My 1st Prom

Date: 8/6, Wed

  Nick's standing near the school gate as I get to school this morning, his straight brown hair smooth and shiny under sunlight. Being responseless has always been easy, this time is probably the same. 'Hi,' he waves. Showing desire to know me more-exactly like his past tries in French classes this year. Nick's not talking to you. I keep on walking onwards. 'Hiiiiiii, Celestia.' He tries again, clearly waiting for me to talk. I don't. Girl, keep your M germs to yourself. Looking directly through him as if he's transparent, I go all the way up the stairs, only taking a mini break when my legs nearly melt. I move my legs, taking 2 steps at a time. 'You've been avoiding me for a whole damn year, cutie.' Nick, ever the dreamboat, leans against the wall on the highest step of the staircase, crossing his arms with a tentative smile on his face. His brown eyes are as welcoming as hot chocolate on freezing winter nights. How did he get up there that fast ? I must've looked like a deer caught in headlights. 'Morning to you too,' I break my habit, somehow managing not to faint, 'please leave me alone now.' I walk past him and he doesn't catch up. Forget him. Throwing me one indifferent glance, he heads off in another direction. Stay with me! 'Thank you for ... being n-nice.' I opened up a tiny bit. I'm already one foot in the door when he turns around.

'Did you ever tweeze your eyebrows?' Eva's voice rings out across the classroom at lunch period. The urge to cover my face is overwhelming. Thank God Nick isn't in the same room.

'No.' I shut my lunchbox, 'Why?'

She points to her impressively plucked brows, 'In case you haven't noticed, brat, your eyebrows have THIS BIZZARE SHAPE. It's soooo angular. Take a look around, every other girl beautifies their eyebrows.'

Obediently doing so, I note that every female has the habit of tweaking them as they take in mine. No wonder I don't blend with the majority. 'You're right,' I grip my spoon tighter than ever, 'care to let me eat in peace now?' My words aren't rambled.

'Soon,' Eva tilts her head sideways, 'stop thinking of food. If there's a prize for ugliest eyebrows, you'll win.' She applauds sarcastically, 'Who has ANGLULAR eyebrows? Now check yours out. It's the only thing worse than your profile.'

Raising my hand to slightly-higher-than-eye level, I timidly stroke one brow -no unibrow, thank god- of untamed hair. 'Celestia, I wouldn't be caught dead having your eyebrows.' Her job of embarrassing me done, Eva eats her sushi. She waves her chopsticks in the air, 'Your eyebrows are one of a kind. Why not hide under your hair again?' I note the spectators all around us.

The same emotion grows a tad bit stronger-strong, unshameful assurance heating me up from the inside. I snap, 'Nah, it's a change of style.' Eva laughs, 'Don't regret it.' 'I'm not regretting anything. Except for you.' I want my words to devour, to hurt, 'Maybe picking on me makes you seem like a leader, but in reality you're just a shameless bully!' She's taken aback for once. I furiously slam my fist onto the table, 'Do me a favour and frigging shut up.' My fist hurts so much I almost shriek. To my utmost shock, she actually complies.

The final school bell chimes the same time my iPhone does. It's Mum. 'Hello? Cel, please buy a tube of lychee candy for Luke. The ones from the supermarket. Thank you!' 'Hold up,' my brain cells connect, 'can't his personal maid get it instead?' 'Cel, don't rely on maids too much. Make the most of shopping practice.' Whaaaaaaat? Many students flow out of the school gates and onto the sidewalk. 'Fine.' I grudgingly accept. She might buy the dress for me. 'Remember to study when you come home!' Her reminder echoes in my brain.

The sun bakes everything into bright shells. The view doesn't make up for the lack of summer breeze . It's ultra sunny outside and the mall entrance I always use is closed. Oh, come on. I slowly go along a slightly longer way to the mall to buy candies and an eyebrow tweezer. Luke's candy was easy to get at a nearby convenience store. Now for a tweezer within a budget of $12. Throwing the receipt and ripping the price tag off Luke's candy package, I walk to the only 12 dollar store- in a mall really close to where Nick lives.

Lining up at the 12 dollar store cashier for the first time takes longer than I expected. Holding both an Octopus card and eyebrow tweezer in one hand while slowly inching forward in an air-conditioned place isn't how I picture shopping to be. A gentle shoulder tap makes me whirl around, 'Hi cutie. Taking a study break?' Him? Again? His face is an art piece.

Nick is standing behind me with a pretty amused expression, 'You're in the wrong line. This line is only for people with membership cards.'

Of course Nick has a membership card. I leap to the back of the only line left, mumbling my gratitude. 'And that line is for old people,' he chuckles, laughter looping through each syllable.

I jump up to check, seeing clouds of white hair in a neat vertical row ahead of me. 'Uh huh.' I acknowledge. Where is- 'That line over there is for cuties who wanna tweak their eyebrows,' Nick advises. 'Way over there,' he points to somewhere at the back of the shop. I take a few steps in that direction before realising what he said seconds ago. 'Seriously?' I blurt out, willing my legs not to tremble from nervousness.

'Will you honestly edit your eyebrows?' Nick tries to get me talking.

I shrug, letting silence speak for me. 'Your eyebrows are natural, will you tweeze?' He continues inviting, voice soft. 'Or is the tweezer a gift?'

I raise and lower my eyebrows in a flash. He grins from ear to ear, 'Eva told me what she thinks of them.' I glance at him, waiting for him to finish. Why are you talking to me about my eyebrows? Nick seems nervous since I'm not responding, 'Wait! Don't get me wrong, they look nicer unchanged. Just saying.'

'Thanks,' I go for the line I should be in, flustered on the inside, 'I'm still buying this.' What a stubborn guy.

'You can get a student discount!' He yells after me, '10% off, Celcel!' 'Don't call me that.' I don't face him in case he sees me blushing. Is this coup de foudre? What they call love at first sight?

Standing before the front door, I unzip my backpack to look for the key. It's not fair being bossed around by a younger sibling's 'request' without payback.

I stop trying to find the key, choosing to ring the doorbell and wait instead.

Mum yells. 'Luke, can you open the door? I'm busy!'

Followed suit by Luke's grumbling as he plunks down whatever he's holding. His footsteps loud and clear as he stomps his way through the living room, no doubt muttering why can't one of the maids do it for him. I use one hand to cover up the peephole on the door. Predictably, Luke yells back to the kitchen, 'There's something wrong with the peephole, I can't see anything!'

Another set of footsteps as Mum comes to the door. Luke backs away as I remove my hand, calculating his steps. Mum views through the peephole, 'Nothing's wrong with it. Should I tell Aranobrac to open the door?' 100% baby of the family moment. 'There is something wrong!' Luke insists. 'I can prove it.'

As he looks through, my hand automatically blocks his line of vision again. 'See, Mum? Told you the peephole is broken.'

Mum tries again and I grin at the peephole, waving Luke's tube of candy. The door opens a second later. I remove my shoes. 'I'm back. Funny thing is, the candy Luke wants suddenly got more expensive today. Strange, isn't it?' Mum goes back to whatever she's doing. 'I'll top-up your Octo card later.' And add the extra $12 I spent on the tweezers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yoohoo! Do you guys want Eva to get what she (eventually) deserves? Or should Celestia do the forgive-&-forget thing?

 Also, could I get your vote/comment/suggestions? Thx!