unsure I should ask, but decided to anyway.
“Why is his last name Abbott?”
“My mom legally changed my name after old man Abbott died. Carter’s my half-brother. My mom didn’t find out about Carter until our father’s will was read. He’d had an affair with Carter’s mom, Lola a couple years before he’d knocked up and married my mother. My mom was seriously pissed—went apeshit over the amount of money Lola and Carter got. Security dragged her out because she’d turned over chairs and was screaming all sorts of crazy shit.” She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, Hart was her first husband’s name. And from what I’ve heard, he’s an ever bigger asshole than my old man was.”
“She was married before?” Maybe Hazel did know a thing or two about what happens to a woman during a divorce after all.
“Yeah, she got pregnant in high school. The guy married her, she miscarried, and then he divorced her.”
“Why’d she use his name for you then?”
“Because her maiden name is hideous. Now come on. We need to get ready.” She yanked at me, pulling me inside the house.
“How did you wind up Arleigh and your brother Carter?” I asked, climbing the stairs to her room. “Okay, first.” She pointed at me. “Don’t ever say that out loud again. I could kill Kasey,” she mumbled. “Old man Abbot’s name was Carter, that’s how. I think he was just mad that I was a girl and decided to stick it to me by naming me after his grandparents, Arlie and Hazelette Abbott. At least he changed the spelling—old bastard,” she grumbled. “Oh, and speaking of Kasey,” she sang. “I talked to him before you got here.”
Instantly, butterflies filled my stomach, just hearing his name. I wondered if Kasey had mentioned me or if he was going out with us—if I was going to get to see him again.
“He likes you,” Hazel smiled widely. So did I. “He’s picking us up at eight. We’re going to meet T, Luke, and Chase, and grab some food before we go to Lurid. But first, we’ve got to do something with your hair.” It was severely windblown from the drive over.
Hazel spritzed me with hair spray and rolled the ends of my hair up in hot curlers. While my hair set, she put makeup on my face, applying it heavier than I normally wore it. She said I needed to look older in person than on my ID photo.
“It’s amazing what a little makeup can do,” I said, marveling at Hazel’s handiwork, impressed with how grown up I looked.
“Yeah, well, I’ve had a lot of practice. I’ve been sneaking into bars since I was sixteen. Dust yourself with this,” Hazel said, handing me a round container with the word bronzer on the cover and a fluffy brush. “Arms, legs, chest,” she instructed, spinning a round brush through her bangs, gently sweeping them away from her face.
Staring at her next to me in the mirror, I watched Hazel get ready as I scattered the coppery, glittery mix around my body. Hazel circled her eyes with black liner, waved light pink shadow onto her eyelids, lit a cigarette, and held it between her lips as she applied a thick coat of mascara. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she didn’t have a problem in the world. That everything naturally worked out for her. She seemed so together on the outside. Any stranger would definitely be jealous of Hazel. I still didn’t think I’d ever want to trade places with her though. I didn’t know to what extent, but I had a feeling that Hazel was more wounded than she let on.
“You want a hit?” she asked, holding the cigarette out for me—probably because I’d been gawking at her.
“No thanks.” I shook my head slightly.
Hazel turned on the faucet and held the lit end beneath the water before tossing the cigarette butt in the trash can across from us. Then she steadily applied a frosty red lipstick.
“We should get dressed, Kasey will be here soon.”
“I like him, too,” I said, even though she’d told me Kasey liked me almost an hour ago.
“Why is his last name Abbott?”
“My mom legally changed my name after old man Abbott died. Carter’s my half-brother. My mom didn’t find out about Carter until our father’s will was read. He’d had an affair with Carter’s mom, Lola a couple years before he’d knocked up and married my mother. My mom was seriously pissed—went apeshit over the amount of money Lola and Carter got. Security dragged her out because she’d turned over chairs and was screaming all sorts of crazy shit.” She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, Hart was her first husband’s name. And from what I’ve heard, he’s an ever bigger asshole than my old man was.”
“She was married before?” Maybe Hazel did know a thing or two about what happens to a woman during a divorce after all.
“Yeah, she got pregnant in high school. The guy married her, she miscarried, and then he divorced her.”
“Why’d she use his name for you then?”
“Because her maiden name is hideous. Now come on. We need to get ready.” She yanked at me, pulling me inside the house.
“How did you wind up Arleigh and your brother Carter?” I asked, climbing the stairs to her room. “Okay, first.” She pointed at me. “Don’t ever say that out loud again. I could kill Kasey,” she mumbled. “Old man Abbot’s name was Carter, that’s how. I think he was just mad that I was a girl and decided to stick it to me by naming me after his grandparents, Arlie and Hazelette Abbott. At least he changed the spelling—old bastard,” she grumbled. “Oh, and speaking of Kasey,” she sang. “I talked to him before you got here.”
Instantly, butterflies filled my stomach, just hearing his name. I wondered if Kasey had mentioned me or if he was going out with us—if I was going to get to see him again.
“He likes you,” Hazel smiled widely. So did I. “He’s picking us up at eight. We’re going to meet T, Luke, and Chase, and grab some food before we go to Lurid. But first, we’ve got to do something with your hair.” It was severely windblown from the drive over.
Hazel spritzed me with hair spray and rolled the ends of my hair up in hot curlers. While my hair set, she put makeup on my face, applying it heavier than I normally wore it. She said I needed to look older in person than on my ID photo.
“It’s amazing what a little makeup can do,” I said, marveling at Hazel’s handiwork, impressed with how grown up I looked.
“Yeah, well, I’ve had a lot of practice. I’ve been sneaking into bars since I was sixteen. Dust yourself with this,” Hazel said, handing me a round container with the word bronzer on the cover and a fluffy brush. “Arms, legs, chest,” she instructed, spinning a round brush through her bangs, gently sweeping them away from her face.
Staring at her next to me in the mirror, I watched Hazel get ready as I scattered the coppery, glittery mix around my body. Hazel circled her eyes with black liner, waved light pink shadow onto her eyelids, lit a cigarette, and held it between her lips as she applied a thick coat of mascara. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she didn’t have a problem in the world. That everything naturally worked out for her. She seemed so together on the outside. Any stranger would definitely be jealous of Hazel. I still didn’t think I’d ever want to trade places with her though. I didn’t know to what extent, but I had a feeling that Hazel was more wounded than she let on.
“You want a hit?” she asked, holding the cigarette out for me—probably because I’d been gawking at her.
“No thanks.” I shook my head slightly.
Hazel turned on the faucet and held the lit end beneath the water before tossing the cigarette butt in the trash can across from us. Then she steadily applied a frosty red lipstick.
“We should get dressed, Kasey will be here soon.”
“I like him, too,” I said, even though she’d told me Kasey liked me almost an hour ago.
Similar Books
