Holy fuck, how did I lose control so fast?
“I hope it’s not too late to get hair and makeup here. I canceled my appointments this morning.” She types away fast and furiously. “We’ll get you two something to wear, too. Oh, I know the perfect boutique to call. They have the best formal clothes. They’ll send some pieces over ASAP.”
I look at March, ready to flip out.We can’t go to a dance!
Farrah stands again. “Let me take care of all this. Oh my God, I’m so excited. This is going to be awesome.” She skips right out of the room.
“What the fuck just happened?” I look at March, dumbfounded.
“We’re hittin’ the town, baby, yuppy style.”
I drop my head into my hand. “Fucking great.”
* * *
“Didyou know approximately thirty percent of the air pollution in San Francisco originates in China? And global warming is not only shrinking the polar icecaps, it is also shrinking the genitals of polar bears in east Greenland? Oh, and that disposable diapers take about five-hundred years to decompose?” Farrah rattles off environmental statistics as we sit in heren suitebathroom getting our makeup done. I think it’s her way of making small talk.
“I didn’t know any of that. The polar bear genitals are particularlyintriguing.”
“I can’t wait to get out there and fight for our environment.”
“You’re going to be a force.”
“You think?”
“I know. If you’re anything like me, you’re going to scare the hell out of people.”
March snickers at the double entendre.
“Yeah, that’s what I want. People to know when I walk into a room. I want to save the trees, and clean the water, and shrink the hole in the ozone layer.”
“Single-handedly?” I’m being smart.
“If I could, I would.”
“You can do anything you put your mind to, honey,” March chimes in as he gets his eyebrows tweezed.
“Start with your internship this summer. See what you learn there first. Then try to take over the world one step at a time. Eventually, you’ll walk all over everyone.”
“Is that official big sister advice?”
I peek at her out of one eye. “Yes.”
“I like it. I’m applying to Yale, Stanford, and Duke next year. They have the best Environmental Science degree programs.”
“Sweetie, those colleges have the best everything,” March gives our little heiress a reality check.
“I just want to make a difference.” I’ll give it to her, she is passionate. I vaguely remember being that driven once.
“And you will.” The makeup artist takes a break, and I open my eyes. Farrah is staring at me much like she did when I first got here. It’s like she craves my approval.
“You believe in me?”
“Of course, I do.”
“Then I feel like I can do anything.”
“You’re giving her too much credit, Farrah,” March snarks off, making us laugh.
