A/N: This fic was a request from a friend and came from the line where Katie mentions to Maya in Zombie that Marisol had a bad makeover freshman year. I also needed an excuse to write a Marisol/Manny interaction.
Trigger warning for mentions of the canon suicide storyline in Bittersweet Symphony.
Marisol Lewis was waiting patiently in the student council office for Maya Matlin to come around. She needed to talk to her best friend's little sister.
After a few minutes, Maya came in wearing a shoulder less red tube top, a mini denim skirt with fishnet tights, and red heels. Marisol tried not to visibly cringe at the sight. The outfit was tacky as hell and not giving what it was supposed to give. "What's up, Mare?" Maya asked casually as she stood in front of her with her hands on her hips.
"Take a seat right here Baby Matlin, and let's talk," Marisol said, gesturing to the seat across from her. Maya complied, watching her curiously. "Katie is worried about your recent change in wardrobe," she started off. The younger Matlin sister immediately rolled her eyes.
"Why? It's not like I'm committing a felony," Maya replied while folding her arms. Marisol had noticed that she painted her nails a very bright red. She wasn't a big fan of red nail polish, especially not that shade. Maya was also wearing matte red lipstick, heavy foundation, smokey eyeshadow, and thick mascara. It was so... weird .
"Well because it's not you. You wear jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers. Miniskirts, red nails, eyeshadow, and lipstick aren't usually your thing and you used to be disgusted at the idea of wearing heels. What happened?" Marisol asked in concern.
"I'm growing up is what's happening. Isn't that what all high school girls do?" Maya asked back with a raised eyebrow. Marisol sighed. This was clearly going to be a difficult conversation. "And why should the girl who was going to prostitute herself to a billionaire tell me what I should or shouldn't wear?"
"Maya, you don't know the full story of that situation! Katie was preyed on by that creepy bastard!" Marisol sharply exclaimed before calming herself down. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I get it. I also did a makeover my freshman year so I can look more grown up and get cute boys. I also did it because I looked up to this senior, Manny Santos."
"The singer?"
"The very one! When she was a niner, she apparently changed her whole wardrobe around and walked the halls in a blue thong. That's what the legends say," Marisol replied as she told the tale. "Now mind you, I already admired Manny Santos because she was a badass. She was stylish, gorgeous, bubbly, nice, and captain of the cheerleading squad. She let me, a little niner, on the squad because she saw that I had the talent and energy needed for the team. I loved her, so I wanted to dress just like her and recreate this iconic tale. I went to the mall one night..."
Four years ago
Marisol Lewis was smiling widely as she held up a pink thong while inside a Victoria's Secret. It was lacy and had a cheetah print design. Combined with the sexy clothes she bought from Forever 21 and H&M, she was going to be as hot as Manny Santos. She picked up a few more thongs of different colors and designs before getting in line to pay for them.
The woman at the register was giving her an amused look as she paid for the items. "Should a girl your age be wearing thongs and lacy bras?" She asked as she rang them up.
"Uh yeah, if I want to look grown," Marisol answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. The woman at the register laughed.
"Being grown is more than just walking around in a thong, honey," the woman replied. Marisol narrowed her eyes in response. She just wanted to pay for her new underwear without being judged by some hag.
After paying for her new sexy undergarments, she left the store to where Katie was waiting for her with a bag of new sports clothes. "Look Katiekins!" She said as she took the thongs out of her shopping bag to show her friend.
Her best friend looked at the panties in disgust. "They're practically just a string. That's what you want to wear to school, Mare?" Katie questioned her critically.
"Why not? It's about time I stop dressing like a little girl and more like the teenager I am," Marisol answered. "Do you see Manny Santos walking around dressed like a church girl?"
"I don't care about what Manny wears because I don't wrap my life around other people, Marebear. You should do the same," Katie advised her.
"Pfft, like you don't worship the ground Liberty Van Zandt walks on. Don't be a hater, Katiekins," Marisol replied as they began to walk.
"I'm not being a hater, I'm being real," Katie argued.
"Whatever you say babe….."
"Typical Katie," Maya said with another eye roll.
"I know, she sounds bad but she was right. I wasn't changing my wardrobe around for myself, I did it for other people and that's not a way to live your life," Marisol warned her.
"Who says that I'm dressing for other people? I just want to stop dressing like a little girl, is there something wrong with that?"
"No, but not if you're doing it for the wrong reasons," Marisol answered. "And not if you're going to become a totally different person because of it. Now let me tell you what happened next…."
Everyone's reaction was immediate as she walked the halls in her new outfit. There was not a single person who wasn't whispering or staring at her in shock. She was going to be the talk of the school after today.
Marisol smirked as she strutted around in a pink, one shoulder crop top that showed her pink bra strap, a black denim miniskirt, and tall silver heels. She was flaunting her new thong proudly. She knew she looked sexy. She approached Owen Milligan, who was talking with Bianca DeSousa at his locker. When they saw her, they both froze.
"Hey, Owen," she purred flirtatiously as she leaned on the locker next to his.
"Hey," Owen greeted while looking her up and down. He had a clear look of desire in his eyes.
"You wanna hang out after school? At The Dot?" She asked while fluttering her eyelashes. Right now she was wearing heavy mascara, silver eyeshadow, pink blush, and red lip gloss. She heard Owen liked red. That's why she was wearing sparkly, long red nails as well.
"I have football practice but I can definitely squeeze you in, Mari. You look amazing," Owen replied in wonder. She smiled in response.
"Thank you, Owen. I'll see you then!" Marisol said before walking away with a switch in her hips.
With a cute jock like Owen by her side, her popularity and sex appeal was going to be guaranteed.
"What's the point of this? Marisol, I'm not changing my wardrobe because of a boy," Maya argued.
"I'm getting to that young Matlin, patience," Marisol insisted. "This is an important part of the story!"
"But Owen treated you like crap, Mare. Everyone knows that," Maya reminded him.
"Yeah, which is why he's my past, not my present," Marisol agreed, "But I'm getting to the point, trust me. After school during Spirit Squad practice….."
Practice was pretty much the same, except all of the other members of the team were looking at her with various looks of surprise, amusement, or disgust. The ones who were disgusted were probably just jealous, especially Darcy.
After she showered, Manny Santos pulled her aside. "Mare, can we talk?" She requested with a firm look in her eyes.
"Of course, Manny!" She replied cheerfully as she went to retouch her makeup in the bathroom mirror. Manny followed her in.
"What's with the new style? You trying to look hot or something?" Her captain asked her.
"Yeah, just like you!" Marisol replied cheerfully. The older girl pursed her lips.
"While I'm flattered, I don't think this is a good idea, Mare. You're violating all kinds of dress codes with that thong," Manny warned her.
"If Hatzilakos has a problem, I can just not wear any underwear at all," Marisol reasoned with a shrug, only to be shocked when Manny just sighed in response.
"Look Mare, there's nothing wrong with changing your appearance or your wardrobe if you don't like it. But if you're doing it only to impress other people, especially boys, then it's not good. I used to think like you back when I was a niner. I started dressing in sexy clothes only because I was insecure with myself and I wanted a cute boyfriend. I walked around like an idiot in my new clothes and still felt insecure. That's not the kind of behavior to imitate," Manny said to her, and Marisol was confused by her words. Her idol was basically saying that dressing sexy was one of the worst mistakes of her life. Was she also making a mistake?
"But I don't want to go back to the way I was before. I like the new me," Marisol replied, trying to convince herself more than Manny.
"You don't have to go back to the old you. You can be a better version of yourself. Just don't go cuckoo bananas and forget who you are inside," Manny replied as she poked her chest for emphasis. "This weekend, why don't we all go shopping? I can help you pick out some cute clothes that show a lot of skin but don't look cheap or tacky."
Marisol smiled softly. "I would like that."
"So what I'm saying is that you shouldn't dress sexy to impress boys," Marisol finished, "In all honesty, Maya, you shouldn't feel the need to dress sexy at all. I know you don't want to hear this but you're fourteen ."
"So? I got my period. I'm old enough to have kids. I'm not a little girl anymore, Mare!" Maya replied in frustration.
"You're not a little girl anymore," Marisol agreed, "But you're still a child and you shouldn't feel pressured to dress way older than you are. There's a way to dress your age without looking like you're about to go clubbing. I know you've been told by guys that you don't have any sex appeal but you don't need sex appeal. You're fine just the way you are, and high school boys' opinions ultimately don't matter. Please tone it down and go back to the old you," she pleaded.
"The old me was the girlfriend of some kid that killed himself," Maya rejected, and it clicked in Marisol's mind as to what Maya was trying to do. Her dressing all "sexy" was her desperate way of coping with what happened with Cam. She was trying to run from her trauma in a very subtle way. "The new me is someone better."
Marisol smiled sadly at that.
"Maya, sweetie, I think Cam is always going to be a part of you no matter what version you upgrade to. I know it hurts but dressing skimpy and walking around with heavy makeup isn't going to erase the fact that you have a dead boyfriend. I'm sorry," she said sorrowfully.
Maya's face blanched, and for a moment everything was silent. Then the younger Matlin decided to speak.
"What do you know, huh? Everyone has this idea of who I'm supposed to be, but I can't be who people want me to be anymore. That Maya is dead, Mare," Maya said while balling up her fist. "She's not coming back, and I don't want her to. This is a new me and everyone needs to get used to it."
She probably never would. She knew Maya since she was a toddler, and a part of her was always going to see Maya as a chubby-faced toddler in denim overalls with kiddie nail polish on her fingers and toes. She didn't want to see Maya grow up this fast.
But she also knew that Maya wasn't going to listen to her right now. Right now, she was just trying to shed the image of the girl who lost her first boyfriend to suicide.
So the best thing she could do was support her in the best way she could.
"Can I at least take the new Maya out shopping? The new Maya probably needs the help of a fashion icon such as myself," Marisol offered with a tight smile.
"As long as you don't tell Katie, then I'm down," Maya replied with a smile of her own.
"Great! Let's go this weekend, just you and me! We're going to get our nails done too, I need a new manicure!" Marisol said cheerfully.
One thing for certain is that Maya was not going to walk around the halls on Monday wearing a thong.