From Twinkle, With Love(39)



She smiled a little. “Yes, you are. You just can’t see it. Sit up straighter.”

I did as she asked, feeling warm and happy. Victoria, one of the silkiest, featheriest hatted, people thought I was cool and quirky? And she’d come all this way to help me. I felt the little bud of our friendship beginning to bloom, and I smiled to myself.

Victoria got into it. She began to pull sections of my hair this way and that and then she told me to close my eyes because she wanted me to wait to see the final product at the end. And then, when she was done with my hair, forty-five minutes later, she told me she’d brought makeup in her traveling suitcase and wanted to slather that on my face too. I asked her what was wrong with the Revlon stuff I bought at Target, but she just said, “No offense, Twinkle, but everyone knows NARS is where it’s at.”

“What’s that?” I asked, grimacing while she dusted something on my face that smelled like roses. I kept my eyes closed though. “A club?”

Victoria snorted. “Never mind. Just keep your eyes closed.”

She kept muttering things like, “No, no, plum is definitely her color, but I wonder if I have something with a little gold in it” and “Firecracker Copper is so you,” and finally, just when I thought I couldn’t take the suspense (and Victoria’s not-very-gentle ministrations) anymore, she told me to open my eyes.

“That is not me” is the first thing I said. Victoria laughed.

I looked … like some magical fairy version of myself. My hair was in these long, loose curls that looked effortless (but obviously weren’t), and one side was clipped back. My eyes were huge and expressive, dark brown popping against the copper-colored eyeshadow. I had dangerously sharp cheekbones that looked like Maddie’s, and my acne scars—even the deep one on my nose—had been covered up.

“Concealer,” Victoria said when I ran a finger over it. “I have a kind that works for most skin tones.”

Something dawned on me. The reflection in the mirror? It was her. The future Twinkle I’d always dreamed about, the one who had ideas that other people listened to, the one who was cool because she made movies, not nerdy because she was always hiding behind a camera.

“This is … I don’t know what to say, Victoria,” I said, standing and facing her. “I feel … like a glossy version of myself, if that makes sense. Like I could go places the old me would never have been allowed.” Like your social circle, I wanted to say, but didn’t. Actually, I didn’t even know if that was strictly true anymore. Things were shifting somehow. Victoria was here, in my house, being a friend to me. She’d invited me to her parents’ cabin. Maybe the movie was magic, somehow doing what I’d never been able to do for myself.

“Makeup can do that,” Victoria said, nodding knowingly. “But, Twinkle, you don’t need it. It’s not a golden ticket. You could’ve gone to the carnival in sweats and I’m sure you’d still be able to charm this guy, whoever he is.”

I smiled. “Thanks. That’s sweet.”

“Ugh, don’t call me that,” Victoria said, making a face. “Speaking of makeup, I’m leaving the eyeshadow, blush, and lip gloss I used on you here if you ever want to try this stuff on your own. They don’t work on me anyway, and don’t worry, I always use disposable applicators, so it’s all hygienic.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling shy all of a sudden. I know I’ve always been all about the groundlings and the silk feathered hats, but right then Victoria didn’t seem like a snob and I didn’t feel like a groundling. We were just two girls hanging out and bonding. “You’re like my teenaged fairy godmother. Only with makeup and hair spray.”

Victoria laughed. “Hey, I like that! I always knew I was special.” She winked and began packing up her stuff. “Now, get that dress on and go wow that boy, whoever he is.”

“I will. And, um …” I wasn’t going to say anything, but if there was ever a time, now was it. “I know you invited me to Hannah’s party, but Maddie—”

Victoria turned to me. “Don’t worry about Maddie. She’s just paranoid.”

“Paranoid?”

“Yeah. She thinks because Hannah doesn’t want you there, it’ll be weird or something. But it won’t. You’re my guest.”

“I don’t think she’s afraid it’s gonna be weird,” I said, trying not to let my hurt show. “I think she just doesn’t want me mixing with her friends.”

Victoria put her hands on her hips. “Well, she doesn’t get to make that decision alone.” After a pause, she said, “Besides, Hannah just needs a chance to get to know you. In fact, I always thought you were this mousy, weak girl with nothing to say—”

“Thanks,” I said, raising a combed and powdered eyebrow.

Victoria held up her hands. “—but you’re this cool, creative, film genius person! Hannah just needs to see that too. Don’t worry.”

“Okay. Thanks for real then.” I grinned at her. “I mean it. You’re pretty cool too.”

She smiled. “I know, right? Anyway, I’ll get out of here now so you can go meet Prince Charming.” Blowing me a kiss, she rolled her suitcase out into the hallway and was gone.

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