The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller (16 page)

I squint in response. It hurts my eyes.

“What are you doing up so early?” I ask, my voice still raspy.

“It’s your birthday, dummy! I have a whole day planned and we need to get started! November 2nd only comes once a year! It’s time to par-tay!” she says as she performs some ridiculous sashay with her shoulders.

“Stop. Yelling. Please.” I scrub my face with my hands to assist in this whole waking up shenanigan she insists upon.

“Besides, we partied last night, remember? Halloween party in Apartment 254?”

“Yes, I remember, but like I said, it’s a new day! Now, get up! We have plans!”

“God, Quinn, I will do anything if you just stop screaming. You’re like an inch away from my face.” The bed lifts as she hops off, giggling as she leaves the room, but not before poking her head back inside.

“We have an appointment at ten. Get your ass up.”

“An appointment? What?” My brain is just not working with me this morning.

Silence follows, and I glance at the doorway to see that my hyperactive roommate has abandoned me in my clouded mental state.

Fine.

Just as I’m about to force myself out of bed, my phone vibrates on the table next to me. A small grin breaks my muddled expression at the sight of Linda’s name.

“Hello.”

“Happy birthday, honey! You’re officially in your twenties! Can you believe it?!”

I pull the phone away until her shrieking stops. Only once I hear silence do I place it back against my ear.

“Thank you. I’m officially awake.”

Her laughter rolls through the line until she releases a sigh.

“Quinn hasn’t woken you already? Surprising.”

“No, she did. She started the process and you officially ended it. I am now…
fully
awake.”

More laughter. “Great. Well, you enjoy your day. I hear Quinn has a special event planned.”

My gaze shifts to the door as Linda exhales deeply, and for the first time since she called, I hear exhaustion in her voice.

“Are you okay? You sound wiped.”

Another long breath follows. “Oh, I’m fine. Long shift at the hospital. No biggie.”

“Okay. I miss you.”

“Aww, I miss you too, honey. Not too long until Winter Break. I’ll see you soon, yes?”

“Yep. Soon.”

The shuffling of her sheets lets me know she’s finally made her way to bed. “I’m finally going to sleep. I just wanted to call you first thing.”

A smile stretches across my face as I repeat something I said for the first time this summer. It just never gets old. “I love you, Linda.”

A small sigh hits my ear before she responds, “I love you too, Aubrey.”

Once we hang up, my heavy legs hit the floor and I make my way to the bathroom. While brushing my teeth, I laugh to myself as I recall the Halloween party last night. Kaeleb was in full costume as the
Hulk
which, unfortunately, came accompanied with several suggestive comments. As for me, well, I wasn’t dressed up
at all
. Quinn was donning a very revealing fairy get-up, which earned her an early retirement from the party with Josh. No wonder she’s all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning.

But the main source of my laughter is the fact that Sabrina and Candace showed up scandalously clad in Playboy Bunny costumes, complete with cotton tails that accented their lackluster behinds, which were hanging out for the entire world to see. Kaeleb, in response, overtly suggested that
a skeleton unitard
would have made a much more believable and eye-appealing costume, which resulted in a burst of laughter from me and a death glare from the two hungry hares.

I haven’t really spoken to either of them since the cereal incident last year, but Quinn refuses to tell them to both go to hell, so I’ve been forced to run into them from time to time. I’ve managed to keep my mouth shut, but Kaeleb…
obviously
hasn’t
.

Grin still present on my face, I exit the bathroom dressed in my plaid pajama bottoms and white tank top. As soon as I reach the kitchen island, Quinn turns me back in the direction of my room with instructions to not come out until I’m dressed. Trudging away from my morning tormentor, I yell, “It’s MY birthday!” and complain about the lack of coffee.

She responds with the promise of my morning dose of caffeine once I’m dressed and ready.

With that threat, I get dressed in a matter of seconds and meet her in the living room. She hands me a warm, delicious cup of coffee and a toasted bagel covered in cream cheese.

“Let’s go!” she says, after shrugging on her jacket and snagging her keys off the entryway table.

“All right, all right,” I mutter. Make-up free, I open the door while she bounces her way through. It’s funny how I don’t even miss my morning ritual of blackening my eyes, or paling my face with powder, or applying my dark lipstick. I haven’t missed it for a while, actually.

Reveling in that fact, I smile as we head to the car.

Quinn drives until we end up in a random parking lot, the car idling quietly as we sit directly in front of…

Daybreaks Salon and Spa
.

My eyebrows lift as I stare until I finally find the gaze of my roommate, who’s grinning from ear to ear. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

“What are you doing?” I ask hesitantly.

I didn’t think it possible, but her smile widens even more. “We’re getting makeovers today. The full treatment! Manis, pedis, massages, hair, and makeup. Then, we’re going
out
.”

I glance from the salon and back to her. “Um, I have no money,” I state, because it’s true. I have like twenty dollars in my bank account, and I won’t have any more until Linda makes my monthly deposit next week.

“No worries.” She takes my coffee and sets it in the cup holder. “It’s my birthday present to you.”

“Quinn. You don’t have—”

She cuts me off with a fierce wave of her hand. “I want to. Plus, what’s the use in winning pageants if I don’t get to spend the fun money?”

Oh, my reigning Princess Fi-Fi. Who, by the way, was indeed just crowned Miss Collegiate America.

I eye the salon for a while longer before releasing an exhale and opening my car door. Quinn yips with excitement before she steps out, and before you know it…my nails are buffed, filed, and coated with a very light beige nail color that matches my toes, my muscles are limp and soft from the massage, and I’m sitting in the hair station of Sergio, who tsks and shakes his head when he sees me.

Not long after he offers his blatant disapproval, he and Quinn find themselves deep in conversation, sporadically pausing only to give me scrutinizing glances, while I sit in the chair feeling like a science experiment. Once they finish their assessment, they both smile and nod in agreement, and I’m turned away from the mirror. Sergio coats my hair with some god-awful smelling colorant while lining several sections with foil packets.

Quinn is fully enthralled in some celebrity magazine, so I make use of my time by texting Kaeleb.

Me: Help. Me.

K: LOL What’s up, Sunshine?

Me: Quinn kidnapped me for my birthday and my hair is being accosted by a very hot gay man.

K: Birthday? It’s your birthday?

Me: Shut up. You know it’s my birthday.

K: How could I forget? ;) Happy Birthday. I wanted to let you sleep in or I would have called you earlier.

Me: There’s no sleeping in with Quinn Matthews having access to my room.

K: I also have access to your room. Although my waking you up would have been much hotter than Quinn’s. Unless…

Me: You’re such a dude.

K: That I am.

K: Shit. So does this mean no more Rainbow Brite jokes? I had a whole slew of material for tonight.

Me: Aw, darn.

K: I’m sensing sarcasm.

Me: You ARE a self-declared infinite well of knowledge.

K: Aaaaaand there it is again.

Me: :)

Me: Shit. I’ve gotta go. He’s yanking the foil out of my hair.

K: Can’t wait to see you gorgeous. Still on for tonight?

Me: Tonight? We’ve got plans tonight?

K: Touché

I grin at my phone and then hand it to Quinn as I’m escorted to the sink. Once I smell like a coconut, I’m brought back to the chair which is once again turned away from the mirror while hot Sergio begins combing and pinning up my hair in sections.

“You have managed to fry your hair, darling. I put a treatment pack on it, but I’m still going to have to take some length off,” he states while waving a comb dangerously near my eyeball.

I glance to Quinn, whose own eyes are watching his every movement as though she’s memorizing them. Her hair looks great, of course, with multiple shades of blonde streaking through it. Her make-up is applied beautifully in a way that brings out her natural magnificence. The light brown shadow on the top of her lids and the matching hue lining the bottom is accentuated by her long, dark lashes. Her cheeks are rosy pink and her lips shine with a neutrally-shaded gloss. She looks stunning. I hope they can do the same for me.

“Go ahead, boss. Chop away.”

And he does. For an extensive amount of time.

Every snip seems to serve a purpose and every stroke with the brush while drying does as well. When he’s done he, steps back and clasps his hands together in appreciation for his masterpiece. Quinn gasps and I just want to be turned around so I can see.

I don’t have to wait long.

After Quinn and Sergio share a grin, I’m whirled around with the speed of the
Tasmanian Devil
. Once I come to a jarring stop, my eyes land on the person in front of me. At the sight, tears sting my eyes, and Sergio gasps in confusion at my reaction.

“What are those tears? You love? Or hate?”

I have no words. I can only manage a slight nod as the tears spill over and my chest begins to thrum as I take in the person staring back at me.

Her bright blue eyes are wide and the shade of her hair is almost identical to the eight-year-old version of me, the only difference being the various darker blonde strands that are masterfully threaded throughout. The length is to her shoulders, and her swept bangs are accented by a fanning frame of layers around her face.

My heart lurches as I’m brought face-to-face with the little girl that I buried so long ago.

I know that girl in the reflection.

It’s Aubrey Miller before she died, twelve years later.

With tears now coursing down my cheeks, my eyes remain glued to the mirror as I let out the breath I’ve been holding and smile, stating with absolute resolution…

“I love.”

“I would like to thank the Academy…” I trail off, losing my balance as I stand on Quinn’s bed. Laughing as I readjust the tiara on my head to its proper position, I blow the bangs out of my face, clear my throat, and try to wipe the smile off my face. “Whoops. Wrong speech.”

Quinn giggles as she sits cross-legged on the floor, looking up at me, fully engrossed with my performance. Our faces are flush and we’re both feeling a bit toasty from the champagne she picked up on our way home from the salon. Just the right amount of giddy and numb.

Lifting the flute between my fingers and bringing a dried bouquet of roses to my chest, I continue with my acceptance speech. “I would like to say
thank you
. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Wearing this crown,” I break to add a whimper, “means the world to me. I am proud to represent you as…Miss Rrrrrramalamadingdong.” I roll my tongue and wiggle my hips along with my announcement. Quinn covers her mouth, laughing hysterically. “And I would also like to thank you for the nomination of Kick Ass Friend. I am humbled and unworthy of such an honor. But thank you for that, Quinn,” I end with a royal dip of my head in her direction.

She smiles warmly and nods back. “It’s well deserved.”

I grin back and swipe the hair out of my face before kicking my feet in front of me, landing my ass on the mattress while ensuring that not one drop of champagne is spilled. After bouncing a couple of times, I finally settle just as Quinn bolts to her feet.

“It’s hot in here,” I remark, fanning myself as I watch her stumble to the door of her closet.

“I think we’re drunk!” She laughs, then slides the door open to expose a sliver of her very extensive selection of shimmering formal attire. Fingering through them, she finally lands on the one she’s looking for and pulls it from her closet. Turning to face me with a huge grin, she holds a hanger out in front of her, shaking it back and forth. Little rainbows dance along her white walls from the reflection of the intricate beading of the dress hanging from her fingertips. Navy and strapless, it contains a crystalline silver sash which beautifully accents the empire waistline. The bottom half of the dress is comprised of several layers that flow gracefully as she continues walking toward me, waving it in front of my face.