Mari climbed into the car with Victoria with a brightened smile on her face. As they drove cautiously through the snow Mari would give a giggle every few moments before Victoria laughed deeply. "Alright, little one, spill." Mari pretended to drop her jaw, shaking her head as she rubbed her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about..." Victoria reclined into the Caddy's leather interior, guiding them with one hand down the snow covered roads. "If you ask me, Marian, it's about time that boy kissed you."
Mari jumped, her eyes big. "Victoria!!!! How can you say that?!" The elder woman chuckled deeply. "Well ever since you two have met he's been giving you the googly-eye." Mari made a face, sitting Indian style on the seat, turning to face her gaurdian. "Googly-eye?" As they pulled into the driveway of the small two bedroom home on Castle Drive, Mari didn't get an answer as they dived through the blizzard to enter the warm house. Sniffing, Mari got a shiver of anticipation as she smelled Nancy's famous Winter Chili. "No, you can't have any yet. The tofu's not done. Welcome home, sweetie." Nancy cooed before leaning up and kissing Victoria on the cheek.
Victoria grinned and lifted Nancy off the ground, taking her into the kitchen. Rolling her eyes, Mari walked into the living room, turning on the TV. "This storm's not going to be over for a few days, are you sure we have enough food?!" Mari shouted through to the kitchen. "Yes, I'm pretty sure!" Nancy shouted before giggling. Rolling her eyes, Mari sagged onto the couch, her mind blocking out the TV and playful shouts. Her lips began to tingle and she giggled, hugging onto a pillow. Was Rob really giving her the googly-eye?
Chuckling to herself, Mari decided it was time to get ahold of herself. It was a kiss....'But a good kiss. A fantastic kiss. A wonderful, exhilarating kiss.' Her mind was quick to remind her. Burying her face into a pillow Mari squealed with delight before there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it! Please, don't allow the door to interrupt you both watching the tofu cook!!" As Mari opened the door, the smile on her face disappeared. Candace gave a false smile before grabbing Mari by the collar and throwing her out the door. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from Rob?" Mari stood and rolled her eyes. "Get off my property---" "ROB is MY property, missy."
Mari quickly sidestepped Candace to get back inside before she froze but the girl grabbed Mari by the hair, throwing her back into the snow. "Ouch!" Mari yelped, falling back. This was getting too violent. As Candace approached Mari stood and wiped the snow off her backside. "That's more then enough Candace! Rob doesn't belong to you! He doesn't even LIKE girls like you!" Rearing back, Candace punched Mari hard on the jaw.
Twisting in the snow, Mari landed on the hood of the Cadillac. Candace was coming back and this time Mari let her charge right into the car before grabbing the girl by the hood of her coat and throwing her into the snow. Before Candace could get back up, Mari charged the front door, throwing it open and slamming it behind her.
"Mari? Did you go outside?" Victoria called just as Mari locked the door. "Yes! But I'm back in now..." Nancy stepped out of the kitchen, adjusting her skirt before she looked up. "Marian! Sweetheart, you're bleeding!" Wiping her mouth, Mari found some blood trickling from her mouth. Standing up she pushed Nancy away to get to the bathroom. Examining her cheek, Mari couldn't help but see the darkening bruise beginning on the right side of her face.
"Marian honey? What happened?" Nancy asked from the other side of the door. "Nothing, Nance. Just a girl from school who doesn't like the fact that I'm Rob's friend." "Girlfriend," Victoria corrected. Mari threw the door open giving her a cynical look. "Friend. We've only kissed. It's not like he's asked me out or anything." Victoria grinned, looking to Nancy. "Told you they kissed. I saw that glow in her face."
Chuckling as well, Mari walked past her gaurdians into the kitchen to get her bowl of chili. As they sat, Mari told them all about Candace and what had just happened. "Jealousy is a powerful thing. You should've seen the girl Vicki over here punched out to get back at her for hurting me." Nancy smiled warmly to Victoria who shrugged. "I couldn't let her get away with it! Fighting was the only logical thing to me."
Mari pushed her half-finished bowl away, and tucked up a knee. "But I don't want Candace to fight with me again. I don't like it." Victoria reached over and scooped up Mari's bowl, taking a bite before Nancy conked her on the head with her spoon. Sliding the bowl back in front of Mari, Victoria leaned back. "Well we've all had things we wouldn't rather wish we didn't do. Is there any way you and Rob can still hang out without Candace finding out?" Mari shook her head and picked at a strand of hair. "Unfortunately, even in the snow, this hair of mine is a beacon." "So, why don't we dye it?" Nancy suggested.
Mari thought for a minute but shook her head. "Still have these curls." All three went quiet, each one with a varying degree of concentration on her face. "We could straighten your hair every morning." Nancy thought, biting her lower lip. "Then Candace would wonder who this NEW girl was with Rob and hunt me down again." Victoria heaved a groan, leaning back and patting her stomach. Mari looked down and saw that her bowl of chili was gone and shook her head.
"Wait a moment..." Victoria said, getting up and running upstairs to the house. When she came back downstairs she was holding a make-up box from when she and Nancy were in plays all the time. "Don't knock it till you've tried it. I'm gonna try something so just relax." Shrugging, Mari sat still while Victoria worked with her brow furrowed in deep concentration. The make-up smeared on her face felt like a thick mask that probably wouldn't rub off with acid. When Nancy pulled back Mari's hair, spinning it at the top of her head and tucking it into a wig, she was starting to understand.
When Victoria finally held up a mirror, Mari didn't even know who Mari was. Victoria smiled and said, "I think, hon, the only way you and Rob can be together is if you become one of the boys."
Mari jumped, her eyes big. "Victoria!!!! How can you say that?!" The elder woman chuckled deeply. "Well ever since you two have met he's been giving you the googly-eye." Mari made a face, sitting Indian style on the seat, turning to face her gaurdian. "Googly-eye?" As they pulled into the driveway of the small two bedroom home on Castle Drive, Mari didn't get an answer as they dived through the blizzard to enter the warm house. Sniffing, Mari got a shiver of anticipation as she smelled Nancy's famous Winter Chili. "No, you can't have any yet. The tofu's not done. Welcome home, sweetie." Nancy cooed before leaning up and kissing Victoria on the cheek.
Victoria grinned and lifted Nancy off the ground, taking her into the kitchen. Rolling her eyes, Mari walked into the living room, turning on the TV. "This storm's not going to be over for a few days, are you sure we have enough food?!" Mari shouted through to the kitchen. "Yes, I'm pretty sure!" Nancy shouted before giggling. Rolling her eyes, Mari sagged onto the couch, her mind blocking out the TV and playful shouts. Her lips began to tingle and she giggled, hugging onto a pillow. Was Rob really giving her the googly-eye?
Chuckling to herself, Mari decided it was time to get ahold of herself. It was a kiss....'But a good kiss. A fantastic kiss. A wonderful, exhilarating kiss.' Her mind was quick to remind her. Burying her face into a pillow Mari squealed with delight before there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it! Please, don't allow the door to interrupt you both watching the tofu cook!!" As Mari opened the door, the smile on her face disappeared. Candace gave a false smile before grabbing Mari by the collar and throwing her out the door. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from Rob?" Mari stood and rolled her eyes. "Get off my property---" "ROB is MY property, missy."
Mari quickly sidestepped Candace to get back inside before she froze but the girl grabbed Mari by the hair, throwing her back into the snow. "Ouch!" Mari yelped, falling back. This was getting too violent. As Candace approached Mari stood and wiped the snow off her backside. "That's more then enough Candace! Rob doesn't belong to you! He doesn't even LIKE girls like you!" Rearing back, Candace punched Mari hard on the jaw.
Twisting in the snow, Mari landed on the hood of the Cadillac. Candace was coming back and this time Mari let her charge right into the car before grabbing the girl by the hood of her coat and throwing her into the snow. Before Candace could get back up, Mari charged the front door, throwing it open and slamming it behind her.
"Mari? Did you go outside?" Victoria called just as Mari locked the door. "Yes! But I'm back in now..." Nancy stepped out of the kitchen, adjusting her skirt before she looked up. "Marian! Sweetheart, you're bleeding!" Wiping her mouth, Mari found some blood trickling from her mouth. Standing up she pushed Nancy away to get to the bathroom. Examining her cheek, Mari couldn't help but see the darkening bruise beginning on the right side of her face.
"Marian honey? What happened?" Nancy asked from the other side of the door. "Nothing, Nance. Just a girl from school who doesn't like the fact that I'm Rob's friend." "Girlfriend," Victoria corrected. Mari threw the door open giving her a cynical look. "Friend. We've only kissed. It's not like he's asked me out or anything." Victoria grinned, looking to Nancy. "Told you they kissed. I saw that glow in her face."
Chuckling as well, Mari walked past her gaurdians into the kitchen to get her bowl of chili. As they sat, Mari told them all about Candace and what had just happened. "Jealousy is a powerful thing. You should've seen the girl Vicki over here punched out to get back at her for hurting me." Nancy smiled warmly to Victoria who shrugged. "I couldn't let her get away with it! Fighting was the only logical thing to me."
Mari pushed her half-finished bowl away, and tucked up a knee. "But I don't want Candace to fight with me again. I don't like it." Victoria reached over and scooped up Mari's bowl, taking a bite before Nancy conked her on the head with her spoon. Sliding the bowl back in front of Mari, Victoria leaned back. "Well we've all had things we wouldn't rather wish we didn't do. Is there any way you and Rob can still hang out without Candace finding out?" Mari shook her head and picked at a strand of hair. "Unfortunately, even in the snow, this hair of mine is a beacon." "So, why don't we dye it?" Nancy suggested.
Mari thought for a minute but shook her head. "Still have these curls." All three went quiet, each one with a varying degree of concentration on her face. "We could straighten your hair every morning." Nancy thought, biting her lower lip. "Then Candace would wonder who this NEW girl was with Rob and hunt me down again." Victoria heaved a groan, leaning back and patting her stomach. Mari looked down and saw that her bowl of chili was gone and shook her head.
"Wait a moment..." Victoria said, getting up and running upstairs to the house. When she came back downstairs she was holding a make-up box from when she and Nancy were in plays all the time. "Don't knock it till you've tried it. I'm gonna try something so just relax." Shrugging, Mari sat still while Victoria worked with her brow furrowed in deep concentration. The make-up smeared on her face felt like a thick mask that probably wouldn't rub off with acid. When Nancy pulled back Mari's hair, spinning it at the top of her head and tucking it into a wig, she was starting to understand.
When Victoria finally held up a mirror, Mari didn't even know who Mari was. Victoria smiled and said, "I think, hon, the only way you and Rob can be together is if you become one of the boys."