pizzaface | ✓

8.

COME SUNDAY Noel was back in the park. Wrapped around him was his favourite hoodie (dark blue of course) and a pair of earphones blasting music. He didn't really know why he decided to turn up, but he had enough of Cheryl's boasting about the ballet. (However karma served its purpose as her lips blew up to the size of a beachball after eating a dodgy piece of crab at Al Frezo's.)

At least the weather was decent.

Just in time, May and Bethany came striding up to Noel. May's face preppy and excited and Bethany's mildly amused.

"Are you ready for phase 2!" May piped up excitedly.

"Do I even have phase 1 yet?" Noel replied bluntly. He really hoped he could just collect May's magical concoction and go home.

"Yeah I'll give that to you after phase two."

"And that is?"

"A makeover!"

Bethany suddenly reached for her phone and snapped a mug shot of Noel's irritated face, hidden in the dark shadows of his hoodie.

"Why did you take a picture of me?" Noel tried to hide the irritation in his voice, he really did.

"Because we need the before picture...duh."

May smiled at Bethany's participation, she didn't expect her to wholly agree with her plan but she seemed to possess no qualms about it.

"I don't need a makeover." Noel stated with finality.

"You do. And I'll tell you why." May started, she tucked the flyaway strands of her hair behind her ears, clearing her throat dramatically before continuing. "I can give you my spot cream and your skin may clear, but that doesn't stop the problem. Your skin is always going to be on your mind, you're never going to fully be comfortable in your skin. Your mental health is in pieces. If I give you the cream I'm only solving the surface of the problems, but I'm not finding a cure."

"My mental health isn't in pieces."

"You honestly believe that?"

"Yeah."

"Look at you now!" May pointed at Noel fiercely. "You can't even look at people, you cower, you hide your face, you stare at the ground, you isolate yourself from other people. This isn't even about your acne anymore. This has taken over your entire life and it's going to take more than a pimple cream to fix that."

"I-I – what?" Noel's voice cracked, it seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Let me help you." May pleaded, her voice lowering a few decibels before Bethany piped in. "Let us help you."

"But why!" Noel broke out. "Why me? For what possible reason, what could you hope to gain? I barely know you."

"Like I told you." May began, her voice nothing short of a whisper. "I used to have acne too."

_____________________

Noel didn't expect to be inside River Island Men with two excitable girls flinging expensive and douchebaggy clothes at him.

I mean, what was that a skort?

"I don't want to wear any of these." Noel said in his usual blunt manner. Bethany sighed, stuffing back a pair of ripped jeans back onto the rack. She turned to her fellow comrade, who was busy on deciding on a pair of pretentious looking sunglasses or a pair of pretentious looking earrings. (Noel's ears weren't pierced and were never going to be pierced.)

"May this isn't working." Bethany stated matter-of-factly.

"It will, we just need to find 'the outfit.'" May carried on shifting through the racks, her face squeezed up with unnecessary determination.

"What are your interests?" Bethany spoke directly to Noel, a plan brewing in her mind.

"I like cartoons I guess..."

"May!" Bethany shouted. "We're looking in the wrong place."

"How? These are like all the trendiest outfits."

"Yeah, to a soft boy. Lets go to the thrift shop."

Noel regarded Bethany with confusion, but he was secretly relieved because he didn't know how he was going to pay for all these clothes. May's face, however, lit up, as if a large lightbulb pinged above her head. "Omg Bethany! I know what you're getting at!"

Noel still confused pushed his hands into his pockets. "And that is...?"

Bethany and May both looked at each other with a menacing smile etched on both of there faces. "Aesthetic."

_____________

Noel looked dejectedly at the bundle of bright vivid fabrics laying in a heap at the edge of his bed.

Seven t-shirts, four jeans, five brightly coloured shorts and chinos, two used vans, one pair of overalls, and three primary coloured trainers all for about twenty five dollars.

This was definitely a far cry from Noel's dark don't-look-at-me hoodies. Noel knew at the very bottom of his heart that he wasn't going to wear them, they were too bright, too happy, but he didn't hate the clothes.

He just wasn't going to wear them.

Throwing on a large black hoodie (at an angle of course) he bundled out of the house as quick as he could. He wasn't in the mood for any interactions that morning since Ron's presence was irking him and Cheryl wouldn't stop running her mouth and his mom was acting really weird ever since she got back from the ballet.

And now he had to go to school.