Cover Girls

Posted on Fri Feb 23rd, 2024 @ 10:23am by Bliss Hawkins & Kennedy Kelly
Edited on on Fri Feb 23rd, 2024 @ 10:25am

4,912 words; about a 25 minute read

Mission: Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Location: Mansion
Timeline: August 26, 1990 - Morning

“I think we could do just about anything…” Kennedy began to line up the Cabboles carrying cases that housed all her makeup. Lining them up in a neat row next to her and Bliss, who both sat cross legged and facing each other on her bed.

“I have so much makeup, I would be shocked if I didn’t have the shade you wanted.” Kennedy opened the cases and the multi-tiered shelves inside unfolded, revealing the layers of makeup they held.

“And…” Kennedy continued “I have magazines for inspiration.”
She reached for the stack on her nightstand and placed them in front of Bliss. Kennedy had a wide array of fashion and beauty magazines, all with thin and impeccably styled women on the cover.

Bliss was rarely intimidated by life, but makeup and hairstyling was as alien to her as astrophysics. In her time in the system, she rarely had someone willing to help her on the path of a modern woman. But she really liked Kennedy and trusted her to show her the ropes. And when you looked like Kennedy, you knew she could show you how to maximize your potential.

Bliss picked up a copy of Vogue and began to turn the pages. Her hand subconsciously went to her platinum hair and frowned.
“My hair… I can't remember when I last got my hair cut by someone else. Two years, maybe?”

She sighed and turned the pages.
"This dress is gorgeous… but I'd have to lose thirty pounds and two cup sizes.. or more."

She looked up to Kennedy with a wry grin.
“Think I'm salvagable, roomie, or should I just embrace my inner Tomboy? Just some cherry lip balm and I'm out the door.”

“I think it’s more about if you want to do more or if you’re happy with your inner tomboy.” Kennedy said was standing up and examining her roommate’s hair.

“But yes, I can show you some stuff and you can try it on your own for a bit and if it works for you, then great.” She pulled a curling iron from out of her traveler’s trunk. Kennedy uncoiled its cord and plugged it in on the desk behind Bliss.

“You did pick my favorite magazine though.” Kennedy gestured at the copy of French Vogue that Bliss was holding.

“I love French fashion, it’s so effortlessly chic.” That description seemed to be one that also fit Kennedy, from her simple but tailored clothes, to her sleek hair and well-done makeup, she always looked so stylish and elegant.

“I was supposed to spend next summer in Paris, it was to be my high school graduation present from my parents.” Kennedy pulled out a brush and began detangling Bliss’ platinum blonde hair.

“I‘ve been working so hard on getting rid of my American accent in preparation for the trip but now…c’est comme ça.”

Bliss waved her hands artistically.
“Cie la vie…that's the way it goes, or at least that's what the song says. “
Bliss gave her roommate a reassuring smile.
"Don't give up on your dreams, Special K. You won't have everything handed to you on a silver platter, but you're going to earn it with hard work. It may not be easy, but you'll find it much sweeter in the long run. “

Bliss shrugged and turned the page.
"I think I'm done with the tomboy look. It was a defense on the road, but there's not much I can do to hide ** these** short of a couple of ace bandages and a nun’s habit. And that's just not my style. “

Bliss tapped an outfit with her finger.
“Now this dress is all you, baby. We could transplant you from the school right onto the pages of French Vogue without blinking an eye.”

Kennedy leaned over her shoulder and looked at the photo of an exquisite ball gown.
“It is a really beautiful shade of blue. But like you said, I have to make things happen now and I don’t really see Paris in my foreseeable future.”

Kennedy sprayed a small amount of foaming liquid into her palm before running her fingers through Bliss’ hair.
“Nor do I see myself going to any type of event that would warrant something that fancy. I think trips to the lake and the local mall are as exotic as it gets around here.”

Bliss wondered what it was that Kennedy was doing to her hair with the bubbling spray stuff, but she knew she was in good hands.
“Well, it doesn't get more exotic than this place. Where else can you go that has this kind of student population? A sweet little boy brings you a flower, so what if he's half squid?”

“Besides, you're with me. Life around me is many things but never boring. We'll make our own fun."

Kennedy laughed at her optimism, it was a nice change of pace from the headspace she had been in. Her comment on flowers had Kennedy thinking about her first day at the Mansion.

“What do you know about Bobby?” She asked while reaching for the now hot curling iron set up on the desk. Kennedy began to take strands of Bliss’ hair and wrapped them around the heated rod, producing soft bouncy curls as she went.

Bliss thought about as she watched Kennedy use the curling iron with a hand mirror. She hadn't touched a curling iron since she had burned down a foster house a few years back.
"Bobby? He's barely spoken to me. I think I intimidate him with my out of control femininity. “
Her tone was one of sarcasm.

“We got in a fight the other day.” Kennedy confessed as she continued to curl.
“He comes off pretty strong and I called him out on it. There are moments where he seems okay and then he puts on this horrible cheesy front, I just can’t figure it out. I was hoping that someone else might have some insight.”

"I think he tries too hard to be the ladies man.”
Bliss pursed her lips in the reflection.
"Who knows, maybe he's in the closet? That's how it works sometimes, like they're trying to hide something with all the bullshit. Happens all the time with preachers.”

“That just makes everything even more confusing.” Kennedy said while finishing the last section of hair. She ran her fingers through the curls, shaking them loose from one another. The texture and volume the curls provided hid any imperfections that a home haircut may have had.

“Why are boys so confusing?” She muttered the rhetorical question while unplugging the curling iron.

Bliss sighed and shook her head ruefully.
"You got me, sister. Connor's got his own challenges, but I've never felt like he was lying to me or trying to be sometime he wasn't.”
She raised the hand mirror to see Kennedy's handiwork. She was speechless, a rare thing for the blonde.

“Have you decided on a look yet? For your makeup.”

Bliss looked up at Kennedy with a mix of wonder and guarded excitement.
"First things first, can you teach me how to do this?”
She looked back to the mirror, gingerly touching at the new waves and curls in her hair.
"I've never looked…"

“Oh sure, it’s not hard. It’s just mousse and a curling iron.”

She cleared her throat before going back to her question.
“My look? Honey, all I know is mascara goes around the eyes, the rest I got from Madonna videos. When I try it on my own, I look like a clown in search of a circus."

“Gotcha.” Kennedy said with a nod of her head as she sat back down across from Bliss.
“How about I just do what I think looks best? Nothing too crazy.”

"Ok. I trust you. “
Bliss didn't trust quickly or easily. But Kennedy was different.

She began to lay out a few bottles and brushes as she prepared to apply Bliss’ makeup.
“Is it weird dating someone who can’t talk?”

“Honestly? It has its challenges, but I've learned enough sign language over the years for us to have conversations beyond what he wants on his hamburger."
Bliss smiled warmly at the thought of her redheaded guy.
“He's so sweet. He doesn't assume I'm stupid because I'm a girl or blonde, or because I struggled in school. He's even helping me with tutoring with the stuff that I'm really having a tough time with."

“Don't get me wrong, he's on a whole different level from the rest of us but he's the opposite of arrogant. Talk to him, he'd appreciate it."

“I’d be happy to. These past few days have been insane, it’s been hard to have a normal conversation with anyone.” Kennedy applied a skin toned cream from one of the bottles to a brush she had pulled out of the case.

“What were you doing before you came here?” She applied the cream in easy sweeping motions across Bliss’ face. The product was cool and the brush tickled a little.

Bliss grinned at the feel of the brush.
“Feels nice."
She didn't like to go into details about her life story. Everyone at the school had a sob story, and she didn't like to play ‘can you top this? ‘ But Kennedy deserved the truth.
" It's a long story. “

“I was born in Las Vegas to a casino worker and a dancer. I barely remember them, they died in freak accidents before I was five. No known relatives, so I was put into the child welfare system. I was a desired case because there was a ton of money held for me from the insurance and lawsuits on my folks’ deaths. The foster families’ thought they could get their hands on it."
She paused to blow out a calming breath. It wasn't a childhood she liked to consider.

“I wasn't a model occupant of the system, go figure. There were a few good people mixed in with the bad. So cut to a couple of years back, I find out I got money in escrow or whatever I can't touch til I'm 18. That doesn't help me now, right? But I saw a TV show where a kid sued the system for emancipation. So I got a lawyer… who I still have to pay… and got myself out of the system once and for all.”

"Then I walked here in response to a letter the professor mailed to my case worker. I didn't take the direct route. Sometimes I caught a ride, sometimes a bus. Met a lot of people along the way, helped where I could, and moved along. “

“So you never really knew your parents? Or any of your family?” Kennedy asked as she stippled the brush under her eyes.

Bliss resisted the urge to automatically shake her head, doing her best to stay still for the artist at work.
"No not really. I get a warm feeling when I think about them, but their faces are very blurred to me. I've got pictures of them in my file. My mom was a real knockout, being a dancer and everything. My dad died first, and I wasn't much older than a baby really."

“I guess that's why I am always looking for new friends, you know? I might not be able to pick biological family, but that doesn't mean my friends can't become my family."

“I like the way you think, Bliss.” Kennedy pulled out a jar of tinted wax and a spoolie. She brushed the spoolie across the wax before running it through her eyebrows.
“It sounds like life has been pretty rough for you at times, but you’re still so positive, so friendly. I don’t think everyone would come out all that the way you did.”

Bliss didn't respond immediately but she made a soft sound of acknowledgement.
“Thanks, Kennedy. I've seen some horrible things, and I haven't won every battle, not by a long shot. I've been hurt and beat down and ground out like a cigarette. I've been told I'm 12 different kinds of trash, and that was before I was a mutant. But I've seen so many worse case scenarios. I didn't want to be one of those people with the dead eyes and broken spirits. See by me helping someone else? That helps me dig out of the hole people have been trying to put me in since I was five. I'll never let them bury me. And by helping people, I'm showing that not only am I worth something but so are my friends. “

Bliss swallowed softly.
"So now I'm going to stop talking about that, otherwise I'm going to ruin all your hard work. I do get preachy…and I do tend to take the suffering of others to heart because I've been there…and I don't want them to have to go through the same things I have."
Her chuckle didn't seem very heartfelt.
“Maybe I shouldn't read John Steinbeck before bed.”

Kennedy applied soft brown and peach eyeshadows to the lids of her eyes.

“Oh no, not Steinbeck. He’s far too forlorn.” Kennedy said with a chuckle. “Do you like romance novels?”

Bliss looked around as of seeking prying ears before nodding.
“Yeah…” she said as if confirming a personality defect.

“Do you like dirty romance novels?” Kennedy said in a softer voice, like even mentioning them was naughty.

Bliss looked up at Kennedy using the mirror.
"Define… dirty. “
She looked to the door like a swat team was coming through it.
“Like on a scale from chaste kissing to the book is so steamy you need a shower and a cigarette after you finish each chapter?"

“Oh, shower and a cigarette for sure. Otherwise, what’s the point?” Kennedy got up quickly and pulled a book out that was buried amongst her things.

“Now I can’t speak on how accurate it is, but this one is great.” Kennedy handed Bliss a paperback book. The cover featured a half dressed man and woman swooning over each other on a four poster bed.
“Read this before bed and you’ll have the best dreams.”

Bliss started to page through the paperback, glancing towards Kennedy.
"I don't wanna rob you of such a gift. I mean, I can tell where the best parts are from the folded corners.”

“Don’t worry about it, I have more. Unless it’s not your thing, then I’ll keep my trashy romance novels.” Kennedy sat back down and pulled out a compact of blush and a large fluffy brush.

“My parents dragged me to a bunch of super boring social obligations with long car trips and hotel rooms I wasn’t allowed to leave at night, reading has always been my lifesaver.” She brushed and swooped the peachy-pink makeup across Bliss’ cheeks.
“Sometimes a good love story is a lifesaver.”

"I liked to read too… " Bliss said with a mildly excited tone. It was nice that they had things in common.
“One of my fosters really helped me catch up with my book skills. I loved to read when I could. On my trip here I would read on the bus rides, or sometimes at rest stops with lights. You didn't want to travel at night."

Bliss looked up to Kennedy with a curious look.
“Are you an only child?"

“I have a little brother and a little sister, I’m the oldest by five years. I miss them. Especially my little sister, I don’t think she really understands why I’m gone and she’s so young, I’m worried she’s going to forget about me.” Kennedy was sad again as she realized the permanence of her situation.

“It’s not fair sometimes, she didn’t stop loving me. Only my parents did, why destroy that for us? Because, I’m something that’s unforgivable.”

“Hey…”
Bliss reached out and took Kennedy's hand.
"You're right, it's not fair at all. But you know what? This isn't the end for you and your little sister. Someday you and your little sister will be together again. I don't know how but I'm confident good things are in your future. “

"You know it's very likely that your little sister and brother could end up being mutants and show up at our doorstep, discarded just like you were.”
Bliss shrugged and smiled.
“Okay I'm sure they're good people just like you, maybe the asshole gene skips a generation. So, is your daddy famous? I know you come from money.”

Kennedy paused in her application of Bliss’ makeup, she seemed to be thinking about how to answer that question.
“If I tell you who my father is, you have to swear to keep it a secret. No one else can know because it could be really dangerous for me.”

Bliss saw this was really weighing on Kennedy and nodded immediately. She held up a hand, pinky extended.
"Pinky swear?”

“Pinky swear.” Kennedy lifted her finger and interlocked it with hers. Once the oath was finished, she took a big breath.

“My father is Senator Robert Kelly.”

The mouthpiece for the anti-mutant legal campaign, the man who screamed the loudest and the longest for the registration and segregation of all mutants, and his daughter was the most damning thing for his career.

“He’s thinking about running for the Presidency, and me being a mutant, well, it ruins everything for him.”

It was a slow burn for Bliss.
"Kelly? Robert KELLY?”
Confusion led to slowly dawning realization. Her jaw hit the floor.
“Senator Robert Patrick freaking Kelly?”

Bliss stood up and began to pace in a circle.
“This is like the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan having a black baby. Or Hitler having a Jewish mom. Ronald Reagan having a gay son. Well that actually happened…"

“Yeah. I know.” Kennedy said somberly. “So now you know my big secret. It’s the Professor’s secret too, I understand he took an enormous risk allowing me to stay here. My dad hates him, but my mom, she got scared for my safety after the attack in the library and well, she asked if I could come here. You guys being X-Men, that’s a whole different issue to process.”

"But… but…this is huge!”
Bliss stopped to focus on Kennedy finally.
“How do you feel about your daddy at the moment?"

“Polarized. My childhood was good, my dad loved me and nurtured me, he was a good father… until he wasn’t. I became a liability, something that would ruin his career and his legacy and ultimately, that was what mattered the most, not me, but him. It’s hard to come home one day and realize how little you mean to someone who means so much to you.”

Kennedy sighed.

“I’m in mourning right now. Holding onto the memories that I love while facing a future on my own.”

Bliss felt her heart break for her friend. She put a gentle hand on Kennedy's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I can't imagine what this feels like. Everybody here has a sad story that leads them here. The good news is you may be on your own for the first time, but you're not alone. You've got me, so at least you're not starting from scratch."

“Thanks Bliss.” Kennedy placed a hand over hers. “That means more to me than you realize.”

She took a moment to compose herself, to re-bandage the wound she had shown to Bliss. With another heavy sigh, she returned to a better, functional state of mind.
“Now sit back down so I can finish your makeup.”

“Yes mamm .."
Bliss sat as requested. She wanted to change the subject so Kennedy could relax again.
"So how long does the makeup take to do normally? I mean, you always look like you're ready to step onto a modeling set."

“You get faster with practice.” Kennedy pulled out a thin black pencil and began to sharpen it. “I think it takes me fifteen minutes or so most days, longer if I want to do something fancy or special. Close your eyes.”

Bliss felt the thin soft pencil brush against her lash line in gentle smooth strokes.

“But it took me longer when I first started. I would poke myself in the eye with a mascara wand or burn myself with a curling iron. Like anything, it got easier the more I did it.”

"Ok. I'm a little curious about how Connor is going to understand this whole process. I'm sure he'll get used to it.”
Bliss began to consider things to do in the future with Kennedy.
"I owe you for this. I'll be the first graduate of Miss Kennedy's finishing school. There is a pretty nice hamburger joint in Salem Center, mutant friendly too. Just a quick bus ride away.”

“Oh, that’s kind of you to offer. I can’t remember the last time I had a burger and fries.” Kennedy moved to Bliss’ other eye.
“I don’t understand your comment. Why are you worried he wouldn’t understand makeup? Everyone on TV wears it and I’m not the only girl here who does.”

Bliss offered a small shrug.
"Connor is unpredictable, but not in a bad way. He has a unique perspective on everything. And I recognize other girls here wear makeup, but he sees me as something different, something special. I can't explain it."
She offered a soft chuckle.
“I certainly didn't come here thinking that I would find somebody like him. I came here with a really big chip on my shoulder. You know, stereotypical tough girl that can handle anything with a joke and a punch in the jaw. He sees something in me that I don't see in myself. And it makes me feel a little bit different inside. It certainly turns down the heat on that angry little girl inside me.”

“That sounds nice, to have someone like that in your life… Open your eyes and look up.” Kennedy brushed the pencil below her lower lashes, it tickled a little. “Are you in love with him?”

Bliss did as requested, her pale green eyes looking up. She glanced at Kennedy with the question.
“Honestly? Never been in love before, so I don't want to make how I feel into some kind of teenage drama. But when I think about him, I can't help but smile. I worry about how this world is going to treat him a lot more than I worry about myself. He has a tender heart. I think he's amazing and interesting and he makes me feel special.”

“If that’s not love, I think it’s at least the start of it.” Kennedy said with a smile before exchanging the pencil for an eyelash curler.
“It sounds nice. To at least be… twitterpated.“

Bliss frowned and looked back to Kennedy.
"Twitter what? What's that? A word from Bahston?”

“It means to have a crush on someone or to be smitten by them.” Kennedy had Bliss close her eyes again as she crimped and curled her eyelashes. “It’s not a Boston word, I learned it from a movie but it’s in the dictionary.”

"I guess I didn't get to the letter t yet in the dictionary… .” Bliss said with a straight face. “But yeah you could say that about Connor and me."

Kennedy pulled out a tube of mascara and began to apply it to Bliss’ upper and lower lashes.
“I miss having a boyfriend, something to do every weekend, someone who’s sweet to you.”

Bliss nodded carefully.
“It's all still fresh and exciting. But when it comes to Connor I don't know if he'll find some subject so enthralling that you might forget about me at least for a little while. I don't want to define myself as just part of a couple. I mean you're my roommate I want to do things just with you, isn't that fair? I'm not married to him or anything."

“Besides you're the most beautiful girl on this campus, I'm certain your dance card will be full sooner or later."

“That’s kind of you to say. But everyone here is pretty. You’re pretty too. I just don’t think any of the boys are that interested, at least they don’t seem like they are.”
Kennedy leaned back and examined her work before smiling in approval.

“Now for the best part, lipstick.” Kennedy pulled out another tray with dozens of neatly placed tubes filling it.
“Take a look and find one you like.”

Bliss started to peruse the myriad of colors like a kid at Christmas.
“I don't want to look like a hooker… ."

She looked up at Kennedy with a warm smile.
“Don't be in too much of a hurry to get with one of these boys here. Everybody is trying to make adjustments in their lives. Just be patient with yourself and good things will happen. I wasn't looking for somebody when Connor came along. And honestly he's the last guy I would pick in the world. But I love his heart and his mind. He's got a impressive physique. But I wasn't even sure about getting with a guy when I first got here either. It was my lowest priority."

“I've got my own damage to try to work out."

“I do too.” Kennedy huffed “But that sort of stuff feels normal and there is still a part of me that wants to be normal. I guess essays and calculus will have to suffice, those things are normal too, and terrible.”

Bliss nodded in understanding, wishing she could help Kennedy but this is something that's going to have to work out on its own.

“I get it, hon. It's hard to feel normal in a situation like we're in. Everything's different for us. How long have you known that you're different?"

“Like three weeks.” Kennedy said with a laugh. “When I was younger, I was a competitive archer and I was good… like really good. That was most likely my first ability, marksmanship, but it had just been chalked up to talent and a good coach. It wasn’t until I flattened a cop that people started asking questions, and the DNA test came back one hundred percent mutant.”

“What about you?” Kennedy assumed it had been years for Bliss.

Bliss winced at the memories the question beckoned.
"I've never really felt normal. In my file they called me a problem child. Unexpected, bad things tend to happen around me, or at least that's what it said. The professor thinks my mutant power begin to express early in my life, but without any control on my part. For a long time I just thought I was jinxed. Bad things happened to people who did bad things to me. So chuck has a theory that it's my instinctive response to danger. Once I started getting into my teens I got a little more of a handle on things."

“Wow, that sounds kind of scary.” Kennedy admitted “Did anything really serious ever happen?”

Bliss's easy smile faded a little with the innocent question. Memories she'd locked away squirmed uncomfortably. She had too much experience keeping such things at bay. She gave a quick shake of her head.
"Nothing I couldn't handle.”

She looked back at Kennedy.
“You're going to be just fine. You're stronger than you think. And for when you need help, you know where to find me."

“Thanks, Bliss.” Kennedy said while opening the tube of lipstick Bliss had selected. She applied the makeup in even, confident strokes across her lips.

“Blot” Kennedy requested while handing her a tissue she pulled for the box on the desk.

“Now take a look.”
Kennedy handed her the large hand mirror that she had stashed until finished.

Bliss closed her eyes for a moment before bringing the mirror up to see. She blinked a couple of times as she examined the reflection.
“Wow… " she whispered. “You're like, a magician. You were able to make me look pretty. I mean, I'm maybe cute in the right light, but this… I could be in one of those magazines, and not as a fashion don'ts."

“I’m glad you like it.” Kennedy said with a smile as she started cleaning up.
“It’s too bad you don’t have anywhere to go tonight, I’d let you borrow a dress and some shoes.”

Bliss was touching her hair, testing the waves in the mirror. She looked up to Kennedy from the mirror.
“Oh, sweetheart, there's no way we're the same size. I mean, you're as sleek as the girls in the magazines. If I put one of your pretty dresses on, it's gonna like like ten pounds of pudding in a five pound bag."

“But tell you what, I've got some money burning a hole in my pocket. I think we should do retail therapy, what do you say?"

“I have to study for a calculus quiz and I have training.” Kennedy said with a frown “But I love shopping. What about this weekend? We could get that burger and go to the mall?”

She offered Kennedy a hand to shake.
“It's a deal!"

“Deal.” Kennedy offered her a handshake in return.

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