Booking a mani-pedi at the salon

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad..." Brian muttered.

"Hold on, there are some caveats you should know about. You need to get acrylic extensions and they need to use UV polish." Shannon said.

"Extensions? You've gotta be kidding, how are we supposed to hide that from our parents?" Vance asked.

"Not my problem," Shannon smirked. "We could pick another item to start with, but you're gonna have to do it eventually, might as well knock it out first. Or maybe you want to go flirt with the cute guy working the cash register at the yogurt stand..."

"The salon is fine!" Vance snapped.

"And how about you, Ashlee?" Shannon asked.

"Whatever you say, Shannon..." Brian averted his eyes.

"Great!" Shannon clapped her hands in delight. "Meet me at the food court when you're finished! And trust me, if you're not there and I don't find you still in the salon, there will be hell to pay."

Shannon skipped away as the boys nervously shifted in their feminine outfits.

"She's bluffing, we can just leave," Vance said. "Right?"

"I don't think she is, we'd better just get this over with." Brian said.

Vance and Brian stood outside the nail salon, their hearts pounding in their chests. The window display showcased an array of colorful nail polishes and delicate nail designs. Vance clenched his fists, the thought of his strong, masculine hands being subjected to such femininity was unbearable. But as he scanned over the list of activities that Shannon had given them, helpfully texted as they stumbled in their heels through the mall, he realized that resisting was futile.

Vance clenched his fists, determined not to give in, while Brian fidgeted nervously beside him.

"This is insane, Vance," Brian whispered, his voice shaky. "I can't believe we're actually doing this."

Vance scoffed, trying to maintain his bravado. "Oh, come on, Brian. It's just a stupid manicure and pedicure. We can handle it."

“Handle it? How are we going to explain them to our parents? My mom will flip!” Brian whined.

"Calm down, will you! I’m sure she’ll see our nails, laugh about it, and this will all be over quickly," Vance assured his friend, although he didn’t sound too confident.

The boys pushed open the salon doors, a wave of sweetly fragrant air embracing them. They were immediately greeted by Trini, a cheerful girl their age who worked there. Vance and Brian recognized her from school, but if she recognized them, she didn’t let on in the slightest. She flashed them a friendly smile, clearly unaware of the torment they were enduring.

"Welcome to Tranquility Nails! How can I assist you today?" Trini chirped.

"We need, uh... manicures and pedicures," Brian stammered, his face reddening with embarrassment. He was doing his best falsetto, but would Trini recognize his voice or clock him as an impostor?

Evidently not, as Trini didn’t even blink at his answer.

"Of course, girls! Please have a seat and pick out your colors," Trini said, gesturing to the row of plush chairs. “Any add-ons? Acrylics, UV gel?”

“Both, please,” Vance sighed, also doing his best to sound feminine.

“Can do! And what are your names?” Trini asked.

They hesitated before answering, but in the absence of wanting to use their real names, they were stuck with the ones that Shannon gave them.

“I’m Vanessa and she’s Ashlee…” Vance nervously said.

As the boys sat down, Vance glanced nervously at the wall of nail polishes. He had never paid much attention to the different shades, but now every color seemed to taunt him. He chose a soft pink polish, begrudgingly accepting his new fate as Vanessa. He didn’t know much about nail polish, but he knew that Shannon wouldn’t accept clear and it was the closest shade he could find that resembled an unpolished nail’s color.

Trini pranced over, examining Vance's hands with a critical eye. "Ooh, nice choice! Classic pink. It’ll bring out the sparkle in your eyes!"

Vance **** a smile, his eyes pleading for mercy. Trini started the process, filing and buffing his nails. As she delicately applied the acrylic extensions, Vance winced, a futile attempt to hide the discomfort. The scent of nail polish filled the air as each finger became a canvas for Trini's artistic talents.

Brian, sitting next to Vance, watched with a mix of awe and trepidation. He, too, had chosen a shade of pale pink, hoping to blend in just enough to avoid complete humiliation.

“Listen, I know you picked out that pink, and it’s a great color, don’t get me wrong, but with your complexion, not to mention your hair, I think red might suit you better. I think I’ve got just the shade, too.” Trini suggested.

“I dunno…” Brian tried to resist, but clearly his resolve had crumbled from Shannon’s efforts.

“Once I finish up with… What did you say your name was again?”

“Vanessa,” Vance rolled his eyes at having to give his fake girl’s name again.

“Once I finish up with Vanessa, I’ll do a demo and once you see how good it looks, you’ll fall in love with it!”

True to her word, after she set up Vance underneath the UV dryer, Trini moved on to Brian, engaging him in cheerful conversation. "See? Isn’t this shade just perfect? With your hair, it’s a match made in heaven!"

“I like the pink…” Brian said.

“Tell you what, Ashlee, I’ll make you a deal, if you let me use the red polish, and you don’t absolutely love it by tomorrow, you can come back here and I’ll redo your nails for free, deal?” Trini insisted.

Vance shot Brian a look that clearly said, "She's out of her mind."

“I guess that would be fine…” Brian sighed, Trini clearly wasn’t going to stand down, her diligence at her job being too strong for Brian to argue against.

But despite their fears, the boys endured the process. Their eyes marveled at the delicate strokes as they watched the nail techs paint their nails, Vance the pale pink and Brian the bright red. When all was said and done, they paid Trini for her work and went on their way with their newly painted nails glistening in the fluorescent lighting of the mall as they trudged back to the food court to meet up with Shannon.