A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by Brenda Woods

Author:Brenda Woods
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

MJ

(Ronni)

My eyebrows need plucking , I thought as I gazed into the makeup mirror. I flipped it to the side that magnifies your image five times and started on my brows. I’m a magician with tweezers.

Suddenly there was my dad, standing in the doorway. Didn’t he have anywhere else to be?

“Hi, Veronica—I mean Ronni,” he said.

Does he always have to bother me when I’m busy? “Can’t you say hello?” he asked.

“Hell-o,” I replied and continued tweezing.

He scanned my vanity and nightstands. Makeup and polish were crammed everywhere. “You have enough to start your own store, mija.” He chuckled.

“One day I might.”

He sighed. “There are more important things than beauty.”

That’s what you think, I wanted to say.

I checked the time on my cell and wondered where Mary was. She’d agreed to the makeover, and later, when I’d popped the question about tutoring so I could pass algebra and get the car, she’d said she’d be happy to help me.

The little genius better get here soon. My party was tomorrow, and I still had way too many things to do.

I was punching in her number on my cell when the doorbell rang. I opened the door and there she stood, as plain as a blank canvas.

“C’mon in,” I told her, anxious to begin my master-piece. I grabbed her hand and led her to my room. “Sit here,” I told her, motioning to the swivel chair.

“Okay,” Mary said. “What’s first?”

“Your before picture.” I aimed my digital camera. “Hold still.”

Click.

“What’s next?”

I studied her eyebrows, or should I say eye-bushes. “Brows, of course.” Pink tweezers in hand, I went to work.

“Ouch!” Mary flinched as I plucked.

“Don’t move,” I warned.

I’d perfected one brow and was admiring my work when my dad yelled from the other room, “I’m going to Target, Veronica. Anything you need?”

“No!”

“Be back soon!”

“Yeah, yeah.” I started the other brow.

“Your name’s Veronica?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s a pretty name. Why did you change it?”

“Because Ronni sounds cooler.”

“And you wanted to be cool.”

“I was always cool,” I informed her.

“And popular?”

I smiled. “I was never unpopular.”

“Maybe I should change my name,” Mary said.

“To what?” I asked.

“Something with a K . . . like Kiley, or Kara, or—”

“You could always use your middle name.”

“Jane?” she said.

“Mary Jane?” I couldn’t believe it. Who does that to a kid? Then it hit me. “Your initials, MJ,” I told her.

“MJ?” She grinned. “That sounds good.”

Instantly, I felt proud, like I deserved a pat on the back for helping the plain Jane with the plain name. In fact, I felt so good I decided to ask her if she wanted to come to my party.

MJ looked surprised. “Me? Sure.”

“Then pay real close attention to what I do because I’m going to give you some makeup so you can do it yourself at home, okay?”

“Okay,” she replied and sat up straight.

“Last year, my grandmother wanted me to have a Quinceañera, but there was no way I wanted to deal with all that church stuff,” I blabbed as I put on her foundation.

“What’s a Quinceañera?” MJ asked.

“A big party for Latina girls when they turn fifteen.

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