screen.
"Yeah, he's okay but he wears stupid clothes.”
"Ah , but that’s because he’s rich. He had special clothes for rich people."
I nodded but didn’t really understand. I couldn’t relax and watch it because I kept thinking about Eric-Mama’s motives for inviting me there. I sat on the edge of my chair, hoping I’d laugh at the right bits of the drama. It all felt like a horrible test.
The episode finished before I got a chance to find out what happened when the mother of the guy with the stupid clothes offered the stupid girl the money. Eric-Mama decided we should do face masks.
"At least you have nice, white skin," she said. "It's not good for girls to be all dark."
She was trying, I had to admit that . Still, it felt odd and forced, like it was tearing her up inside trying to be nice to me.
She got out a packet and removed something that looked like a refresher towel but cut into the shape of a mask like on Friday the 13th. Then she plonked it on my face. I reeled as the coldness of it hit my skin. Then she smoothed it out and put one on herself. The cold gloop trickled from the sheet mask down my neck. I wondered if I should sop it up but I didn't even have a tissue. I fished in my bag for one but could only find my cigarettes. I wished I gone outside to have one earlier while I could. I couldn’t go out with that on my face.
"Smooth it out like this," she said as she tapped on the mask on her face. "It will make you look younger and fresher."
Because I looked like such an old battleaxe? Hells, I was only 22. How much younger and fresher did I need to look? I tried to grin at her but some of that face mask juice ran into my mouth.
At first, it felt refreshing and nice but, after a minute, my skin stung a little. Maybe that was natural. Maybe that was how it worked. I’d just ignore it and wait for it to feel better.
Then the feeling went from a slight sting to a burning sting. That didn't feel good.
"Um, is this supposed to sting?" It was hard to talk with the sheet on my face and I tried not to move my lips too much.
"A little."
"Like an intense burning?"
She shook her head and jumped up, taking the mask off my face then star ing at me in sheer terror.
"Quick, wash your face." She grabbed my arm and raced me into the bathroom, forcing my head under the tap. Maybe this was her big scheme – to drown me? My leg bashed against the bathtub and her bony fingers stuck into me. I removed my head and she splashed more water on me then patted my face dry with a towel.
"Just a moment," she said and came back with some glop in a jar that she dabbed on my face.
It was then I saw myself in the mirror. My face! I looked like a monster!
My skin glowed bright red and I'd swollen up like a puffer fish.
"What have you done to me?"
Screw being nice. Screw trying to make things right. The woman had purposely deformed me. My face started itching. I was sure that was my skin trying to leave my body.
"Sorry... sorry. I'll just put more cream on."
I snatched the jar 0ff her.
"No more cream. No more weird shit on my face. What the hell is this stuff?"
Eric-Mama stood there with the sheet mask half hanging from her face. She took a deep breath in and put her hands on her hips.
"Maybe this is your fault. You, with your stupid metal face. It never does this to me because I don't have stupid things on my face. It must have reacted badly to you. It is definitely your fault."
I couldn't believe that she'd actually said that. Trying to put the blame on me.
"That's ridiculous. You did it because you don't like me."
I put my hands on my hips and glared at her. She glared back.
"Nonsense. How would I know you would have a stupid face?"
"You are trying to kill me, aren't you?" I screeched.
"I'm not trying to kill you. You are trying to kill me with your stupid metal face. You are not good enough for my Eric."
Ouch!
I didn’t even respond. I had no words. I just increased the glaringness of my glare.
" Mung
"Yeah, he's okay but he wears stupid clothes.”
"Ah , but that’s because he’s rich. He had special clothes for rich people."
I nodded but didn’t really understand. I couldn’t relax and watch it because I kept thinking about Eric-Mama’s motives for inviting me there. I sat on the edge of my chair, hoping I’d laugh at the right bits of the drama. It all felt like a horrible test.
The episode finished before I got a chance to find out what happened when the mother of the guy with the stupid clothes offered the stupid girl the money. Eric-Mama decided we should do face masks.
"At least you have nice, white skin," she said. "It's not good for girls to be all dark."
She was trying, I had to admit that . Still, it felt odd and forced, like it was tearing her up inside trying to be nice to me.
She got out a packet and removed something that looked like a refresher towel but cut into the shape of a mask like on Friday the 13th. Then she plonked it on my face. I reeled as the coldness of it hit my skin. Then she smoothed it out and put one on herself. The cold gloop trickled from the sheet mask down my neck. I wondered if I should sop it up but I didn't even have a tissue. I fished in my bag for one but could only find my cigarettes. I wished I gone outside to have one earlier while I could. I couldn’t go out with that on my face.
"Smooth it out like this," she said as she tapped on the mask on her face. "It will make you look younger and fresher."
Because I looked like such an old battleaxe? Hells, I was only 22. How much younger and fresher did I need to look? I tried to grin at her but some of that face mask juice ran into my mouth.
At first, it felt refreshing and nice but, after a minute, my skin stung a little. Maybe that was natural. Maybe that was how it worked. I’d just ignore it and wait for it to feel better.
Then the feeling went from a slight sting to a burning sting. That didn't feel good.
"Um, is this supposed to sting?" It was hard to talk with the sheet on my face and I tried not to move my lips too much.
"A little."
"Like an intense burning?"
She shook her head and jumped up, taking the mask off my face then star ing at me in sheer terror.
"Quick, wash your face." She grabbed my arm and raced me into the bathroom, forcing my head under the tap. Maybe this was her big scheme – to drown me? My leg bashed against the bathtub and her bony fingers stuck into me. I removed my head and she splashed more water on me then patted my face dry with a towel.
"Just a moment," she said and came back with some glop in a jar that she dabbed on my face.
It was then I saw myself in the mirror. My face! I looked like a monster!
My skin glowed bright red and I'd swollen up like a puffer fish.
"What have you done to me?"
Screw being nice. Screw trying to make things right. The woman had purposely deformed me. My face started itching. I was sure that was my skin trying to leave my body.
"Sorry... sorry. I'll just put more cream on."
I snatched the jar 0ff her.
"No more cream. No more weird shit on my face. What the hell is this stuff?"
Eric-Mama stood there with the sheet mask half hanging from her face. She took a deep breath in and put her hands on her hips.
"Maybe this is your fault. You, with your stupid metal face. It never does this to me because I don't have stupid things on my face. It must have reacted badly to you. It is definitely your fault."
I couldn't believe that she'd actually said that. Trying to put the blame on me.
"That's ridiculous. You did it because you don't like me."
I put my hands on my hips and glared at her. She glared back.
"Nonsense. How would I know you would have a stupid face?"
"You are trying to kill me, aren't you?" I screeched.
"I'm not trying to kill you. You are trying to kill me with your stupid metal face. You are not good enough for my Eric."
Ouch!
I didn’t even respond. I had no words. I just increased the glaringness of my glare.
" Mung
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