by Anne Eliot
The slow bit was the only thing Dustin liked about Curtis.
As Dustin passed Charlie on his way across the living room, Charlie sent him a look that could have turned him to stone.
Charlie, unlike Curtis, was at least a valid, thinking opponent. The guy’s expression currently promised absolute revenge.
Dustin grinned, unable to hide his delight.
At least I’m no longer entering hell alone.
He spoke low so only Charlie could hear, “What? Aren’t you glad you’ve been picked to marry? Should be a relief, dude. Now you can focus on other things.”
Dustin sidestepped Charlie’s upturned foot at the last second, and hopped over it with another grin. “Whoa. Watch the feet, bud. I can’t sttheeeeee very well out of thttheesese cracked glasses, remember?”
Charlie stalked away, his shoulders so rigid he looked about to snap.
Good. Now we both feel just about the same.
Like killing someone, but we can’t.
Mrs. Roth hollered from the kitchen. “Pass this way before heading out. The cake is frosted, sliced and ready to walk.”
Dustin swallowed a third grin as he followed Charlie into the kitchen.
Mrs. Roth handed each of them huge slices of warm cake.
Dustin bit in to his, rolling his eyes back in pure bliss.
At least hell has great eats.
33: holding his attention
VERE
“Vere. What’s eating you? Come out of it. You haven’t spoken for thirty minutes. I’ve had enough silent scenery. Talk to me. Maybe I can help,” Dustin said.
Vere sighed and flexed her shoulders back into the driver’s seat. She stretched her arms straight against the steering wheel and wiggled her fingers. “Sorry. I’m distracted.”
“Just a few more minutes. Shhh. Mom...please,” Jenna mumbled from the back seat before she fell asleep again.
Dustin turned to look in the back seat. “I love Jenna Riley. She’s hilarious. And the coolest friend ever, huh?”
“She’s perfect, even asleep,” Vere agreed, eyeing her friend in the mirror. “She’s had car narcolepsy since we were little. She used to fall asleep on the school bus every single day in middle school.”
“You didn’t have to take me down early, you know? I could have gotten the glasses fixed tomorrow with Aunt Nan. It would have been a perfect excuse to ditch school.”
“I know, but I wanted to get out of there. I just couldn’t face Charlie. I’m still so mad at him. I kind of wonder if I messed everything up with Curtis yesterday. Everything feels all...awkward.”
“Ya think? Imagine how I feel with this white tape between my eyes. Double awkward.” He pulled off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Another hour and this tape would give me a rash.”
Vere made sure to censor her words just in case Jenna heard them. “God. I'm so sorry. Sadly, I think our hasty retreat will mess up things more with Curtis and me. He will probably figure I’m not that into him.”
“Maybe you aren’t that into him?”
She laughed but kept her eyes on the road. “Hello. Yes I am. It’s just that Curtis makes me really nervous and jittery. It’s hard to hang around with him for long stretches. Sort of tires me out because I’m so worried he will, all of a sudden, not like me. Do you know what I mean?”
“Yeah. I guess.” Dustin was spinning his glasses in his hands, but had turned his face back toward the window.
They were almost down the hill and into the outskirts of Manitou Springs, the small town that led into the larger expanse of Colorado Springs. “Dustin. I have a favor to ask. You can say no, because you’ve already helped me so much—”
“Shoot. Anything.”
“Could you help me...like pick a homecoming dress, as in THE RIGHT homecoming dress? And, in the meantime, while I’m waiting for homecoming....I sort of want to do a makeover. I think if I look prettier then Curtis won’t get bored with me. I don’t know. I just want to ‘wow’ him, keep his attention. The dance is two weeks away. Since you know so much about fashion, and what’s hot, do you mind giving me additional pointers? And maybe today? At the mall?”
Dustin snorted and crossed his arms.
“Do you think I can’t do it? Like I don’t have enough to work with?” Her heart beat tightly against her chest. She hoped he would be honest with her about this.
Dustin snorted again and looked over. It seemed as though he wanted to say something else but he took a deep breath and shook his head instead. “You sell yourself so short. You ‘wow’ and keep the attention of everyone you meet. Don’t you know that?”
“Yeah. But I’m tired of scaring people. I’m done being ‘wow eccentric’ and just want to be mainstream.” She took one hand off the steering wheel and pushed at her hair. “I think the bun has got to go.”
“You are so stubborn. I love that bun. It’s beyond perfect. It’s your trademark.” His eyes trailed up to it and he smiled. “I can't imagine you without it.”
“Well, you’re the only one. Thanks for always being so nice. I don’t know how I survived a day in my life without you as a friend.” She shook her head and turned off the freeway and onto Academy Boulevard, a busy six-lane road.
“Stop calling me that. I’m not that nice. And that word sets me off. It sucks. Makes me want to break things. Figure out ways to prove I'm not nice.”
“Okay. Meanie. Whatever.” She laughed. “After we drop off your glasses it will probably take a couple of hours before we can pick them up. So can you please help me, like today? Now? Pick a cool looking dress with me, at least?”
He let out a long sigh. “I’ll help you do anything. Anything at all, Vere. Whatever it will take to make you happy. You only have to ask. If it’s Curtis you want, well—you’ll get him. Heck, you’ve already got him, but you just don’t believe it.” His voice had grown quiet as his eyes scanned her face.
“Yeah right. Curtis can have any girl he wants at our school.”
“You think that, but it’s not true. Besides he’s making it pretty obvious that he’s after you.” Dustin glanced again into the back seat at Jenna. “You helped me—with, you know.” He tugged at his plaid shirt. “I would love be able to pay you back. My mom, she’s really fashionable. It’s one of the few things we talk about without fighting. I’ll have no problem choosing a good dress for you...and some other stuff.”
“Yay!” Vere pulled the car to a stoplight, waiting her turn to maneuver the car into the Chapel Hills Mall parking lot. “What’s she like, your mom? You never talk about her—I mean how she is as a person?”
“She’s beautiful.” Dustin shrugged.
“But is she nice? What hobbies does she have?”
“That word again?” He grimaced. “Like I said, we don’t really get along. I wouldn’t know about her hobbies. We haven’t even spoken since I’ve been here.”
“Wow. Why?”
“I don’t know.” Dustin’s raw tone made her heart twist.
“My mom would just about die if we didn’t talk for a week or longer. I bet your mom is sad. Really sad about it.”
“Maybe. But so was I.”
“You said was! Are you not sad anymore?”
“I thought we’d covered that topic while swimming.”
Vere pulled into a parking spot and killed the engine. Neither made a move to get out of the car. “Yeah. I know. I know.”
She felt her face flush slightly when she couldn’t understand his darkened expression.
Please don’t bring up the awkward wrist kissing. Please...
“You should call her.” She jumped back in to chattering, to get them off ‘the lake’ topic. “Maybe you miss her?”
“Yeah. Maybe.” Dustin pulled off his cap and ran his hand through his hair. “Sure is hot down here. This Indian summer stuff is weird. I thought it was supposed to snow in Colorado. COUGH. COUGH. Done talking about my mom.”
She laughed. “Okay. I hear you.”
She reached over and tugged a thick strand at the top of his head. “You have got to darken your hair again,” she whispered. “With that cap off I can see miles and miles of very pretty blond highlights coming through. Tell me they aren’t natural.”
“They are. Jealous again?”
“You take what you have for granted. Yes, I’m jealous. The whole world is jealous. It’s unfair how naturally attractive you turned out. I’d go on, but I can’t have you all puffed up with yourself again.”
“Shut up. And you, so, take what you have and under play it. You know your own list of assets is a mile long.”
“Yeah...yeah...I have a few.” Her ears started burning. “Maybe. Sort of. But it’s hard to build up my confidence after hiding everything all these years behind my red cheeks.”
He nodded, seeming to understand. “Trust me, it won’t take much to knock down that last wall of hoodies you hide behind. It’s all there, Vere. You’ll see. By the end of today we’ll have it handled.”
Vere glanced in the rear view mirror. Thankfully Jenna’s legs hadn’t moved an inch, and she’d started to snore. Vere realized she shouldn’t have mentioned his hair dye. She put her finger over her mouth and made a face at Dustin to show she’d just screwed up.
He laughed, glanced behind him and put the cap back on. “Itthhh cool. She’s sound asthleeeep.” He pasted on his giant dork smile, and she giggled.
“So...anyhow.” He paused, his eyes still dark and unreadable, drifted over her face again. “This Curtis...being your boyfriend. It’s really going to make you happy? It’s truly what you want, without any doubts?”
Her tummy fluttered. “If it works. YES! And of course I have doubts. Like, I want to know that he’s sure about me. For the long term. That’s really important. I don’t want be like those other girls he only dates short term. I want the fairy tale romance. Right now, I think he’s simply curious, but not committed. That’s standard, right? He and I...we’re just starting out. Getting to know each other way better...”
“Yeah. It will work out. Hmm.” He surveyed her hair, frowning. “While we’re here, what do you say to me dragging you to one of the salons? But I get to tell them what to do.”
Her heart clenched. “Cut my hair? Maybe...”
“Not much shorter. A trim. To create some movement at your cheekbones and chin-line, frame your face? A few highlights of your own around your crown area?”
“Ugh. What’s my chin-line? I don’t want any movement there. Do I? Will it help me? Should I trust you?”
Dustin ignored her questions, beaming as though he now had a huge plan. “We can have them do your eyebrows too and a classic French manicure. That should last well till you would have to re-do them for the dance. My mom swears the French goes with everything.”
“Uh. You really do know some random stuff, don’t you? I’ll agree to everything but the nails. I hate the smell of nail polish.”
“Whatever. Not the nails then, little hippie. If you are going to pull this off though, you’ll want a few other outfits to get you all the way to dance day.”
“Okay, yeah...good idea.”
“But you won’t fix things with Curtis with outfits alone.”
“I know...but at least I'm trying.”
“You’ll have to at least call or text him tonight. Something short and sweet with the hint of a ‘promise’. Then, you’ll walk in and stagger in his eyeballs at his locker tomorrow. It won’t take him long to forget that you ditched him today when I’m through with you.”
“Oh please. You aren’t a magician.”
“Just wait. I am. If some other lucky guy hasn’t stolen you away, Curtis will be locking this whole girlfriend bit down in a matter of days. We’ll make you so irresistible he’ll be scared to lose you. Then you’ll be set and happy for the whole year—until you wise up and dump him,” he added.
“Ha. Ha. As IF! But...I...my budget is tight. We’re going to have to shop smart.”
“I’m not helping you unless you agree the whole makeover thing is on me. Sort of a ‘thank-you’ for all you’ve done for me. A gift. Payback for the guitar you and Charlie shouldn’t have bought for me.”
“Maybe...”
“Take it and love it. I did. I really do love it by the way. You know I do.” His expression softened. “I’ve been writing some new songs.”
She smiled. “Maybe you can play some for me?”
“Sure. Maybe.”
“I accept your offer, but don’t go over the top, okay? I’ll want to pay you back eventually, or I won’t be able to live with myself. Makeovers are expensive.”
“I’ve got it covered. Don’t worry about it.”
“Makeover? Did someone say makeover?” Jenna sat up straight in the back seat. “Are we giving Dustin a makeover? He so needs one! Dude, I get to help!”
Vere felt her smile grow tense. Hopefully she hadn’t heard them talking about Dustin’s disguise. “Not him. Me.”
Dustin shoved his glasses back on, twisted in his seat and broke out the retainer smile. “Jenna Riley, you do instthult me. I’m the makeover king. I have an uncle in Los Angeles who’s a stthtylist. And my mom, she’s quite the fashion maven, stthoo I’ve offered to help our Vere.”
Jenna rubbed her eyes and blinked, finally looking around. “Are we at the mall?”
Vere shook her head. Great. “Yeah, sleepyhead. Waiting for you to wake up.”
“Will you make me over too?”
“Of course. Now come on, I’m tired of looking at you two through these dumb, cracked glasses.”
34: creating my own demise
Dustin
“Good God,” Dustin muttered under his breath as he looked at Vere’s and Jenna’s transformations. They were sitting side by side in the salon chairs. The stylist was just finishing Jenna’s blow-out.
Vere seemed stunned. Her eyes were wide, facing the mirror. Her brow had not once lost its worried looking creases as she stared at her reflection.
He stepped back, farther out of sight, wondering what in the hell he had done? Curtis Wishford’s attention span was about to get very, very long. Long on Vere Roth.
He sighed, resigned. Maybe it was for the best.
He’d outdone himself with this deal. He hoped Vere and Curtis fell madly in love with each other and just left him alone after this.
Hell.
He had no idea how to talk to her. The girl he’d grown to know had completely disappeared, and it was his fault! This Vere looked twenty-five and yet, still sixteen all at the same time. She was so beautiful sitting there looking worried and so unbelievably gorgeous that Dustin’s heart wrenched.
“Jeez. Help. There is no way I’m going to school looking like this,” Vere squeaked to Jenna.
“Why? You look like a golden, glowing Malibu Barbie doll,” Jenna said. “Those highlights are so cool. I’m the one who looks like a newscaster. Why did I go for the French look? I thought French meant ‘Euro-sexy’ but I don’t think I’m ready for the big city. It will take till summer to grow back my approachable, Anne of Green Gables length.”
She tugged at the ends of her now, shoulder length hair. “I hope I can still braid it.”
Vere shifted in her seat. “Should I smack you for calling me a Barbie? And you look amazing, Jenna. Look. Your cheekbones are so perfect now. The bangs show off the angle of your eyes. You’re stunning, and it’s totally long enough for your braids.”
“Okay, fine. I’m adorable, it’s true.” She pulled a face. “And Barbie is beautiful, through and through. It was compliment, honest.” Jenna wiggled her eyebrows. “You have to admit, the waxed brows are awesome. We look like we have fairy wings. Who knew all the models in the magazines did this? I always thought they just had special, model eyes. I thought it was the extra, thickening-eyeshadow and gobs of perfectly applied color that made their eyes so cool! I’d never made the waxing connection. I’m addicted to this look.”
“All pictures need a frame,” the styli
st said.
“YES, they do. I’ll be back here with my twenty bucks just as soon as these babies try to grow back in. No wonder people grow up and get real jobs. It’s to pay for the eyebrows and haircuts. Look at us!”
Vere turned her head to the side, fluttered her lashes and wiggled her brows imitating Jenna in the mirror. “Yeah. Right? Eyebrows: A++!” Vere said, catching sight of Dustin’s reflection.
She gave him an accusing look. “How long have you been standing there watching us be vain and ridiculous?”
Dustin came forward, his hands heavy with shopping bags. “Long enough. Like what you see, huh?” He had to force himself to keep his face impassive. At least the voice coming from this beautiful woman’s mouth sounded like Vere’s.
“What do you think?” Vere gave him a worried glance. “Love or hate?”
Hate. Hate. Hate.
Dustin faltered. He wished he could shout his feelings out to her. But also understanding this little make over would send her farther away from him than he could have ever imagined she would go. And tomorrow, at school, she would go far. He had to let her, and though it hurt, this was the only proper course for both of them.
“Vere. I love it. It’s just what you wanted, and it fits you perfectly. Try to get used to it.”
Like I will.
Vere smiled at his reflection as he continued, “This will stop Curtis in his tracks. There’s going to be a full on line-up for you two tomorrow. It’ll be a bloodbath. You two are so beautiful right now.” He’d included Jenna in that statement, but his eyes had never left Vere’s.
Jenna laughed. “Oh do I wish, and thanks!”
Vere didn’t say anything, but Dustin noticed the worried crease had left her forehead. That was answer enough.
She believed him, and that alone put a band aid on his aching heart.
“What’s in the bags, shopper?” Jenna asked.
“What do you think I did with my time and your clothing sizes? I fixed your wardrobes.”
“All that’s for us? Did you rob a bank?” Jenna grinned.
