Growing Up Rainbow

The Wild Market

"Psst, Annabelle," said Sophia, softly knocking on the wall between the bathroom stalls.

"Sophia?" came the response from her friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting Wild Crumpets for my mom. More importantly what are you and, of all people, Awana doing here? Together."

There was a pause which Sophia figured was Annabelle trying to come up with a good lie. Annabelle said, "We just came to see what it was like. The Wild market. You should be happy. You wanted us to work together. What is a crumpet and why didn't you just come talk to us when you saw us?"

Sophia sighed deeply at her dearest friends naiveté. "You two. You're like wolves in a china store. Look I'm being watched. In case you didn't know, the Wild believe all Space Girls are spies or something. Totally paranoid. So my mother is banned from their market. But she loves their Wild Crumpets. It's like a biscuit but so good. You should buy some while you're here."

"And the secrecy of talking in a toilet?"

"I'm being watched too, because they know who my mother is. Whatever crazy thing you two are up to, I didn't want to bring down Wild Security on you." Said Sophia, "And you two are obviously up to something. You're acting like freaking spies just walking around."

"No, we aren't," said Annabelle.

"Yes, you do," said Sophia. "Look I can't fix you right now, but I'm going to give you some advice and then you are going to tell me what's going on when we get back to school."

"Sophia, we can't tell you what's going on." There was another one of those liar's pauses. "It's an obstacles exercise."

"Light, for an actress you are a horrible liar." Sophia knew she was running out of time. "Here's my advice. There is a certain kind of Capital girl who visits the Wild Market like it is some kind of circus. They want to buy little trophies to take back and hang on their walls to show all their friends they braved the big adventure of the Wild Women. You need to act like them. Both of you. They come in packs anyway."

"I can't do that, and Awana really can't."

"Yes, you can. Just act like Cynia from Pirates."

Annabelle laughed. Cynia was the annoying sister and comic relief of the show, over-the-top ditsy to the point anyone could parody her. "OK, I can do Cynia, but Awana?"

Sophia flush to cover her last statement, "Of course she can. She's a huge fan of Pirates. Has the same poster of Antonio you do and the box set of the recordings." Annabelle was silent and Sophia added, "Don't leave for at least 30 seconds." Then she exited the stall.

*    *    *

Awana was leaning against the bathroom building wall when Annabelle came out. Annabelle had taken a minute to change her look and Awana obviously didn't like it. Her hair was in two ponytails sticking out from the opposite sides of her head. "What the..." Awana started to say.

"A-wah, you simply can't go among the Wild Women looking like that. Come with me," Annabelle grabbed her by the arm and drug her back into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" protested Awana, but Annabelle turned her back on a muscular Wild Woman next to the sink and put a finger over her lips at Awana.

"Come here and let me help you with your make-up," Annabelle said, pulling out her bag and the minimal make-up she now carried.

"You know less about make-up than anyone I know," said Awana.

The big Wild Woman was washing her hands very slowly and shaking her head at the antics of the two Rainbow Girls.

"Except you, A-wah," she pulled out a lipstick and grabbed Awana by the chin. "Now hold still and I'll try and make you look like a 16-year-old girl."

This elicited a slap fight between the two of them until the muscular woman left. As soon as she was out of the room Annabelle looked around seriously then said, "We've got to act like ditzes. The Wild Women are already suspicious."

"Did you fall and hit your head or something?" Awana said, then lowered her voice into a whisper. "I think I saw Sophia a minute ago."

"Shhh. You probably did and that's why I'm doing this. She contacted me in here and said they were watching."

"Who?"

"The Wild Women. She said they follow her every time she comes here because of who her mother is."

"Who's her mother? How do you know her anyway? I just met her when we got in trouble."

Annabelle stared at her and shook her head. "Sophia's mother is Space Woman Black."

"Sophia?"

"Yep. I've known her since we were kids. Our mothers are frenemies."

"Ok, ok, I'm not even going to ask. That girl is scary in the weirdest way. Now I have some idea why. What did she say to do?"

Annabelle told her Sophia's idea, which led to Awana letting her inexpertly apply too purple lipstick. "I feel ridiculous," said Awana looking in the mirror.

"But you look fabulous," said Annabelle in her over the top voice.

"And I have to act like that?"

Breaking character for a moment, Annabelle asked, "Did you really have the shirtless pirate poster of Antonio on your wall?"

Awana growled at her.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I had it too." She looped her arm in Awana's and said, "Just pretend your Cynia, A-wah."

"We simply must have a Wild Woman outfit, A-bell." Awana said, not great but getting into character. "It won't do to go home without one."