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“Larissa. I can’t take this much longer. They’re planning every part of my life. My party, what I’ll do when I leave school. I bet my mom even has a list of suitable future husbands.”
“Sorry, babe. It sucks, I know. You’re just gonna have to find your own man, preferably a rich one so it closes your mom’s mission down and means you can escape.”
I turned to Jeff. “Do you think you could let Julian know I might be interested?”
“Sure.” Jeff carried on driving.
“Seriously?” Larissa squealed. “You’re gonna give him a shot? We can double date!”
I wish my enthusiasm were as high as my best friends.
“Why not?” I told her, figuring I’d rather double date than have to go anywhere with him on my own. Maybe he’d be an okay guy once I got to know him and I was being judgmental, but all I’d seen was him acting like the girls on his arm were fortunate to be there. I made a silent note in my head that I wasn’t going to fall in line. He could chase me. I was going to be different.
“Lar. Can we go shopping after school? I told my mom I was going to the movies with you, but I need some new clothes for getting Julian’s attention. Maybe a haircut too.”
“Candy. Oh, my God. Yes, let’s shop. I love this.”
I smiled at her.
“Oh, babe. It’s great to see a smile on your face. You’ll get the better of your mom one day.”
I told her about the plans for my party.
“Well, you know that even though you think it’s boring, everyone will want to be there to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of Candace Appleton, daughter of the great Irena and Art. What you need to make sure is that you outshine your mother completely. So, let’s shop for your party too. Don’t let her get you a dress, let’s get you one that shows you are all grown up and beautiful.”
My heart beat faster with excitement. “You are so right. I’ll do what my parents want, what they expect, but I’m going to do it in style.”
“Atta girl.” Larissa high-fived me.
In the cafeteria, at lunch, Julian joined our table. There was me, Larissa, Jeff and a few others who we regularly hanged with but it was the first time in a while since Julian sat with us. Usually, he sat with the rest of the baseball team, with his most recent ex-girlfriend Brandy hanging around.
He sat diagonally from me. I looked up at him once he’d taken his seat and smiled.
“Hi.” He said, and then he engaged another girl at our table in conversation. It was play hard to get 101 and was fine with me. I found it quite pathetic, but from tomorrow I was determined that Julian Murphy would be begging me to date him.
After school, I met with Larissa. Jeff, bless him, agreed to drop us off at the mall and pick us up when we were finished, which Larissa assured him wouldn’t be any time soon with all the shopping we would be doing and the fact my hair may take a while.
“So, what look are you going for?” she asked me. “What’s the vision for the new you?”
“Well,” I tilted my hips and pouted. “I need to look grown up, but sexy. Not, slutty high school tramp sexy but too good for Julian Murphy sexy. If he wants me, he’s gonna have to work for it.”
Larissa clapped her hands together. “Oh, Candy. I love this new attitude. Let’s shop!” She threaded her arm through mine, and we hit the first store.
With a personal shopper at our disposal, it wasn’t long before we find out what worked for me. Tailored pants with a flare at the bottom. Tops that fit against my skin yet looked classy. A sophisticated look but one that showed my figure off to perfection. I stared at myself in one of the mirrors. My hair was tied up out of the way. I dressed in a striped white and blue top with flared sleeves. It ended just above my midriff, to give a peek of my slender abs without it looking slutty. Fitted white pants with a wider leg led down to a pair of sandals with a small heel. With different hair and make-up, I’d look like a woman, not a schoolgirl. I turned to the personal shopper. “This is exactly what look I was aiming for. You’re amazing. Can you bring me anything else that makes me look like this?” Usually, I barely spent a penny of my allowance, but tonight I was going to max it out.
Ensconced in a chair at a salon I called my mom from my cell.
“Hello, darling. Is everything okay? I’m here with Suki, the planner for your party.”
“Yes, Mom. Everything is fine. I wanted to apologize again about this morning. The Norton Hotel will be amazing. Yes, also to no theme but I’d like opulence please and sophistication. Something that shows I’m growing up.”
“Oh, honey. That’s exactly what I was thinking. Lots of glitz and glamour.”
“Perfect. Oh, and Mom. I’m shopping with Larissa, instead of going to the movies. I’ve spent my allowance, and there are still things I’d like to buy. I’m having a makeover. Is it alright for me to add to your account at Maribel’s?”
“Really, darling? Oh, spend away, if it’s beautiful new clothes. Your new closet will need filling after all. Shoes, purses, totes; go wild, honey. I have an account at all the main stores so ask them to hold anything you want, and I’ll arrange for a driver to come pick everything up for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
