HBIC: Head Barbie in Charge

17 - Ball Out

TAMMY FELT LIKE CINDERELLA, only her evil stepmother came in the form of her conscience and her evil stepsisters were guilt and anxiety. She thought being one of the popular girls meant less drama. Little did she realize that being on top had its own host of problems. Being the one and only girl to tame the wild horse that was Greg Simmons didn't sit too well with many of the failures before her. Some had given her a congratulatory, "More power to you!" Others sucked their teeth with every mention of her name. It could have never crossed their minds that maybe, just maybe, she and Greg had connected on an emotional level. Something most of these girls knew nothing about, with their most prized possessions being their Michael Kors bags.

Her lifelong dream of fitting in had finally come true and now she wasn't so sure if it was for the best. The more camouflaged she became with her sisters, the more unacquainted she became with herself. Even her accent had become somewhat faint as she picked up more and more of that California slang. She knew firsthand that being true to herself would have landed her at the lonely table at lunch, which was why she had put her good girl reputation on the line to show out for the former big sisters. Tammy had dreams that far succeeded a high school clique. This was only the beginning of bigger and better things to come. Maybe she would become a Hollywood actress and slay at the box office and with Greg bringing a Super Bowl win to the city, they would be crowned the king and queen of L.A. Until then, they would have to become the king and queen of Winter Ball. That would be the only proof that she had been officially accepted—if they accepted Greg with her. So she continued to be a chameleon, vowing to never lose herself in the process. Her true self.

The smell of smoke heightened her senses. It was far from pleasant, but with her hair being laid like a sheepskin run, Meeko could have told her it was the scent of roses blooming and she would have never known the difference. It was the first time Tammy had ever gotten her hair done professionally. How unlikely that her first go-around would be in the manicured hands of a man, but he took pride in the magic he could create between two hot plates just as any woman would.

"So, I told Daniel that if he didn't man up and tell his girlfriend about me, I was gonna walk my cute ass out the door! Take her to the dance and have a miserable time when you could really be having a ball with me." He spoke as if his former high school sweetheart, Daniel, was standing right there in front of him.

"Awww, that's rough, Meeko," said Kim, who was getting a dramatic makeup look done by Alonzo.

Meeko shrugged it off. "When I saw him at our high school reunion with some ditzy broad with a boob job, I knew for real that he was the one who took the loss. Ten years later and he's still fronting like he's straight? He looked at me and was instantly reminded of what he could have had." He struck a pose with his steaming flat iron in one hand and his other hand planted on one of his narrow hips. "I know he misses all of this."

"Boy, please," said Alonzo just as he finished up on Kim. "You always think somebody misses you."

Tammy hadn't said much since she had been the chair, but she was having the time of her life listening to the gay boys reflect on their high school days. It was so refreshing to be able to get out from under Bunny and Ally. Any time that she and Kim could sneak away from them were her best Barbie memories. Alonzo held up a mirror for her. Kim grabbed it and vogued into oblivion. "Alonzo, you're gonna slay me to an early grave the way you keep killing it."

He shot out his open hand as if he had taken her words literally. "Pay me before they dig the first foot. You can't take it with you."

Tammy looked more and more like a life-sized doll as Meeko worked his way up to her crown, leaving a deep side part. After compensating Alonzo, Kim walked over studied Tammy's Rapunzel-esque 'do. "If Greg hasn't already fallen in love with you, tonight just might be the night, girly." Tammy laughed dryly. In that moment, all she could think about was how Bunny would react. She had allowed herself to be Bunny's puppet and now her sister's feelings came before her own. She almost hated herself for letting it get this far.