Page 32 of Eye of the Beholder
Lydia watches me, smiling, looking like she’s trying not to say something. Finally she blurts out, “You look so good!” She jumps up and down—she actuallyjumps—and squeals like a little girl. “I’m sorry. I know I’m being ridiculous. But you have no idea how much satisfaction this gives me. You look gorgeous. Cohen is going to die.”
This isn’t about Cohen, but I don’t say that, because I’m busy realizing that she’s right—I look pretty. I really do. “I look good,” I whisper.
“Yes! You do! Say it again,” she says with a smile.
I feel a smile tugging at my lips, and I let it. “I look good.”
“Again!” she says, her voice singsong. She’s positively beaming.
I feel an unexpected rush of affection for her. Her smile and energy are infectious, and she’s done this just because she wants to, not because she’s getting anything out of it.
“I look good,” I say, finally smiling at her for real. “I look good. This is my year.”
“Yes!” she says. “This is your year, Mina! Look,” she says, crouching next to me. “You are beautiful. But you are more than that. You have a ton to offer. We’re going to help you show the world who you are. Also. On Monday, you will sit with me at lunch. If you try to hide in the corner of the cafeteria, then I will sit with you. From now on you will not sit alone.”
I take a deep breath. “I appreciate that. I really do. But I’m not a charity case.”
Lydia studies me. “No, you’re not,” she says, her voice gentle. “But you are a human being. You’re nice, and you make me laugh. I like you. So you will sit with me. You will make friends, and I will benefit from the pleasantness of your company. Plus, people can be cruel,” she says, her voice blunt now. “There’s no use pretending otherwise. I don’t know how people will react when they see you like this. I really don’t. But whatever their reactions are, I don’t want you to go through them alone.”
She issosweet. I feel tears prick my eyes.
“Thank you,” I say, finally giving in. “Thank you so much. I need to make friends.”
“Don’t cry!” she says. “Your makeup will run. And you’re welcome. Now, did you bring your perfume?”
I nod and grab it from my bag.
“Great,” she says. “Spritz it a few times in the air and then walk through it. Ooh, it smells good!” she says as I spray some. It does smell good; floral but also fruity.
“All right,” she says, her eyes sparkling. “Are you ready to go show off?”
11
Mina
Iam not ready to go show off. But I let Lydia tug me out of her room anyway. I can smell my perfume enveloping me as we walk, and I love it. I’d forgotten how much I love this scent.
“Cohen!” Lydia calls from the top of the stairs. “Where are you?”
We both spin around as Cohen’s bedroom door opens. “That took forever,” he says, and my heart picks up its pace a little. What is he going to think? Is he even going to notice a difference? I’m not an expert in guys, but I don’t think they pay attention to things like makeup and hair as much as girls do.
“Well, sorry, but we had a lot to do,” Lydia says.
Cohen finally looks from Lydia to me, and his face changes. He has the same faint look of surprise he wore yesterday, but this time he smiles instead of laughing. His eyes linger; not in a creepy way—more just like he’s taking it all in. It’s unnerving to be the recipient of that look. His smile widens as he walks slowly toward us, and I force myself not to take a step away from him.
When he’s only a few feet away from us, he stops and leans with one shoulder against the wall, folding his arms and raising one brow at me.
“Smell her,” Lydia says.
I look at her. “He doesn’t need to smell me,” I say.
“Mina, the whole point of this was to enhance your physical attractiveness,” Lydia says, speaking patiently. “That involves all five senses. Since you are you and I am not attracted to women, only Cohen can tell us if this is having the intended effect. Cohen, you’re attracted to women, aren’t you?”
“Most definitely,” he says, his eyes never leaving me.
I shiver at that, although I can’t say why.
“Then smell her,” Lydia says.