Hey Romeo, Don't You Think You're Just a Tad Overrated?
The Highlights of Saturday. No Pun Intended
Freedom! Liberty! Justice! At the McAllister Academy, it comes in the form of SATURDAY. Yup, that's right, it's the weekend. Which meant, I woke up when my body felt like it, instead of having the stupid alarm ring shrilly every morning. You know what made life even sweeter? My week-long afternoon study hall suspension was lifted! Which meant I got to spend time with all my friends again!
"So, what do you want to do today?" Beth asked, poking at her Saturday Special Egg Omelet.
I shrugged, to busy shoveling omelet down my esophagus. Man, it was delicious. Too bad they only served it on Saturdays.
Will was staring at me, an indescribable look on his face.
"What?" I muttered, my mouth full. "Did I forget to shower again or something?"
Will cocked his head to the right. Ah hah. It was that look. The look he gave when he was scrutinizing someone. "You should really get highlights in your hair," he suddenly commented. "It would just bring everything out! I'm thinking maybe a few light blonde streaks. You would positively glow! Yes, you're getting highlights," he said decisively.
I raised my milk glass to my lips. "Highlights?" I asked him suspiciously, fingering the tips of my long, boring, straight, hair.
"Well, yes. Your hair is such a dull yellow now! Imagine what highlights would do! You will be gold!" Will enthused. "Girls, we're going into town today!" he decided.
"Great! I need to go shopping!" Alyssa immediately agreed. "The homecoming dance is only a few weeks away, and I need a new dress!"
"Wait!" I said. "Pause. Rewind. Homecoming?" I asked.
Beth nodded. "I forgot to tell you. We always have a homecoming dance a few weeks into school."
Will nodded. "Yes. Shopping and primping, it definitely is. What else are Saturdays for?"
________________
"This is weird," I complained audibly to Will who was sitting next to me, reading Vogue. "I look retarded."
"That's only because there's foil in your hair, hon," Will said, not even looking up.
"They'll take it out right?" I asked, worried. "Or else I'll look kinda weird…"
He rolled his eyes. "No, Aurelie, you're going to walk down the street looking like you just came from Star Trek auditions," he said sarcastically. "Do you like this dress?" he suddenly changed the subject, thrusting the magazine into my hands. "I think it would look good on you."
I studied the picture. It was a strapless Betsey Johnson party dress, deep indigo colored with black polka-dots. There was a black sash right under the bust, and it hit right before the knees. It was cute.
"It's nice," I said.
"That's all?" Will complained, snatching the magazine back.
I shrugged, watching the mirror intently as the hairdresser transformed my hair.
In the end, Will had convinced me to trim my long hair, layer it, and highlight it. And might I just add that it looked amazing.
"I love it," I whispered, turning this way and that, liking the way my hair floated about. It didn't feel like dead weight sitting on my head anymore. And for some reason, the new highlights made my eyes brighter and somehow enhanced my high cheekbones.
"You look very hot," Will agreed as we stepped out of the salon. "Now let's go look for Alyssa and Beth. We're going shoe shopping!"
_____________
I didn't like anything that I saw in the shops. Alyssa and Beth both held at least five shopping bags each, and Will was even carrying a few for them. Truth be told, I was still a bit uncomfortable with spending money. I've conservatively lived for over sixteen years, and I still wasn't used to the different environment. I also kind of fell in love with the Betsy Johnson dress I saw earlier in the magazine. Before we left the salon, I had secretly ripped it out and shoved it in my pocket when no one was looking, hoping I could find something similar to it in a store.
"Let's hurry! The last bus to McAllister Academy leaves in five minutes!" Alyssa cried as we jostled our way through throngs of people.
"We'll make it!" Will assured as he fought particularly hard to get past a couple that was superglued together by the lips. "There's the bus! I see it!"
We struggled past the crowds. I had no clue why there were so many people at the bus station at this time. It was as if someone took the entire eight-hundred-and-thirty-seven students of McAllister Academy and shoved them all into a small classroom.
"Come on!" Beth screamed, tugging on my wrist.
I nearly tripped as an incredibly large lady just cut in front of me. And she wasn't just horizontally wide, but vertically wide as well.
"Um, excuse me," I tried to say. The woman swore loudly in French. How did I know? I took French for two years back in Maine. It wasn't pretty. "Excusez moi?" I tried. She couldn't hear me.
I gave up on all the rules of politeness and shoved at her enormous back, trying to get past. I couldn't see Will, Beth, or Alyssa anymore. Someone next to me jostled my elbow, nearly making me trip. I had a sudden moment of déjà vu, when I had gone to a Panic at the Disco concert back in Maine with my cousin. We were up front, squished in the sweaty mosh pit, probably only about ten feet away from the godliness of Brandon Urie. It was like that all over again, except this time, there was no Brandon Urie, only some stupid, old, fat, French lady.
And suddenly, she moved. I breathed a sigh of relief as oxygen flooded my lungs again, and then I started panicking. Will and Beth were nowhere in sight. Alyssa and her bright orange Hermes shopping bags were gone. The enormous bus twenty feet in front of me sudden wheezed and coughed, a black cloud of exhaust rising in the air. With a huge rumble sounding like a mocking good-bye, the last bus leaving for McAllister Academy rolled away. My jaw dropped. No. Freaking. Way. I had missed the bus.
My cell phone suddenly started buzzing in my pocket. I fumbled for it, flipping it open.
"Where are you?" Beth shrieked through the speakers. "I thought you were right behind us! As soon as we got onto the bus, the driver closed the doors!"
"I got held up," I said glumly. In the background, I could vaguely hear Will's voice.
"Can you stop the bus? You left my friend behind! Come on, we only traveled like fifty meters! I'll give you a tip!" Will was pleading with the driver.
Alyssa swore in the background. "Aurelie?" Beth started. "Will's begging the driver, but he won't stop! What a jerk!"
Will's voice suddenly came on as he fought for the phone. "Aurelie, hon, I'm so sorry. Listen; there won't be a bus that stops directly at McAllister Academy until tomorrow morning. But you can take Bus seven-oh-two. It stops at Deerfield, and that's the closest you can get to the Academy. You should know the road by there, it's about a mile walk."
"When does the next bus leave?" I asked, pressing the cell phone closer to my ear, hoping I didn't miss anything.
"If I'm correct, thirty minutes. Do not miss the bus this time," Will enunciated. "We're so sorry! We'll be seeing you very soon. Ciao."
With a small beep, he was gone. I sighed, snapping my phone shut. I sat down on a hard metal bench. Miraculously, the crowd that was here just minutes ago had mostly vanished. Now I had nothing to do for half an hour. Great.
"So, what do you want to do today?" Beth asked, poking at her Saturday Special Egg Omelet.
I shrugged, to busy shoveling omelet down my esophagus. Man, it was delicious. Too bad they only served it on Saturdays.
Will was staring at me, an indescribable look on his face.
"What?" I muttered, my mouth full. "Did I forget to shower again or something?"
Will cocked his head to the right. Ah hah. It was that look. The look he gave when he was scrutinizing someone. "You should really get highlights in your hair," he suddenly commented. "It would just bring everything out! I'm thinking maybe a few light blonde streaks. You would positively glow! Yes, you're getting highlights," he said decisively.
I raised my milk glass to my lips. "Highlights?" I asked him suspiciously, fingering the tips of my long, boring, straight, hair.
"Well, yes. Your hair is such a dull yellow now! Imagine what highlights would do! You will be gold!" Will enthused. "Girls, we're going into town today!" he decided.
"Great! I need to go shopping!" Alyssa immediately agreed. "The homecoming dance is only a few weeks away, and I need a new dress!"
"Wait!" I said. "Pause. Rewind. Homecoming?" I asked.
Beth nodded. "I forgot to tell you. We always have a homecoming dance a few weeks into school."
Will nodded. "Yes. Shopping and primping, it definitely is. What else are Saturdays for?"
________________
"This is weird," I complained audibly to Will who was sitting next to me, reading Vogue. "I look retarded."
"That's only because there's foil in your hair, hon," Will said, not even looking up.
"They'll take it out right?" I asked, worried. "Or else I'll look kinda weird…"
He rolled his eyes. "No, Aurelie, you're going to walk down the street looking like you just came from Star Trek auditions," he said sarcastically. "Do you like this dress?" he suddenly changed the subject, thrusting the magazine into my hands. "I think it would look good on you."
I studied the picture. It was a strapless Betsey Johnson party dress, deep indigo colored with black polka-dots. There was a black sash right under the bust, and it hit right before the knees. It was cute.
"It's nice," I said.
"That's all?" Will complained, snatching the magazine back.
I shrugged, watching the mirror intently as the hairdresser transformed my hair.
In the end, Will had convinced me to trim my long hair, layer it, and highlight it. And might I just add that it looked amazing.
"I love it," I whispered, turning this way and that, liking the way my hair floated about. It didn't feel like dead weight sitting on my head anymore. And for some reason, the new highlights made my eyes brighter and somehow enhanced my high cheekbones.
"You look very hot," Will agreed as we stepped out of the salon. "Now let's go look for Alyssa and Beth. We're going shoe shopping!"
_____________
I didn't like anything that I saw in the shops. Alyssa and Beth both held at least five shopping bags each, and Will was even carrying a few for them. Truth be told, I was still a bit uncomfortable with spending money. I've conservatively lived for over sixteen years, and I still wasn't used to the different environment. I also kind of fell in love with the Betsy Johnson dress I saw earlier in the magazine. Before we left the salon, I had secretly ripped it out and shoved it in my pocket when no one was looking, hoping I could find something similar to it in a store.
"Let's hurry! The last bus to McAllister Academy leaves in five minutes!" Alyssa cried as we jostled our way through throngs of people.
"We'll make it!" Will assured as he fought particularly hard to get past a couple that was superglued together by the lips. "There's the bus! I see it!"
We struggled past the crowds. I had no clue why there were so many people at the bus station at this time. It was as if someone took the entire eight-hundred-and-thirty-seven students of McAllister Academy and shoved them all into a small classroom.
"Come on!" Beth screamed, tugging on my wrist.
I nearly tripped as an incredibly large lady just cut in front of me. And she wasn't just horizontally wide, but vertically wide as well.
"Um, excuse me," I tried to say. The woman swore loudly in French. How did I know? I took French for two years back in Maine. It wasn't pretty. "Excusez moi?" I tried. She couldn't hear me.
I gave up on all the rules of politeness and shoved at her enormous back, trying to get past. I couldn't see Will, Beth, or Alyssa anymore. Someone next to me jostled my elbow, nearly making me trip. I had a sudden moment of déjà vu, when I had gone to a Panic at the Disco concert back in Maine with my cousin. We were up front, squished in the sweaty mosh pit, probably only about ten feet away from the godliness of Brandon Urie. It was like that all over again, except this time, there was no Brandon Urie, only some stupid, old, fat, French lady.
And suddenly, she moved. I breathed a sigh of relief as oxygen flooded my lungs again, and then I started panicking. Will and Beth were nowhere in sight. Alyssa and her bright orange Hermes shopping bags were gone. The enormous bus twenty feet in front of me sudden wheezed and coughed, a black cloud of exhaust rising in the air. With a huge rumble sounding like a mocking good-bye, the last bus leaving for McAllister Academy rolled away. My jaw dropped. No. Freaking. Way. I had missed the bus.
My cell phone suddenly started buzzing in my pocket. I fumbled for it, flipping it open.
"Where are you?" Beth shrieked through the speakers. "I thought you were right behind us! As soon as we got onto the bus, the driver closed the doors!"
"I got held up," I said glumly. In the background, I could vaguely hear Will's voice.
"Can you stop the bus? You left my friend behind! Come on, we only traveled like fifty meters! I'll give you a tip!" Will was pleading with the driver.
Alyssa swore in the background. "Aurelie?" Beth started. "Will's begging the driver, but he won't stop! What a jerk!"
Will's voice suddenly came on as he fought for the phone. "Aurelie, hon, I'm so sorry. Listen; there won't be a bus that stops directly at McAllister Academy until tomorrow morning. But you can take Bus seven-oh-two. It stops at Deerfield, and that's the closest you can get to the Academy. You should know the road by there, it's about a mile walk."
"When does the next bus leave?" I asked, pressing the cell phone closer to my ear, hoping I didn't miss anything.
"If I'm correct, thirty minutes. Do not miss the bus this time," Will enunciated. "We're so sorry! We'll be seeing you very soon. Ciao."
With a small beep, he was gone. I sighed, snapping my phone shut. I sat down on a hard metal bench. Miraculously, the crowd that was here just minutes ago had mostly vanished. Now I had nothing to do for half an hour. Great.