Darkroom: A Moo U Hockey Romance Kate Willoughby (read full novel .TXT) 📖

body issues, but I could see that Indi might have had a rough time of it, growing up Asian in an all-white community and having the birthmark front and center on her face. If she was hesitant about going out without makeup, I could understand why.

“I just don’t see the point in flaunting it all over the place,” she said. “I mean, makeup was invented for a reason. And she’ll see.” Indi waved her hand again so violently, I ducked instinctively. “My parents tried to convince me my birthmark was a beautiful part of me, just like Denise is trying to do with Leah, and that’s a nice sentiment, but it’s not real life.”

We had been walking on the wide boardwalk along the edge of Lake Champlain. It was a sunny and slightly warmer day, and plenty of people were taking advantage. Bikers galore, parents with strollers, joggers. But they were all giving us a wide berth, maybe because my girlfriend looked like she was ready to take someone out.

“Sooner or later,” Indi said, “probably in junior high, she’ll want to cover it up with makeup, I guarantee you.” She gave me a piercing stare. “When I went to a new school where people didn’t know me, they weren’t aware that it was a birthmark. That’s when they started in on me.”

As we walked, she began to tell me some of the ways kids at school bullied her or made her feel shitty. The more she talked, the more my heart broke for her. Sometimes it had been as easy as stuffing a note into her locker that said “Why are you so ugly?” or “You should just go kill yourself.” or “I hope you’re not contagious.” One particularly motivated person graffitied a face on the wall of one of the buildings. The face had a bright red splotch on it and in all caps, “INDI = UGLY.”

“That is seriously fucked-up.”

“That was my life. In fact, remember the interview question, ‘What do you strongly suspect but have no proof of’?”

I nodded.

“When I was in seventh grade, people spontaneously started calling me Juicy. They said it was because I looked like I fell asleep in a puddle of grape juice. And I strongly suspect, but have no proof, that Jessica, the girl who came up to us when we were having dinner with my parents, was the one who got people doing it.”

Hudson frowned. “See? I knew there was something off about that girl. She seemed like one of those people who are uber-polite to the parents but are actually little shits behind their backs.”

“You nailed it. That’s exactly what she is. I mean, we were never friends; she could have just ignored us that night. But she didn’t. I’m pretty sure she came up to us specifically to call me Juicy.”

“I gotta tell you, Indi, you went to school with a lot of winners. It’s easy to see why you started wearing makeup. I would have too just to shut those people up.”

“Exactly. Thank you. So that’s why what Denise said really frustrated me. It’s admirable to teach Leah that her PWS is nothing to be ashamed of. My parents did that too. They told me I should display it proudly as something that was uniquely me. And I did for years, but eventually I just got so tired of the stares and the whispers and the bullying.”

Indi went to stand near the gray railing which stood between the boardwalk and the lake. I came to stand next to her. The water was a good five feet below the level of the walking path and there was foliage and rocks. No beach to speak of.

“Did everything get better once you started using makeup?” I asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She put her arm around my waist and snuggled closer.

With a small smile, she nodded. “Yes. For the first time in my life, I looked normal, like everybody else. I could go to the mall or to the movies or wherever and not draw any attention.”

“That must have been incredible.”

“Honestly? It felt like I’d been stuck in a chrysalis and finally emerged as a butterfly.”

24

Indi

When I got home after my last class on The Big Night, Ruby leapt up from the couch.

“Finally!” she exclaimed. “A package came for you from Hudson and I’m dying to see what’s inside.”

On the kitchen table was a box about a yard long and a foot and a half wide. I picked it up and shook it. It didn’t weigh much and a rustling noise came from inside.

“What do you think it is?” I asked, going to get scissors from my desk.

“I don’t know for sure, but I’ve spent the last three hours imagining. Hurry up!”

Inside the plain ordinary brown cardboard box was another box, this one white with the words “One Night Only” in an elegant script on it.

Ruby squealed. “One Night Only is a company you can rent designer formal wear from and it’s about time too. Men have been able to rent tuxes for like forever.”

Intrigued and excited, I opened the white box inside of which was a two-layered, long sleeved black cocktail dress. I gasped as I shook it out then went to the mirror and held it up in front of me.

The inner layer was an opaque black silk. The outer layer and the sleeves were made of a sheer fabric covered with gold embroidered cranes.

I slanted her a look. “You knew about this.”

She didn’t even try to deny it.

“I helped him pick it out too. You need to try it on with the proper shoes.”

Ruby left the room and returned with a pair of black high heels dangling from her hand.

The dress fit perfectly. The hem hit just below the knee and there was a sexy cut out in the back I hadn’t noticed before. With Ruby’s strappy heels on, I looked pretty good. Elegant and, well, grown-up.

A couple of hours later, Hudson arrived to pick