knew I only had to get through freshman year, and then I'd be out like a scout."
"That's why you were so happy to meet me last year," I say, putting the pieces of the puzzle together in my head.
"Yeah," she says. "I needed a friend as much as you did. Now you'll understand why I didn't want to jinx our friendship by giving you all the humiliating Lipstick Law details. I couldn't risk you seeing me the way they did."
"I'd never think badly of you, Lee," I say with a hurt heart. Everything starts making sense to me. I always wondered why such a sweet, pretty girl didn't have any other close friends. It's because she was a victim of the girls and their stupid Lipstick Laws when I met her. I can't help but wonder if that's my future, too. My stomach churns with distress.
"Well, what do you suggest I do now? I can't live out the rest of my high school career as a Lipstick Law reject!"
"You need to fight back!" Haley insists. "She's done this to too many girls to get away with it again."
"There are others like us?"
"Of course, there are plenty of Lipstick Law casualties! Sure, the girls I know of were run out of the school ... like Andrea Birman, Stacy Rosco, and Emma Jenkins."
"Tube socks Emma?" I blurt, looking down at my padded chest.
"Yes, tube socks Emma. I heard they made her life miserable before she left. I'm sure there are probably a handful of girls that are still there, though ... hating life and their misfit curse." She pauses before exclaiming, "You should all get together and create an underground society! You can call yourselves the Lipstick Lawbreakers!"
The wheels in my head begin to turn at this genius idea.
Chapter Nine
The next day, I find myself sitting across from Darci Madison's boobage again. It's sort of hard to swallow my pride and ride the bus when I'd gotten used to Erin driving me to school. I notice that Darci's looking more conservative lately. I feel bad for ranking her a five on the skank scale.
Haley's voice pops in my mind: "There are plenty of other Lipstick Law casualties."
I wonder if Darci is one of them. I'm staring at her, trying to picture if Britney would have been friends with her at some point. She catches me staring, so I look away for a moment. After a minute or two, I lean into the aisle, deciding that I have to ask her.
"Hey, Darci, are you a Lipstick Lawbreaker?"
She stares back at me blankly. "A what?"
"A Lipstick Lawbreaker," I repeat. "You know, the 'Lipstick Oath,'" I say, using finger quotes.
"Uh ... I don't think so ... No. Definitely not!" she responds, looking unusually shocked.
I have an overwhelming suspicion that she thinks I'm asking her if she's a lesbian. I wonder if she thinks I'm trying to pick her up.
I lean back over and say, "I'm not a lesbian."
"Ummm ... okay. That's fine," she says uncomfortably.
I analyze her stunned expression and quickly add, "Not that there's anything wrong with that. You know ... being a lesbian and all. Not that I am one or anything."
"Right," she says, inching closer to the window, using her backpack as a blockade between us.
The rest of the ride is really awkward.
***
As I get close to my locker, I see that a small crowd has formed around it. Some are pointing, some are whispering to each other ... but most are laughing. I brush them away and see the most stomach-sickening sight: a bunch of tampons taped to my locker, slathered with thick, bright red waxy goop. The words SKUNK SKANK are scribbled with the same gloppy stuff. It doesn't take me long to realize the goop is the Lipstick Oath lipstick. Tears fill my eyes. My face bubbles with humiliation heat, surely turning bright red like the lipstick. I'm embarrassed beyond belief.
A minute after the hall has emptied for first period, I hear the clanking of dress shoes behind me.
"See. Right there."
"Thank you, Angie."
Out of the corner of my eye I see a small freshman scurry off. She looks back a few times before turning the corner.
"April?" A woman's voice
"That's why you were so happy to meet me last year," I say, putting the pieces of the puzzle together in my head.
"Yeah," she says. "I needed a friend as much as you did. Now you'll understand why I didn't want to jinx our friendship by giving you all the humiliating Lipstick Law details. I couldn't risk you seeing me the way they did."
"I'd never think badly of you, Lee," I say with a hurt heart. Everything starts making sense to me. I always wondered why such a sweet, pretty girl didn't have any other close friends. It's because she was a victim of the girls and their stupid Lipstick Laws when I met her. I can't help but wonder if that's my future, too. My stomach churns with distress.
"Well, what do you suggest I do now? I can't live out the rest of my high school career as a Lipstick Law reject!"
"You need to fight back!" Haley insists. "She's done this to too many girls to get away with it again."
"There are others like us?"
"Of course, there are plenty of Lipstick Law casualties! Sure, the girls I know of were run out of the school ... like Andrea Birman, Stacy Rosco, and Emma Jenkins."
"Tube socks Emma?" I blurt, looking down at my padded chest.
"Yes, tube socks Emma. I heard they made her life miserable before she left. I'm sure there are probably a handful of girls that are still there, though ... hating life and their misfit curse." She pauses before exclaiming, "You should all get together and create an underground society! You can call yourselves the Lipstick Lawbreakers!"
The wheels in my head begin to turn at this genius idea.
Chapter Nine
The next day, I find myself sitting across from Darci Madison's boobage again. It's sort of hard to swallow my pride and ride the bus when I'd gotten used to Erin driving me to school. I notice that Darci's looking more conservative lately. I feel bad for ranking her a five on the skank scale.
Haley's voice pops in my mind: "There are plenty of other Lipstick Law casualties."
I wonder if Darci is one of them. I'm staring at her, trying to picture if Britney would have been friends with her at some point. She catches me staring, so I look away for a moment. After a minute or two, I lean into the aisle, deciding that I have to ask her.
"Hey, Darci, are you a Lipstick Lawbreaker?"
She stares back at me blankly. "A what?"
"A Lipstick Lawbreaker," I repeat. "You know, the 'Lipstick Oath,'" I say, using finger quotes.
"Uh ... I don't think so ... No. Definitely not!" she responds, looking unusually shocked.
I have an overwhelming suspicion that she thinks I'm asking her if she's a lesbian. I wonder if she thinks I'm trying to pick her up.
I lean back over and say, "I'm not a lesbian."
"Ummm ... okay. That's fine," she says uncomfortably.
I analyze her stunned expression and quickly add, "Not that there's anything wrong with that. You know ... being a lesbian and all. Not that I am one or anything."
"Right," she says, inching closer to the window, using her backpack as a blockade between us.
The rest of the ride is really awkward.
***
As I get close to my locker, I see that a small crowd has formed around it. Some are pointing, some are whispering to each other ... but most are laughing. I brush them away and see the most stomach-sickening sight: a bunch of tampons taped to my locker, slathered with thick, bright red waxy goop. The words SKUNK SKANK are scribbled with the same gloppy stuff. It doesn't take me long to realize the goop is the Lipstick Oath lipstick. Tears fill my eyes. My face bubbles with humiliation heat, surely turning bright red like the lipstick. I'm embarrassed beyond belief.
A minute after the hall has emptied for first period, I hear the clanking of dress shoes behind me.
"See. Right there."
"Thank you, Angie."
Out of the corner of my eye I see a small freshman scurry off. She looks back a few times before turning the corner.
"April?" A woman's voice
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