Fugly
By Talie D. Hawkins
Book One of the Fenley East Series
1.
I flopped on my bed and stared at his name on my phone screen. Hunter had called me at least a hundred times this summer and I hadn’t picked up once. Each time he called I was reminded of the last day of our junior year of high school. I could picture myself listening in on the conversation he was having with his friends like it had happened seconds ago. Hunter had always been nice to me. I couldn’t say the same for the rest of my school. I had been cursed with frizzy red hair, thick glasses, and skin that put vampires to shame. Our moms had been friends for years and Hunter had been kind to me out of obligation. It was a no brainer when we were little kids, but as we grew up everything changed. Hunter turned into a star athlete and popular kid and I turned into a circus sideshow freak.
I stopped in my tracks in the school hall when I heard my nickname- “Fugly Fenley”. I earned it in middle school and it stuck.
“Dude, why can’t you go tonight? Don’t tell me your mom is making you hang out with Fugly,” I heard one of his friends say. His mom didn’t exactly force him to hang out with me, but it was an excuse he used all the time. Luckily he and I shared a love of disturbing cartoons and it never seemed like much of a chore for him. Sometimes I felt worse for him than myself. He was himself around me. He freely spoke about comic books and anime, but pretended to be someone else around his popular friends. Even his dad didn’t approve of anything he did that wasn’t sports.
“Nope. I’m not obligated to Double F tonight,” Hunter said with a laugh. I had heard my nicknames from everyone in this school and I knew his friends teased him about being around me, but I never once heard it come out of his mouth. I had always pictured Hunter changing the subject when my name came up or maybe defending me just a little, but hearing him use that name felt like a sucker punch, even more painful because I had recently come to the conclusion that I had a crush on him.
“Double F bent over today to pick something up and I had a clear shot of ass crack. I think I need to wash my eyes out,” another kid said before they all busted out into laughter. I looked down at the t-shirt dress and tights I was wearing and wondered why someone would lie just to add to a conversation, especially when it was just to be mean. I had heard enough. He and his friends were free to say whatever they wanted but I didn’t have to listen.
I looked at the dead end behind me and knew my only option to get away from this conversation was to bolt past them and out of the building, and that’s exactly what I did before I had to hear anything else. The only thing I did hear was Hunter calling after me and his friends roaring in laughter as I made my escape.
I was thankful in a way. Thankful that it pushed me to make the call to my aunt Haley to ask if I could take her up on her offer to spend my summer in Brooklyn. It had gotten me out of town and in shape. I was in a place where no one knew Double F ever existed. This took my mind to a whole new set of thoughts about facing my actual life when I went home.
The feel of my phone vibrating brought me back to the present and I did what I had been avoiding all summer. I answered.
2.
“Hey Hunter,” I said as casually as I could manage. I was nervous and embarrassed. I did nothing wrong but I felt like I had.
“I’m surprised you answered. If it was me I would probably block the number.”
“Well, I’m not you.” I didn’t mean to sound so bitter.
“How’s the big apple?”
I looked around the room and thought about my answer. I was living a fairytale. My aunt Haley lived in a loft in the hippest part of Brooklyn. Everyone knew her because of her thriving indie music career. She made more money than she knew what to do with and didn’t have a problem spending it on a few new things for me. My transformation literally began the moment I stepped off of the plane. After a huge hug she wrapped an arm around me and told me stories about her high school days. She was the ugly duckling in school. Everyone compared her to her much older, elegantly beautiful sister (my mom) so she got as far away from Arizona as possible and spent a few years “finding herself”.
I couldn’t picture aunt Haley as anything but gorgeous. She was like a porcelain doll with lavender hair and green eyes.
“New York is great. I took a tour of NYU.”
“Oh, cool,” he said in a monotone.
“Hunter, why did you call me?”
“To say I’m sorry. I could make a million excuses but they would all be bullshit. I wish you were here so I could say it in person. It seems less sincere over the phone.”
I hated this and part of me hated him, but I never really could.
“Apology accepted. I have to run.” I hung up before he could say anything else. Hunter was my past. Double F was my past. This trip was about moving forward and when I said I had to run I had meant it literally.
I pulled out an old Smiths shirt and some leggings from my the suitcase I had been living out of and laced up my red converse. They weren’t the best running shoes but they worked. Running had helped me shed some of my anxiety. Well, running and Aunt Haley forbidding me to drink anything with sugar and adhere to a totally “natural” lifestyle.
I looked in the mirror and saw the same color green eyes as my aunt’s staring back at me. My face was just a tiny bit thinner now. Just enough to make my cheekbones stand out a bit more. My long, red curls were in tact. Haley’s stylist had broken me of the habit of brushing them out and into a frizzy catastrophe. Instead, he hooked me up with a bottle of goo that made them shine and spiral perfectly. I pulled them up and into a half bun/half ponytail and put my black horn rimmed glasses on. My new contacts would have to wait until after my run.
I grabbed my little back pack and took off with my earbuds blasting. I made my way though a trail in the park and my reward was on the other side. I had found a charming used bookstore that served some of the best green iced tea I had ever tasted. I never left empty handed which is why I ran with a backpack.
They had a small table of discounted books outside and as I ran my fingers over the covers I heard a voice trying to compete with the music in my ears. I looked across the table and saw a torso covered in the same Smiths shirt as myself. As my eyes traveled up they landed on the smiling face of a boy who looked to be about my age. He had the most captivating blue eyes surrounded by eyelashes most girls would envy.
I pulled my earbuds out and apologized. He laughed a little. It was a sincere and warm laugh that had me smiling instantly.
“I said that’s a great album, isn’t it?” He repeated, pointing at my Queen is Dead shirt. I held up my phone with my playlist visible and showed him I wasn’t just sporting a cool shirt. I was actually listening to the album on my run.
“You have great taste,” I teased as I pointed to his matching shirt.
“I’m Tru,” he said. “short for Truman.”
“Author or President?” I asked.
“Author,” he answered confidently.
“Good answer. He’s one of my favorites. I’m Fenley. Fen for short.” I almost hesitated in giving him my name, like it would reveal who I was back home, but it was time for me to own it.
“Um, hey. I never do this, but do you wanna go inside and grab some coffee? You can tell me who your other favorite bands or authors are,” he said sounding a tiny bit nervous. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair then stuffed his hands in his jean pockets. Even though I was positive he and I were having a conversation, I still had to look around to make sure he was actually inviting me and not someone else.
“I don’t drink coffee, but I’m kind of addicted to
their iced tea, so yes. I’d love to.” That’s when I noticed his smile and my heart almost stopped. I couldn’t remember when I had ever seen anything so dazzling. “Can I meet you inside?” He nodded and I made my way into the ladies room. I pulled out a little packet of wipes I carried around to freshen up with. One of aunt Haley’s many rules. If I was going to shop after a run, I couldn’t offend the people around me. I cleaned up a little and put on some lip gloss. I pulled my hair into a proper ponytail and went to find Tru. He was waiting in line when I joined him.
Once it was our turn he ordered an iced coffee then insisted on buying my drink even though I insisted he didn’t have to.
“You guys are adorable in your matching shirts,” the barista said. We both laughed. She handed us our drinks and we found a little sidewalk table.
“So, what other music is on your phone?” He asked before he took a sip. I opened the music app and let him scroll through it. He nodded in approval of what he saw. “Great taste in music and books. Where did you come from?” He joked.
I took a sip of my iced tea. “Arizona,” I blurted out.
“Seriously?” He sounded a little too shocked.
“I know, I know. I’m not exactly tan and blonde like everyone expects.”
“It’s not that. I just picture Arizona as the wild, wild west. I guess I never considered they could have intellectuals and bookworms there.”
I laughed at this. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Intellectual is a stretch.” He smirked at me after I said it.
“I don’t think that’s true.”
3.
Talking with Tru was easy. Too easy. I gave him vague details of why I was in the city for the summer. I didn’t think he needed to know about my past as Double F. Or was it my past? Part of me feared going home and facing school and all of its horrible possibilities again. I pushed the thought out of my head while Tru added some bands to my playlist.
“Wow. Someone named Hunter is very eager to talk to you. He’s sent, like, 12 texts in the last 5 seconds.” I snatched the phone out of his hand to see what he was talking about. “Ex…or worse, current?”
“Sorry about that,” I said, realizing I grabbed the phone a little too fast. “Just an old friend. He’s the one I had a falling out with before I left Phoenix.”
“Are you guys good now?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted as I scrolled through the texts. Each one was some random thought wanting to know why I hung up so fast, or if I really did accept his apology? Or did I actually believe he was sorry? I knew the answer to none of these. I glanced at the time on my phone and gasped. “Oh my gosh. My aunt is going to kill me! I was supposed to be home an hour ago to get ready for some music gala. I’m sorry,” I said as I stood up and gathered my things. “This has been so nice, but I really have to run.” My phone buzzed as I said it. It was aunt Haley. I made a string of apologies to her as I waved to Tru and walked away, clearly leaving him with something he needed to say. I grabbed a taxi and barked out the address, hoping I didn’t miss my appointment with the stylists who were supposed to doll us up for the gala.
I walked into the loft and found them hard at work on my aunt. I apologized again, but she cut me off.
“You have to see the dress that was chosen for you! It’s going to look amazing with your red hair. It’s upstairs. Go see it!” she said as someone applied pink polish to her nails and a different someone worked to flat iron her hair. I ran up the stairs and was greeted by the dress hanging on the door. It was a flirty two piece dress. The bottom was a ballerina style skirt made of soft, gold tulle and the top was light and made of satin in the same color with an exposed back and spaghetti straps. A pair of strappy black heels were paired with it, along with a black satin clutch.
“I could get used to Haley’s world,” I thought out loud before locking myself in the bathroom to shower and get dressed. I was nervous about looking in the mirror. Two months ago I would never have had the confidence to pull an outfit like this off. I was pulled from my thoughts by a knock on the bathroom door.
“Almost done? They’re ready for your hair and make up,” I heard Haley say. I opened the door and was stunned by how gorgeous my aunt looked. She was done up old Hollywood style. Her white dress was form fitting and her gold heels made her more statuesque than she already was.
“You look amazing!”
“And you will too. That dress was made for you. It shows off all of your hard work and ridiculously long legs. Come downstairs so we can get to work.” She pulled me by the hand and got me situated in a chair. “So, what did you do all day?” she asked as they got to work on me.
“Well, I went for my run and then to the book store.”
“And?” Darn her. She always knew when I was holding back.
“I met a boy. He was wearing the same shirt as me and we started talking then...” I cut myself off and groaned out loud. “We never exchanged numbers. I was in such a rush that I forgot.” I would have slouched in my chair if my hair wasn’t being pulled on at that moment.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll see him at the bookstore again. Just keep looking.” She gave my hand a hopeful squeeze after she said it. That’s what I would have to do. Go everyday. He was bound to show up eventually.
When hair and make up were done they had me stand in front of a full length mirror to see their handy work. I was speechless when I saw myself. My hair was pulled into a loose and romantic bun and my lips were painted in a strawberry colored gloss that matched the pink on my cheeks. Clearly they were miracle workers. Even if Double F returned when I went back home I could remember this moment and how she felt more dead than ever.
Haley and I had to arrive to the gala in different cars. She had to travel with her band and set up early. As I rode in the back of the town car alone I felt my phone buzz. It was Hunter again. I debated on if I should answer or not. I was already nervous about the evening. I had never been to something like this and I would be on my own for most of the night.
“What is it, Hunter?” I said as a greeting.
“I felt like our conversation didn’t go very well earlier.”
“What do you want me to say? That I’m fine with the fact that you don’t defend me to your friends? That you laugh when they call me Fugly Fenley, or Double F?”
“I feel horrible about that,” he groaned.
“Don’t. It’s in the past and so are your days of being obligated to hang out with me,” I said as the car pulled up to the curb. “Look, I have to go. Take care, Hunter.”
4.
The flash from all of the cameras caught me off guard, but they stopped when the media realized I wasn’t someone they recognized. I made my way into the theatre and had to stop in my tracks when I saw how beautiful it was inside. Everything was embellished with gold and velvet and the ceiling was painted to look like a starry night sky. I would have been happy to stand there and stare at it all night, but someone calling my name caught my attention.
“Fenley, is that you?” I turned to see Tru standing on the grand staircase dressed in a tux with a gold bow tie.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, completely shocked at the sight of him. He shook his head and laughed.
“We really need to stop matching,” he said as he pointed out his tie and my dress.
“Oh my god. This is too funny,” I admitted. “I’m here with my aunt Haley. She’s performing tonight.”
“Wait, your aunt is Haley Ash, of Thee Ashes?”
“Yep. That’s the one. And what about you? Why are you at this gala?”
“My dad is a producer. He basically gives money and puts his name on projects.” He dug his hands into his pockets before he spoke again. “Wow, you look amazing. Why did you rush off today?”
“I’m so sorry about that,” I said as I wrinkled my brow. “I was nervous about today and I kicked myself when I realized I didn’t have a way to reach you.”
“Oh, so I wasn’t the only one upset about that?”
he asked with a smirk.
“No,” I admitted as I blushed.
“Oh, that’s adorable.”
“What is?”
“You. Blushing. And I just made it worse.” He took my hand and led me into the main theatre that was set up with dining tables that were almost as elegantly dressed as the people sitting at them. We managed to find a spot together and he pulled my chair out for me then sat beside me. Several courses were served to us between presenters and performances, and once Thee Ashes were done I lost interest. I gasped out loud when the main course was served. It was staring at me. A whole lobster was staring at me. I took a breath and gave Tru an apologetic smile. “Follow me,” he whispered.
“I can’t. People will see.”
“Trust me.” He held out his hand and led me discreetly behind the wait staff. There were so many trays and carts that no one noticed as we followed the crowd into the kitchen. Tru navigated like he had done this a million times and soon we were in the lobby, then on the front steps of the theatre. “Not many people have that reaction to lobster,” he said with a grin.
“I don’t like my food staring at me,” I said a little sheepishly.
“Well, you mostly poked at your food. What would you say to something a little less classy?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said with a smirk. That smirk was growing on me. We were both startled when a photographer approached us.
“Mr. Penn, can we get a shot of you and your date for page six?”
The smirk was back. “Absolutely,” he said with a wink. He turned in my direction and his gaze caught mine as he carefully moved a stray lock of hair away from my cheek. My breath caught a little and I instantly felt goose bumps popping up on my skin. We were both startled from the light of the flash. Tru put his arm around my back to help me face the photographer, but I was too shy to look up as I smiled. That’s when I noticed his shoes. He was wearing black converse and the sight of them made me laugh. He looked at me curiously then saw what I was looking at. “If you think that’s funny, you should see my Spiderman undershirt.”
Fugly: Book One of the Fenley East Series Page 1
