works cited on the importance of acrylic nails for Prom.
So, that's the backstory on how I wasted an entire afternoon scouring the two drugstores in town for 'sapphires in the sun' blue nail polish instead of working. Ironically, upon arrival to the nail salon Pearl and I came upon the exact same nail polish I'd just spent $6.25 and a good two hours on sitting amongst the other colors on the shelf they have for you to choose from.
"It's worth it," Pearl assures me. "This way if they chip, which for this price they shouldn't, you can paint back over it at home and not have to come back in."
After another wasted forty-five minutes, I've got about a quarter inch of blue painted plastic sticking off the ends of all of my fingers. Not that I'd ever admit it, but I actually don't mind the way the nails look...and I certainly don't mind the tapping sound they make that drives Pearl crazy.
"Can you believe it's only two days away?" Pearl gushes, gazing intently at her new nails on the ride back to my house.
"No. Believe me, I cannot." I roll my eyes even though I'm fairly sure she's not looking at me.
Pearl crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. "Stop being so negative. I'm still mad at you for taking that shift at work tomorrow. As if swim practice isn't enough!"
Tomorrow, Friday, we have our monthly teacher work day so there's no school. So of course, when the shift immediately after I have swim practice opened up, I took it. It's only four hours, from 10-2, but the pay will help cover these nails. I hope there's no rules about lifeguards with acrylics...
Pearl breaks my train of thought. "Aren't you going to apologize?"
"I've apologized like ten times already, and I'm not even sorry. Besides, you're spending the night tomorrow night to do your stupid spa stuff with me aren't you? Isn't that enough togetherness?" I try.
Pearl can't help but smile. "Yeah, I guess so...I still can't believe you've never done a face mask!"
And with that she starts off on a spiel about all the benefits of charcoal peel off masks.