The Guardian

Chapter Thirty

"I'm ready to par-ty", said Josie as Julianna packed the last of her clothes in garbage bags. "When will Seth be here to move your clothes into your new house?"

"In about half an hour." She tested the weight of the two bags, making sure they weren't too heavy and that they wouldn't break.

Josie stretched out on her bed and watched Julianna pack. "Did I hear that you got another job as a tutor?"

Julianna smiled. She felt like she hadn't stopped smiling for the last week. "I did. I'm starting Monday. It seems fitting that I'm starting on my birthday. That should be a good sign, don't you think?"

Josie grinned at her. "I do. Who are you tutoring?"

"A girl in grade nine. I doubt you know her. She needs help with her biology."

"I wish I was as smart as you", Josie said wistfully. "You're going to college on a scholarship. I'll be lucky to go to secretary school."

Julianna looked startled. "I thought you wanted to become a journalist?"

"I do, but I'll never get the money to go to college", she said. "I don't have marks high enough to win a scholarship. There's a benefit, though. I'll be working as a secretary before you're even out of college, let alone med school."

"I'm envious. The sooner you can start earning money, the better it will be for you. Everything costs so much."

"You have money saved, don't you?"

"I do. I've saved most of my allowance and tutoring pay over the last year. I knew I'd need the money, as I knew that I'd be kicked out of the home. It isn't much but it's something."

"I wish I had thought to save my money. I've spent most of mine on makeup."

Julianna smiled ruefully. "And that's why you always look good and I don't. I never wear makeup."

Josie looked incensed. "Girl, you don't need it. You look good just the way you are. The girl-next-door look. All fresh-faced wonder. Even your hair is a pretty colour."

"Thanks", said Julianna as her face flamed in embarrassment. "I just wish I didn't have freckles. I keep wondering whether I should invest in some foundation."

"Not foundation. Too heavy. You have perfect skin and rarely even have zits. I wouldn't do anything but, if you were interested, you could always wear a BB cream. That would be lighter and would make you feel less like you were wearing paint. And if you want to wear more than that, I would suggest mascara. You don't need it – your lashes are already dark enough. But the mascara would plump up your lashes a bit, make them even longer."

Julianna looked at her friend in amazement. "You should work at a beauty counter. You're excellent with makeup."

Josie smiled. "I'd like that. Do you know how to get a job there?"

Julianna laughed. "I'm not sure. Ask Allyson. I suspect you need your diploma as an aesthetician. But I'm not sure. I don't know much about makeup. Why don't you go to the mall and ask the beautician on the counter for suggestions? She might be able to tell you a good school to go to, or another way of getting a job."

"That's a good idea", said Josie. She listened for a moment. "It sounds like Seth is here. I'll help you carry your things down to the front hall."

"Thanks." Julianna picked up a bag and looked around the room which had been her home for the last two years. She searched visually for anything she might have forgotten. Not seeing anything, she smiled. It was time to go.