it's called a muster

"Oh crap, you wouldn't have anything to cover this would you?" I pointed to my still ugly bruise.

"Oh, darlin' you've come to the right boy." Bobbi reached into his bag and pulled out some cream and powder and immediately went to work. As he painted my face I became acutely aware of the number of eyes on us. Bobbi must have caught a nervous look on my face, "Close your eyes darlin'." Sure I felt him brushing something on my eye but I still think he was doing it to help me out. "Okay cutie. You're done." I opened my eyes and I could see my made-up face in the mirror. It was a very toned down version of what I woke up to in home ec. It looked like my normal face only...better.

"Thank you. I just didn't want to explain to my brother about the bruise."

"Anything I can do to help." Bobbi kissed me again this time much more briefly on the cheek.

I was scared shitless when I saw Brian getting on the bus. But he sat towards the front with some blonde dude. This left me with Bobbi and his gaggle of...friends. They were like some human group of peacocks. All brightly colored and flamboyant. "Is it true mary knocked Jerry the F out?" The one in pink Eyeshadow asked. I hadn't learned their names yet.

"Yeah girl, spill the tea." He had blue eyeshadow and made me think the most of a peacock.

"No shade okay but you know how Mary is." Bobbi, who had orange eyeshadow that looked like a sunset by the way, put his hand to his chest. It was like he was speaking another language.

"Too much body no face?" The pink jumped in.

"Okur?" Peacock rolled his R's until he sounded like a ringing phone.

"But now you gots a boytoy." The pink one asked. I think it was a question at least.

"Girl, if you don't stop I'll snatch that weave off your head." Bobbi snapped his fingers. The hell is going on here? Was it brain damage? Was it code?

I was happy to escape the peacocks when Bobbi told me we were at his stop. I passed Michelle first but she was busy talking to some girl to notice. I saw Brian and he stopped me. He always acts like he's in charge. "Where you goin?"

"I'm gonna be at Bobbi's for a bit."

"Are you gonna be home for dinner?"

I looked at Bobbi for confirmation, "Probably not." The bus driver honked his horn, "We gotta go."