Page 171 of One More Kiss

Sally said, “You’re gorgeous. Don’t you forget that! And by the looks of things, watching him watch you, I can tell he thinks you look good.”

“Yummy enough to eat,” April responded, making smacking noises.

It was truly nice hanging out with my sisters while they prepped me up. But I wanted to hurry because I ached to spend time with Phoenix. Geez, you could swear I’d never been around him. I thought we’d be done by now and I would be waiting on his arrival, but the roles were reversed.

About thirty minutes later, Sally confidently announced, “done!”

April screeched. “Ooh. You look so pretty. The black liner definitely makes out your blue eyes.”

“I agree,” I said, looking at myself in the mirror.

My sisters did a great job. But I didn’t look like myself, and that actually made me feel pretty happy. I always thought I looked boring and bare. My updo accentuated my long, milky white neck, and also showed off my facial features. My eyes were covered in brown makeup with black liner. My lips were glossy with a pink tint. I usually wore dark brown lipstick, but my sister’s chose a lighter color.

The girl in the mirror didn’t look like me, and she was quite pretty. I had to admit, my sister had skill. Sally was undeniably close to making it into Cosmetology, and I was looking forward to helping her show off her skill.

“Look this way,” Sally ordered, “I want to take your photo for my portfolio. This will help me in college.”

I looked her way and waited for the flash of the camera. My mouth ached from the long smile, but it was worth the wait because once I saw the digital photo, I thought I looked absolutely stunning. If only I thought about myself that way often, then I wouldn’t have to feel so down and depressed all the time.

“Time to go!” My mom yelled from outside of my room.

Instantly my hands started to shake from the nerves. I was ready to see Phoenix, but not ready to feel such stress overtake me. Would he think I was pretty? He must want to see me because he was willing to wait longer than expected. I breathed in a deep breath and then exhaled trying to gain control of myself before leaving my bedroom.

“Knock ‘em dead,” April said at my retreating back.

I didn’t respond, only nodded because I had a goal and that was getting to Phoenix so we could start our night together.

---