knocks.
“Yeah?” William responded.
“Do you need help?” she asked. “Don’t be afraid to have me help you. Don’t be
embarrassed.”
William sighed but opened the door.
“Oh!” Mrs. Bauer exclaimed as she saw Melanie’s full artwork on display on
William’s face.
William grimaced.
“Don’t worry,” his friend’s mother assured him. “We’ll get you back to normal in no
time.”
It took twenty minutes to remove the makeup. William finally felt like himself
again, though he doubted he would ever be able to bring himself to set foot in the
Bauer household ever again.
David offered to drive him home, but William wanted to walk. He wasn’t sure if he
was hungover or still drunk from the night before. Walking eight blocks would
either help him get the alcohol out of his system or help his hangover. That was
the outcome he hoped for.
He thought about taking off as soon as he got home. He could head to Manny’s Diner
though the thought of eating alone didn’t sit right.
He no longer felt the embarrassment from the initial shock of seeing his face
covered in makeup. He felt the hangover subside, and his body felt as if it was
rejuvenating itself. His pace quickened as he made it past the second block.
“Melanie,” he said to himself. He only remembered flashes of the previous night.
Melanie did not look like Eric in a wig, so he didn’t make out with one of his
cousins.