Lipstick, Red

Now in the spring of my 10th year the church program Awanas, was ending along side the school year. My very best friend Rebekah and I had become so close in our multiple sleep overs, our families getting together for an afternoon at the park or the mall. We would swim in her hot tub or we would have huge strawberry ice cream cones on my front deck. The Awanas group went roller skating as the final fun activity. Rebekah and I had on big bright matching socks, she also put my hair up into a sideways pony tail. We roller skating to the disco music, just having the greatest night. My family was there, even my Dad who roller skated right along  side us. Rebekah thought my Dad was so Cool because he would pull us fast across the skate ring and we would fly out squealing and laughing. If we took a brake to buy sodas or candy, Dad would remind us that we were wasting time when we could be roller skating. Rebekah had in her purse tiny mini lipsticks that she wore to match with her hot pink sweater. I was more then thrilled to wear the bright red lipstick, she put it on me then told me to smack my lips and check my teeth for any smudges. 

One really late late night a few months earlier in Rebekah's living room when we had another sleep over, we started watching TV and came across the Playboy channel. Having never seen a naked woman before we both squealed into our pillows laughing so hard at such a sight. I don't think Barbie dolls count because to a young girl they focus on hair and clothes. When we watched this lame acting movie of a stripper realizing she didn't want to be famous after all. She just wanted her boyfriend back, he had taken off when she started stripping but he also stalked her to make sure she was still safe. After that movie I began to think about how different the real world was to my own safe life. 
"I would think it's really cold to be naked up on stage." 
I commented to Rebekah. 
She nodded then asked.
"Why are the guys cheering so much?"
Then we laughed again. It was easy to make fun of this movie we hardly understood. Of course at the time we would have been embarrassed if caught watching the Playboy channel. But it was honestly a learning moment for me when in this movie the stripper puts on this bright red lipstick. I was drawn to the color instantly, I wanted to be beautiful with red lips also. In fact this is wear my obsession with lips started. Rebekah's Mom had every color of lipstick, We soon discovered them, we had fun putting on and taking off all the colors. Dressing up flashy and wearing lipstick was how we played. We got our ideas from that really stupid stripper movie. It was really fun to wear sun glasses and bright red lipstick on the skating ring, together we were ready to be teenagers. 
Oh yeah...WE WERE COOL.

Once my Father saw me wearing the shades and red red lipstick. He frowned at me from clear across the roller skating ring of people. He was busy pulling a long line of kids and swing them fast, but I kept on skating with my best friend. The whole evening had been slow steps to my complete transformation. First some added jewelry, then my new hair style and now my red lipstick. No doubt it was funny to watch as a Parent in how quickly and easily a readable daughter like me was. I was taken by surprise how fast my Dad caught me from behind the neck. It was a common place for him to grab my attention and easily whisper into my ear. "Is that red lipstick?" I just frozen in action not looking back at him and nodded. I was in trouble, Now I knew that I took a big risk but for some reason I thought I could pull it off. "We will talk about this when we get home. Go take that off right now." Terrified and completely embarrassed I obeyed. Rebekah was really nice about it, helping me wet the paper towels as I cried in the ladies restroom. She didn't understand what the big deal was, but since she gave me the bright red lipstick to keep I knew I should return it. She said it was still mine just stored at her place. I liked having my own lipstick, I really loved that beautiful red. Even though that night I got in trouble, I luckily escape the belt. But I was told that lipstick was forbidden. I wasn't completely crushed by these commands from my parents. For after that night every time I visited Rebekah, we would wear our lipsticks proudly.