There wasn’t any point inwaxing my backormy chest. I just liked to neaten up thebetween-the-thighs parts every now and again, more for the ritual than theeffect.
No one ever refused to fuckme. Even if theydidrefuse to be seen with me in public.
“I mean, I haven’t asked,” Icontinued, waiting for the—
“Ah.”
Keiko didn’t even bother topromise me it wouldn’t hurt anymore. We both knew it would.
“No, you’re right,” Keikoagreed. “He’s different. Military, though.”
“I assume so,” I said. Ihadn’t thought to ask. Grandma had arranged everything, and I was still reelingfrom the first impression I’d made.
Logan hadn’t said athingabout me wearinglace panties under my jeans. Which was a surprise.
“I just can’t see you goingback to Middle-of-Nowhere, Arizona,” she said. “The way you tell it, thatlittle town isn’t big enough to hold you.”
I swallowed.
It wasn’t. It wasn’t,and I’d have to shrink to fit. If I wanted to get along, if I wanted my familytohelpme, I’d have to filemyself back down into the shape I’d been when I ran away at twenty-one with mygrandma’s blessing.
No more nail polish. No moreeyeliner.
No drag shows once a month.
That part hurt most of all.Arizona Tease was a part of who Iwas. She was as much me as my eyes ormy toenails or the bones of my fingers. Cutting her off was going tohurt.
But she’d have to go.Small town boy Ashley Cooper could barely afford to be gay, he couldn’t affordto be a drag queen as well.
“I don’t want you being sad,”Keiko added. “With your parents and all…”
Right. No more bringing cuteboys home. Not that there was likely to be a problem with that, cute boys hadalways been in short supply.
At least the bedroom was anice shade of lavender, assuming Maisie hadn’t claimed it back.
“God, and yoursister,” Keiko continuedas though she’d followed the same train of thought, pressing paper down overmore wax. “Wait, unless she’s like… decided to move to Europe permanently?”
I shook my head. “No. Back home,as far as I know. Maybe she’s been enlightened by seeing the world.”
Keiko snorted, which wasabout the way I felt, too. Maisie didn’t have an enlightened bone in her body.
“If she’s mean to you I willbury that bitch myself,” she said, poking at the wax to see if it’d hardened. “Andthen… I dunno, bundle you into the back of an Uber and offer the driver doubleto get us the hell out of there as fast as their just-barely-roadworthy car willgo.”
I laughed again. Even thoughwe were talking about the thing I was dreading most—facing my family,livingwithmy family—I couldn’t help laughing.
If I told anyone that waxingwas the high point of my month, they would have thought I was a masochist.
… well, maybe I was.Considering everything.
“I’ll come back for visits,”I promised, knowing that was a lie. Home was ten hours in a car and alotlonger on a bus.Once I left here, I was gone for good.
Tears threatened to comeback as Keiko ripped the second sheet of wax off.
“You’re the highlight of mymonth,” Keiko said. “Ask anyone. I get all excited when I see your name in theappointment book. You can’tleaveme. Not over some asshole who doesn’t understandboundaries. Can’t wedosomething?”
“Like what?” I asked,gasping as she pulled off another piece.
“Roll over,” Keiko said. “I’mdoing a love heart for your pubes this time. It’s gonna hurt like hell, but it’llbe cute.”
