TEEN MEMO

THRILLING GROWTH part 3

“As I said earlier, I hold no grudge against you. You may sit in my seat." Becky swallowed her pride yet a second time and sat on Dani's seat.

“Um . . . Speaking of my acne free face, there are a few things I avoid and a few precautions I undertake. Would you like to know about them?"

“Of course. What are they?" Grace chipped in; Becky eager to hear those things.

“I'd mention how I live without acne first, then I'd profer a few solutions you can try that might work on your face. Remember that what works on your face might not work on mine and the other way round because of either our skin tone, the moisturizer we use and many other differences in our faces such as colour pigments and all that. Hope you get?" Daniella asked. Becky and Grace nodded and she took off.

"One thing is that I select my own hair products and I often stick to one particular brand that is of high quality for my hair because some moisturizing or oil based hair care products could clog one's pores and cause pomade acne, that is acne on the forehead. Secondly, I don't have an oily skin, my skin type is neither too oily nor too dry, that's why I can't have acne on the T-zone.”

“Sorry Daniella for interrupting you but what's the T-zone?" Grace inquisitively asked.

“I meant the nose. I often call my nose the T-zone because I heard it from my neighbor's cousin who came to visit from Australia." Daniella explained.

“Okay. Thanks for that. Please, continue before the History teacher comes in" Becky said.

She wasn't really here for any forgiveness. She's just here to ask for help politely and never return to Daniella.

“No problem. So as I was saying earlier,, acne on the nose could be linked back to excess oil production on the face. So, know your skin type and find out if your skin produces excess oil. Thirdly, I avoid touching my face because one article I read in a magazine on beauty and fitness helped me realize that acne on the face could be linked to exposure to a dirty phone, pillow case or other habits such as frequent touching of the face.”

That's Daniella's reason for not allowing people touch her face.

“Really?" Becky asked.

She was fond of allowing people touch their face especially when they want to give her a suggestion on her to treat her face. The more they touched it, the more the acne multiplied and spread round the face.

“Of course! I'm glad you know now. That's even the first suggestion for you. It may not be so easy but getting used to not touching your face will really be of great help." Becky and Grace nodded a second time.

“Back to our discussion, I also want to inform you that some cosmetic products cause acne on the cheek, chin or even the forehead. So, if you are the makeup type, ensure that you purchase the best cosmetics that are equally good for your skin. The sellers of such high brand cosmetics may help you with that."

“But what brand of cosmetics do you use?" Grace asked.

Daniella smiled at her, displaying those cute dents called dimples on both sides of her soft cheek.

“No jokes this time, but I don't wear makeup. Applying makeup is not my thing so I haven't ever worn makeup in my life."

“This is so strange. One reason why every teenage girl is always excited for teenagehood is because they get the freedom to wear makeup." Becky chipped in. She's the makeup queen herself.

“Not all though. People like me aren't interested in wearing makeup actually. Let's move on. It's already five minutes to history class.”

“Yeah . . . Be a little faster." Becky said.

“For the other parts of my body, I ensure regular hygiene and I shower immediately after exercising."

“You do exercises?"

“Of course. Why wouldn't I?

“I asked because you never like participating in school sports activities maybe except those that didn't require burning of fat."

“Yes. I just talked about it. I do sports at home because I quickly jump into the shower to feel refreshed but that can't be so within the school premises. That's why I never play sports that cause me to sweat profusely outside home."

“Oh wow. You're really special and unique from others." Grace said as Daniella blushed shyly.

Becky, on the other hand was getting green with envy. She used to be called that but now, she is rarely ever noticed. Daniella got all the attention. She instantly became the cynosure.

“Okay. Havi said all that, I want to finalize and profer all my solutions." Daniella said.

Grace got her jotter and biro and she was ready to jot down everything Daniella would say. To Becky, her eyes would capture more than biro and paper so she just listened; she didn't write.

“Ensure that you wash your face at least twice daily with mild soap or face wash and lukewarm water so as to remove excess dirt, sweat or oil. Endeavor not to rub the face harshly. That's tip number one. Tip number two is that you shouldn't touch your face again and again or even allow people do the touching for you. Tip number three, wash your hair regularly and keep them away from your face. Also, moisturize your skin with the right skin products that suite your face and is best for you. Ensure that you are always hydrated, drinking plenty of water. This one is very important. Another tip for a flawless skin is that you should limit the amount of makeup that you wear or apply on your face. And the last but not the least, is that you should limit skin exposure so that you don't get sunburned.That's all I can say for now but if I get to learn or have more information about this so as to share with you both, I will."

“Thank you so much, Dani" Daniella was very shocked when Becky called her by her nickname 'Dani' because the same Becky said it was worthless to call her by an abbreviation, not to talk of a nice abbreviation.

Becky had earlier castigated Daniella a number of times. But now, she's speechless and has no more words to say.

“If someone told me that I would ever come to ask you for help, I would have shunned them and cut them off. But here I am today, under your lead, listening to your suggestions. Thank you very much. To be sincere, when I first apologized, I did it because I wanted you to talk quickly before you change your mind but now, I really understood that you are a genuine person and despite all I ever did to you, you never changed your good attitude towards me and every other member of this class. You rock!" she told her happily.

Daniella thanked her very much and told her that forgiveness was the fountain of a lasting friendship and when you forgive, your mind will be at peace.

Daniella didn't also fail to encourage her to change.

Becky really changed!