One of the Boys

I looked at the finished product in the mirror. It felt weird looking at myself as a blonde. It was like looking into a mirror and seeing myself in an alternate reality, although I had to admit it looked pretty good, though it would take some getting used to.

I looked at my watch and saw that I had to meet Joe out front in 5 minutes. I quickly paid and walked outside to the front.

I spotted Joe standing a few feet away from me. I walked up to him.

“Hello,” he said casually as he glanced at me. Suddenly his eyes widened and he did a double take.

“Alex? Is that you?” he asked incredulously. I smiled and nodded. This is why I didn’t tell him. I wanted to dye my hair, then see what his reaction would be.

“You have blonde hair!” he exclaimed, his eyes almost bugging out of his head. I laughed.

“Did you think I was someone else?” I asked. He nodded.

“I thought you were some girl just standing next to me, then I kinda recognized your face,” he said. I smiled. This was going great so far. This plan would work perfectly.

“Do you like me new hair?” I asked.

“Well, it’s cool looking and all, but I thought your auburn brown hair was beautiful. Why’d you dye your hair?” he asked.

“I don’t really wanna talk about it, but I wanna change my image, I wanna become a girly-girl, and I need your help, because I have no idea how to do that. Will you help me?” I asked. I didn’t want to tell Joe that the reason I had changed my hair color was to get his brother, he probably wouldn’t take that too well, and he would probably figure out that that was the reason why I had broken up with him. I couldn’t tell Joe that I was in love with Nick, until after Nick and I were dating, then I would have to come clean.

“Why do you wanna change your image? You’re beautiful the way you are.”

“Says you, but you’re just one person,” I said with a frown. All that mattered was what Nick thought.

“Who told you that you weren’t beautiful? They lied!” Joe said defensively.

“Nobody. Look, I just wanna change my image, are you gonna help me or not?” I asked, a little irritated.

“Yes, I’ll help you,” he said with a sigh. I smiled.

“Ok, good. Let’s start with make-up,” I said as I dragged Joe into the mall.



A lady was teaching me how to apply make-up when my phone rang. I pulled it out and opened it.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey, Alex,” Tony’s voice answered. “I just wanna know if you wanna meet up later for lunch. I’m only gonna be here for a couple of weeks and I wanna spend some time with my baby sister.” I rolled my eyes at the last part.

Suddenly I had a brilliant idea. I could meet Tony for lunch later and see if he recognized me with my new look.

“Sure, where do you wanna go?” I asked.

“Little Caesar’s Pizza on Orange Ave. around 1:30?” he suggested.

“Sound’s good. See you there. Bye,” I said. I closed my phone and slipped it back in my pocket. I turned my attention back to the sales lady, who was waiting patiently to teach me how to use make-up.

She was currently teaching me how to apply mascara. She showed me how to swipe it across my eyelashes. I looked in the mirror and tried to do the same. Suddenly my finger slipped and I felt a sharp pain in my eye.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! I got some in my eye!” I cried out in pain. Stupid make-up.



Joe ad I walked out of the make-up store. I was all made-up and looking girly. I was pretty sure I could put my make-up on myself at least halfway decent. I was tempted to scratch my eyelid. It felt heavy, and itchy with eye shadow on it.

“Where to now?” Joe asked with a frown.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. Joe turned his head to look down at me.

“Well, it’s just that I liked the old Alex, the strong independent one. You don’t need to change, you don’t need make-up, you have natural beauty, and inside beauty,” Joe said. I felt myself smile.

“That’s sweet, but I want to change my image,” I explained. “Next on the list is new clothes.”



Joe and I walked into Charlotte Russe.

“Now, this is where I need your help, Joe. I need you to tell me which clothes I should buy,” I told Joe. I walked over to a wall of shirts. I spotted a dark blue shirt with a few ruffles on the front. It looked girly enough. I picked it up and walked over to Joe, who was looking through a rack of shirts. I held the shirt in front of him.

“Does this look good?” I asked him. He looked at it for a second.

“Yeah, but you should try it on before you buy it and see if you like how it looks on you,” he said. I walked into a dressing room stall on the other side of the store and closed the door behind me. I peeled off my black and white shirt and slipped on the blue one. I looked to see how it looked on me in the mirror. I liked how it look with my blonde hair.

I walked out to show Joe. He smiled when I walked out.

“Looks good, Alex,” he complimented. “Now before you buy it you have to absolutely love it, because it you don’t like it in the store you won’t wear it out in public.”

“I like it,” I said. I walked back into the stall and changed back into my clothes.



One hour and six shopping bags later, full of clothes, make-up and hair care products I was ready to leave. I was already wearing one of my new outfits, and a pair of sunglasses.

I was wearing the blue frilly top I had first spotted, a pair of black tights, a pair of blue high heels, and I felt totally ridiculous. But I knew I couldn’t back out now, I had gotten this far and I wasn’t about to back out now.

I suddenly tripped over my own two feet. Joe’s arm shot out and caught me before I feel. He steadied me out, then let go. I frowned and groaned.

“It’s these stupid high heels. They’re so hard to walk in!” I almost yelled. Joe laughed.

“I know how you feel. I had to wear high heels when I did a youtube video. I had to dance to Beyonce’s song Single Ladies and I had to wear high heels. I feel sorry for women who wear them all the time,” Joe said. “And if you don’t want to wear them, then don’t, just take them off.”

“No way. I’ll just have to bear it, I’m not giving up,” I said, determined.

“You’re the most stubborn person I have ever met,” Joe said with a smile, shaking his head. I smiled.

“I’m not stubborn, I just have stick-to-itiveness,” I said. I looked at my watch.

“I have to leave now and go meet my brother,” I said. “Thank so much for helping me out today.”

“Anytime. We should hang out again soon,” Joe said with a smile. I nodded.

“Ok, call me anytime. Bye.”

I walked out into the parking lot and spotted my pickup truck. I walked to it and put all my bags on the passengers seat. I started up my truck and drove to Little Caesar’s Pizza Place.

When I got there I spotted Tony sitting down at one of the tables out in front, looking at a menu. He hadn’t spotted me or my car yet. I quietly got out and walked up to him and sat down across from him. He slowly lowered at his menu to look at me. He smiled.

“Hello, there. Can I help you?” he asked with a smile on his face.

“Hey, Tony,” I said. He suddenly recognized my voice. His mouth fell open.

“Alex, is that you?” he asked. I smiled, satisfied at his reaction.

“Yes.”

“What happened to you?” he asked.

“I got a make-over, do you like it?”

“Well, yeah you look good,” He said. I grinned. I couldn’t wait to see Nick reaction.

“You look great, but why did you change up your look?” Tony asked.

“Well, remember how I told you Nick said that he liked girly-girls-” I started, but Tony interrupted me with a sigh, and a roll of his eyes.

“Alex, you shouldn’t change you look, or who you are, just for a guy,” I frowned.

“It’s the only way he’ll realize that we’re meant to be together, and if changing myself into a girly-girl is the way to make him realize that, then I’m gonna do it,” I said.

“Well, what if he still doesn’t love you, even after he sees that you’ve changed your appearance?” Tony asked.

“Why wouldn’t he love me, he said that the only reason we couldn’t be together was because I wasn’t girly enough for him, and now I’ve changed,” I argued.

“Well, what if he was in love with someone else, and he just said that to spare your feelings? Or what if he still doesn’t want you even after you became a girly-girl?”

“It’s gonna work, ok Tony? I just know it is. This was the only reason he said we couldn’t be together, and now that I’ve changed we will be together,” I said stubbornly. Tony rolled his eyes.

“Alright, but I have a feeling that it just isn’t gonna work out between you two.”

I knew it would work, and if this make-over didn’t work, the I would just follow him around until he did love me. I wouldn’t stop until Nick was mine.

“By the way, you sound like a stalker, and guys find it creepy when girls stalk them,” Tony said.