"Make friends with my daughter, and I'll pay you a thousand dollars."
Tara's junior year of high school is turned upside down after she collides into the life of Aurora Rosenberg, the autistic teenage heiress to Rosenberg Technologies. Mr. Rosenberg...
The credits are rolling, and Debra takes the remote and hits the "eject" button so she can return the movie to its case.
"That was so cool!" Dawn exclaims, clapping her hands in delight.
"I love the main character," Aurora says. "She's so clever and good at fixing things!"
"And she kicks butt! Like POW!" Dawn takes a few wild swings at the air, pretending to fight an enemy.
"The general is my favorite," Debra says softly. "She loses the most important people in her life, but she never quits fighting evil."
Aurora's eyes glitter with excitement. "I want to be a hero!" she says.
"Are you sure, Aurora?" Dawn asks. "The heroes fight people."
"I don't want to be a hero!" Aurora says.
"I thought it was a great movie," I say. "I remember seeing it when it came out."
"Yeah," Debra says. "I stayed up late to see it." Her dark eyes stare ahead. "I LOVE movies."
Dawn giggles. "You're so in-tense, Debra! Me and Aurora watched it at my house. Aurora can't handle loud movie theaters. Plus she needs subtitles, so that worked better!"
"Aurora, why do you need subtitles?" I say. "I thought you had super hearing."
"I do," Aurora says. "I just have a hard time understanding movies..."
"I probably know why," Debra says. "Auditory Processing Disorder. It can come with autism. It means that acoustics affect how well your brain can process what you hear. Speakers, auditoriums, et cetera might make understanding words harder."
Aurora puts her hands to her head. "I don't know how you are so smart!" she exclaims.
"The internet is my life," Debra remarks.
I wonder if I should ask Debra for autism resources sometime. I mean, I am taking money from Aurora's dad... My stomach twists at the reminder. If I'm doing this... I should at least do right by her and be the best possible friend.
Aurora interrupts my train of thought. "Dawn, you made a schedule of what will happen. What is after movies?"
"Makeovers!" Dawn sings in her best imitation of an operatic voice.
Dawn and Aurora go to the bathroom to bring makeover tools, while Debra and I clear some space. We all change into pajamas first, so that we can avoid mussing our hair later. Then we get settled and start working, brushing each other's hair. We play with different hairstyles and makeup looks, taking turns experimenting on each other.
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[Image description: Pencil illustration by Pixie B, depicting the four girls doing makeovers. Aurora is preparing Dawn's hair, and Debra holds some lipstick at the ready while Tara holds hair spray. Debra's hair is in a high bun, and Tara's hair is in a high ponytail. Pictures of the girls are taped to the wall in the background.]
