Miss Naughtie Two-Shoes and the Rebel

Chapter 6

“You're such a style goddess, Nikki. So cool.”

Andy tells Nikki, admiring her fashion sense–casual, street-style. With her slim body and tall physique, she can dress in a garbage bag and still look fashionable. She has a knack for mixing and matching colors and patterns and turning them into one cohesive look. Andy is just saddened that the first thing people notice about her is her face – all red and inflamed with acne.

Sporting an androgynous grunge look composed of a loose-fitting flannel shirt and boyfriend jeans, Nikki makes several poses before twirling on her white Converse sneakers.

"And I think you’re hot,” Nikki declares as she plops down on the grass beside Andy in a sloped, shaded area beneath the rows of fire trees at the back of the Administration Building.

“No, you don’t.”

Nikki rolls her eyes with dramatic flair. “A simple ‘thank you’ would suffice. You’re pretty and smart. And you have nice boobs. Would you trade places with me for one day just so I can experience having those?”

“You mean those are…” Andy pokes a finger at Nikki’s chest and finds that her bra is unnaturally firm but hollow inside. Andy gasps and raises her hand to her mouth in disbelief.

“Wonderbra, baby.”

“No way, they look so natural.” Andy slightly pulls down the front of Nikki’s shirt to take a better look and comments, “Gives you cleavage, too.”

Nikki giggles and says, “I know right. Vanity is the mother of innovation.” She pulls out a bag of potato chips from her ridiculously large tote bag and pops it open.

“Gosh, what do you carry in your bag? Your whole house?” Andy digs right in and fishes a piece of chip. She nibbled on it lazily as she sits cross-legged on the grass.

“Nope, just the kitchen.” Nikki shoves her whole hand into the packet then shoves a mouthful of chips into her mouth, not minding the crumbs falling on her shirt. “So, tell me something about yourself that I don’t already know,” she says in between licking the salt and grease off her fingers.

“Me?” Andy thinks for a while, debating with herself if she is ready to open up to Nikki. But after contemplating that if she treats Nikki as a friend, then it’s only appropriate that she trusts her with her secrets. And then she says, “Well, I live a double life.” She looks up at the cloudless sky, squinting her eyes at the sheer brightness of the sun.

“Don’t tell me you’re a serial killer,” Nikki guesses playfully, still gorging on the carb and sodium-laden treat.

“Nope. A hooker.”

Nikki’s eyes suddenly widen, and that is saying much, because her slanted eyes could not possibly grow any larger. She stops munching as her jaws go slack, and throws her a look of mixed disgust and disbelief.

Andy presses her lips together as she surveys Nikki’s shocked expression. When she could not hold it any longer, she bursts out laughing until her sides hurt.

Nikki draws out a sigh of relief, and says, “Gosh, you’re twisted. You got me there for a minute.” Then, her mouth curves into a wide smile. "Not a bad idea, though. You'll make a fortune of it."

When the moment of hilarity dies down, Andy’s face becomes solemn. “Truth is, I’m a car mechanic. An apprentice, actually. I work at my uncle’s car shop.” Pulling her legs to her body, she rests her chin on her knees and fiddles with the laces of her boots.

“Really, a car mechanic?” Nikki’s face brightens with awe. “I knew you’re such a badass.” And then she rephrases, stressing each word for emphasis, “You… are… one… badass… chick.” She nudges Andy with her elbow.

Andy brushes her off with a shrug. “It’s not a glamorous job. I'm literally a grease monkey. Sometimes, the smell stays with me no matter how hard I scrub.”

“What are you talking about? You smell nice, fragrant as a virgin sacrifice.” When Andy seems unconvinced, she continues, “Look, I’m telling you honestly.” She raises one hand as if to swear that what she’s saying is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. “Right now, you don’t stink of those things whatsoever. Maybe, it’s just that you’re so used to them. And besides, you work in an auto shop. I would not expect you to smell like jasmine all the time. You should be proud of yourself. You should be on Top Gear. You’re the only female mechanic in the country.”

“How sure are you I’m the only one? Have you been to any auto shop before?”

“Nope, why would I? We don’t have a car. How about you? Have you seen any female mechanic aside from yourself.”

“Nope.”

“Exactly.” Nikki dunks her hand into the potato chips and hits the empty bottom. She leans her head back and pours the salty residue into her mouth. After folding the empty potato chip bag, she thrusts it into her pocket. Then she wipes her greasy hands down the edges of her pants and brushes the crumbs off her shirt. “Let’s go get some drink.” As she is pulling herself up, she rips a loud one.

“Did you just fart?” Andy asks incredulously, crinkling her nose.

“Blasphemy! I didn’t fart.” Nikki turns toward her. Fluttering her eyelashes, she says, “I whispered in my panties.”

“No, you didn’t whisper in your panties,” Andy says threateningly as she grabs her things and hoists herself up. “You whispered in my face! And that’s not even a whisper!”

Roaring with laughter, Nikki runs off as Andy chases her, only slowing down when they come across a group of professors walking down the covered pathway coming from the canteen. They head to the food stalls to buy some refreshments, still tittering. The air is filled with chatter and the smell of junk food. They find an empty table and settle down on the metal chairs. While sipping their drinks, they overhear the conversation of some girls sitting behind Andy.

“Have you heard the rumors? Trae is driving around town with a new chick. They were seen yesterday afternoon and they came in together this morning.”

“Probably a student.”

“You bet. Who could be the mystery girl? I’m so jealous. Do you think she’s her girlfriend?”

“Trae doesn’t have a girlfriend. He has girlfriends, plural. There’s a difference. And if that girl thinks she’s special, she’s way over her head.”

“I don’t know about that. It’s not the first time he’s seen with a girl. But he also hasn’t officially dated anyone.”

“Well, top this. Somebody saw them coming out of a motel.”

“Why a motel? Does it seem odd to you. Trae has a whole floor all to himself where they can f**k anyway they want.”

“I dunno. Maybe Trae doesn’t want the skank shedding germs all over his place. Or maybe he doesn’t want the skank to know his place in case she turns all psycho on him.”

Hearing that bit blown out of proportion and knowing fully well the person they are gossiping about, Andy chokes on her ice cream float with some soda leaking out of her nostrils, triggering an uncontrollable coughing fit. Talk about rumor taking a life of its own. It’s vicious, and she’s tempted to storm their table with a megaphone declaring: Fake news. It’s just a good thing that no one has identified her, so it’s really a waste of time to confront them. As long as she remains anonymous, there’s no need for her to get all riled up.

“Are you alright?” Nikki asks worriedly at Andy. She leans in forward to stroke her back and hands her a tissue.

When Andy recovers, she says, “Yeah, I’m okay. Somebody must have been thinking of me.” She wipes her tears and blows her nose. Sniffling, she flashes Nikki a nervous glance and secretly prays that she does not dig into the latest campus gossip.

Like an answered prayer, Nikki opens up a new topic. “The acquaintance party is already next week. Do you have something to wear?”

“Oh, God, is it already next week? No, I don’t have anything. I haven’t really given it a thought.” Andy has completely forgotten all about the party.

“You wanna drop by our boutique while we’re not yet swamped by customers? The kids are gonna start coming in for the upcoming party and it’s gonna be a freaking riot. Remember the blue dress? It’s still in the sewing room.”

“Oh, Nikki, I’d love to see it. If it’s for rent, I’m not sure if I can afford it though.” The image of the blue gown swims vividly in her mind, and excitement brightens up her face.

“See for yourself first, then we’ll talk.”

“Well, I think I can squeeze it in my afternoon. Right after class?”

“Perfect! I can’t wait to introduce you to my mom.”

“You think she’ll like me?”

“What? She loves you already.”

Being with Nikki takes her mind off Trae. Once you get her talking, there’s just no stopping her. Right after their last class, they walk together to Chic Street – the funky letters emblazoned in hot pink on an illuminated acrylic casing above the canopy of Nikki and her mom’s rental boutique. A spotless glass window showcases glitzy long gowns and men’s suits on headless mannequins. The chimes tinkle over their head when they step into the shop. The smell of potpourri greets them and it instantly reminds Andy of summer and ocean breeze. The gowns hang high in one wall occupying the whole length of it. There are racks and racks of clothing for all sizes, genders, budgets and occasion. There’s a nook where all the costumes are displayed. A copper-haired lady who looks a lot like Nikki if she is middle-aged and clear-skinned -save for a sprinkle of sun spots – stands behind the counter. Her eyes glimmer and her lips quirk into a smile as she waves a frail hand at them.

“Hey, Ma, I’d like you to meet Andy.” Nikki reaches over to her and plants a peck on her cheek.

“Oh, my! You’re Andy?” Nikki’s mom throws her an affectionate smile, the kind of smile reserved for nieces and nephews.

“Nice to meet you, Auntie,” Andy says meekly, curling her lips into a tight smile.

“It’s Daisy.” Studying her face, she continues, “Nikki's right. You’re such a pretty girl. Thanks for being friends with my darling Niks. I think you have a spiritual connection, you two. Niks told me about your dream. And I think it’s a sign from the heavens. It’s fate. Even I can sense the chemistry going on between the two of you.” Her thin, pleasant voice is a stark contrast to her daughter's husky voice, not that Nikki's sounds any less pleasant.

Nikki groans. “Ma, when you say it, we sound like we’re lesbians.”

Grinning devilishly, Daisy picks up a pair of fabric scissors and cuts the air repeatedly with it, making sharp snipping sounds.

“Gosh, you’re disgusting.” Nikki rolls her eyes and adds, “We’re going to the sewing room.”

“Have fun, girls. Go play dress up.”

They pass by a fitting room and a bathroom situated on each side of the hallway that leads to a pink door. Inside the room behind it, there are bolts of cloth of all kinds – chiffon, satin, organza and damask. Rainbows of threads and balls of wools are stacked neatly in built-in shelves next to the sewing machines. Lying on the large cutting table are cards of laces and paperboard patterns. But what really steals Andy’s attention is the dark blue cocktail gown still draped on a sewing dress form, a mannequin made up of fabric used for sewing applications.

Totally speechless, Andy’s eyes sparkle as she runs a hand along the dress. It is even more beautiful in reality.

“Do you wanna try it?” Nikki asks, an approving smile painted on her lips.

“Can I?” In the back of her mind, Andy is ready to splurge on the dress to wear to the party and is already making up justifications for it. Although she tends to act like it, she really isn’t someone who’ s strapped for cash. She is just being smart about how to spend her hard-earned money. And this is one instance where she can afford to loosen up a bit.

When Andy comes out, Nikki jumps up and down, clapping her hands. “Ma, come here and take a look!” She calls her mom and immediately Daisy joins them in the room. “It’s perfect on her!”

Clasping her hands to her chest, Daisy nods her agreement. “This dress is made for you. You know what, wear it to the prom or whatever kind of party is that, it’s on me. Consider it a gift.”

“Oh, no, Aunt Daisy. That’s so generous but I can’t accept that. I can pay for it. It’s just too much. This dress is so beautiful.”

“Sorry, honey. Aunt Daisy doesn’t take no for an answer. And besides, you’re my daughter’s only friend. And that makes you my daughter, too.” Daisy places her hands on each of her shoulders and guides her toward a full-sized mirror in the corner of the room.

When Andy sees her reflection in the mirror, she stares for a very long time. How perfectly the dress hugs her curves and complements her skin. Her fairy godmother has heard her, after all.