Status: hiatus-ish
Days Like Masquerades
the ugly duckling
"Genevieve Rachel Caulfield, sit still!" Jennifer shouts, yanking at my strawberry blonde hair. "There is no way I can fix your hair if you keep fidgeting."
I stand up and pull the clips out of my hair. "Jennifer, it was nice of you to try and help me and all, but this really isn't my thing--"
"Nonsense," she replies, waving her hand. "You know, Gen, you have pretty hair, you just need to dry it correctly."
What did she mean by that? I look at myself in Jennifer's large vanity mirror, the lights glaring at my face. I can see every little freckle on my cheekbones. "It looks fine," I say defensively.
"No, Gen. It's not the type of hair a Jennifer has."
"But I'm not a Jennifer." I wipe the lip gloss off with the tissues on the vanity. "Look, it's really sweet of you to help me and all, but--"
"Look." Jennifer flips her blonde hair over her shoulder and points a finger at my chest. "Your mom told me you had trouble making friends back in Washington, so I'm trying to help you, okay?" She touches up her eyeliner. "Palm Woods isn't anything like what you're used to, so suck it up." Jennifer picks up a pair of tweezers.
> >
The other Jennifers look disgusted when my cousin, Blonde Jennifer, drags me over to them. The other two Jennifers lower their sunglasses, eyebrows raised. "Who's that?" brunette Jennifer asks.
"This is my cousin, Genevieve," Blonde Jennifer answers, sighing. "I know, she's a hot mess, but we can fix that; she just needs a good run to the mall."
I glare at her. "What's wrong with the clothes I'm wearing now?" I look at my dark jeans and t-shirt.
"First of all, that shirt is so not cool," one of them says, making a face. "I mean, why would you want a shirt that says 'Jack's Mannequin' on it? It doesn't even make sense!"
As I open my mouth Blonde Jennifer sticks out her arm. "Look, we're going to go to the mall right now to get you some new, fashion-forward clothes," she says, her posse grouping around her. Brunette Jennifer smirks while Curly-haired Jennifer doesn't bother to look at me.
At the mall, we enter a store with obnoxiously loud music. The Jennifers shove me into a dressing room and throw mounds of clothes over the door, showering me in shirts, skirts, and dresses. I mix and match, not sure what I'm doing. I found myself asking, "Is this what a Jennifer would wear?" I step outside with each outfit, receiving nods of approval or shakes of disappointment.
After a while, the Jennifers do some shopping of their own, and I sit down with all their bags, so far only twenty five, excluding my own. I tug off the ones around my neck. "Newest member's always the pack mule," curly-haired Jennifer states, handing another five bags to me as they come out of Express.
Back at Palm Woods, the Jennifers grab all their bags and leave me with my seven. "See you tomorrow, in your new clothes," Blonde Jennifer says, smiling. I wave goodbye to the girls and try to slip into the apartment unnoticed, but Mom sits in the living room, tapping her foot.
"So, how'd it go, Gen?" she asks.
I purse my lips.
"Oh, c'mon, Gen. I moved here to give you a shot at your dreams," she says, trying to help me with my crazy number of clothes. When Blonde Jennifer meant "new wardrobe", she really meant it.
"I never said I wanted this," I reply, throwing the bags onto the sofa. "I never said I wanted to change myself to have people like me."
Mom pats my back. "Sweetheart, changing a little isn't a bad thing; I'm sure if you and Jennifer become closer, you two'll be really good friends. I don't think that's a bad thing at all." She smiles the kind of smile you wish you could put on when you're unsure about what you're betting your money on.
"Thanks for the advice, Mom," I say, grabbing the seven bags and lugging them into my room.
Yeah, really helpful, Mom.
I stand up and pull the clips out of my hair. "Jennifer, it was nice of you to try and help me and all, but this really isn't my thing--"
"Nonsense," she replies, waving her hand. "You know, Gen, you have pretty hair, you just need to dry it correctly."
What did she mean by that? I look at myself in Jennifer's large vanity mirror, the lights glaring at my face. I can see every little freckle on my cheekbones. "It looks fine," I say defensively.
"No, Gen. It's not the type of hair a Jennifer has."
"But I'm not a Jennifer." I wipe the lip gloss off with the tissues on the vanity. "Look, it's really sweet of you to help me and all, but--"
"Look." Jennifer flips her blonde hair over her shoulder and points a finger at my chest. "Your mom told me you had trouble making friends back in Washington, so I'm trying to help you, okay?" She touches up her eyeliner. "Palm Woods isn't anything like what you're used to, so suck it up." Jennifer picks up a pair of tweezers.
> >
The other Jennifers look disgusted when my cousin, Blonde Jennifer, drags me over to them. The other two Jennifers lower their sunglasses, eyebrows raised. "Who's that?" brunette Jennifer asks.
"This is my cousin, Genevieve," Blonde Jennifer answers, sighing. "I know, she's a hot mess, but we can fix that; she just needs a good run to the mall."
I glare at her. "What's wrong with the clothes I'm wearing now?" I look at my dark jeans and t-shirt.
"First of all, that shirt is so not cool," one of them says, making a face. "I mean, why would you want a shirt that says 'Jack's Mannequin' on it? It doesn't even make sense!"
As I open my mouth Blonde Jennifer sticks out her arm. "Look, we're going to go to the mall right now to get you some new, fashion-forward clothes," she says, her posse grouping around her. Brunette Jennifer smirks while Curly-haired Jennifer doesn't bother to look at me.
At the mall, we enter a store with obnoxiously loud music. The Jennifers shove me into a dressing room and throw mounds of clothes over the door, showering me in shirts, skirts, and dresses. I mix and match, not sure what I'm doing. I found myself asking, "Is this what a Jennifer would wear?" I step outside with each outfit, receiving nods of approval or shakes of disappointment.
After a while, the Jennifers do some shopping of their own, and I sit down with all their bags, so far only twenty five, excluding my own. I tug off the ones around my neck. "Newest member's always the pack mule," curly-haired Jennifer states, handing another five bags to me as they come out of Express.
Back at Palm Woods, the Jennifers grab all their bags and leave me with my seven. "See you tomorrow, in your new clothes," Blonde Jennifer says, smiling. I wave goodbye to the girls and try to slip into the apartment unnoticed, but Mom sits in the living room, tapping her foot.
"So, how'd it go, Gen?" she asks.
I purse my lips.
"Oh, c'mon, Gen. I moved here to give you a shot at your dreams," she says, trying to help me with my crazy number of clothes. When Blonde Jennifer meant "new wardrobe", she really meant it.
"I never said I wanted this," I reply, throwing the bags onto the sofa. "I never said I wanted to change myself to have people like me."
Mom pats my back. "Sweetheart, changing a little isn't a bad thing; I'm sure if you and Jennifer become closer, you two'll be really good friends. I don't think that's a bad thing at all." She smiles the kind of smile you wish you could put on when you're unsure about what you're betting your money on.
"Thanks for the advice, Mom," I say, grabbing the seven bags and lugging them into my room.
Yeah, really helpful, Mom.