Read Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 11 for Free Online Page B

pale pink polish , and she held them awkwardly away from her, certain that they ’ d end up scratched or dented if she moved them.
    The clock chimed five o ’ clock. Willow heard threats of imminent demise if Chad dared to peek in Cheri ’ s bedroom. She no longer cared if the lotion fully absorbed; Willow just wanted to be sure he didn ’ t open that door and find her wearing nothing — or close enough to it! Cheri and Marianne arrived minutes later and the work on Willow ’ s face began.
    She tried to watch as Cheri worked moisturizer, mineral foundation, blush, eye shadows, powder, and then finally lip color that promised to stay fast until the next morning , but when mascara joined the party, Willow gave. It was impossible without feeling like a caterpillar danced in front of her eyes.
    Once complete, she stared in the mirror, transfixed. “ That doesn ’ t look like me! ”
    “ That ’ s you times ten! ” Cheri exulted. “ You are smokin ’ ! ”
    “ I don ’ t smoke and have no intention of taking it up , thank you very much .”
    Marianne laughed. “ She means you look hot .”
    “ I am. This robe is kind of warm .”
    Confused by the Tesdall women ’ s giggles, Willow stared at herself again. “ What are you doing with my hair? ”
    “ We’re going to take it out of the rollers and then twist it in a French roll so you won ’ t be too hot .” With a wink to her mother, Cheri added, “ But of course you are hot so you ’ ll be hot whether or not you ’ re hot .”
    “ Why do I get the feeling that I just missed something big? ”
    Christopher ’ s voice called from downstairs, “ Twenty minute warning women. I ’ m driving out of here at five-thirty sharp .”
    “ No problem, ” Cheri assured him.
    When the curlers came out and Cheri picked out her hair, both women studied her carefully. “ It looks really good Cheri .”
    “ Yeah, but she ’ ll be hot! ”
    “ You said I already am! ”
    Cheri rolled both sides of Willow ’ s hair into a coil that wrapped under her head with a few ‘ escaped ’ tendrils on each side. “ We ’ ll compromise. We ’ ll do a tousled up-do. It ’ ll be perfect .”
    The first spray of hairspray brought Willow ’ s first objection. “ Ok, I have had enough. I can ’ t stand the smell of that. It ’ s horrible. I ’ ve got the sausage casings, the face plaster and paint, and my hair looks like someone else ’ s , but I am not going to shellac it that way. If it starts to fall, I ’ ll take it down and let it hang free , but I am not putting any more stuff on it .”
    Cheri grabbed a few more pins to secure everything as best as she could and then held out the dress ready for Willow to step into it. The moment it was zipped, Cheri protested. “ You can ’ t wear your bra with this dress! It shows! ”
    “ Oh, I forgot about that back. I wouldn ’ t have noticed! ” Willow admitted , blushing as she unhooked the garment and slipped it off as discreetly as possible.
    The five-minute warning sounded from the base of the stairs sending Cheri and Marianne into rapid dress preparations of their own. “I’d say I wish you were coming with us; Dad doesn’t take us out to nice restaurants often, but…” Cheri teased.
    “I think I do too. With you, I wouldn’t have to be trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey.”
    Hugs and well wishes filled Cheri ’ s bedroom before the Tesdall women left for their dinner. Willow sat alone on Cheri ’ s bed and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She hardly recognized herself. What if Chad didn ’ t like it? She looked again and sighed. He ’ d like it; she had never looked better.
    “ Willow, are you ready? We need to leave .”
    Irrationally nervous, at least in her opinion, Willow stepped from the room and closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath and lifted her skirts a bit, as she moved toward the stairs. The sight of Chad staring up at her made her pause on the first step.
    “ Wow