I RAN MY FINGERS THROUGH MY NEWLY straightened hair, courtesy of one Khloe Kinsella.
“I love my hair, Khlo, thank you!” I said.
“No prob!” Khloe turned off the flatiron and left it out to cool off.
I turned on my lighted makeup mirror, so I could do a final makeup check. “Oh, KK, I pulled top options, and they’re hanging inside my closet at the right end, starting on a purple hanger. Mind going through those and helping me pick?”
I looked into the mirror, adjusting it so I could see my roomie. She was nodding her head to the Top Forty pop songs that we had streaming from her laptop.
“I would only be the most honored roommate in Hawthorne Hall to help you,” Khloe said. “Let’s see.”
I stared at my reflection. Even though some girls in my classes used everything from foundation to eyeliner and heavy mascara, I was a fan of the natural look. I wanted to look as if I wasn’t wearing much makeup—like I just happened to have zero zits or red spots.
Since it was date night, I’d added a few extra touches. A light dusting of shimmery gray eye shadow made my blue eyes look lighter. I’d dabbed off-white eye shadow from my Urban Decay palate into the corners of my eyes. It was one of my favorite EBTs: a little bit of white shadow made any eye look bigger. Also, it was my go-to when I’d been up too late the night before—it made me appear more awake in classes.
I’d curled my eyelashes, then applied one coat of black mascara. Eyes—check.
I used tinted moisturizer on my face. The ivory shade matched my skin tone and helped hide any blemishes. I squinted at the Enemy Pimple on my chin—I’d left it for last. It was a day old, and I’d been treating it with salicylic acid, which had reduced the size a little, but I still felt as if I had a red M&M on my chin.
I grabbed my green concealer—another EBT. Green canceled out red, Brielle had taught me, and I always used green concealer on pimples before blending in my usual concealer. I used my foundation brush to apply a small amount of green concealer. The green was not hiding the red! This wasn’t the time for an EBT fail!
“KK,” I moaned. “What if I can’t hide this monster zit? I look like I belong in the horror movie that Drew and I are going to see! My green concealer EBT isn’t working!”
“Laur, so not true—you don’t look like a human who’s contracted a flesh-eating disease and is wiping out the entire world population!”
“Khloe!”
Khloe hurried over, pulling her desk chair with her, and sat across from me. She looked at me, smiling. “Lauren, you’re beautiful—that’s what Drew’s going to see. That zit is microscopic. But I know how you feel—it feels like it’s huge and the only thing people see when they look at you.”
I nodded. “Exactly.”
“I’d never lie to you. It’s not bad at all. Want me to do your concealer?”
“Please.” I put down the brush, and Khloe got to work.
“This will take two seconds, and then I’ll give you my final rec on a top,” Khloe said. “Then we can decide what to pair with it—accessories, pants or skirt, shoes.”
“You know, I’ll totally take that this time because . . . voilà! Check it!” Khloe grinned at me.
I looked in the mirror, closing one eye—afraid of what I’d see.
I saw . . . nothing.
I opened my other eye and looked closer. The pimple was gone.
“Khloe! Oh, mon Dieu!” I grabbed her in a hug, and she laughed.
“Not bad, huh? All of those hours doing stage makeup might have paid off just a tiny bit.”
“Or a lot! You totally saved me from looking like I had a witch’s wart on my chin.”
Khloe shook her head and stood. “C’mon. Let’s get you dressed, crazy girl.”
All of the tops I’d narrowed down as options were spread on Khloe’s bed.
“I’m stuck mainly between two,” I said. “That purple boatneck with silver stitching and the gray tank top with sequins that I could throw a black cardigan over.”
Khloe was quiet for a moment. “I don’t think any of these work.”
“What? Really? Um. Okay. I’ve got other tops.” I hurried over to my closet. “This one is pretty, right? The hunter green is a good color, and the capped sleeves are cute.”
Khloe shook her head. “It’s not right for this date.”
I trusted Khloe’s fashion advice a thousand percent. She was always honest, and it was why I trusted her so much—she’d never let me walk out the door looking silly.
“Officially panicking now. You choose some tops!”
“Think about this for a sec, Laur. What are you and Drew doing tonight?”
“Going to see a Halloween movie,” I said slowly.
“Exactly. You have a fab collection of shirts that you only wear once a year. You didn’t start wearing them until the middle of the month because you were afraid people would think you were a dork. But what happened instead?”
“You and the rest of my friends really like my Halloween shirts.”
“And you’ve had other people tell you that they think your Halloween T-shirt collection is awesome. It’s you. You’re going on a date to see a Halloween movie. With a guy you really like. The only shirt that I’ll give my SOA to is a Halloween shirt.”
“Khloe,” I said. “Are you sure? I’m going on a date. The shirts are perfect for classes and other stuff, but do you really think Drew will think I look okay in a Halloween shirt?”
She nodded. “More than okay. He’ll love it because you love it. Move over.”
Khloe stepped up to my closet, gently bumping her hip against mine. I sat on the edge of my bed, watching as she flipped through the section of my closet dedicated to Halloween tees. I was happy to see them out of their box and in my closet.
“I’ve got, as you would say, the très parfait shirt.” Smiling, Khloe turned around, holding up her selection.
It was a white-neck tunic-length tee. A black cat sat tall on the bottom of the shirt, its emerald-colored eyes seeming to glow and its tail curled up along its body.
“Khloe, I don’t even know what to say. I haven’t worn that shirt yet, and it is très parfait! I didn’t even consider one of those shirts.”
“I know,” Khloe said. “I’m really glad you’re going to wear this. Halloween is your day—not just your favorite holiday, but your birthday, too. Drew will like anything you wear if you feel comfortable in it.”
I stood, giving her a one-armed hug as I took the shirt. “You should be writing an advice column for Girl! magazine.”
Khloe laughed. “Thanks, LT. Now I say either black leggings or black jeans.”
“Jeans,” I said. I pulled a pair from my dresser and laid them next to the shirt on my bed.
“I’ve got earrings in mind,” Khloe said. “A necklace, too.”
I changed into the top and jeans while Khloe went through her jewelry box. She held up a pair of silver drop earrings that were so fine, they were barely visible.
“Those are gorgeous,” I said.
“I thought you could do simple earrings and a necklace like this one.” Khloe walked over to me, and I looked at the necklace in her palm.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” I said. “No way!”
A quarter-size emerald stone cut into the shape of a heart with a delicate silver chain rested in her palm. The color of the stone matched the eyes of the cat on my shirt. Exactly.
Khloe grinned. “I saw it in this tiny boutique in Boston last summer when I was out with my friends. I didn’t have enough allowance money, so I used my emergency credit card.”
I grimaced. “You get in trouble?”
“Totally. No allowance for three months, but it was sooo worth it. Especially for moments like these!”
“Are you sure you don’t mind if I borrow this?” I asked.
“I’ll be offended if you don’t.”
“Thank you, thank you, Khlo.”
I walked over to my full-length mirror and put on the earrings and necklace. The emerald had been cut so it caught light from every angle, and it seemed to glow around my neck.
“Wow,” I said. “Khloe, the jewelry is . . . just so amazing.” I turned so she could see.
An insta-smile came to her face. “You look great! I’m so excited!”
“Me too!” I glanced at the clock. “I need to hurry up or I’ll be late.”
“You’re meeting at seven, right?” Khloe asked.
I nodded. “Inside the media center by the ticket counter.”
Shoes were a no-brainer. I slid my feet into black ballet flats with tiny silver studs lining the crisscrossed leather over the closed toes.
I applied a quick coat of peachy gloss and a spritz of Vera Wang Princess perfume, then did one final mirror check. I felt comfy and pretty in my outfit. The combination of the two gave me a surge of confidence.
“You’re set!” Khloe said. “You’re going to have so much fun! I’ll be here when you get back, and you will be forced to tell me every detail. So don’t forget a thing!”
Laughing, I grabbed my black shiny clutch that I’d already prepped for tonight and a light cardigan in case I got chilly.
“Trust me—I’ll come back with every detail to share. Thank you again for everything.”
“You’re welcome, but go! If you keep thanking me, you really will be late.”
With that, I left our room and hurried down Hawthorne’s hallway. I’d already gotten permission from Christina to see a movie. She had extended my curfew to nine thirty as long as I stopped by her office to let her know that I was back.
I stepped outside, took a deep breath of the coolish air, and headed to the media center. I wasn’t home to watch a movie with my friends or Becca, but I did have Drew. That made me smile as I passed a stack of hay bales with a scarecrow sitting on them. ’Tis the season!