th115+Rockwell+Story

Beauty vs. Batman
I looked at the mirror again in dismay. //"C'mon Marina think."// Aunt Tami's wedding was in two hours an in a mist of perfectly pampered dolls, beauty magazines I'd stole from my older sister Meg, and every beauty product imaginable, I still couldn't make myself look like a real Jr. Bride's Maid. I looked like I was going to a fancy dinner at Gran's house, not like I was going to a wedding. Glancing down at my magazine I sighed. Meg, Tami, and Mom were all out at a salon getting professionally made up. And here I was sitting in my room looking no different than I did this morning. Why did they make me watch my brother Chris while they got all gorgeous? Of course they all were more important to the wedding than just a stupid Jr. Bride's Maid. Meg got to be the maid of honor and Mom got to be the matron of honor. Then, of course, Aunt Tami was the bride.

The dress Aunt Tami picked for me tickled my legs. At least the was once ounce of beauty on me. The fancy braid mom had put in my hair began to itch. How was I supposed to make my self look like some king of television star in two hours? I had never needed to before. I had always just been Marina the girl who sits in the corner of the class, never Marina the Jr. Bride's Maid.

I finally threw the magazine on my bed in frustration. //"Alright,"// I thought, //"Here goes nothing."// I picked up the lipstick from beside the stool and brought it to my lips with a quivering hand. It had just touched my lips when...

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Chris came running up the stairs screaming. The sound was so sudden that it startled me causing me to jerk my hand and smear lipstick all across my face. Chris ran into my room took one look at my face and ran out screaming.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...," I grabbed Chis in the hallway and clamped my hand over his mouth.

"Chris it's just me Marina," I said annoyed, "What in the world could you possibly be screaming about."

"B Batman got abducted," Chris said panting.

"Really is that all, you interpreted me to say!" I said with my voice growing louder by the word. "I actually have important things to do! But you wouldn't know! All you have to do for the wedding is show up in a suit and everyone will think you're the cutest thing in the world! Well I actually have to get ready because I have a roll in the wedding and now you come up here screaming about one of your kiddie cartoons! Look at my face Chris I need to fix this!" then I softened. "So Chris is there anything else yo were screaming about?"

"Well I was screaming about Batman, until I saw your face," he said matter of factly. Ugg kids!

"Hey what's all the screaming about?" Meg said coming up the stairs. She looked dazzling. I tried to block my face but she'd already seen it. "Oh Mar what happened?"

"Batman happened," I replied

"Don't worry I'll fix you right up! The woman who did my makeup at the salon taught me some tricks!" Meg said brightly.

"Meg I..." I began.

"Nonsense!" she interrupted.

Meg led me to the stool and sat me down. Then she handed me back me magazine. "Now you just pick which one of the girls you want to look like while I go get Chris situated with Batman."

After some searching I picked a girl with makeup that can only be described as a lovely spectacle.

Meg came back up and after wiping my face clean of the lipstick stripe she began my makeup. "Nowwww, open you eyes!" she finally said.

My eyes grew wide. My gaze flew from the girl in the magazine to my own face in the mirror. We looked exactly the same. "I... I love it!" I exclaimed. I looked at myself again in the mirror and beamed.

"Girls!" mom called. "We're leaving!" She stepped into my room and gasped. "Marina do you do your makeup all by yourself?" she asked slowly.

"Wellllllllll I did have a little help," I said exchanging a happy glance with Meg.