Red-Heads On The Battle Front

2. I Hate Coincidences with a Burning Passion

"Gwen, why don't you try at least? It really doesn't take that much work!"

"Because I don't want to!"

"Why?"

"No one I need to impress" I deadpanned, looking her in the eye. A faint blush spread on her pale cheeks and she tapped me smartly on the head with the comb.

"Ow! CeeCee! Stop!"

I whined as she whacked me again. I scowled at the satisfied look on her face.

"Done"

"Really?"

"It amazes me how you can-"

"Celia"

"But-"

"Quit lecturing" and, after a moment of thought, "Thank you"

"You're welcome. Now sit still"

She whipped out a pencil and a tube. I didn't realize what they were until she attacked my eyes with them.

"No! NO! Celia! I absolutely refuse to wear that!"

"Mom will probably give the book back faster if you do..."

I stopped. Maybe she did have a point

"Fine. But I'll do it myself"

"You don't know how"

"Sure I do" I said, taking the eyeliner from her.

Half a minute later I was howling at the top of my lungs like there was no tomorrow.

"Gwen!" Celia ushered me into the bathroom "Run some cold water over your eye! Honestly! I didn't think you'd impale-"

"Not now, Celia" I croaked, wincing and then sighing in relief as the water eased the pain.

The thing about my sister is that she's as stubborn as a mule. So after nursing my eye, barely for a minute might I add, I was back in the chair in front of the mirror.

"There. See? It's easy. You look really pretty, Gwen" I snorted. Pretty? Yeah right. Different, maybe, but not pretty. Gwen Taylor doesn't do pretty.

"Get the contacts in" she ordered as she pawed through my clothes. I groaned.

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"I like my glasses" I whined

"Contacts. In. Now"

I sighed and pulled open the drawer that held those infernal lenses. My mother had gotten me contacts in hopes that I would actually wear them. Maybe it was an endeavor to end my makeup-impaired senses. Obviously it hadn't worked.

"Wear this" Celia said laying out a dark blue dress.

"No way! I want to wear my jeans"

"Book" was all she said and that was all the push I needed to hurriedly slip it on. Mum was going to have a heart attack seeing me looking this feminine and then I would never get my book back. Humph.

Celia had left the room while I had changed and now she was back, holding a pair of plain black flats in one hand and three inch pumps in the other. I backed away from her.

"Can't you even try-"

"I've always had a slight inkling that you've wanted me to end up in a hospital room but now I know that you do...my own sister...who would've thought..."

"You're so melodramatic, Gwen" I grinned and held my hand out for the flats. She rolled her eyes, but handed them over and I slipped them on. Phew. At least I escaped that one. She turned me around and gave me a once-over.