Beauty Queen

Chapter 6: Caramel Hair and Almond Eyes

My mom pulled up in front of Hayley's house an two hours later, and motioned for me to get in the car. I gave my hair a quick squeeze to make sure I didn't get chlorine water on the leather seats, and hopped in.

As we pull out of the driveway, my mom addressed me. "Well, how was it? Did Hayley like her gift?" She gave me a quick, hopeful look before turning back to the road.

"Yeah," I said, "she loved it."

This wasn't entirely true. After running into each other at the pool-house, Liza and I had spent the rest of the afternoon poolside, basking in the warm Florida sun. When Mrs. Trumonte invited everyone onto the porch to watch Hayley open presents and eat cake, Liza was eager to go. She grabbed my hand and attempted to pry me from my lounge chair.

"C'mon," she had said, "don't you want cake?" I did, in fact, want it. My mind melted at the thought of the moist, spongey treat drenched in baby pink frosting.

But I knew my mom would never allow it. I nudged Liza along and sat by the now vacant pool while chatter drifted from the porch. At least I wouldn't have to be around while Hayley opened the present I hadn't even chose for her.

Now, as I looked at my mom from the passenger side, I prepared myself for her questions. Yes, I did smile at the reporters. No, I didn't eat any appetizers. Yes, I thanked the Trumonte's for having me. Typical questions.

"Did you speak to any of Hayley's... Um, pupils?"

I took me a minute to register my mom's question. "Pupil" isn't exactly a common word in the 16 year old dialect. "You mean her friends?" I say. For a split second, my mind remembered Lenna putting her number in my cell phone, and suddenly the device in my pocket seemed to burn a hole into my jeans, waiting to be acknowledged. I decided not to mention it, however.

"Not really." I lied, "they're not really my kind of people."

I watched as my mother approvingly digested this answer. "Well, good. Now, how about we go to the mall; have a little mommy- daughter time?"

As much as I didn't want to go to the mall, I knew that if I went home I would have to workout, and I didn't want to do that either. I smiled sweetly at my mom. "Sure."

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An hour later, we were walking down the halls of Orangefeild Mall. The mall, built 3 years ago, is the newest, biggest, and most high class mall in most of Florida, filled with designer dress boutiques and unreasonably priced purse stores. It's a mass of tall columns, escalators, and busy shoppers every day.

Me and my mom walked, our heels clicking on the sparkling mall floor. I carried 2 bags- one from Victoria's Secret and one from Charlotte Reuse- and my cup from the food court- water, of course. My mom had 4 bags from Taylor's, filled with various colors and designs of pantsuits.

My mom turned to me as we passed the spurting mall fountain. "Where to next? How about Bare Minerals?" After I replied with a quick "sounds good", we continued towards Bare Minerals.

Inside Bare Minerals, I observed the myriad of shades of lipstick as my mom skittered off to consult with the employee sampling makeup on customers. As I browsed through tints called Plum Dream and Coral Twist, I felt the presence of a broad figure standing next to me, less than a foot away.

I snuck a sideways glance, a found myself having to look up to see the face of the mystery visitor. A boy, with almond eyes and caramel hair, is standing to my left. Suddenly, I recognized him; the boy from Phang's, the relentless starer, the discomforting smiler.

He's picking through eyeshadows, and already has a few makeup products in his hand. I wondered for a second why he'd need makeup, but then it hit me. He has a girlfriend. Of course. A boy like that must have a girlfriend. For some reason, my heart sank at the thought.

I looked away, and absentmindedly studied the lipstick in my hand. Silky Carnation. It's a pink color, but so pink it's almost unnatural. If there's one thing Rudy has taught me about makeup, it's to never look unnatural. I placed the lipstick back on the shelf and prepared to go to my mother, but when I do I find Phang's boy looking at me.

Taken aback, I looked at him. He stared at me with an undeniable smirk on his face. For a second, I thought he was about to say something, but then he closed his mouth, turned around, and headed to the counter to check out.

Snapping myself out of my trance, I briskly walked to my mom. She was arguing with a saleswoman named Denise- I read from her name tag- over the splotchiness of the foundation in her recent purchase. Denise, a skinny, middle aged woman, is trying to stay composed.

"I'm sorry ma'am," she said "but we don't have a satisfaction guarantee- I just don't see it in the handbook."

My mom prepared a comeback, but I pulled at her before she could deliver it. "Let's just go, mom."

With some resistance, I managed to get my mom out of the store without harming Denise- or my dignity. I offered to drive home and surprisingly, she agreed. As I headed home, I couldn't seem to get the image of caramel hair and almond eyes out of my mind.

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I am aware that I have been slacking on publishing, but I'm running out of chapters very quickly which could only mean I need to write more. I'm trying super hard to post on time, so I'll be doing some major writing this week.

Thanks for reading!

~Loren