Chapter 8

Ari quickly dialed Vickie's number as she left the hospital. If anyone could help her, it was her zany friend.

"Hello?" Vickie answered on the first ring.

"Vickie, I need your help," Ari spat into the phone, headed across the parking lot toward her car.

There was a slight pause. "What do you need?" Vickie's voice was suddenly serious, more restrained than Ari had ever known her to be.

Ari climbed into the driver's seat and a moment later, the engine roared to life. "I need you to make me pretty."

Vickie laughed. "You're already beautiful. We just need to make you gorgeous!"

Ari smiled. With all the doom and gloom in her life, Ari was relieved to have a moment of reprieve.

"So, you decided to do it?" Vickie asked, excitement coloring her voice. "Which company did you decide to go with?"

"AmericanMate." Ari turned the corner onto the main road. The certified virginity statement was on the passenger's seat. She caught it before it fell onto the floor. She made a mental note to make a copy of it later.

Vickie squealed with delight. "Where are you?"

"On my way to our dorm room." Ari had to make a conscious effort to stay under the speed limit. With Henley's clock ticking, there was no time to waste. A sense of empowerment came over Ari after she made the decision. At least she felt like she was able to do something to help. "Do you have any plans?"

"Not a thing! And if I did, they're cancelled now." Vickie sounded like a giddy schoolgirl. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, I need headshots—"

"Say no more," Vickie cut her off. "So, that means hair, makeup, clothes...."

"Think subtle, Vickie." Ari smirked, turning another corner. "I want to attract the right kind of man, not send out a hooker vibe."

Vickie scoffed. "Oh, ye of little faith! Just leave it to me! I'll think of something." Then the line went dead.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Ari threw her cell phone onto the passenger seat, wondering what Vickie was going to come up with. But then again, she did ask for her help. Out of all the people Ari knew, Vickie was the one with the most fashion sense. Ari chuckled. It didn't say much about her circle of friends. But if the shoe were on the other foot, Ari knew she would help Vickie with whatever she needed, too.

A few minutes later, Ari pulled into the university parking lot and stopped in front of her dorm. She quickly locked up the car headed toward the foyer, and then down the hallway. When she walked into their dorm room, Vickie already had a few outfits laid out across her bed, and her camera was already mounted on a tripod.

"Not excited, are we?" Ari asked flatly.

"Oh goodie! You're here!" Vickie squealed with delight, ignoring the jab. "Go take a shower and shave, and we'll get started."

"Yes, mom!" But Ari did as she was told. Her heart pounded with excitement as she ran her bath. Vickie's jubilance was catchy. She had been wanting to play Dress-Up Barbie with her for a while. Now was her chance.

When Ari was in the tub, the door opened, and something came flying in.

"Hey!" Ari jumped, wondering what in the world was going on. Knowing Vickie, it could be anything. She looked over and her good pink bra and matching underwear were laying on the counter.

"Here! Put these on!" Vickie yelled through the door, and then closed it just as quickly. There was no stopping her when Vickie was in her designer mood.

Ari laughed, shaking her head. "You're enjoying this way too much, you know!"

Vickie popped her head back in. "I know!" Then she quickly shut the door again.

"I'm going to have to start locking the doors!"

"Hey!" Vickie peeked her head in again. "You were the one who asked for my help."

"Get out!" Ari yelled. If she had something close, Ari would have thrown it at her. But on the other hand, she was glad that Vickie could help. Ari usually wasn't one for fashion, which included hair, clothes, and makeup. Her go-to move was no makeup and a ponytail for classes. No wonder she had no love life.

Ari came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, freshly showered, shaved, and clad in her new, unworn pink bra and underwear set. "Okay. I'm yours."

Vickie smirked. "Yeah, that's what they all say."

Ari laughed. "Where do you want me?" Knowing Vickie, it was a loaded question, but she had to ask.

But to Ari's surprise, she didn't take the bait. She held out a chair in front of a long mirror, with a blow dryer and flat iron already plugged in, creating a makeshift salon.

Vickie held the back of the chair. "Over here." She looked closely at Ari and cringed. "Those eyebrows, girl! Why, pray tell, do you have a forest growing on your face?"

"Thanks a lot," Ari said flatly, but couldn't help but laugh.

But Vickie ignored her, going straight to work tweezing, waxing, pulling...

"Ow!" Ari complained. She hadn't endured this much pain... ever.

Vickie smacked her playfully on the shoulder. "Hey! It takes a lot of work to get this 'natural' look!"

Next, Vickie applied some sort of fruity smelling mask to her face, pulled it off, and then wiped off the remnants with makeup wipes.

"This better be worth it!"

"Hush!" Vickie ignored her complaints and kept pulling and scrubbing. "It's the price we pay for beauty."

"No wonder I was never beautiful."

Vickie looked into her eyes as a broad smile spread across her face. "Well, you're going to be a knockout now!"

"May I see yet?"

"Nope!" Vickie replied triumphantly. "Not until my masterpiece is complete." Then she reached for her makeup set. "Close your eyes."

"Okay. Now you're officially scaring me."

Vickie laughed and Ari felt her applying eye makeup. Then she directed her to turn this way and that. Then she started on her hair. For once, Ari started to feel beautiful.

"You should be a hairdresser or makeup artist," Ari observed. "You have a way about you...."

Vickie shrugged. "I thought about it, but I'd rather be an accountant."

Ari laughed. "As creative as you are, and you want to be an accountant?"

"Yeah, why not?" She had Ari turned away from the mirror so she couldn't see. "Have you ever seen the movie? The Accountant?

Ari laughed. "Yeah, but he used it as a cover." She enjoyed verbally sparing with Vickie. "So, you're going to use it as a cover and become a hit man?"

Vickie shrugged. "It has possibilities."

"You're crazy."

Vickie laughed. "No, not crazy. I'm sane and I have papers to prove it," she teased. Then she turned her around. "Voila!"

And what Ari saw in the mirror clearly stunned her. She didn't recognize the girl staring back at her in the mirror. For that girl was truly beautiful. At that moment, Ari realized that her new life had just begun.