and we both stepped out onto the trash lined street, the paint smell from the latest graffiti mural still lingering in the air. I nudged Syd in the direction we needed to go, trying to get him to stop staring at me with the I-am-so-telling-your-brother-about-this look.
"A friend of mine lives on the top floor of this building. It's the perfect ruse. It looks like a shithole but just wait until we get inside." We climbed the stairs, passing a bum sleeping on the bottom step. He didn’t seem startled by our presence until he took one look at Syd’s size and said, "Sorry man."
Syd glared at me as we continued to walk up the stairs. "I cannot imagine this place is all that you say."
"I told you to trust me." I knocked on the door and rolled my eyes as Syd checked out the stairwell one last time. It took a few moments before Frank finally answered, which was putting my so called bodyguard on serious edge.
"Kylah,baby! You’re early, doll. I was still getting my face on!" Frank pulled me into a crushing hug and then proceeded to step back when he made eye contact with Syd.
"And who the heck is this deliciousness? Have you been hiding him from me on purpose, baby? Because he is pure heaven."
Syd just watched as Frank ogled him, seemingly unaffected by the overt sexual comments that continued to spill from Frank’s mouth. I was fairly certain he was struck stupid by the interior of his apartment. Frank’s apartment looked like Liberace had decorated it; everything was covered in gold, glitter and feathers. As Syd looked around, Frank dragged me over to the chair in front of the makeup table.
"Sit and spill, young lady."
"One word, Frank. Dillon."
"Well honey, if that’s Dillon’s idea of protection, you should shut up and be thankful." Frank looked over his shoulder at Syd as I pulled out my ponytail and ran my fingers through my hair.
"You better promise a phone call tomorrow with all the scandalous things you are going to do to that man tonight." Frank grabbed the bone straight, raven colored wig and adjusted it to fit my head perfectly. As Frank fiddled with my hair, he went on and on about all the things he would do to Syd if he was me.
"Now listen, doll. You are gonna need to make sure all this gorgeous red hair of yours is pinned underneath here perfectly. The last thing I need is my masterpiece of blue/black tainted with a red flame."
"Yes, yes, oh wise wig master. I won’t mess up your perfection." I couldn’t help but stare at myself in the mirror. I looked so different. Tears started to well in my eyes as I continued to take in my new look.
"Kylah, what’s wrong, baby?" Frank snapped tissues from a box on the counter and handed them to me.
"Nothing really, it’s just that I look like my mother. I’ve been reading her journal and using her sketches to create this costume, but…" More tears fell as Syd walked up behind Frank. Frank was blocking his view, but as soon as he moved, it was obvious Syd was shocked by my appearance. He just stood there staring at me.
Frank smacked his shoulder. "Doesn’t she look gorgeous?"
"Uh yeah… I was just taken aback by the black hair." It was apparent that something else was on his mind from his reserved yet rigid look.
"It’s just a wig for crying out loud. It goes with my costume." I moved to take it off my head but had my hand slapped instead.
"Be gentle, baby. We don’t go flinging this one off like the ones in the theatre." Frank took the wig off and put it back on the mannequin as I stared at Syd in the mirror, tears still finding their release.
"May I ask what your costume is gonna be?" Syd stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I’m only asking because I need to try and figure out what I am gonna be since we are going together…right?"
I wiped the tear that threatened to slide down my cheek. "I’m going as my mom. I found her journal and some of her old sketches, and so on my off time, I sketched them and brought one of her designs to
"A friend of mine lives on the top floor of this building. It's the perfect ruse. It looks like a shithole but just wait until we get inside." We climbed the stairs, passing a bum sleeping on the bottom step. He didn’t seem startled by our presence until he took one look at Syd’s size and said, "Sorry man."
Syd glared at me as we continued to walk up the stairs. "I cannot imagine this place is all that you say."
"I told you to trust me." I knocked on the door and rolled my eyes as Syd checked out the stairwell one last time. It took a few moments before Frank finally answered, which was putting my so called bodyguard on serious edge.
"Kylah,baby! You’re early, doll. I was still getting my face on!" Frank pulled me into a crushing hug and then proceeded to step back when he made eye contact with Syd.
"And who the heck is this deliciousness? Have you been hiding him from me on purpose, baby? Because he is pure heaven."
Syd just watched as Frank ogled him, seemingly unaffected by the overt sexual comments that continued to spill from Frank’s mouth. I was fairly certain he was struck stupid by the interior of his apartment. Frank’s apartment looked like Liberace had decorated it; everything was covered in gold, glitter and feathers. As Syd looked around, Frank dragged me over to the chair in front of the makeup table.
"Sit and spill, young lady."
"One word, Frank. Dillon."
"Well honey, if that’s Dillon’s idea of protection, you should shut up and be thankful." Frank looked over his shoulder at Syd as I pulled out my ponytail and ran my fingers through my hair.
"You better promise a phone call tomorrow with all the scandalous things you are going to do to that man tonight." Frank grabbed the bone straight, raven colored wig and adjusted it to fit my head perfectly. As Frank fiddled with my hair, he went on and on about all the things he would do to Syd if he was me.
"Now listen, doll. You are gonna need to make sure all this gorgeous red hair of yours is pinned underneath here perfectly. The last thing I need is my masterpiece of blue/black tainted with a red flame."
"Yes, yes, oh wise wig master. I won’t mess up your perfection." I couldn’t help but stare at myself in the mirror. I looked so different. Tears started to well in my eyes as I continued to take in my new look.
"Kylah, what’s wrong, baby?" Frank snapped tissues from a box on the counter and handed them to me.
"Nothing really, it’s just that I look like my mother. I’ve been reading her journal and using her sketches to create this costume, but…" More tears fell as Syd walked up behind Frank. Frank was blocking his view, but as soon as he moved, it was obvious Syd was shocked by my appearance. He just stood there staring at me.
Frank smacked his shoulder. "Doesn’t she look gorgeous?"
"Uh yeah… I was just taken aback by the black hair." It was apparent that something else was on his mind from his reserved yet rigid look.
"It’s just a wig for crying out loud. It goes with my costume." I moved to take it off my head but had my hand slapped instead.
"Be gentle, baby. We don’t go flinging this one off like the ones in the theatre." Frank took the wig off and put it back on the mannequin as I stared at Syd in the mirror, tears still finding their release.
"May I ask what your costume is gonna be?" Syd stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I’m only asking because I need to try and figure out what I am gonna be since we are going together…right?"
I wiped the tear that threatened to slide down my cheek. "I’m going as my mom. I found her journal and some of her old sketches, and so on my off time, I sketched them and brought one of her designs to
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