“Use your brain, Sarah! You’re an artist! You can do a lot with your skills. You can earn money on the Internet. There are so many websites where you can showcase your work and get commissions from clients. Do something that will help your art career.”
“But I’m still a minor. I doubt many people would hire me if they found out I’m a high school student.”
“Then use your art accounts, for fuck’s sake! You have enough people following you, and I’m sure there’s someone who would love to have your drawings. You can also set up an account for donations.”
“Yes, I can do that, but those things take time. I wouldn’t earn much money in the beginning.”
Our wrangle continued until he told me he couldn’t calm down when I was with him and asked me to leave him alone. I’d sent him a couple of texts during the day and even called him to check up on him, but he didn’t respond, and I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t be fired up about tonight’s party anymore now that we were on bad terms.
“He was right about the websites, though,” I told them. “It never even crossed my mind to earn money that way. Besides, I have enough followers on my Instagram and YouTube to start doing commissions.”
“So he isn’t only good-looking, he has brains too!” Mel said, her voice laced with sarcasm. I rolled my eyes and pinched her shoulder. “Hey! No need to pinch me, ya know?”
I pinched her once more. “No need to talk about him that way.”
“Why are you so serious? It’s just good old sarcasm. I don’t actually think he’s stupid, geez.”
“So you admit he’s good-looking?” Jess asked with a grin on her face, interrupting our bickering.
“I never said he was ugly. I said he was a jerk—”
“Mel,” I warned her.
She sighed. “Past tense. I’m not saying it now, okay? I’m changing my tune about him. Now stop moving if you don’t want me to turn you into a panda.”
“Pandas are cute,” Jess said.
“This one will be ugly,” Mel muttered as she put on my mascara.
We were at Mel’s grandparents’ house. Steven was our designated driver, and we’d agreed to pick up Kevin on our way to the party. Chris, the guy throwing the party, didn’t go to our school, but I suspected he was from the gang since Steven knew him too. I didn’t know how to feel about this.
Hayden was supposed to wait for me in Chris’s driveway, and I was anxious about seeing him since I didn’t know if he was going to be angry. Just as Mel finished my makeup, my phone beeped, and I snatched it from Mel’s bed.
“I say sorry more times than I can count. I’m sorry. I just needed to sleep the day away because I couldn’t handle it any other way. I can’t wait to see you tonight.”
My throat constricted, and I took a deep breath. The heavy weight in my stomach instantly dissolved. He was just sleeping. He wasn’t angry with me anymore.
I typed a text quickly.
“I’m sorry for getting that mad. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I can’t wait to see you too.”
“So?” Mel asked me. “Is everything okay now?”
“I think so. He says he’s sorry and can’t wait to see me tonight.”
She started applying her foundation with a sigh. “So what did you decide? Will you quit cleaning his house?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I mean, it is an awkward situation.”
Mel met my gaze. “But you need money.”
“I looked for one of the art websites he mentioned, and I found something interesting. I think I’ll be able to start earning enough money soon.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t offer you money,” Jessica said and put red lipstick on her ample lips.
I used a moment to take her in, noticing how gorgeous she looked. Her long straight blonde hair was curled now, with a red flower hairpin attached above her left ear. She wore a short, tight red dress that emphasized her curvy hips, lush backside, and breasts, completing her look with black ankle-strap pumps. I didn’t doubt she was going to hook up with someone tonight.
“He offered, but I didn’t want to accept it.”
“That’s my girl,” Mel said and reached for her black eyeliner. “Independence all the way.”
I looked at myself in the full-length mirror as I stood up, letting my gaze slide all over my body. Butterflies swarmed my stomach when I thought about Hayden’s reaction.
I was wearing a black A-line dress that reached my mid-thighs. Mel’s mom had bought it in an attempt to make her wear something more “feminine” than her usual clothes. Mel, being Mel, refused to wear it and stuffed it on the bottom of her closet with no intention of ever taking it out again.
She suggested that I wear it instead of my jeans and shirt, and I actually liked it. Mel and I had the same shoe size, so she lent me her black four-inch heels that I felt surprisingly comfortable in.
Mel used styling cream on me, which brought the best out of my pixie cut. My makeup was flawless, applied in a way that accentuated my brown eyes and high cheeks, giving me the sexy look I otherwise lacked.
“You have killer legs, Sar,” Mel told me and shrugged on her blazer. “I don’t know why you’re always hiding them. I’m sure Hayden will go crazy for you. More than he already is, anyway.” She winked at me and put on her knee-high steampunk boots.
Unlike Jess and me, Mel looked edgier; her black corset mini-dress and makeup brought out her inner fierceness. She had more eyeliner than Jessica and I combined, but it fit her blue eyes nicely, combined with dark brown lipstick on her full lips.
“And I’m sure all guys in that house will go crazy for you,” I told her. “You look amazing.”
She rolled her eyes and ran her brush through her shoulder-length hair. “Not interested,” she muttered.
Jessica bumped Mel’s hip with hers and gave her a crooked grin. “Why not?”
Jess’s question brought some of my own to the surface. Mel had never said anything about dating or crushing on someone. Now that I thought about it, whenever we talked about dating, she always led the conversation in Jess’s or my direction, never talking about herself much. I tried asking her about hooking up with someone, but her answer was always the same: she wasn’t interested. Why?
“Exactly. Why not, Mel? You look amazing and you can have anyone you want. Is there someone you like?”
Melissa looked at me like the idea of her liking anyone was absurd. “Of course not.”
“Why?” Jessica pressed her.
She started brushing her hair aggressively, noticeably irritated by our questions. “Because, as I said, I’m not interested. Guys are just a waste of time.”
“Are you sure you aren’t a lesbian or bi?” Jess asked, wiggling her brows at her.
Mel sighed. “No. I’m not a lesbian, or bi, or asexual, or however you want to define me. Is it so strange that I just don’t want to date anyone?”
There was something fishy here, but I didn’t want to corner her with endless questions. There had to be a reason why she didn’t want a relationship. Saying she simply wasn’t interested wasn’t a plausible excuse.