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Well, I still stick to what my Grandma had told me so many times before . . . . 'that real beauty comes from within . . . from the heart.' For what it's worth . . . for me, it is priceless . . . and yeah, it's practical! And I believe in it! Completely!
What a million nonsense is this thing they call 'beauty sense'! My three 'Godmothers' brought me to their favorite spa, which was owned by a friend of Davey, a day before the Big Day! They made me go through a whole day of body wrap, exfoliation and facial/scalp/ foot spa treatments . . . anyways . . . the works!
And this was a first . . . to such a procedure, or to any beauty regimen, for this matter. My friends have been boasting about it and enjoyed the treatments from time to time.
Okay! I honestly admit this . . . the feeling of rejuvenation is real nice! No . . . it's so refreshing and . . . maybe, the best! Well . . . I've nothing to compare it with because I've never done anything like this before, so I'd rate it thus far, the best . . . a 10! However, this will be my last, I just couldn't afford it . . . and it is not my style!
And so today, Sabbi was in awe as she watched the last phase of the whole beauty regimen!
I was a very shy person when I was a teenager. I avoided the junior prom in high school opting for work and no matter how hard they tried, my best friends couldn't do a thing about it. I was that stubborn!
Then during my senior year . . . when I had finally succumbed to my besties' persuasive powers . . . we had to rush Grandpa to the hospital who died shortly after, due to cardiac arrest and to old age, on Prom night.
So today had become the 'highlight' . . . short of the 'debut' in my adult life. And the feverish preparations and everyone's excitement . . . well, they got to me as well, sort of.
Angela did my face first as Sabbi's small chatter disturbed every once in a while the sense of euphoria that dominated my bedroom.
Hyacinth and Angela have already done their own make-ups. So all three eager sets of eyes were now on me.
"Please, Angela . . . just do the minimum on my face, okay? Remember last year when you gave me that compact powder? I really looked aweful. My whole face seemed like a baked lobster! It took several weeks for my face to get completely healed!"
"I got it! I got it! Oh, my gosh, I almost forgot about that incident. I'm so sorry bestie! Yeah. I can't imagine what you'd look like in the middle of the affair this evening! No, I just can't allow it. Hmm . . .!" She was now looking at me like a guinea pig!
"We've done shaping your eyebrows by removing the unwanted hairs and thinning down the tail end.
"Well, now that we've put on the false eyelashes . . . all I gotta do is make your eyes, which is your best asset look a little sultry!"
"And I want to make the eyelashes look fuller and longer with this mascara." Angela continued.
"Oh, no . . . Angela please . . . those false eyelashes are making me feel so aweful, I think you are trying to turn me into a clown!" I can't help voicing out my apprehension towards makeups.
"Ouch! That really hurts, my friend! Please have some faith in your bestie, will you?"
"Fine! But make sure I won't look like a peacock!" I warned Angela.
"Yeah! Yeah! Better a peacock than a clown!" Angela jested, rolling her eyes.
Both Sabbi and Hyacinth burst out into fits of laughter while holding unto their tummies.
"Hold your horses there Andrea. Or, we won't get to the hotel on time."
"Now . . . some blushes . . . " as she focussed once more on her handiwork.
" . . . . and a matte pale orange lipstick . . . aaaand . . the transformation . . . is . . . just . . . perfect!!!" Now, Angela was grinning from ear to ear as she stared at me.
"C'mon, Andrei. You should try these on." Smiling, Hyacinth handed me a set of emerald gemstone accessories.
"Do I have to?" I asked.
"Not yet. I need to do the finishing touches. This won't take a minute . . . okay! . . . . and, tadah!"
"Then, of course, your crowning glory!" Angela beamed. "Oh, how I love this hair. It's so soft, so thick and silky as she sifted it through her fingers!
After having done with the pulling and the curling of my hair, Angela made me sit in front of the mirror.
"Ohhh!!!!!" My mouth formed a big letter O! And I suddenly lost my tongue. I was speechless . . . my eyes were now glued to the strange girl in the mirror!
"Come on Andrei, you put these on. You'll look good with them, as your face is almost bare of make up!"
"Bare????? Certainly not!!!! Angela applied heaps of those foundation and loose powder on my face . . ." I protested.
"And I have put on the false eyelashes . . . did her eyebrows . . . put on blushes on her cheeks and that matte lipstick on her lips, hmm!"
"What else does she need?"
"Maybe! But I still find it bare!"
"And this is my face, best friend, hmmm?" I insisted!
"Alright girls, this is my handiwork. And I say Andrei is a masterpiece. And . . . she looks good . . . really gorgeous, I should say! Okay???" Angela said with an underlying threat!
No one dared say a word!
Sabbi then, broke the tension . . .
"Hmm!" She was touching me . . . my arms . . . my shoulders . . . my curls, my waist, even my butt!
"Hey, Sabbi! What are you doing?" I felt myself being harrassed.
"It's just . . . that . . . you look so unreal! A barbie that's come out from that closet!" She answered.
"Is it good or bad?" I prodded. "But of course . . . good! The most beautiful you that you've always kept hidden in there for so long!" Angela, my ash-blond friend and Hyacinth, my brunette bestie both replied together for Sabbi. Excitement was now back into the room!
"And your lacey sabrina-style black dress with scalloped neckline and half-sleeved black dress that reached just a little above the knee, the hemline also scalloped is doing wonders on you. It isn' t too revealing . . . yet it subtly covers all the right places. Just simply sexy!"
Hmm! It's a gift from Davey. Yeah, this dress just makes me feel good. It's feels so light and comfy. Right, it's an ego-booster . . . which gave me the much-needed self-confidence!
"I really like this dress. Thanks a lot Angela . . . Hyacinth . . ."
They looked at me as if I was talking in Chinese!
"We just want to give you a gift bestie! Really . . . the dress, the make-over is nothing compared to the transformation we, your friends are witnessing right before our very eyes!" Hyacinth said emotionally.
"Yeah! We wanted you to see for yourself what we see in you . . . all our growing up years!" Angela piped in.
"Uh oh . . . , " That was all I was able to say, feeling so cornered like a rabbit.
"Okay! But if I slip, become an embarrassment in this . . . I'll never talk to all of you again!"
That got a lot of giggles from my friends and Sabbi.
"Just be your beautiful self, best friend . . . let nothing take that from you, alright?" Angela enthused!
"Why not try thinking like you're Cinderella . . . huh . . . !" Hyacinth
"Oh, no! No! No! No way! I'm not into fairy tales. No!"
"Yeah! She's just the down to earth and practical Andrei that we've always known her to be! So don't make her do what she isn't made of." Sabbi said her piece of advise for once!
Then I got into a pair of strappy black sandals provided by Hyacinth who has the same size as mine. It fit snugly on my feet and matched nicely with my dress. Hyacinth couldn't help drool over me as she looked me up and down.
My best friends looked so elated with their accomplishment . . . me, their masterpiece!
"Group hug . . . please!" Sabbi gleefully crowed, getting us into a hug.
"Careful . . . !" I teased them!
After Angela had fixed both hers and Hyacinth's hair, and all the make up kits, accessories and gadgets were all kept away, the four of us then, flanked together for selfies, giving our big smiles. "Wacky! Wacky!"
"We're all ready and set to go." Hyacinth hurried us out of the bedroom with Sabbi trailing right behind us.
"Now, my dear sister," I turned around to face her. "Do keep your inhaler around you, okay! And Mary will be here any minute to keep you company."
"I'm right here . . . !" Mary announced her arrival. "Now don't you worry about us. You might as well go now girls. Your cab has just arrived." Mary, our kindly next-door neighbor who always found time for Sabbi, informed us.
My sister came to me and gave me a hug. "Enjoy yourself Andrei, okay!" She said smilingly, winking an eye at me!
"And, go find yourself a prince charming!" She said, turning me around to step on our 'carriage'!
'Hey! What about us?" My two besties complained.
"Well, that includes both of you." My sister chuckled in reply.
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