"Hey Jenny, where's your update?"
HERE.
The woman pushed Ally into a chair, spinning it around to face her.
She frowned, then turned around, grabbing a long strip of paper, dripping with wax.
"You ever waxed your eyebrows before, sugar?" she asked, inspecting Ally's brows.
"No?" Responded Ally, carefully.
The woman smiled at her. "Then this is gonna hurt, sorry."
Ally thought she might puke again. The woman carefully placed the paper in particular places around her eyes, then yanked them off. Ally tried to avoid screaming.
"There, honey. I'm done. Sorry it hurt so bad." The woman looked apologetic.
As the pain ebbed, Ally reached up and touched the smooth skin around her eyebrows. The woman spun her chair so it was facing the mirror. "We reshaped them a little, but they're still yours." Ally felt the sudden urge to hug the woman. Her eyebrows were thinner, more arched, and, in Ally's opinion, looked like a movie star's.
She briefly wondered what kind of person she was becoming.
The woman then proceeded to put on her makeup for the interview preceding the concert, and sent her on her way to wardrobe, but not before giving her a hug.
"My name's Marcie, by the way."
The woman in wardrobe, it turned out was Marcie's sister, Mary. They were twins with highly uncreative parents.
The woman carefully dressed Ally, putting her in a floral dress and high heels, before sending her back to air and makeup for her hair to be done.
The male stylist greeted her in a high-pitched, feminine voice. "Hey, Ally, I'm Richard. I'm doing your hair this entire tour, so we're gonna be good friends."
He gossiped to her while he washed, dried, highlighted, cut, and styled her hair. He looked her in the eyes, before spinning her around to face the mirror. "Talk to me about anything, okay?"
She caught sight of her hair and smiled. For once in a very long time, she felt pretty.
She met Austin outside of the press conference room. He looked good, as always, though a little overwhelmed. His hair had been restyled, and he was in a more "Austin Moon- Super star" outfit.
He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, leaning in and kissing her gently.
Ally thought she heard the snap of a camera behind them. She whipped around, and saw no one there.
Austin looked at her. "Ready, Ally?"
She sighed. "As I'll ever be."
Trish did most of the talking, actually, Austin sitting there and smiling, holding Ally's hand under the table, relationship under wraps until Trish would say it didn't have to be.
Ally felt sick. The moment the conference was over, after she was returned to hair and makeup to prepare for the concert that night, she threw up. Marcie held a trash can for her, while Ally cried and gagged.
Only after she had assured Marcie that she was okay, and downed a bottle of water under the careful eye of her and her sister, did Marcie resume carefully applying makeup to her face.
Marcie eyed her carefully. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Ally stayed still for a moment. Then, "Marcie... I'm pregnant."
The woman set down her makeup brush and looked at the girl. "How old are you? Whose baby is it?"
"Sixteen." Ally replied. "Austin's."
Marcie sighed. "Well, honey, if you ever want someone to talk to, I'm here. As are Mary and Richard."
Ally smiled sadly. "Thank you."
Marcie nodded. "Do you mind if I talk to Austin about it?"
Ally shook her head. "But he feels pretty guilty about it, I think, so..."
Marcie smiled. "I'll be nice." She stood they girl up, surveying her makeup. "Now run along. Maybe you can catch Austin before the concert."
FLUFFFLUFFFLUFFFLUFFFLUFF. FLUFF.
Xoxoxo.
Jenny.