P for Perfect

Chapter 7- Osas

You should talk more– Winnie

           I stare at my image in the mirror on the vanity table. My hair is pulled into two big buns and I've borrowed Faith's hair clips fashioned and placed them in as many places as possible. I don't have on makeup because I can't apply it myself, and the one person who can is miles away from me. I could always hire a make up artist but I don't like strangers touching my face.

  Besides, this is just Welcome Party.

    Despite my lack of makeup I still apply my trusted lip liner and lipgloss. Nothing beats that. Just as I am about to place my mask over my eyes my tablet buzzes, the familiar voice of Harry Styles singing Satellite indicating that someone was calling me.

      I stare at the screen for longer than usual, because whenever Winnie calls me I have to process a lot of feelings. Anger, sheer joy, jealousy and much more before I can pick up. Taking a deep breath, I reach out and pick the video call.

"Heyyyy!" She screams the moment we sync. She's in her car, probably stuck in traffic. Despite the fact that I'm seeing her through a screen I can see just how much her chocolate skin is shining, I can see how much she's happy.

"Hi," I greet in reply, far less enthusiastic.

"You're dressed up, isn't today school?" She asks, looking away from the road to take a good look at me.

"Winnie are you driving?"

"I'm about to park, I just had the urge to see your pretty face," she smiles at me and I want to smile in return but my face remains still. I watch in silence as she parks, busying myself with wearing my necklace.

"So what's the occasion?" She asks when she's satisfied with her spot.

"Welcome party, today's the Welcome party."

"Ohh, what's the theme?"

"It's a masquerade ball, it's starting by 11." It's my subtle reminder that I won't be on for long.

"No probs, tell me how school is. What exactly does the library prefect do?"

"Nothing much, check out the library I guess," I shrug, getting up to get my purse.

"You guess? You're the Library Prefect nau, so what have you been doing this past few weeks?" She laughs.

"Planning the party," I manage a small smile this time. I want to tell her about how much I hated sitting across Yamíl those two times as we figured out the design of the flyers. But Winnie doesn't know Yamíl, and she'll probably just defend him.

"You look sweet, anyone picking you up?"

"Samuel is dropping me off," I say deadpan. She rolls her eyes at me but doesn't complain. Winnie started dating in secondary school and although she doesn't encourage me to do the same, she doesn't encourage me to not.

"Let me show you my mask–"

"How's mum?" We both say in unison, causing us both to freeze. My face falls and immediately she can tell that she's pressed the wrong button.

"Go ahead, show me the mask," she encourages but I'm not having any of it.

"I don't know how Mummy is doing. She hasn't been home for the past week, probably recuperating after the last 'incident'," my tone turns sarcastic at the word 'incident'.