Me, myself and eggplant eyes: when Meg gets a makeover, her hot crush gets interested. But what will he think of everyday, no-makeup Meg?(Fiction)(Short Story)

Publication: Girls' Life

Publication Date: 01-DEC-05

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Monarch Avalon, Inc.

Be yourself, right? But check this out: The instant I transform into someone new is the instant I become visible to my crush Jason Zeller. Explain that, be-yourselfers.

My eyes are closed, so I almost miss it. I'm perched on a stool in the middle of Draper's department store in hideous lime-green track bloomers and Lycra tights, while my makeup-artist mother draws purple fines across my lids.

As part of her "audition" to work here, which pays way more than Foley's where she works now, Mom has to demonstrate the "Brand New You" makeover. That's where I come in. It's impossible not to transform someone who never, ever wears makeup.

"Meg, You-Know-Who over in Watches!" my BFF Natalie whispers.

"I hope you don't mean You-Know-Who You-Know-Who," I whisper back.

Natalie thumps my knee twice (our Jason Zeller code). Message received: Jason's in the store, on this floor.

"Relax," Nat says.

"Is he gone?"

"He's walking toward us ri--"

To prevent Jason from overhearing, Nat clams up, which I appreciate. And she's not one to hold back. Since high school started a few months ago, she's been more outgoing than ever.

High school's confusing. I see new faces all day long. And, from what I can tell so far, people remember you best if you're fun to talk to--if you, like, know exactly who you are and broadcast it. In middle school, everyone knew me as the girl who ran fast. Here it's not enough to land in the school paper for a five-minute 10-mile.

When Morn says, "Blink break," I make blurry eye contact with Jason, who smiles at me, I think, before walking into the bustling galleria.

"He totally checked you out," Nat says. "That rocks."

I should be happy. Instead, I feel this shrinking, overthinking-it thing happen and pray we...

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