Star by Eliza Witte - HTML preview

42

‘No! You can’t convince me that you, who are so sensitive, can love a cold-blooded guy like him. It’s not by accident that no-one can stand him.’

‘No-o-o-o!’ Annie was ready to cry this time. Jessie did regret pushing the matter so far.

‘Annie, I’m sorry but I just thought he wasn't the one for you. Are you OK?’

‘Yes, but… but… the point is – he’ll never love me. I’m fat and not good-looking, and…’

Jessie jumped to her feet, ‘Let us change the situation then! Come on!’ And she dragged her in front of a small dirty mirror hanging on the kitchen door since nobody knew when,

‘Take a good look and say goodbye to the old Annie!’

XXIII

First thing was that they went to Louie. They woke him up and practically blackmailed him to pay Annie’s wages for the past several shifts. Then, after visiting three clothes-shops unsuccessfully Jessie figured out that Annie’s talent for fashion and original wear was locked only within the four walls of the classroom. Annie was traditional in her taste, even simple, not to say boring. Jessie made tremendous efforts to make Annie just try a great, dark-purple, cocktail dress. True – the effect was terrible anyway as Annie couldn’t be exactly called ‘slim’ and the dress looked on her like it was worn by the Michelin-man but Jessie didn’t give up.

In the fourth clothes-store they hit the sales and after a lot of coming in and going out of the dress room, they chose several nice tops for Annie, a pair of blue jeans, a great flared skirt and a beautiful summer every-day dress with flowers.

The lady at the check-out counter got a bit hysterical when Annie gave her just a 20$

bill for all the bags she handed them and insisted that this be money but luckily Jessie came to the rescue. She made Annie pay the whole sum after all, explaining to her that there were also a one-dollar bill, ten-dollar bill and even a hundred-dollar bill. However, Annie was unwilling to believe her until she saw the change. She got totally fascinated by the coins and even asked the Sales-lady if she could give her some more. Jessie excused Annie explaining she was a French relative and they left without further troubles but victorious after the clothes’ hunt.

They were walking and laughing on the street all the time till finally they reached the beauty shop. Jessie told Annie that this was the place Annie would get her new face and they quickly got in. However, had she known what her friend really meant, Annie would have given it a second thought before she entered. She somehow survived all the 43

possible procedures – from cosmetic manipulations and tearing the eyebrows through cleaning masks, manicure and the hair-dryer on her head which sounded just like a broken space-ship. She survived that with a lot of ‘A-a-ah’-s and ‘Ouch’-s and only because Jessie constantly reminded her that this was the only way she could look different. Jessie was right - when Annie finally opened her eyes after the make-up session she could hardly believe it. From the mirror there was a very sweet young lady looking back at her, and when she smiled… Well, she really felt like a star even according to the humans’ descriptions of the term, which meant, of course, some unknown local galaxy called Hollywood!

They were to head back for the University when Annie suddenly stopped on the street with no option to be moved further. Jessie made vain attempts but just right across from there, there was a McDonalds. Jessie absolutely refused to get in; Annie absolutely refused to walk if they didn’t get in. All ended up with Annie grabbing Jessie’s hand and practically dragged her there.

XXIV

They were sitting at a small table – Jessie having a diet Coke, Annie – finishing a hamburger.

‘Now I want ¼ pounder of cheese,’ proclaimed Annie.

‘Annie, this was your second hamburger, not to mention the Chicken McNuggets you ate before that.’

‘Yes, but I want!’ Seeing Jessie’s disapproving glance she added, ‘Jessie, where I live, there is no McDonalds.’

‘There is no such a place in the world! I saw a movie once – they had McDonalds even on the Andromeda star.’

‘Even on Andromeda? My Gosh! I’ve never thought of searching there.

Jessie laughed with her infectious laughter and made Annie laugh too.

‘How do you like your new face, Annie?’

‘Wonderful! I can’t believe it. Do you think that Stu will like me now?’

‘I knew you’d ask me this. No!’

‘Why not?’

‘Because he’s stupid!’

Annie poked Jessie and they both burst into laughter again. All of a sudden Annie got very serious, ‘Jessie, I must ask you something. It’s about Stu. I think that he is very 44

talented and I want… I try… I must help him. He wanted to play at Louie’s bar. Louie, of course, can’t pay and… I want you to give him on behalf of Louie what I’ll give to you.’

Jessie gazed at her. She couldn’t believe her ears. She stood there incredulous for awhile and then flared up, ‘ARE YOU CRAZY? Why do you do this?’

‘I must,’ said calmly Annie.

‘Are we still talking about Stuart Reynolds? Mr. Highest Nose ever? And do you know why he is like this? Because his parents are dripping with money! What are you going to live on?’

‘There is somebody to take care of me… I guess. Will you help me?’

‘Annie, he is not worth it!’

‘You are wrong, Jess!’

‘I don’t want to know about it!’ Jessie said curtly. ‘I don’t want to hear about that anymore.’

‘You cannot leave me alone in the middle of it all! You can’t really imagine how important this is for me! Please, please, do it for me!’ Jessie was totally surprised by Annie’s persistence. She thought for a moment, but didn’t have the heart to let her friend down, ‘I will help you. But this is only because you’re my friend. However, don’t count on me approving your involvement with THIS guy.’

‘Thanks, Jess! Oh, and one more thing.’ Jessie bristled, ‘No, no, it goes TOGETHER

with that all but it’s just a very tiny little bit of something: You could do this really!’ Annie was really blackmailing her but Jessie smiled and let herself be blackmailed for there was no other person under the sun who could do it as sweetly as Annie. ‘Not a word to anybody!’ Annie said, ‘Especially to Stu! Will you do this for me?’

Jessie just nodded. If Annie was falling out, she was not further behind from Jessie who also wouldn’t mind ‘working’ every evening with Chris O’Neal. This thought really made her feel good, ‘Let’s go now!’ She suggested. ‘The competitions will start in half an hour. Your people may be waiting. Mine do for sure, so let’s move it.’

‘But I still want a McFlurry.’

XXV

The parking lot of the College was full of people. In fact it didn’t look like a parking lot at all at the moment. It looked more like a very exquisite cat walk of fashion, cars, accessories and cigars. There were groups of students and parents all around gossiping between (and about) each other. All in all it was a hectic hysterical event and a rather stupid one as Jessie remarked, but it was a part of the event-schedule of the College, undertaken in 45

order to raise funds for the research departments. The research departments were more academic then practical of course and included subjects like criticism, Art-history and Music or Theatre Science, which have been always put a little bit aside from the specialties that produced practicians – artists, painters, designers.

Jessie almost instantly saw her family. Mr. and Mrs. Parker were indeed sweet; both photographers who had never had the luck to be extremely successful but in return had managed to plant the seed of love of art into their daughter and to encourage her from early childhood in her interest in shapes and colors. They had brought Jen, Jessie’s younger sister here with the same motive – to make her breathe this air and to make it clear for her that she’d follow in her sister’s footsteps sooner or later. Jessie introduced Annie to her family and Annie received a warm welcome. Jessie’s father who was full of enthusiasm that day proposed they all went to the playground. Annie excused herself by saying she had not found her parents yet and that she’d rather go look for them and they parted. One of the things that made it really hard for Annie here, she thought, was her giving constant explanations on things she didn’t have any idea about – for instance – where her parents were. She was crossing the parking lot leading an imaginary conversation with the Boss on the matter, ‘Well, who are my parents after all? Stars don’t have parents. They were created by You. So You are a parent of mine in a way. It would have been great if You could just get down and take part in these games, but I know I’m asking too much. Yet, I am a bit tired of being so different all the time.’

Her thoughts ended abruptly. She spotted Stu who was walking alone towards a small wood in the park, at the other side of the parking lot. Annie quickly finished her imaginary dialogue with the Boss, ‘Well, you’ll tell me all about it later. Now I have some work to do!’ and she followed Stu through the trees.

XXVI

She found him sitting beside the river gazing at the water. She advanced carefully behind his back and greeted him shyly, ‘Hi.’

‘Hi,’ replied Stu obviously surprised to see someone else there.

‘Don’t you have parents?’ asked Annie and her question sounded so innocent and simple. Stu smiled a sorry smile.

‘Well, now that you're putting it this way, it is not that important!’ He was ready to end up this conversation at that very minute lest it might go deeper but Annie surprised him with the next thing she said, ‘I guess it is important – everyone has parents. Mind me sitting next to you?’