My Faire Lady by Laura Wettersten

Author:Laura Wettersten
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

12

WEEK 1—FRIDAY

The afternoon passes in a pleasant blur after that, one nice thing blending into the other.

I spend the rest of my shift painting well-behaved children’s faces without incident, using some of the B.A.B.’s ideas to work from, but adding my own personal touch.

A small group of boys wander in at some point, rambunctious and hyped up on sugar and all the awesome things they’ve seen at the faire. They look to be around ten years old, and though I wonder where their parents are, I don’t blame them at all for letting the boys roam around so they can have some time on their own.

Cassie takes two and I take two, and maybe I’m biased, but they’re the best two I could have chosen. The first boy, who has bought a wooden replica of Richard’s sword (Richard must have won the championship today), wants the royal crest on his cheek, and thank goodness I am a good faire worker and memorized the brochure like Will suggested. Although his cheek is a small surface area to work with for such a detailed design, when I show the finished product to him in the mirror, he reacts by exclaiming, “Whoa! Guys, check this out! It’s even got a dragon on it!” and the boys clamor around him, agreeing about its awesomeness.

When the second boy sits down, I ask him if he wants the same. I’m relieved and wholeheartedly approve when he tells me he wants a mustache like Jacques.

“Did you like Jacques?” I ask, and all of the boys answer.

“He was so cool!”

“Did you see how big the flames got?”

“I bet I could swing on a whip like that . . .”

I smile down at the boy in my chair and grab a thin brush and some brown paint. “I like Jacques too. He’s funny.”

The boy nods and lets me paint the scrolling mustache on him. He looks kind of like a mini Will when I’m done with him.

When Cassie and I are done with the boys and they’ve paid, I sit back in my chair, satisfaction coursing through me. I wonder if Will has any idea how his performances affect people, or really, if any of the performers realize. Richard’s obviously affected that kid today, and my first day, Grant’s did the same to the child who wanted to be a badger. It’s fascinating and so cool to see these kids react, imagine, and dream.

I have to wonder if my face painting has the same effect, and my mind drifts naturally to the boy earlier with his fuchsia dragon. I loved seeing him smile, loved giving him something his older brother’s harsh words couldn’t take away. Maybe my art can inspire people, just like the knights’ performances, just like Will’s. Maybe my art can change people, or help them see things about themselves, or help them heal. It’s a gratifying thought, but heavy at the same time. To think I could do something that could change someone, even if it’s just temporarily making their day a little brighter, is a mind-blowing thing.

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