After school, we met up with Sage and Sophie to set up. Then we all piled into the room to get ready.  Josie is one of those girls who does anything she can to stand out. She loves the attention. She is also super confident and straightforward. She always says what’s on her mind, never caring if it will hurt your feelings or not. She usually has platinum blond hair, but a few weeks ago she dyed it bright pink. She’s tall, the tallest one out of our group. She tries not to wear heels too much or she’ll just tower over us. She’s thin, thin enough for me to feel her ribs when we hug. It’s not that she doesn’t eat, it’s just how she was built. The girl could eat a horse and still look like a toothpick.

Sage is probably the prettiest of us all. At least I always thought so. She has all the right curves in all the right places. She’s pretty laid back, always down for whatever. She knows how to lighten a room and can bring a smile to anyone’s face. She’s basically a full package. Nice looks, awesome personality, and down for anything. She’s never single for long. She has warm brown skin and her hair is cornrowed down her scalp, the braids falling past her shoulders. Her hazel eyes influence people and automatically makes you want to be her friend. She’s just an amazing person. Not hard to see why she’s so popular in school and in life.

Sophie looks like a basic bitch. She could be anyone’s cousin, friend, sister. She has that face you’ve seen a thousand times. The kind of face that says I go to church camp for fun and always do the extra credit assignment. It’s because she looks so innocent that she’s able to get away with anything. The girl can act. Even though she looks the sweetest of the group, she’s actually the craziest. It’s always the sweet quiet ones you have to look out for. She’s half white, half Hispanic so her skin has this amazing natural golden tan color that everyone envies. She has wavy dark brown hair and coffee brown eyes. When she smiles, you can’t help but smile with her.

The four of us have been friends for a while now, since the beginning of high school. Josie and I met in middle school. Out of the four of us, we’ve been friends the longest. I guess I’m okay in the looks department. Not as hot as Sage, but I’d say I’m not as basic as Sophie. I definitely don’t attract as much attention as Josie. I’d say Josie is the leader of the group, the high school it girl. Sage is probably second in command, then me, then Sophie.

I have cinnamon brown hair, which I make sure to straighten so I can look my best for Carson. I’m pretty pale, but not so pale I blind everyone with my skin. I’m probably a foot shorter than Josie. I’m the shortest of the group. It’s why I wear heels a lot. To blend in better. I have soft baby blue eyes, which help me get my way a lot. It’s hard to say no to my eyes. Everything I know about make-up I learned from Josie, who is self-taught. She dreams of being a make-up artist one day.

Josie has a shade of lipstick for everything. I’ve never met anyone with as much lipstick as her. She has a whole ass case just for all the shades of her lipstick. But there is one tube of lipstick I was particularly interested in. She calls it her lucky red, it helps her get what she wants whenever she wears it. I needed its lucky powers. So I reached for it as we did our make-up together.

“Ah,” Josie slapped my hand away.

“Come on Josie, it’s Carson Bowers! I need it. This calls for the lucky red.”

“You really gonna make a move on him?” Sage asked.

“Yes! He’s hot now.”

“Yeah but he’s so different from your usual.” Sophie pointed out.

“After Bryson I need different.”

Bryson is my ex, we only dated for a couple of months before his possessiveness made our relationship crash and burn. Now I avoid him at all cost and avoid talking about him. The whole relationship was an utter disaster I want to forget.

“No way, lucky red is for special occasions only.” Josie said.

“What! Come on, what is more special than this? Please Josie.”

“Nope.”

“Don’t be a bitch,” I lightly shove her causing her to mess up her eyeliner.

She grunts in frustration and glares at me.

“Please,” I beg.

Normally I’m not one to believe in something as silly as lucky lipstick but I’ve seen that lipstick in play. I know its powers are real. For example, Josie wore it to her dad’s presentation, and he got a work promotion. She wore it to homecoming and won queen. She wore it to the beach once and found a hundred dollars. She even wore it to the mall once where she met a famous person. So, yeah. That lipstick is no joke.

 “I’ll think about it.” she removes her make-up to start again.

“Josie,” I whine.

“Just let her wear it,” Sage says.

“Or she won’t shut up about it all night,” Sophie adds.

“Please,” I beg.

“Fine, but I’ll do it. It only works for me.”

“Yes! You’re the best!” I tackle her in a hug causing her to mess up again.

“Ugh!”

“Oh, sorry.” I quickly pull back.

She rolls her eyes before going back to her make-up.

So with the lucky lipstick in play, I knew tonight was going to be the night. Not only would I get Carson to fall for me, but quite possibly I could lose my virginity to him. What better night than tonight? My heart was hammering like a jackhammer.

When it was time Josie pulled me to the side and popped open the tube of bombshell red lipstick.

“Hold still,” she instructed.

So I did.

I even held my breath, willing the magic lipstick to grant my wish. I want my true love to finally make a move on me. I want it so bad I’d do anything for it. He and I are just meant to be. I still remember the day we first met, how he watched me fall off my bike and skin my knee. He ran over to help me up and then got a first aid kit and dressed my wound before giving me ice cream and walking me home. Holding my hand.

Try and tell me that’s not true love.

When she was done, I rubbed my lips together and she handed m a napkin to wipe the corners of my mouth.

“Okay, I can do this.” I gave myself a pep talk.  

She sighed.

“How do I look?” I did a spin for her.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked.

“Yes! Please, just support me on this. I know you think he’s dorky and weird but he’s not. I promise. He’s so amazing. If you only knew him like I do you’d know it was meant to be.”

She frowned.

“I’m doing this, he’s the one. I can feel it.”

“You said that about Bryson.” She points out.

“Ugh, don’t even mention that asshole. This is different and you know it. I know Carson, like really know him.”

“You knew him, he’s different now.”

“Stop that! Stop trying to make me doubt myself. Just support me on this. You are supposed to be my wing woman.”

“I just think you can do better.”

“Forget it, just do your thing and I’ll do mine.” I walked away.

I don’t know what her deal is. Why can’t she just support me? Sure, the guy beat the snot out of someone, but that guy had it coming. Carson is the sweetest guy I know and wouldn’t hurt a fly.

As the night quickly approached and people started showing up what was supposed to be a small gathering turned into a full-on party. Hundreds of kids from our school and the rival school showed up. I searched high and low but Carson was nowhere to be found.

Did he stand me up?

I began to drink lightly to ward off the nerves.

Then I saw him, pushing past a couple of dudes horsing around. We locked eyes and I swear cheesy romance music started playing in the background. My heart fluttered around in my chest. I pushed through the crowd and made my way over to him.

“Hey,”

“What!?” he shouted over the music.

“Hold on,” I grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the main crowd and over behind the cabin.

“Better?” I asked.

“Much,” he smiled, still holding my hand.

“How have you been?” I interlocked our fingers.

“Lonely,” he admitted.

“Oh.”

“But I got your letters in Juvi. They were sweet.”

“Well, I thought what you did was awesome and brave. I wanted you to know everyone else thought so too.”

“I’ll be honest I thought you were just being nice to me and pulling my leg.”

“What!? Come on, no way. I told you, the people love you now.”

“Well, I don’t really care about what they think.”

“Good, you shouldn’t.” I pulled him closer.

“Listen, Kat, there is something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now.”

“Yes?” I gulped.

“I… I really like you. Like a lot.”

I smiled so big but he was too busy looking at the ground to see.

“I understand if you don’t feel the same, I just thought—” I cut him off by kissing him.

He leaned into the kiss. I dropped my drink on the floor so I could run my hands through his sexy hair. I knew it, the lipstick is lucky.

I was on top of the world.

Until the next bomb came. Josie came stumbling around the corner, completely wasted.

“There you are, I have a bone to pick with you.” she slurred.

I pulled back.

“Are you drunk?” I asked her.

“No,” she stumbled forward.

“It’s like barely eleven.” I point out.

“I’m not,” she lied.

I sighed.

“Let’s get her inside,” Carson said.

Gosh, he’s so sweet.

So we helped Josie inside and I laid her down on the bed.

“I’m so sorry about her, she’s a mess. I have to take care of this, rain check?”

“Yeah, you have my number.”

“Yeah I do,” I playfully poked him in the gut.

He giggled.

We kissed again and then he pulled away.

“See you around,” he said in a husky sexy voice before leaving.

“Ugh! Josie! What a cock block.” I complained as I took her shoes off and handed her a water bottle.

“Fuck you,” she slurred.

“What is your deal?” I got up and locked the door so no weirdo would barge in.

“I don’t have a deal,” she slurred, then she spilled the water on the bed.

I quickly grabbed it and set it on the nightstand.

“Just great, look at you. You’re all wet now.” I sighed.

I grabbed a towel from the restroom to dry her off. She got up to let me dry off the bed. When I turned around, she pushed me down onto the mattress and I stared up at her in shock.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

She locked eyes with me, a hard-serious look on her face. Then before I could say another word she leaned down and kissed me.