About a quarter of the way through the movie, Amanda puts down her beer and says, “I know, how about in keeping with the theme of the movie, we do each other’s hair? It will certainly be helpful for the new girl here.” She glances in your direction.
Before you can reply, Sam gets up. “I’ll get the full-length mirror,” she says, and eagerly sashays off.
Sam reaches into her purse, takes out a hairbrush, and tosses it to Phoebe. “Here Pheobs, you can be Bree’s instructor.”
Phoebe laughs playfully as she brushes your hair. “Oh, this is going to be SO much fun.”
Maddie comes back, with a large full-length mirror mounted on wheels. She wheel’s it over to where you and Phoebe are sitting. Phoebe sets down the brush and takes her own hair out of the twin tails. “Ok, now watch me.”
Phoebe uses one of her scrunchies and pulls you hair back into a ponytail. She pulls it out and hands you the scrunchie. “Now you try.”
Carefully, you work the scrunchie in and manage the exact same ponytail. It is a little messier and several strands are loose.
The other girls all smile. “Not bad,” says Amanda. “Let’s move on.”
With Phoebe’s help, you soon learn how to do other kinds of hairstyles, from simple ponytails and braids to buns and topknots. “Oh, that one looks really good on you, Bree,” says Maddie after Phoebe helps you coiffure your hair into a braided French top bun. “My supervisor’s getting married in two months and invited us all to her wedding; you should wear your hair like that.”
Next you manage a tighter, more conservative style of donut bun at the back of your head. “Oh, that’s what you should wear when you start work on Monday,” says Amanda. “In a business suit you’d look quite the serious business executive.”
She and Sam look at each other. “Why don’t we show her how to do her makeup next?” Sam asks.
“Good idea, Sam. Go get my makeup case.”
As Sam walks off, Phoebe goes, “I don’t know; I really hate to spoil the job Anastasia and Dixie did on Brianna. Shouldn’t we wait until after tomorrow night?
“Relax, Pheobs,” says Maddie. “We’ll just be showing Bree by working on each other. And maybe have her practice on some simple stuff like how to freshen her lipstick.”
Sam comes back with a large makeup case and a box of towelettes. All four of your housemates wipe off the makeup they're already wearing and begin with the instructions on how to apply foundation. “That’s the trickiest part,” explains Maddie as she applies powder to her face. “Once you get that down, the rest is pretty easy.”
“Yeah, although you got to learn how to coordinate colors properly,” adds Phoebe as she works on her eyeshadow. “One piece of advice, Bree-don't try to do Goth; that’s MY thing. Besides, when you sat down at the imager, I did try it out when I was test what would look best on you.
Phoebe shows you a phone with a picture of you, done up in goth style makeup and hair. She’s right, you do look ridiculous.
“It really did take me a while to master the art of it all,” Phoebe continues, “but now I feel naked if I don’t have any makeup on.”
“But you don’t want to overdo it either,” says Amanda. “A touch of lip-gloss or pink lipstick and eyeliner should be enough if you're lounging around the house or going shopping. Adding some rouge and eyeshadow and making your lips a brighter red is appropriate for work. On some special occasion or if you have a hot date-that's when you want to put on eyes and rouge up, to look all sexy or slutty.”
Phoebe looks in a little close at you. “I think you smudged up your lipstick a little when you kissed that delivery girl. Why don’t we teach you how to do it right?”
You nod and wipe your own mouth with a towelette. Leaning in and looking into the mirror in front of you, you carefully outline your lips with a lipstick pencil, then fill it with cherry red lipstick.
“Not bad Bree,” Maddie says in approval. You agree, pleased with yourself.
‘Pleased with yourself.’ The thought enters you head, and you begin to weep.
“What’s the matter, Bree?” Maddie asks, concern in her voice.
“EVRYTHING!” you sob. As tears keep rolling down your face you go on. “Just yesterday, I was a perfectly ordinary man. I wake up in this body and I just have been accepting it, going to a beauty salon, getting all dolled up, and now learning to do my hair and makeup, and enjoying it all. I don’t know who or what I am anymore!” Phoebe leans over and holds you in a reassuring hug as you cry on her shoulder. “I mean, I knew it was going to happen, I didn’t back out when I had the chance, and suddenly it hits me! And why am I crying? I was never the super macho type, but I never cried like this, even when my parents died. “
Phoebe just holds you until you finally stop weeping and calm down. “Brianna,” she says, “I understand what you’re going through. Maddie and I both went through what you did, and while our lives did change for the better, it can still be unsettling at times, especially with the hormone shifts we go through. And we were both real losers as men; from what we’ve learned you seemed to have had a pretty good life before coming here. And women DO cry a lot more easily than men; how much of that is biology and how much is due to society pressure I don’t know but it’s true.”
“I know where you’re coming from too, Bree,” adds Maddie. “And this does make you into a different person. Oh sure, you’ll probably keep some aspects of your old personality; I still do online gaming, Phoebe still likes horror and slasher movies. But our gender, and the way society expects us to act, that helps to define who we are.”
Sam pipes in. “Amanda and I can’t fully relate; we were both women before moving to New Lesbos after all. And yes, Amanda was completely straight and like girls now but that’s not the same as what you three went through. But whatever happens, we’ll be there when you need us.”
“Right,” says Amanda. “Since coming here my housemates have been like sisters to me.” She takes a glance at Maddie. “And now, it looks like we’ll be even more of a family soon.”
Finally, you feel better. “Thanks all of you.” You take a glance in a mirror; your eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow are running down your facemaking you look like a raccoon.
Your housemates all laugh. “Bree, I think it’s time to teach you how to do your eyes.”