Selfie
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters
“THIS IS WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO ME!” I could feel the stress in the text message. “LOOK AT MY CHEST! THIS IS ALL MY HAIR!” All caps.
Of course, I was shocked. We have been pals since kindergarten. I could see that it was him. I could see by the pout how sad he was. But that pout … with the lipstick on it just looked so good.
His hair had always been fair, and he had never favored a buzz cut the way I did, but somehow lush and soft and parted in the middle like that … any girl would be happy with hair like that.
And the eyes, pleading for his friend to come and rescue him from a summer of long hair at his aunt’s home above her salon in a resort town – is that eyeliner? Those eyes looks so big!
Look at the chest? Hell, I could not take my eyes off it. They were tits growing there. Can they really sprout up like that so quickly? Surely something has been going on longer than the last few weeks?
And here is a chest being showed off. I mean, is that a dress? What a color! That is not a hide-me-away red – that is a look-at-me red. And low cut in the front. That is a dress that says that “I have a pair of tits, so there!” And the thin strap of the shoulder bag shows that here is somebody who has gone out dressed like this. In fact, where is this? Is that the edge of sidewalk?
And the pendant and the chunky bracelet? What is going on there? They could have been taken off for the selfie. If he was trying to ask me to come and rescue the guy, why wear that stuff? That stuff screams “GIRL”. That and the pout and those come-to-bed eyes are begging me to rescue the girl.
So what to do? You know what. Text a reply – “Message understood. Stay as you are. I’m coming.”
The End
© Maryanne Peters 2022
Author's Note:
I am not sure how people feel about vignettes like this. On Fictionmania I use captioned images but this was just an image I saw somewhere - a selfie - somehow it sparked a thought and I had to write it down ... and once you have done that, post it - right? Over on FM I have been taking shots for wasting my time on things like this (or not even as short as this at under 500 words) but for me they are part of my process. People have suggested that I tell the full story of what started with this, but I am not sure that is needed (?)
Comments
Mayhaps
You could use it as a single chapter or an introduction of a new small series of 6 or so chapters? Then again, all novels start as but a small seed of an idea that your Muse plants in you, hoping it will take root and grow, eventually to bear fruit. The decision is yours and only yours. Do as you feel right /hugs
Diana
If you want to talk about FM,
If you want to talk about FM, then this reminds me of one of Sandy Brown's captions, except it finally happened to a kid who really does have no interest (and who had to keep the jewelry on to not arouse suspicions). Thank goodness there is a rescuer, but the post-rescue situation could potentially be a bit awkward too if the friend is doing it because of lust.
It's cute and
would make a neat summer story of the character being forced like you wrote and their friend coming to rescue them. It's an interesting story idea to kick around.
If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
― Toni Morrison
Could be flipped...
It could even be a AFAB who had hidden it from their friend the whole time too. Many possibilities...
I have read your stuff for
I have read your stuff for years MaryAnn. For me you are master of the short story. I normally write around 1500 stories and get comments like "nice start" want to read more, when to me the story is finished. No one seems to like the new chapters as much as the first anyway.
Leeanna