Where is my favourite top? I’m in a frenzy to find it. I’ve emptied out my wardrobe and still nothing. As I root through my clothes, I catch sight of my face in the mirror. A pale, freckly girl’s face, framed by red hair. I sigh at how my rouge and lipstick look. I haven’t applied them professionally at all. I wish my nose would grow longer.

I sigh and turn my attention to the pile of clothes. Where is my purple tracksuit top with a hood?

“Mum!” I call.

“Yes, darling?”

“Do you know where I could’ve left my top?”

Silence.

“Mum? Please? Do you know?”

I hear her sigh. “Check in the drawer under your bed.”

I check, and here is my favourite purple top complete with hood. How did Mum guess?

“Got it!” I call, putting it on and checking myself in the mirror again.

I grab my schoolbag and go downstairs.

I have breakfast – porridge and blueberries. Then I kiss Mum goodbye and rush out in time to meet my friend Emma who is kindly giving me a lift to school.

“Hi Em!”

Emma looks me up and down and flashes me a bright smile. “Hi Carly! Get in quickly, please.”

Today Emma’s wearing a sunshine yellow dress, the hem fluttering over the warm brown skin of her thighs.

I chuck my bag in the back of the car and slip into the front seat as Emma gazes at me with deep black eyes.

“Do you want to look like a punk, Carly? Or are you ready to come out of your shell? We’ll be graduating soon.”

“I’ve can’t worry about the social scene, babe. I’ve got to worry about what I’m going to do after school. At the moment, I can’t go to university unless I get a scholarship.”

“Very well then…” Emma drives us to Starview High School. Some of the school building is old, but it’s been restored recently, so some of it is modern as well. There are narrow windows and wide ones. We step out of the car and walk towards the entrance, and the late summer sun warms us.

“I can’t believe you’re wearing a top with a hood,” says Emma, flicking a strand of her long dark hair away from her face. “These are the last days of the summer sunshine we have left.”

“I don’t mind cold. And the air conditioning in the science labs makes the whole building like a fridge.”

We’re in the entrance hall.

“We still don’t share any classes, do we?” says Emma.

“Sorry, no. Unless you’ve dropped theatre and taken up science.”

Emma gives a wry smile. “Not a chance.”

The bell rings. We have to go our separate ways to get to class. Emma blows me a kiss and I grin and wave at her as she walks off into the crowd. Emma and I are so unlike and yet we’re two of a kind. She’s the glamour girl. The aspiring actress. I’m not glamorous. Guys don’t know I exist. I remember the day as if it were yesterday when we sat next together in biology and then met together afterwards by the bike shed. We were talking and making plans together for the evening when a trio of girls asked Emma to a party and acted as though I was invisible. Emma told them firmly that she already had plans. Emma would not abandon me.

Vroni brushes past me. Vroni always carries herself with an air of confidence, and no one gets in her way. Nothing diminishes Vroni’s confidence. She juggles sports, academics and her social life, no trouble. She’s also my main rival for valedictorian. She looks strong and mature, with a cascade of curly black hair, olive skin and high cheekbones with a patrician nose. I’d quite like to have a face like hers.

I slip through the slow moving crowd. I don’t want to be late on the first day back. That would draw attention I don’t want. I slip into the maths classroom. Playing with my sleeves, I slip into a seat at the back. Calculus is in full swing when someone laughs. Quick as a flash, Mr Horstman zooms in on the culprit – Urorin of Coltbridge.

There are new guys who have moved here from the citystate of Coltbridge. Such good looking guys too. Urorin is so fit and athetlic, with dark brown skin, a strong chin and hair cropped close. Lots of girls fawn all over him.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“What do you find so amusing, Coltbridge lad?” asks Mr Horstman.

“Nothing, good sir,” says Urorin in that distinct Coltbridge accent.

“I wouldn’t be so jubilant either if I had your mathematical aptitude,” says Mr Horstman with a sneer.

That was a nasty thing to say! I keep my head down so I escape his notice.

00O00

At the end of the day, the bell rings and I make my way to the library and then make a beeline for the romance section. I like romance that is on the strange side, but which has happy endings. After scanning the shelves, I have an armload of books. I smile at the librarian and put them all on the scanning desk.

“You’ve taken out more than the borrowing limit,” says the librarian. “but I’ll let it pass this time.”

“Oh, thank you!” I beam at her.

I stagger out of the library, carrying the pile of books in my arms. The pile of books obstruct my vision, but I know the way to my locker. I’m a few feet away from my locker when I crash into someone, the force sends me staggering backwards.

Oh no! I’m losing my grip on the books. They all cascade from my arms and onto the tiled floor. I look down at them in horror. I really hope they’re not damaged! I look up and I gawp.

Standing in front of me is another guy who has recently moved here from Coltbridge. Gabrith who came from the citystate of Coltbridge, but is now heartthrob of Starview. Gabrith towers above me, cos I’m so small. He’s a star athlete, like all the Coltbridge guys– Gabrith looks strong and athletic like they all do, and he’s the handsomest of that handsome bunch. He’s wearing a deep blue jacket which really suits him, it matches his dark blue eyes. I gaze at him, taking in his wavy dark brown hair, his strong jaw and his freckled nose and cheeks… He looks cute with a picturesque smattering of freckles. I know that I have too many, all over my face.

“Sorry, sorry...” I scramble to gather up the books. Gabrith bends too, with an easy grace. I look up and his gaze meets mine. I stare for a moment into his deep blue eyes. We both reach for the same book, and when his hand touches mine I feel a thrill and then suddenly feel really self-conscious and move back. My face feels hot. I bet I’m blushing to the roots of my flaming hair. He stands, the hefty pile of books held in his strong grasp. He places them by my locker and steps aside.

“Thank you, thank you,” I mumble. I feel breathless and my heart is beating faster.

The corners of Gabrith’s lips lift in a small smile. “Pardon, Miss? I did not quite hear…?”

“Thank you,” I reply more distinctly. “The – The corridors are crowded, aren’t they?”

Oh great, I’ve just made a daft sounding observation.

Gabrith lounges against a locker. “A fair point, little Red Hood.”

“What?”

“A Coltbridge folktale reference, think nothing of it.”

Oh gosh, my pulse has quickened and my palms are sweaty. I hurry to shove my books into my locker and then slam it shut harder than I was meaning to and then turn, but I only take one step when there’s a tug on my hood.

Some people standing near us point and laugh. My hood’s stuck in my locker. I’m too embarrassed to meet Gabrith’s gaze. I yank my hood free and hurry down the corridor.

I can hear a murmur of male voices behind me and I’m sure Gabrith’s numerous friends have caught up with him. He’s Mr Popular. His face and Coltbridge accent command attention. Of course they do. What must it be like to have admirers?

Walking down the street, I catch site of a sign beside an alley which reads:

New staff needed. No experience necessary. Part time and flexible hours possible. Apply down the alley.

I do need to make money...

My interest is piqued. I walk down the dingy alleyway to a narrow door. There is a sign above the door with six smiling moon faces looking down at me. I open the door and there is a faint tinkling sound inside. Everywhere is dark and there’s a sickly sweet smell…

“So good to see a fresh face,” says a voice right above me.

I give a little start. A glimmering light near the ceiling flickers on and I see a tall woman wearing a flawless doll mask. She has long, silver hair and glinting purple eyes that stare down at me through the eye holes in her mask.

“I – I – I came about the job…” I stammer. “I’m Carly.”

“Yes, I guessed as much,” says the masked woman. “And I am Madame Mask – or you can call me Ulnula. I make beauty aides. And I work to find cures for those who are disfigured.”

“Oh really? Er… cool.”

“I am on the verge of inventing a formula that will fix all facial injuries and deformities and fix the shattered lives of millions. Mine included. But I need a brave volunteer to test it on.”

“And that’s where I come in?”

“Yes… Come.”

Ulnula leads me into a backroom with a leather reclining chair like the ones at the dentist. This room is lit up with a silverly light. I lie back on the chair and she opens a small metal chest and withdraws a bright green mask made of a shiny, smooth material.

“The mask will fit anyone,” she whispers almost ecstatically. “Hold still precious, while I try it on you…”

She pulls the mask over my face and a sweetish smell invades my nostrils as it pings into place. Suddenly it feels uncomfortably tight, and I have the sensation of hundreds of needles prickling my face all over.

“Ow! Ow! Hey…!”

Then my face feels like its burning and my heart beats quicker in alarm, but then suddenly the pain is all gone. I feel fine again. The mask isn't hurting at all anymore. On the contrary - it now feels very comfortable indeed. I give a sigh of relief. I touch my nose and cheeks with my fingers. My face feels very smooth, cool and slippery. Ulnula holds up a mirror for me to see myself. My face is a vivid, yellowish-green, smooth and shiny. My lips are a darker green, almost black. The mask fits perfectly, like a second skin.

“Now focus, precious,” says Ulnula. “And reshape your features how you want.”

I doubt very much it’ll work, but I think of Vroni’s strong features, high cheekbones and patrician nose and pull and squeeze my shiny green face as I look in the mirror. And my features reshape themselves like they’re clay. Now my face is the same shape as Vroni’s, but bright green!

“I don’t believe…” I exclaim. “But the eyebrows?”

My green face is very smooth and hairless.

Ulnula hands me a large box. “Wigs and false eyebrows. For you to use while you give the mask a test run.”

“Great. Uh… What do I get for being the guinea pig?”

“All expenses paid for your university course of choice.”

“Cool!”

Seems like a good deal. And trying out the mask could be fun. It hurt horribly for the first few seconds after Ulnula stuck it on my face, but now wearing it feels very comfy, and reshaping my features is easy - it's like my face is really made of clay now.