Talisman

by S. E. Akers

  Katie shook her head. “Mom and Dad have never really cared much for her. You know, all those rings she wears…Not one of them came from our store,” Katie added, sounding a bit miffed.

  “I’m sure they were probably gifts or passed down to her,” I countered. “How many jewelry stores have a huge patronage of ‘blind’ customers? Seriously?”

  Katie laughed. “That makes sense…when you put it like that.”

  Katie dropped my feet down onto the floor. “Okay, what color?” She removed the top tray of her makeup case to reveal oodles of various colorful nail polishes. I couldn’t decide.

  “May I make a suggestion,” Katie interjected. “How about this one?” She pulled out an iridescent clear polish that had a golden sheen. “It’s kind of neutral, but it’ll really show off your ring.”

  She didn’t have to sell me on it. I nodded and watched as she gave the bottle a couple of good shakes. Katie threw a set of foam dividers in-between my toes, and within minutes, all twenty of my nails were painted to perfection. I turned my hands outward and gave the tips of my fingers a lengthy, warm puff of air.

  “They look great, Katie. You’re a miracle worker.”

  “Those should be dry by the time I finish with your makeup. We don’t want any smudges on your nails…or on that dress,” Katie warned.

  Katie positioned me with my back turned to the vanity. I thought I’d felt her stare lingering over my brows a little too long, and I was right. She quickly snatched a pair of needle-nose tweezers out of her make-up case.

  “These are called tweezers,” my BFF enunciated like a kindergarten teacher. “You can use them for other things than just removing splinters.”

  “Really?” I mocked with a set of overdramatic wide-eyes. Katie swiftly started plucking away before I could voice my concerns. I just sat there quietly and prayed for no nicks and at the very least, that they would be “even”. After a vigorous wiping, she then pulled out several slender tubes of foundation and mixed up a concoction in her palm like a chef would an award-winning recipe. She dabbed a small amount on my cheek.

  “Perfect,” Katie announced proudly. In no time, she had whisked the creamy base over my entire face. As soon as it had dried, she swirled a large brush around several times in a container and dusted my skin with a velvety powder. Katie leaned back to assess her work.

  “Now for the eyes,” Katie announced and then pulled out a large compact that looked more like an artist’s palette. “I think we’ll go for smoldering,” my best friend cooed as she dabbed a small brush into various neutral hues — some light and shimmery, others dark and smoky. She blended the freshly applied shadow with her fingertips and outlined my eyes with a soft black liner. Then she twisted and twirled a mascara wand through my long lashes.

  “Good thing I tweezed these brows,” Katie giggled as she swept them with a dark blonde pencil. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, only to be scolded with a whack on the shoulder and a, “Stop moving! You’ll mess me up!”

  “Can I look now?” I begged anxiously.

  “Not yet!” Katie barked. “I have to add some color to your cheeks and lips, silly.”

  I think Katie was enjoying torturing me with the suspense. She chose a neutral lip liner and guided the soft pencil around my lips with the precision of a skilled surgeon. She swiftly filled them in and grabbed a tube of lipstick.

  “Sweet Cherry Pie,” Katie revealed as she brushed on the color with a Q-tip. After a quick blot, she then topped off my lips with just a touch of sparkly gloss. “Mike won’t be able to resist these,” she cracked. I gave her a firm kick as I gently rubbed them together.

  “Now, can I look?” I pleaded, my patience wearing thin.

  Katie looked into my eyes, only to reply with a curt, “No.” She whisked another brush over a matte coral powder and gingerly swept it across both of my cheeks.

  Katie stepped back and smiled, admiring her work in a way only an artist would. She started to swing me around towards the mirror, but she stopped abruptly.

  “Wait,” Katie halted.

  “What?”

  “Put your dress on first. Okay? Just trust me,” Katie encouraged with a wink.

  Katie handed me the stunning little black dress. I stepped into it carefully and then had her zip me up. Thankfully it felt tight enough around my bodice that a bra wasn’t needed (which was a good thing because I didn’t own a strapless one).

  She tapped my shoulder. “Don’t forget your shoes, Cinderella.” Katie removed the black stilettos from their box and then set them down in front of me with a theatrical wave. I guided my feet into the towering heels cautiously. Once Katie had pulled the taffeta ribbons into a taut bow, she hopped up and fished the golden topaz ring out of the jar. She placed it on her pinky and waved it in the air as she handed it to me. Slowly, I slid the dainty golden topaz on the ring finger of my left hand. The strange words Ms. Sutherland had spoken when she’d placed it there earlier started to echo in my head.

  “What about my class ring?” I asked.

  “No. Leave it,” Katie ordered. “Class rings are so casual and common. Just wear the topaz. It’ll look more elegant by itself…After all, you’re going to a dance, not a pep rally.”

  That was blunt…But I suppose Katie knows what she’s talking about, I thought as I laid the “fake diamond” class ring down on my bedside table.

  Seeing as how Katie had certain opinions about the “dos and don’ts” of jewelry, I couldn’t help but ask, “What about my necklace?”

  Katie may have been quiet while she gazed at my little oval locket, but her discriminating verdict was clearly written all over her face. She didn’t approve.

  “You can wear it, if you want…but I wouldn’t,” Katie replied, trying not to sound too critical.

  “Why not?” I asked, pretending to be offended. “Is it too casual…or common?”

  “It’s okay,” Katie insisted uneasily, trying to phrase her opinion as delicately as she could. “I just think it takes away from the bodice of the dress.”

  “Ooh…I see.” I decided to take my joke a bit further. “So, would a necklace still take away from the dress if it had a diamond on the end of it?” I posed mischievously and then gave her pendant a little flick. I tried to suppress my giggles, but a few inevitably escaped.

  Katie pushed my hand away. “STOP THAT! You’re sooo bad,” my BFF scolded, shaking her head and now looking the epitome of “relieved”.

  “Honestly, Shi. I like a bare neck with this dress,” Katie added seriously. “Most people wear a lot of jewelry to enhance their appearance, but trust me…you don’t need to.”

  Like in the cafeteria the other day, her comment about my appearance made me uncomfortable, but I passed it off as my own quirky insecurity. After all, I wasn’t use to making such a fuss about how I looked, not the way most girls did. However tonight, I found myself truly enjoying it.

  I smiled at Katie and respectfully announced, “I’m still wearing it.”

  Katie smiled back and adjusted the locket on my chest. “I understand why you want to wear it,” she conceded. That was true. We had been best friends long enough for her to know what my locket really meant to me — and why I’d never take it off.

  Impatiently, I stood there tapping my shoe as I stared back at her, waiting for her permission to turn around. Katie looked at me cluelessly for a second.

  “Well, what are you waiting for?” she asked and then pointed towards the mirror. “Look!”

  I grinned and rushed over to my full-length mirror.

  As soon as my eyes fell upon my reflection, I let out a huge gasp. Considering all the times Katie and I had played “makeovers” throughout the years, I never would have dreamed that any one of them could have possibly turned out like this. I never knew my almond-shaped eyes could look any bigger or bluer, or my lips any fuller. I even discovered that I actually had cheekbones. My skin glowed, and my chic new hairstyle was the perfect frame for her masterpiece. My dress
fit like a glove. Daddy had done an excellent job picking it out (though I guessed he had a little help from one of the saleswomen). My waist looked tinier, and as a bonus, the bodice made my boobs appear like they’d grown an additional cup size. The overall length of the dress was perfect too, and my new stilettos elongated my toned legs quite nicely. I extended my hands. My polished nails gleamed with tiny gold flecks when the light bounced off them. Katie was right. The color really did set off my little golden topaz ring, without fail. I stood there feeling flawless, absolutely flawless…for the first time in my life.

  “You’re gonna get lipstick on your shoes,” Katie said as she pushed my jawbone up to close my gaping mouth.

  I stood there silent and astounded.

  “Shi, what’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” Katie asked hesitantly.

  I gulped. “What’s not to like? I just can’t believe that…that’s me. I’m blown away, Katie. Really blown away…”

  Katie hurried over to my bedroom door and stepped outside for a quick peek. She sauntered back into the room, grinning from ear to ear. She directed her words to my reflection in the full-length mirror. “If you can’t believe it, just imagine what the crowd gathering downstairs is going to think.”

  We both looked at each other and smiled.

  I turned to Katie and gave her a lingering hug. “Thanks, Katie-Kate.”

  Katie hugged me back with equal intensity. “Anytime, Shi with a Y.”

  Katie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket as she was leaving.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Going downstairs…to get ready for your big entrance,” Katie replied with a twinkle in her eye.

  “Who are you calling?” I asked curiously.

  “Nobody. I need it to take some pictures,” Katie answered casually.

  “Don’t take pictures of me coming down the stairs,” I pleaded. “You know how embarrassed I get over stuff like that.”

  Katie laughed. “No, silly. I’m taking pictures of Charlotte and Chloe. I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when they feast their eyes on you. I thought I’d frame one for you…for Christmas.” Katie was still giggling as she closed the door behind her.

  I walked over to the window to witness a blazing fall sunset ushering in the twilight. The mountains looked like a shadowy backdrop against the vibrant sea of pinks, blues, violets, and orange hues swirling in the sky. Since my window faced the front of the house, I also got a good bird’s-eye view of our gravel driveway. Daddy wasn’t kidding about having Samuel stand in his place. Sure enough, there was my surrogate father’s old white Jeep parked out front, right beside Mike’s shiny red Camaro.

  Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on my door.

  “COME ON, SHILOH!” Chloe yelled. “Mike’s here! He’s ready to get this over with!” I could hear her huffing and puffing all the way down the hall as I walked towards the door.

  “I’M COMING!” I shouted through it.

  I hesitated and gave the doorknob a tight squeeze while Ms. Sutherland’s words floated through my mind.

  Let’s see if this will truly be a “momentous night”.

  I pulled back on the door and stepped into the hallway. There was no one in sight. My stomach began to flutter, so I took one prolonged, confident and deep breath and then slowly glided down the hall.

  I stood at the top of the steps for a moment, trying to listen in on the conversations occurring downstairs. Though the sounds were faint, they all seemed to be coming from the living room. As I made my descent, my pulse quickened at the sound of every creaking step. The further down I went, the clearer the voices became.

  I overheard Mike telling Chloe, “We won’t be long at all, just an hour or so for appearances, for my mother.”

  Perfect, I thought with a sigh of relief. That’s music to my ears.

  When I’d reached the bottom, I swung myself around on the banister and landed quietly on the Oriental rug. I tiptoed to the doorway of the living room. Charlotte was standing over by the curio cabinet, pouring herself another glass of wine. Chloe was sitting with Mike, all hugged up on the sofa. I had to admit he looked nice in his tux. It wasn’t a traditional black, more of a deep charcoal. He was wearing his own boutonnière too — a single creamy white rose. Katie had planted her rear on a nearby ottoman. My BBF sat there watching them, rolling her eyes but “camera ready”, I observed. I spied Samuel, the last member of my audience, lounging back in Daddy’s leather recliner. Even he was shaking his head at the young lovebirds’ nauseating touchy-feely display.

  Samuel noticed me first as I inched into the room. He lifted himself out of the chair and smiled like only a surrogate father would — pearly-whites blazing and speechless. Katie was next. She grinned and turned her camera immediately in Charlotte’s direction.

  “Don’t worry, Chloe…He’ll be back before you know it,” I called out confidently.

  The remaining trio, who were unaware of my entry, quickly followed the sound of my voice. My eyes stayed focused on Chloe and Mike, but I kept Charlotte well within my peripherals.

  Mike sprang off the sofa so fast that he almost knocked Chloe down as she attempted to follow his lead. She couldn’t see his face directly, but I could — every inch of his stunned but sly little grin. Chloe, bless her heart, looked as hot as a teakettle whistling on a stove.

  Charlotte, who was in the middle of pouring herself another drink, was clueless to the fact that her glass had been overflowing for the past few seconds. She was totally stupefied. My mother became aware of her mishap, once the wine had drenched her shoes. And throughout my entire “what seemed like forever” fifteen-second entrance, the sound of little “clicks” coming from the camera on Katie’s cell phone roared through the room like thunder.

  Samuel spoke up first. “Never in my life have I seen a vision so lovely…and I’ve been around a pretty long time. Your father’s going to be sorry he missed a sight like this.”

  I responded with a timid smile that illuminated my embarrassed, freshly-painted face.

  Mike was next. “Shiloh, you look very—” Chloe interrupted his comment by grabbing his arm to give it a tight, twist and squeeze. He got the hint and finished his sentence with a, “Very okay.”

  A frigid hush fell over the room, but Katie was more than willing to break that iceberg.

  “So, Mrs. Wallace…what do you think of my work?” Katie asked with a grin so smug and bitchy a judge would have thrown up a perfect “10”. Charlotte remained silent. “Doesn’t she look fantastic?”

  Charlotte knew all eyes were on her, but when you’re the reigning drama queen of the house, you tend to utilize moments like these to your advantage. She placed her wine glass down on the curio cabinet and prowled towards me. My mother slowly circled me with a bitter swagger, like a lion taunting its prey.

  Charlotte stopped directly in front of me. “My, my, Katie. Aren’t you a talented girl,” my mother announced while her icy blue eyes never broke their contact with mine. She took a step back to get a good look at my new dress. “Shiloh, I thought Chloe and I already picked you up a dress. Katie didn’t need to bring one for you to borrow. Go upstairs and change into it, so you can give hers back,” my mother demanded.

  “That’s not my dress, Mrs. Wallace,” Katie assured her. “It was hanging in her closet when she got home. It was a surprise birthday present…from her dad.”

  I was the only one who could see Charlotte’s expression. Her heated stare grew more intense by the second, causing her nostrils to flare.

  “I thought your father was just running a simple errand to Bluefield this morning. Your gift must’ve slipped his mind,” my mother grumbled.

  Apparently it had turned out to be more of a pissy “surprise” for her. I knew Daddy and I would both pay for it, too. I’ll probably need to make up the sofa for him tonight, I deduced as I watched Charlotte staggering back to retrieve her wine glass.

  Chloe still hadn’t spoken a single word to me. Sh
e just let out several “Ughs” and grunts directed towards Charlotte, but that was the extent of it.

  Samuel took my hands in his and twirled me around. “Lovely, just lovely.” Samuel shot Mike a stern look as he pointed to his own eyes with two of his fingers, and then back over to Mike with just one. My “date” immediately started to shift around nervously. I bowed my head slightly to hide my grin. Daddy would have been proud, though I thought his hostile gesture was a bit over the top. Samuel was intimidating enough without it or his double-barrel shotgun (which thankfully he’d left at home).

  Mike cleared his throat and tried to compose himself as best he could. “Shiloh, are you ready?” he asked and then looked at Chloe. “We really need to get going. Um, My mom is probably wondering where I am,” Mike added, flashing his watch.

  “Sure,” I replied nonchalantly.

  Eyes blazing, Chloe looked over at me and then at Mike, repeatedly. It was like watching an irate spectator during a tennis match. The next thing I knew, my dramatic little sister had thrown her arms around Mike and locked him in a tight embrace. She then forcefully planted an over-the-top kiss on his lips, which left the strapping quarterback wide-eyed and desperate for air. I’d honestly seen him less blindsided and winded from a daggone “sack”! I bit down on my bottom lip to hold back a laugh. SERIOUSLY! He was going to a dance with her sister, at “her request” — not off to war!

  Katie sprang from her seat. “Wait! You need a clutch,” she insisted. “For your lipstick and stuff…Like mints.” Chloe’s head whipped around and glared at Katie on the spot. Even I thought that last crack was WAY out of line, but Katie simply stood there with an innocent, doe-eyed look on her face.

  “I don’t have one.” I turned to Chloe. “Do you have one that would match?”

  “I sure don’t,” my little sister snapped. I figured my request was a long shot, but at least her silence broke.

  Charlotte had just finished gulping down her drink. “Call your father. See if HE has one for you,” she cracked.

  Katie intervened. “Mrs. Wallace, don’t you have a cute, sparkly black-beaded clutch?” she inquired.