"The very essence of romance is uncertainty"
-Oscar Wilde
Mandy led Amelie to the Girls dorms. "So, what's the occasion? Desperately getting a guy to notice you? Trying to steal someone else's boyfriend? Because I have experience with both of those," Mandy spat passive aggressively.
They walked down the dorm's long corridor and entered a bedroom with a large bed, humongous dresser and clothes strewn all over the floor. Among the piles were cheer outfits, small school uniforms, and an array of makeup of all types. It looked much roomier than Amelie's room, which only included her suitcase, backpack and books.
"Yeah, I have to get someone to clean that. Just sit on the floor or something," Mandy said nonchalantly, kicking a nearby pile of clothing out of her way. The cheerleader perched upon her own bed while her visitor sat against the wall on the carpet.
Thinking over what to say to Mandy, Amelie intensely studied her fingernails trying not to look nervous. "I'm going on a date tonight." Easy enough.
"What's the problem, then? Seems like you've already got a guy to notice you."
She looked up with an embarrassed look, slightly regretting telling Mandy. "…I've never been on a real date."
The cheerleader looked at her with surprise. "Really?" Her snicker further reddened Amelie's cheeks. "Even fugly little Beatrice has been on a date. Hell, she nearly sucked Jimmy's face off the first time they hung out, or so I'm told. Little slut," She laughed out loud.
None of Mandy's remarks were making Amelie feel any more confident. She shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Mandy's intense eyes. "Well first thing's first, you are in desperate need of a shower. I can smell you from over here."
The most likely contaminated Bullworth seawater combined with her neglect of the showers had given off a disheveled look about Amelie and an even worse aroma. Either way, she felt disgusting.
Mandy jumped off her bed and commanded Amelie to get up. The black haired girl walked in front her, leading her to to the bathroom. There she picked up an off-white towel and cranked one of the shower's water on until steam appeared. For Amelie, a hot shower felt nice, but not in front of someone else.
"What are you waiting for? Get in," Mandy nearly pushed Amelie straight into the stream of water, making her off balance. The mean girl snickered. "Do you think I'm a lesbian or something? Geez." There was a pause as Amelie became even more self-conscious of herself. "Look, I can just get one of the nerds to do my homework if you don't wanna do this," she scoffed. "Some people are soo insecure."
Act cool for once in your life. It's just your body. Everyone has one.
So Amelie began to peel off her uniform and step into the open shower. The rush of warm water felt nice and soothing on her skin. Steam opened up her pores, clearing the dirt that had been accumulated over the past few days.
Showering really was a great stress reliever. Despite the fact that there was someone watching her, Amelie felt almost completely at ease. Showering, she thought to herself. Remember this for next time you feel like tearing your hair out.
"Here-use my shampoo. I have this body scrub too, it smells like strawberry. Unless your guy is more of a coconut type, I have that too." Amelie snorted, but the look on Mandy's face was completely serious.
"Do guys even notice that stuff?"
"Not until the end of the date," Mandy winked. "It's kind of hard to avoid then, when he's all up-" Amelie interrupted before she turned an impossible shade of red. "Okay, now I know. But I don't think it'll go that far."
Mandy looked at her with disbelief. "Do guys take girls out so they can get a kiss on the cheek and a nice goodnight? No. Just listen to me. I actually know what I'm talking about. Now, here," Sweet-smelling shampoo was thrust in Amelie's hair with Mandy's rough fingers. "I'll scrub this. You get the soap."
As uncomfortable as she was on the inside, Amelie obliged by grabbing the bottle labeled 'Berry' and lathering herself, being sure to shield her privates from Mandy. The smell was a lot better than Amelie expected: it wasn't too pungent, but it had enough sweetness to feign the scent of the real fruit.
Suds washed over Amelie head to toe and the hot water pulsed against her skin, relaxing the muscles.
This is heaven. Lather, rinse, repeat. Why can't everything be this simple?
After several minutes of making sure every part of her body was clean from the dirty seawater smell, Amelie let the water wash over her body and she watched the bubbles disappear down the drain. Mandy had rinsed her hair with a shower nozzle and put in a thick, leave in conditioner that smelled very similar to the body wash.
As she stayed in the shower waiting for the conditioner to soak in, Mandy made her brush her teeth, use mouthwash and shave everywhere. Places where she had never bothered to shave before.
While in between strokes, Amelie frowned at Mandy. "Is this really necess-"
"For the last time, yes. God, I don't see why this is so hard for you. No guy wants someone hairy all over themselves. At least, the hygienic ones." This hushed up Amelie and Mandy moved the brunette's hair towards the nozzle to rinse her hair. After she was completely rinsed off, Mandy turned off the water and handed her a towel.
"I don't even know if I want it to be like that. Sexual, I mean." Her voice cracked on the word 'sexual', amusing Mandy. "I wouldn't even know what to do." It was an honest sentiment, but it somehow felt wrong to her. She was attracted to Gary, but her fear of doing the wrong thing plus her family's instilled morals made her feel dirty for wanting to do anything with him.
"Well, what do you know how to do? Have you done anything?"
"That's kind of personal."
"Look, I've already seen you naked. I think we can get past that."
Amelie stared at the floor, avoiding Mandy's glare.
"I kissed him. That's it."
Mandy broke out into loud laughter. "You're kidding. You are too innocent. It's cute." Her fingers pinched Amelie's cheek in a childish manner and Amelie slapped her arm away. She paused a moment, thinking. "You'll figure it out. You'll just know what to do when the time comes."
That wasn't helpful.
Just as Amelie opened her mouth to say something, Mandy grabbed her hand and led her back to her bedroom. "C'mon, let's get you changed into something not plaid. I probably have something."
This might have been the understatement of the century. Mandy opened her armoire doors and Amelie stared, amazed. There must have been over one hundred different tops and bottoms in there, not to mention a dozen shoes and dresses for different occasions.
After some deliberation, Amelie picked out a beautiful blue (thanks to Gary) long sleeved dress that was cinched at the waist with a thin caramel colored belt. The shoulders were missing and the dress went slightly above her knees, but Amelie admired the gorgeous deep blue color. Mandy insisted on picking her shoes, nude heels, even though the brunette could hardly walk in them.
She had stepped back and let Mandy do the work on her face and hair, which actually turned out very good. Once it had been meticulously brushed and dried, no longer did her hair look like a giant nesting place; it was long, shiny, and straight thanks to Mandy's help.
Amelie hadn't had much experience with makeup, so Mandy got out all her different brushes and tubes and worked like an artist perfecting her masterpiece. All in all, once it had all been applied, it looked surprisingly natural. Mandy looked like she was genuinely enjoying herself, fixing up the girl like a doll.
Stray hairs plucked, deodorant applied, perfume spritzed. Even her nails had been buffed and polished with a deep, glossy red.
Throughout the makeover, the girls talked more comfortably. The tension had been lifted considerably after Amelie's shower. Mandy talked mostly about herself but also managed to ask Amelie some questions about her school and life back home. It was amazing to Amelie to have someone to confide in after feeling so out of place. Not to mention, she felt more beautiful than ever.
The time had passed quickly, with the clock quickly reaching 9:00. Amelie glanced at the clock in anticipation as Mandy applied a second coat of lip gloss to her mouth. "Hold still, it's going to get on your face." She scolded. The thick gloss had the sweet taste of cherry.
"He's going to be here any minute," Amelie took a deep breath. "I should probably go now."
"Wait! Lemme see one more time. Stand up." Amelie lifted herself out of Mandy's vanity chair and hung her arms awkwardly down by her sides. "Now look like you have some confidence. Chin up, chest out. And for God's sake, please try to look like you're happy."
Mandy contemplated Amelie's appearance. Satisfied, she clapped her hands together and scrambled around for a mirror. "You are too cute. It's all thanks to me," Mandy bragged. She held the mirror out to Amelie and let her see her completed look.
A small 'o' formed around her glossed mouth. She looked like a new person. Her skin was actually glowing, and not just from the products Mandy had used. She smiled at her reflection automatically.
You should have started wearing makeup a long time ago.
"You can thank me later. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, I expect a full report." Mandy grinned, maneuvering Amelie away from the mirror and out of the room. "And remember to smile. And try to do something exciting for once in your life. That means more than a little handshake goodnight. He'd be a moron not to want to."
Amelie stumbled in her new heels but remembered what Mandy told her and tried to walk normally. They were at the front doors of the dorm when Mandy unexpectedly threw her arms around Amelie in a quick hug, being careful not to mess up her hair.
"Good luck. Now make me proud."
Amelie was practically shoved through the doors and into the blackness of the night. The crisp autumn air felt cool on her skin and she breathed in the fresh air. Now to find him.
The click clack of her heels was loud against the cobblestone ground, causing a few stares from other students on campus. A group of boys began whistling behind her, which caught Amelie off guard. She became fully conscious of every step, every movement she was making. Just make it to the gate…
The black iron gates appeared before her. There was no turning back now. Stop worrying. You look good, even Mandy admitted it. Enjoy yourself for once.
Streetlights glowed against the black sky and made the night seem less harsh. The girl walked to the front of the gate, casually standing near the brick wall. Amelie smiled nervously as she noticed a younger student staring up in awe at her. The girl smiled back. "Your dress is really pretty."
"Thank you," she murmured, adjusting her hair. The girl looked down and began to walk away towards her friends. "Bye!" she called, running after to chase someone.
How sweet. And for once you didn't embarrass yourself.
Her eyes drifted up again to the sky, admiring the countless stars scattered around the sky along with the full moon. It was a beautiful night, and she wasn't going to mess this up.
After a few minutes of studying the stars, wondering where Gary was, a cool hand slipped into hers. A familiar voice rang against her ears. "Hope you don't mind my lateness, darling. Had to put the children to bed."
She turned to smile at Gary and was instantly taken aback by his appearance. He too had put in more effort than usual into his look: a loose black sweater hung over a white crew neck, dark brown pants covered the length of his legs, his smile a little more friendly than she was used to. His dark brown hair looked like it had been combed, although the breeze had already ruffled through it.
Gary's eyes glazed over her body from her head, paying particular attention to her eyes, then travelling down to her feet. "Now, don't tell me this ensemble is all for me?" Gary kept his hand twined with Amelie's while lifting his other hand to her waist. "You didn't need to do that." Although his words contained the same quips, the way he said them was much less scathing and more genuine.
As her confidence rose, her heart rate rose even quicker. "I wanted to," she gave him a little smile. "So where are we going?"
"Ah ah," he mock-scolded the brunette. "That would ruin the surprise. And that would ruin all the fun." He gestured behind them and Amelie saw a bright white moped parked neatly on the sidewalk. "Hop on and I'll show you." Gary kept hold of her hand and began to walk towards the scooter, but Amelie didn't budge.
He turned his head, more concerned than upset. "Did you forget how to walk in those heels? What's wrong?"
Amelie breathed in the clear smell of the night and tightened her hand around Gary's. For once, she was fully content.
"No. I'm just thinking."
"Well don't strain yourself, we've got a long night ahead of us."
Ahh I just love Gary. The cute little psycho. *sigh*