Diary of a Vampeen (38 page)

“Oh my gosh! Time! What time is it?”
she jumped scurrying to glance at the clock on my night stand. She
released a sigh of relief stating, “We’re okay. It’s only 2:02.”
She continued, “I know you’re right. I told you the same line a
million times before, but I don’t want to end up like my parents
and I know you and Kellan never will.”

“Ok. Suck up the sap and let’s move on
to a lighter subject. How many people do you think will be there
tonight? I feel like I’m preparing for a red carpet
event.”

“I know right?! Umm… My guess is like
two hundred,” she said brushing my eyes with shadow
again.

“Two hundred?! That’s a lot of
people.” My nerves crept up again. Mike could easily slide in with
that size crowd.

“Flyers, remember?!” she sarcastically
reminded me. “That’s okay; you’ll still be the star. Your aunt
planned this huge grand entrance for you.”

“What? You’re joking. Tell
me you’re joking Mel. I don’t want to be the star; no lights on
me
please
!”

“Lex, stop that.
It’s
your
party.
You have to be the center of attention; otherwise this whole thing
is pointless. Plus, I’m definitely videoing Jason and Jenny’s
reaction to you!”

“Ugh,” I groaned. “I’m going to be
sick.”

“You’ll be fine Lex, I promise. It’s
only one night. Now stay still so I don’t mess up your eye liner.
It’s black and permanent,” she ordered. When she finished the
application to her satisfaction, she released me. “Open
em’.”

I obeyed, fluttering my lids a few
times. “O.M.G. Lex. You… Wow! You belong on a magazine cover. Now
smooch em’,” she pressed imitating the move she wanted me to
emulate with my lips. I obliged as she moved the liner along my
lips with strict attention to detail. I didn’t feel the pencil slip
one millimeter. She rolled the neutral rosy pink over my lips
commenting, “They are going to die when they see you.”

“Am I done yet?”

“Let me do your blush and then you’re
done,” she droned robotically with slight annoyance. She quickly
brushed the powder across the apples of my cheeks.

“Finally,” I smirked, standing to peer
at myself in the mirror. My jaw dropped when I caught my
reflection. “Holy cow! Is that really me?” I turned back to Mel
with an astonished yet appeased look.

She smiled smugly. “Told you
perfection takes at least twenty minutes.”

“This is beyond amazing Mel. You
really out-did yourself. I didn’t even know you could do this so…
well… perfectly,” I noted, praising her work as I gloated in the
mirror.

My eyes stood out with a smoky effect
that played up the honey in my brown hue. The shadow held specks of
gold inside the silver, grays, black, and blues to compliment my
dress perfectly. My cheekbones were accented with just enough rose,
but subtle enough to not know it was blush. My lips were flawlessly
plump. The pink appeared almost sheer adding sufficient color
against the liner to not be lost yet putting the fullness of my
lips on display. My skin glowed a soft honey but still blended
against the paler shade of my neck. It was all dramatic, displayed
my beauty in a way I’d never thought possible. I looked done-up,
over the top in some areas yet far from gaudy. Nothing was
overdone. For once, I was forced to see the beauty I’d always
carried for what it was – hidden perfection.

I was startled by a tap on my bedroom
door, so engulfed in Mel’s magic that I didn’t hear the footsteps
ascending.

“Lexi? Mel? It’s Kellan.”

“Don’t come in!” Mel yelled running to
barricade the door. She hit it with a resounding thud.

“I was just coming to let you know I’m
leaving. You’re aunt and her friends are here. They’ll be up in a
minute,” he announced.

“Ok. Thanks,” I called. “See you
later.” My heart dropped knowing he was just outside my door, yet I
couldn’t see him for hours. Another realization hit me. He could
hear us the entire time. He must have heard my revelation about him
in the bathroom with Mel. Surely if I could hear his quiet pacing
downstairs, he could hear my talking upstairs. I suppose it was too
late for regret or caution.

He didn’t reply; he just silently
descended down the stairs as three sets of shoes clunked upwards
past him. “Bye Kellan,” my aunt said in passing, yet I heard no
acknowledgement from him.

Aunt Claire knocked quickly but didn’t
waited for a response before barging in, “I hope you’re descent and
if not, they’re gay.”

Chapter 24

The next two hours were
spent on my hair. I never knew one could spend
that
much time on it. The guys,
Javier and Ryan, had brought directors chairs to primp and style us
in. My aunt was already dressed for the night. She wore a scoop
neck coral dress paired with nude peep toe heels that somehow
worked without seeming too summery. Her hair fell in a neat stack
with small waves that flipped under ever so slightly at the ends. -
She conversed with the stylists while Mel and I caught up on school
gossip and her progression with Caleb.

“Flawless. You are definitely the
queen of your own ball,” Ryan stated slightly awed over his
masterpiece.

“Am I done?” Relief washed over me. In
the hours I sat, though I didn’t fidget, I missed motion, movement.
Plus, despite trying to drown out their conversation, my sensitive
ears wouldn’t allow for it, and I was over Ryan’s client, Janet,
and her extra marital affairs. I hopped down in one swift, graceful
leap and moved into the bathroom to evaluate his work. My aunt and
Ryan followed.

“Wow. I love it!” I gasped. “I could
kiss you Ryan!”

“You wouldn’t be the first client to,”
he winked.

“Amazing.”

“I definitely agree. It’s fabulous
Ryan. You really outdid yourself. Lexi’s hair is perfect,” my aunt
gushed approvingly.

They stood behind me peering at the
same reflection I observed. My hair fell in curls that weren’t
tight but weren’t loose but somehow resembled a beach blown look. A
generous portion at the top was gathered into a gold clip. It was a
simple style yet my hair appeared perfectly tame, twisting and
falling with a reflective shine illuminating a slight gold
complexion despite its dark brown color.

Most amazing was not one strand dared
to pull out of place. The products pasted on were light, leaving my
hair soft yet nothing moved. It all framed my face and complimented
my make-up as if it were styled to all along.

“Oh my gosh. I can’t wait to see you
in your dress Lexi. I’ll got get it,” she offered. She stepped out
of the bathroom to retrieve my ensemble for the evening.

“Are you shaved, plucked, and waxed
everywhere?” Ryan asked.

“Umm… I should be,” I replied, caught
off-guard. Truth was I hadn’t bothered to check. I scanned my legs
meticulously before I lifted my arms and pulled back my sleeve
looking in, “I’m good,” I announced.

“And your girl parts?” he
pressed.

“Not that it’s your business but I’m
clean there too,” I replied. Despite my desire to wait on sex, I
still made sure to tidy up regularly just in case I lost
control.

“I’m a stylist Lexi; I do hair, and
that’s not limited to the ones on your head. I’ve bleached, waxed,
and styled the darkest of areas,” he stated with a swift shrug
dismissing my defensiveness with a flick of his wrist.

Ryan really wasn’t an intrusive person
from what I observed outside this moment, and I knew he meant well
in his pry. “I know you mean well, I’ve just never talked about…
well that stuff… with anyone, not even Mel,” I noted.

“I figured as much, but with how hot
and heavy your aunt claims you are with Kellan… Well, I just wanted
to make sure he wasn’t scared off by a jungle.”

I chuckled, unable to keep a straight
face over his choice of words. “Thanks for the concern
Ryan.”

“Anytime,” he smiled just as my aunt
returned with my dress and shoes overlay with a pair of cream lace
no-line panties.

“Claire, you mess up her hair and I’m
red booking you,” Ryan warned.

“Red booking?” I
questioned.

“Ryan has a black book of VIP clients
which is where I’m listed now. But he also has a red book of people
he works with only if he’s bored or broke,” my aunt
explained.

“Oh. Ok?” I shrugged. My aunt’s
acquaintances were nice, but reminded me very much of a Hollywood
crowd in their arrogant tendencies at times.

“We’ll be back in a minute Lexi. And
no bra,” my aunt advised. “It has a built in corset.”

I nodded and they closed the door. I
heard them singing praises over Mel’s up-do outside. I undid the
dress off the hanger and sifted into it from the bottom up to avoid
a hair and make-up disaster. I slid the small straps up onto my
shoulders; already the dress was hugging my silhouette from my hips
down creating a gorgeous pear bottom. I put on the heels and called
for my aunt, who I heard zipping up Mel’s dress from my
room.

She fastened me in with an
awe-inspired gasp. I had to admit I never dreamed I could look so
breathtaking, even on my wedding day. The dress pulled tight over
every part of me, yet remained classy by design, not revealing too
much though my cleavage jumped out a bit. Aunt Claire clasped a
gold necklace around my neck with a single brilliant pearl. She
gave me matching stud earrings. It was at the final result that I
became speechless with her. Exiting the bathroom door, silence fell
over the bedroom as if the Queen of England had just entered. My
parents stood beside Mel giving me the oddest stare; it was a cross
between shock and awe.

“Do I look okay?” I pressed. Their
silence was killing my confidence.

“You’re definitely not my little girl,
yet you remind me so much of your mother at your age,” my dad
commented in a breathless exhale.

“You’re stunning sweetie. I feel like
a peasant next to you. Gorgeous,” my mother added.

“Don’t say that Mom.” I looked at Mel
for the first time. “Oh my gosh! You look gorgeous Mel.”

“Thanks, but it’s nothing compared to
you. I’m okay with that though. You look beautiful Lex. Kellan is
going to die,” she smiled sincerely.

“I’m gay honey and you have me second
guessing,” Javier announced.

I chuckled, “Thanks.”

“You ready everyone?” my aunt
prompted. “The limo is outside.”

“Limo?” I was surprised by the
extravagance, but then again, Aunt Claire hadn’t exactly skimped on
anything thus far. I don’t know why I thought this would be any
different.

“Of course. You need a grand entrance,
remember?” she winked.

When we arrived at the hotel, I was
shocked by the scene awaiting. It was set like a red carpet event.
Crowds of teenagers lined both sides of the hotel, roped off from a
red carpet rolling from the street to the door. Security officers
draped in black suits stood by the entrance. A gray suited Ryan
Seacrest look-alike with a microphone stood by the road announcing
my arrival as if I were a celebrity. I heard it echo over the
speakers strategically dotting the hotel's exterior.

"Wait, Lex!" Mel called as the door
opened. She whisked out a camcorder. "You have to let me video
their reaction!"

"You were serious?" I was baffled by
her eager sincerity.

"Hell yea!" she said exiting the
limo.

I scanned the audience and quickly
spotted the band of preps and jocks that I equally despised near
the front. I was infuriated over how anxious they were to attend
the party of a girl they deemed a hungry hippo. In a way, I was
eager to vindicate myself as neither of those anymore, yet I longed
to do it outside their terms and advances.

Mel had the camera rolling and
instructed the host to proceed.

"And now, the star of this event, the
teen queen of this evening and birthday girl herself, Lexi
Jackson!"

I heard the crowd pressing forward, my
classmates craning their necks to catch a glimpse of me exiting the
limo. Nerves twisted in my stomach, a faint feeling rushed over me
in a second of self-doubt. I didn’t belong on the show Sweet
Sixteen, yet that’s what was in front of me by design thus far. I
took one last steadying breath.

“Go on honey! They’re all waiting,” my
aunt encourage. I nodded and exited the limo.

A unified gasp spread over the crowd.
"Is that really her? She lost oobers of weight," one girl
commented. A guy in my history class said, "Wow. I so want to tap
that now."

I smiled and gracefully proceeded
towards the door as quickly as possible ready to escape the
embarrassment of being on display in such a manner. Near the
entrance, I heard a male's voice call, "Lexi?!"

I turned to see Jason, wide-eyed and
nearly drooling over me.

"Hey Jason," I said as if he'd never
insulted or tortured me before.

"You look… Wow! You look beautiful,"
he said pushing past a clearly miffed Jenny who was now glaring at
me, piercing me with two blue knives.