"BSC050 - Dawn's Big Date - Martin, Ann M" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin Ann M)

As I thumbed through the magazines, I tried to find ways to add some pizzazz to my looks. According to the first magazine I skimmed through, my clothes were way too baggy. I like wearing loose clothing because it's comfortable. This was apparently all wrong. There were no baggy clothes in the magazine.
Next I realized I would need more makeup. The magazines tell you what to wear. (Boy, do they tell you. It sounds so complicated! They should give college courses on applying makeup. Highlighter along the brow bone and upper temples. Three different shades of eye-
shadow for different "quadrants" of your eye. Lip "fixer," then lip liner, then lipstick, then lip gloss. It made my algebra assignments seem easy.)
As I read an article called "Fixing Facial Flaws," Mary Anne came into the room. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Nothing," I replied.
Mary Anne took the magazine from my lap. "Wow! Dawn, I've never seen you look through something like this. What's up?"
"I was just curious," I said.
Mary Anne sat on the edge of my bed and flipped through the pages. She seemed to be searching for something in particular. "I was looking through this issue at Stacey's house, and I saw an outfit and a hairstyle that would be great on you," she said excitedly. "The girl even looks like you. I didn't mention it because I thought you might think it was dumb. But since you don't, I'll show you."
Mary Anne found the page. "Here, what do you think?" she asked, as she handed me back the magazine. It was a full-color picture of a girl standing on some rocks overlooking the ocean. Her hair was long and blonde like mine. But it was super wavy. Probably permed. She wore a light blue unitard that reached just below her calves. Over the unitard was a very short (the caption said "bolero-
style") faded blue denim jacket with all sorts of clunky pins on the top pockets.
Her face was made up a little more heavily than some of the other models in the magazine. She seemed to have on more eye makeup. The makeup went with her expression. It was kind of tough and serious.
"I wonder how I'd look with a perm," I considered.
"We could find out," said Mary Anne. "We'll set it with electric rollers. Of course, it won't be permanent, but you'll get the idea."
"Do we have electric rollers?" I asked.
"Your mom does. Want me to get them?"
"Sure. Why not?" I said, trying to sound casual. It was as if Mary Anne were reading my mind.
Mary Anne ran out of the room. In a moment she came back with electric rollers, a curling iron, and a clear plastic box loaded with makeup. I'd forgotten Mom even had all this stuff. Nowadays she just blow-dried her hair and used a little eye makeup and lipstick.
I sat on the bed, and Mary Anne plugged in the rollers and the curling iron. We had to wait for them to warm up. "Let's see how you'd look with some makeup," she suggested.
"I don't know much about putting it on," I admitted.
"I'll do it," Mary Anne volunteered. She flipped through the same magazine once more. "Here's a step-by-step makeover. It tells you exactly what to do. I'm sure I can follow the directions."
Pretty soon the curlers were warmed up. Mary Anne used all of them, and even that wasn't enough to curl my hair. "That's why I brought in the curling iron," she explained. "I'll curl up the bottom while the top is baking."
Once the bottom was curled and the top rollers were out, I looked as though I had three times as much hair. It was hilarious. "You gave me Dolly Parton hair!" I cried, half laughing, half worrying.
"We haven't combed it yet," said Mary Anne. "First let's put on the makeup." Mary Anne piled all the curls on top of my head. Then she began sorting through Mom's makeup box.
"Okay, we'll start with some foundation," she said, opening the bottle of flesh-toned liquid. Mary Anne put the foundation on with a steady hand. I was surprised at how assured she seemed. Especially since she doesn't wear much makeup herself.
"How did you get so good at this?" I asked.
"I'm just doing what they say in the magazine," she explained, as she brushed blush
on my cheeks. "I think it must be easier to make up someone else than to make up yourself." She worked a bit longer, putting on eye makeup and lipstick. "Makeup's done," she announced, blotting my lips with a tissue.
Then Mary Anne told me to put my head between my knees and brush out my hair. As I did that, she spritzed the underside of my hair with small blasts from a can of hair spray. "Stacey told me about this," she explained. "It's supposed to give your hair volume."
When I finally stood in front of the mirror, I was stunned. Mary Anne was a genius! I did look like the girl in the magazine. (Pretty close, anyway.)
"Lewis is going to fall madly in love when he sees you," Mary Anne commented.
"You really think so?" I asked, staring into the mirror. "Do you really think Lewis will like me like this?"
"He's got to. You're a knockout," said Mary Anne.
Suddenly I had an idea. "I want to send him a picture of me the way I look right now. That way he won't be too surprised when we meet."
"Great idea," Mary Anne agreed. "I'll get the Polaroid." While she was gone, I changed clothes. I pulled off my big sweat shirt. But I
didn't know what else to put on.
I wanted something really daring. The kind of thing I didn't own. I'd seen lots of off-the-shoulder tops in the magazines. I didn't have one, of course Ч but it was easy to create one.
"What are you doing?" Mary Anne said, gasping, as she came back into the room.
I was cutting a red long-sleeved T-shirt partway down the front. "You'll see," I told her. I put on the T-shirt, tucking in both sides of the front. "Ta-da!" I sang, slipping the shoulders down my arm.
"You look great," Mary Anne said. "I know! Toss your hair over one shoulder so your earrings show."
I stood by our bedroom window and did what she said. Mary Anne aimed the camera at me. "Say cheese!"
At first, I started to smile. Then I stopped myself. Instead, I puffed out my lower lip and glared into the camera.
"What kind of face is that?" Mary Anne asked, putting down the camera.
"I'm trying to look like the girl in the magazine," I explained. "You know, mysterious and alluring."
"It might work," Mary Anne agreed. She raised the camera again and snapped the picture. In a few minutes the photo was devel-
oped. I couldn't believe it. It was as if I were seeing a picture of someone else.
"You really should be a model," Mary Anne commented, as she looked at the photo.
I took it from her. "Lewis Bruno, look out," I said. "Here comes the new Dawn."
Chapter 6.
Claudia got the job at the Hills' house during a Wednesday afternoon BSC meeting. Stacey picked up the phone and talked to Mr. Hill. He wanted someone for Thursday at three-thirty. Mr. Hill had a new, important client. He had lots of meetings scheduled. He said he'd be calling often in the next couple of weeks. Claud took the job, since she was the only one of us who was free.
I had told her about my experiences with Sarah and Norman, so she was prepared. But I still think she was glad that Norman was at his after-school program when she arrived at his house. For one thing, it meant she wouldn't have to stop Sarah from picking on Norman. I'd warned Claud about that.