There Will Be Freedom (not mine)

39. Opening Day

MADDIE POV

I took the makeup brush and ran it over my eyelid, artfully smudging my skin with eye shadow. I was going for a different kind of look than normal and I wasn't sure how I liked it so far.

"Olivia, are you sure this is what the magazine said?" I asked, looking at her in the reflection of my bathroom mirror.

"I think so. Maybe you're using too much. It looks funny." Her face scrunched up.

"Why do you read that garbage?"

"It's not garbage! Here, let me try." Olivia took the brush and began doing my makeup herself.

"I don't like this." I sat with my hands in my lap. "I'm just going to wipe it off before the night is over."

"But you promised we could at least try it," Olivia said. "And it doesn't look that bad."

"Yes, it does," I argued.

We were currently getting ready for a birthday party for a rather wealthy philanthropist named Conner Dunn. He was an older man with his hands in everything from education to public policy to medical wellbeing. He was very influential in the community, and the Biebers had been invited to attend his small gathering. He also happened to be one of Justin'sprofessors at Brown, and one of his favorites. The only ones not joining us were Jaxon, Jane, Jeremy, and Pattie.

We were more than happy to go.

Keegan had told me that a lot of Justin's college buddies would be there since they all knew Mr. Dunn as well. I couldn't believe my ears at first until he pulled out a Dartmouth yearbook and showed me a very young, smiling Justin in a fraternity picture, with Greek letters spelled across his chest on a sweatshirt. I nearly fell out of my chair.

The Justin I knew would never be social enough to be in a fraternity, especially one with manly bonding. He explained that he just joined because Finn and Keegan had, but he was glad he did. The connections were invaluable, he said. I couldn't wait to hear about College Justin stories.

"There, I'm done," Olivia sighed proudly.

"I'm not wearing all of this makeup." I looked at myself in the mirror. I was a clown, all thanks to Olivia's new fashion magazine. She decided I was her test dummy.

"I agree," Bridget said, shaking her head.

I reached for one of the makeup wipes and began taking it all off. I was more a natural kind of girl and Justin preferred it that way too. This was ridiculous. Once my face was free of powders and liquids, I started again.

Five minutes later, I was finished and I had a healthy glow, nothing overly done or dramatic.

I pulled my hair out of its pins and let it fall over my shoulders, styling it simply. I stood up and smoothed out my dress. It was black and fitted around my body until it fell at the knee. It was actually kind of sexy, but I didn't realize that until I put it on.

"Wow, your boobs look great in that," Olivia commented, looking at me in the mirror.

"Thank you." I shrugged.

"I wish I was pregnant just for the breasts." Olivia hung her head, gazing at her own chest.

I watched Bridget's face fall slightly. I glared at Olivia who rolled her eyes. Bridget walked out of the bathroom, sniffling.

"Why did you have to do that?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to," she replied. "I wasn't trying to make her sad."

"You know she's sensitive about that topic."

"I'm not going to shut my mouth every time I want to talk about babies. That's stupid. She's been crying for five years on my shoulder. I understand, but millions of women can't have kids. They don't bawl their eyes out every second," Olivia ranted.