This piece was originally written and performed for The Narratorsâ âDIY or Dieâ
I was 15 the first time I wore make up. Â The excitement had been bubbling inside of me all week long, like shaking a can of soda but not knowing how big the explosion would be. Â I was not allowed to own or wear any make up even though my sisters could, and I was jealous. Â I wanted a caboodle full Dr Pepper Lip Smackers, Urban Decayâs Heavy Metal eyeliner, a bottle of CK1 and butterfly hairclips. I wanted to look like Rayanne from My So Called Life or at least an extra character somewhere in the background.
I was waiting until Saturday for my teenage makeover. Â I knew my mom was spending the day shopping and running errands so she wouldnât be home for a good long while. My sisters were both staying with friends for the weekend and my dad was at work, I had the whole house to myself. Â An opportunity like that was rare, so my plan was so meticulous you wouldâve thought I was a supervillain with a brilliant plan to take over the world. Â No, I just wanted to try lipstick.
I sat on the couch in the living room, watching whatever schlock was on tv in the mid-90s, before we had 500 channels to choose from and still be bored. Â Waiting for my family to leave, my mom asked what my plans were for the day. Â âProbably nothing,â I said, feigning a yawn. Â âJust some homework then I dunno.â
âOk,â she said, âwe wonât be back for a while, make sure you eat dinner.â
âI will.â Â I heard the garage door close and as I saw the minivan pull away through the window, I let out a half-excited, half-nervous squeal. Â I tip-toed upstairs as if there were unseen people still in the house tracking my moves only to report to my parents when they got home. Â I put on some comfy sweatpants and a loose tshirt and was ready to beautify.
I shared a bathroom with my sisters so I knew where they kept their kits. Â I opened their makeup drawer, which to me was as scared and dangerous as opening the arc of the covenant. Â But instead of being met with angry, vengeful biblical spirits, I was greeted to a bounty of lipsticks and eyeshadows and mascaras along with jars and containers of cosmetics that I didnât even know what they were for.
I dug through the products like an unsupervised child â which I essentially was â until I found some colors I thought were cool. Â I opened up a palate of Maybelline eyeshadows, picked up the little brush that came with it and just stared at it. Â I had no idea how to do my own make up. Not a clue. Â I had seen it done on television and movies and even in my own house hundreds of times, but how do you start? This was 1995, there were no YouTube tutorials, I couldnât text a friend, this was all guess work. Â Couldnât be that hard, right? I had learned how to use a toilet and ride a bike, how was this different?
I could waste time so I just dove in. Â Have you ever wondered what it would look like if Ronald McDonald and a spirogram had a kid? It was awful. Â I looked awful. Â Green eyeshadow with a glittery blue base, black eyeliner so think I couldâve robbed a bank, deep purple lipstick not even hooker would wear. Â I looked like a toddler had gotten into a box of permanent markers, but nowhere near as cute. Â I even gave myself a little mole with an eyebrow pencil because the boys at high school thought Cindy Crawford was hot.
I thought I looked damn good though. Â I struck poses in the mirror, maybe did a little vogueing, of course did the kissy face. Â Then I heard the garage door open.
The few minutes after that are still kind of a blur. Â I threw a towel over my head and ran to my bedroom as I heard my mom come in and yell from downstairs âI forgot my purse, can you bring it downstairs please?â
âI canât right now!â I shouted, trying to mask the panic in my voice. Â I heard my mom come upstairs and then she knocked on my door. Â
âCan you come out here for a second please?â she said.
âNo, I canât,â I stammered, desperately trying to scrub the chunks of color off my face.
âYes,â she said, sternly. Â âRight now.â
âPlease, no. Â I really canât. Â Please donât make meâ I begged. Â I started to cry.
âOpen this door right nowâ
I opened the door. Â The mascara was running, the lipstick was smeared, I was bawling, my mom slack jawed.
âWhy are you wearing make up?â she finally asked.
âI.. I just wanted to see how it would look.â I managed to get out between sniffles of my ugly cry.
She stared at me. Â âBut... boys donât wear makeup.â
Every fiber in my being wanted to scream âIâm not a boyâ at her. Â At myself. Â At life. Â But the words never came. Â Even that night when my parents sat me down and asked me flat out if I wanted to be a girl. Â I denied it, I had already been in the mindset I was going through this, these feelings, alone. Â Iâd been facing this confusion by myself for years. Â Everything I feared and everything I wanted, so badly, I would have to do myself. Â I was preparing to be alone or die trying to simply live.
I wish I had seen my parents support that night. I wish I had told them. Â I wish I had asked for her help doing my makeup. Â But I do see now, 20 years later, that do-it-yourself or die was never the option, but having others and living was.