Friends

PART TWENTY-ONE: MASCARA

February 23, 1998, Monday

After Fiona told us she was auditioning for a spot on the cheerleading team, we watched her practice nonstop for the whole week. She showed us all of her potential and time seems fast. All of us are sitting on the sidelines while she's cornering her moves over the head of the squad.

"Get it with you, girl. Come on, we ain't got no time. Don't waste another time," Jade screamed all over the place, and clapped loudly. "One, two, twirl and spin. Yes, get it with you."

Wayne said to Jade, "That cheering must have gotten you to the squad. Ain't I right?"

"If it were the classroom, you'd still win in an argument over the teacher," I added.

"Hey, that's right," Harry comes closer as we've come to terms. "I remember you fussing over what a prick the Biology teacher was for teaching the wrong method of dissecting the frog."

"Did y'all cut the frog? I thought we were supposed to rip its guts," Wayne ridiculously said to the group. All of us started to look at him, "Okay, okay. Bad joke."

"That joke will be floating all around as we sit and stare at the frogs from now on," she replied to Wayne's joke, sitting still and thinking about dead frogs.

"Look, Fiona's finished. Let's catch up on her," I pointed at Fiona.

Jade saw Fiona being upset and ran towards her. We instantly ran down the bleachers, "What happened? Was it Tina, the head of the squad? You want me to do something?" Jade urgently can't resist her words.

"No, I...couldn't do the flip they wanted," Fiona said, removing her attire.

I gave her a tissue, "No one can. Even I, myself, stumbled over to the pole doing one."

Fiona starts to rub my forehead, "Wasn't that painful? How come they do this?

"Don't mind me. You've had a tough time, enduring practices."

Fiona said, frowning, "But the past is past, I've got to move on. Don't I?"

"There's the Goode inside of you," Harry replied.

She added, "Oh, shut it. Let's head over, shall we?"

We walked our way to the park and Wayne said, "Be proud, your underwear wouldn't be seen with the naked eye, won't it?" All of a sudden, we stared at Wayne as he laughed at his joke, and he started to stutter, "I mean, the ladies are being tossed real high. Why would I look at it, don't you remember?" He starts to tilt his head around, "Anyways, you're afraid of heights."

We sat down and Fiona always brought us doughnuts. This time, it was a special occasion, she brought us new flavors—lemonade doughnut, bacon doughnut, and a doughnut that had a meringue on top. I grabbed the meringue one, and we began to have a real conversation.

"Are those tears? Dry those tears," Harry said, "It's not worth it for a day like this."

Jade quickly grabbed the tissue in her shoulder bag and passed them to her, "Don't ruin your mascara. It's expensive, remember? How much was it? Twenty dollars?"

"No, it's twenty-one dollars. I'm sorry, don't mind me," she sniffed. "How were the doughnuts?" All of us were in a blank state of emotion, "Seriously, how was it?"

Wayne shouted, "It. Was. Amazing." Fiona started to have a glimpse of a smile.

"At least we have this good side of yours, the undying mascara," Harry said to her.

"Shut up. You're not going anywhere without a license," Fiona replied.

"But I am getting a driver's license,' he added.

All of us stopped eating and started to talk about Harry getting his license, "When will you get it? Can I come?" Fiona said, deliberately asking him. "Damn. Not free on Friday."