Starstruck

Chapter 2b: A star is formed (part 2)

CHAPTER 2

A star is formed (part 2)

"You're late," my Aunt Theresa greeted me when I got home. If anyone ever needed a makeover, it was Aunt Theresa. She was in her mid fifties but looked at least ten years older. Partly because she acted it--she was really old-fashioned--but also because she usually kept her graying hair in a tight bun and only wore frumpy stuff like button-down dresses and cardigans. A little color and style might do wonders for her. Or not.

"What did you do to your hair?" she demanded before I could even say hi.

"We straightened it," Bri explained. She'd come in to pick out my outfit for tomorrow. "Thanks for letting her come over, Mrs. Truitt."

Aunt Theresa hmphed-something she was really good at. "You'd better wash that paint off your face before your uncle gets home, young lady."

"I will," I promised, though I knew Uncle Louie wouldn't notice, or care if he did. He might even tell me I looked nice, which I couldn't imagine Aunt Theresa ever doing. Uncle Louie was as soft, round and easygoing as Aunt Theresa was rigid, angular and uptight. He might not be the sharpest tack in the box, but he was a sweetie most of the time and a pushover compared to my aunt. It was too bad he was hardly ever home.

We hurried to my room before Aunt Theresa could ask any more questions.

"Are you going to tell your aunt and uncle about Rigel?" Bri asked as she rummaged through my closet.

I almost dropped the shoes I'd picked up for her approval. "What? Of course not! It's not like he asked me out or anything. Or like he will."

"Hm. I dunno. I keep thinking about the way he was looking at you. He just might. Ah, here it is!" Bri emerged with a sleeveless paisley dress in different shades of purple that she herself had given me on my last birthday, and that I'd worn exactly once.

"Are you sure?" I eyed it skeptically. "It's awfully, um, noticeable."

"Well, duh. Noticeable is exactly what you want. Trust me, it's perfect. And it'll go with that eye shadow I'm lending you."

"You may as well keep it. You heard what Aunt Theresa said. She won't let me out of the house wearing it."

Not that she'd noticed my blouse buttoned wrong this morning. She really didn't look at me all that much, come to think of it.

Bri shrugged, unconcerned. "You can put it on in the bathroom before school. I better head, before my dad honks and pisses off your aunt. See you tomorrow. I can't wait till lunch!"

"Me either." It was only half a lie. I definitely couldn't wait to see Rigel again, but I wouldn't be astonished if he completely ignored me. Today had to be either a fluke or a prank. Shoot, Trina might even have put him up to it, to embarrass me. It was exactly her style.

After Bri left I went into the tiny bathroom I shared with my aunt and uncle to wash my face, pausing to examine myself in the watery mirror. The eye pencil did emphasize my eyes, which wasn't a bad thing. They were probably my best feature, an unusually deep green (greener than Rigel's), with reasonably thick lashes.

But the powder Bri had applied only made the pimples on my forehead look worse--and probably would make them worse, if I left it on my skin. I took off my glasses, turned on the water and picked up the soap.

The next morning I dithered before finally putting on the purple dress at the last minute. Most girls wouldn't have thought twice about wearing this to school, but it was so . . . Not Me.