Whirlwind

28

[Lamarr]

"Yo Mel, what the fuck is this?"

My hands were on a never ending rummage spree through a shopping bag that had been hidden from me all day. The more I kept twisting and turning the same different plastic packages within it, the more I realized why. "Nah, I'm not wearing this shit."

"Why are you complaining about the costume I bought you when you're the one that asked me to pick it out?" Melanie challenged smartly, not even peering out once to give the impression she actually cared for an answer. Her body had been stationed in front of the bathroom mirror for almost an hour now, stroking all kinds of blushes, eye shadows and lipstick along her face. Her last worry was me or this wack ass getup that I was now stuck with wearing, even if she was the one who chose it.

"I figured you had better taste than this, that's why." I shot back. It was then, after that snide remark when Mel finally appeared in the doorway. Her five-foot-four frame was garbed in a white and sky blue shaded cutout dress as a red blazer fell over her shoulders, all similar to that of Julia Robert's attire in Pretty Woman. From the glower on her face I knew she was tired of my complaints, but she had no choice but to deal. The same way I always dealt with her bitching and moaning.

"So what you're not going to do is be shady when you're the one who was going to throw on some funky basketball shorts and call yourself a NBA player."

"What was wrong with that? It's screams creativity if you ask me." I argued, taking the costume out of the bag only to shudder at the thought of actually sporting it.

"It screams I'm lazy and have no sense of style."

"Aight, be like that all you want, but it's what I'm wearing tonight. So now what?" Mel rolled her eyes as she paced further into the room, intentionally pushing pass me to gather her knee high leather boots resting in the closet. "For real Mel, return this and get your money back. This ain't me."

"Tell me what exactly is wrong with the costume, Lamarr? And you being boring is not an answer." My eyes quickly slit over at her.

"This," I sputtered out slowly as she gripped the border of the closet entry, maintaining a balance as she began sliding her boots onto her feet. Mel's attention drifted from their leather substitute finish then me, while I unwrapped the black twill fabric, detailed with neon reflective safety stripes and a faux badge gummed to the chest. "This is over the top. You expect me to walk in his party as a firefighter? Maybe I am boring because I can't pull this shit off."

"On Halloween, you can pull off anything." she insisted. "I mean look at me, I'm dressing up as a hooker. The only reason people won't see it exactly for that is because it's a character from a movie. If Julia didn't play it, I'd be a straight up prostitute."

"What's your point here, Mel?"

"Wear the costume, Lamarr." she demanded as she stood up straight and smoothed out her dress. "I'm saying I can pull off being a prostitute and you can be a firefighter. I'm also saying you have no choice since we need to be leaving within the next forty minutes, now do you?"

"Yo, this badge says Hot Stuff Fire Department. Hell no!" I stated, ignoring her persuasive or more so threatening comments. Her face was still priceless and I was getting a kick out of annoying her. "Aight, fine. I'll wear it, but I'm putting on a t-shirt underneath and fuck those suspenders and the helmet."

"But those make it whole, plus it'll all be sexy on you. Dress up that pale chest and slight pudge of yours."

"Take that back." Mel shook her head with a smirk curving on her lips and walked back into the bathroom to finish the last pieces of her attire. Compared to myself, who still had to bathe and get completely dressed, she just needed to primp her platinum blonde wig and accessorize. With time running short, I completely gave up the battle I clearly loss, dumped the other bits of my costume onto the bed then proceeded on.