The Fold (16 page)

He left the handout on the counter before he closed the door. Joyce walked over and picked up the sheet, studying each crease carefully and then comparing it to the crease that she had in her eyelids now. Joyce rejected a few for looking too big and puffy. She noted that the bigger the crease the thicker the skin looked
around the eyes. Maybe this is what Sam is doing, Joyce thought. Was he going to put a bunch of shots together of people’s faces? Joyce would have to check in with him about what he was going to do with all the photos he was taking of her.

It felt so odd to be looking into a mirror and not feel dissatisfied with her image looking back. Joyce studied her face from all angles and still she couldn’t stop grinning. She was stunned by the difference. Stunned at how happy she felt staring at her face. Even her skin looked better with her new eyes. Finally, after she had made as many faces as she could think of—happy, sad, moody, mysterious, alluring—to see how her eyes looked, Joyce set down the mirror and left the examining room. Out in the hallway, she passed the nurse who had checked Joyce in. The nurse gave her a bright smile. Joyce smiled, feeling a zap of confidence pulling back her shoulders, an arrogant swivel swinging her hips as she strolled toward the door. She stepped out into the waiting room.

“Joyce!” Gomo said, standing up. “I knew the procedure would make you look different, but I had no idea it would make you look so much like Helen.”

Joyce touched the side of her face. “Helen?”

Gomo walked over to her and stared into Joyce’s
eyes. “You look wonderful. Dr. Rie-ne-or said that you were very happy with this preliminary result. How do you like it?”

Joyce stepped away, her hand still touching her temple. So that was why Joyce recognized herself but didn’t recognize herself. She whirled around to face Gomo. “Do I really look like Helen now?”

Gomo nodded. “Beautiful.”

joyce
stepped into the apartment and threw open her arms.

“I’m back!” she announced. No one came to greet her. Not even Andy peeked out of his room to make a comment.

Uhmma and Apa had to be at the restaurant, but where were Andy and Helen? Joyce walked to her room. Helen was still in bed, her covers over her head.

Joyce stood at the doorway. “Helen, where’s Andy?”

Helen didn’t answer.

Joyce walked over to the mirrored closet door and checked her reflection. Her eyes were still amazing. For once, Joyce was excited at the thought of getting ready
for the beach. Joyce reached in and pulled out her red tank dress.

“Too bad Dr. Reiner didn’t lipo my knees,” she said out loud. Well, it didn’t matter. She was feeling too good about her face to worry about her knees. Besides, Joyce told herself firmly, she was going to exercise and get rid of the fat pockets.

Helen turned over onto her side. “Are you talking to me?”

“I’m just talking to myself.” Joyce stepped away from the closet and waited for Helen to comment on her transformation. Joyce blinked slowly and purposefully.

Helen’s mouth twisted to one side. “I see you got your eyes done.”

“Actually, these are only temporary, but I have an appointment next month to make them permanent.” Joyce stepped toward the mirror to examine the creases. “Do you think I should have the folds be bigger?”

Helen sat up and pushed herself out of bed. “I don’t think you should have them done at all.”

Joyce frowned. “You know, Helen. You could be just a tad more supportive of me. I mean, ultimately, if it makes me happy, then what’s wrong with that?” Joyce said, feeling like she was an echo for a second.

Helen stood up and walked to the door. “There’s nothing wrong with being happy, but if it’s built on false pretenses, then the only person you’re fooling is yourself. I can’t believe you would be so superficial in your values.”

Joyce whirled around. “Just shut up, Helen. You have no idea what you’re talking about. False pretenses. Just because I want to look pretty, I have no values? Why do you always have to be so high and mighty? Who are you to judge me?”

“I’m not judging you. I just think you should give this whole plastic surgery idea some more serious thought. There is no such thing as a miracle cure.”

“Oh, so now even a miracle won’t save me.” Joyce threw up her middle finger. “You know, Helen, I might not be pretty, but I am not the ugliest person out there.”

“That’s not what I mean. You’re in high school. You don’t know yourself well enough yet. So many things could change.”

“Just because I’m not some goal-oriented dweeb who has wanted to be a doctor all her life doesn’t mean I don’t know how to make a serious decision.”

“Joyce, you’re being a drama queen right now. We
can talk about this later. I have to shower or else I’m going to be late for my meeting.”

“Well, I need the car, and you said you’d cover for me today,” Joyce said firmly.

Helen simply shook her head. “I’ll cover for you after my meeting. You have to talk to Uhmma and Apa if you want the car today.”

Joyce stared at Helen reflected in the mirror. All the anger she had been harboring was unleashed.

“You know, Helen. You’ve been a moody, selfish bitch ever since Su Yon left,” Joyce shouted. “Maybe she left because she couldn’t take being a friend to someone so self-centered.
Maybe
she didn’t leave the city at all but left the restaurant so that she could dump you as a friend.”

Helen’s face froze. She stepped back into the room. “You saw her? But I’ve searched everywhere. I’ve driven so many miles.”

Joyce pretended she hadn’t heard Helen and held up the red dress against her body.

“Please, Joyce. Just tell me where you saw her.”

“I need the car.”

Helen’s eyes narrowed in agitation. “Fine. Take the car. I don’t care. Just tell me where you saw her.”

“I didn’t see her,” Joyce said.

Helen crumbled to the ground. “But you just said that you saw her. You just said. You just said you saw her in the city.”

Joyce felt guilty for having led Helen on, but still, it served her right. Joyce grabbed the car keys from the top of Helen’s dresser and raced into the hallway with her red dress.

“I said
maybe
I saw her,” Joyce called out before slamming the bathroom door.

The door to their bedroom was shut when Joyce emerged from the bathroom wearing her red tank dress. She went to call Gina from the kitchen.

“Hey, guess who has the car? I know, I know. I’m going to drive us to that beach volleyball practice. And guess what else? I’m coming over with my new eyes, so get your makeup bag ready.” Joyce pulled the phone away from her ear just as Gina shrieked. She hung up the phone and danced her way across the living room and out the door.

Joyce drove down the freeway with the windows open. Her hair whipped up into her face as her spirits soared.
She kept both hands on the steering wheel, two o’clock and ten o’clock, and checked her side view mirrors every few minutes just like she learned in driver’s ed. Gina was singing loudly with the radio, one foot sticking out the window. Joyce was grinning so hard she felt her teeth drying out. Gina pointed to Joyce and mimicked taking photos. Joyce tried to pout and preen at Gina, but she didn’t want to take her eyes off the road, so it looked more like she was making faces at the car in front of her. But none of that mattered. Joyce was happy to be giggling with her best friend, happy in the knowledge that she looked fabulous. Even her skin was cooperating.

Gina’s powder had worked magic to minimize her pores. And her eyes: Joyce had to glance at them in the rearview mirror again. Her eyes were amazing. Gina had lined them with black and spread a little pink shimmering eye shadow around the edges just to draw attention, but didn’t go overboard since it was daytime. Gina had also showed Joyce the darker, more dramatic shades for the evening. Some night, like prom, Joyce fantasized that she would wear that makeup. And John would gaze down at her as he held her close in a slow dance, mesmerized by her eyes.

All the stars were in alignment. All the signs pointed
to a perfect day. Joyce checked the rearview mirror to change lanes, and Helen’s tropical-colored bags glared out at her for a moment. Joyce refocused her eyes on the road. There was no doubt in Joyce’s mind, this summer was going to change her life.

Joyce carefully parked the car. She and Gina stepped out and stood on the boardwalk, ready to find the church group.

“Hey, I see Lisa,” Joyce said, pointing to a group at the volleyball net. Gina was adjusting the oversized shades she was wearing to take attention away from her cheeks.

“Can you ask Dr. Reiner next time if they have lipo for people with large cheeks? I mean, you would think the technology was around for something like that,” Gina said.

“Yeah, right after he does my fat knees.” Joyce stared at her friend, who was suddenly looking anxious. “What are you worried about?”

“Lisa and her friends are all so hot. And you look amazing now. I just don’t feel like I’ll fit in.”

Joyce shook her head. “Don’t worry, you look fabulous in that skirt and tank top. Besides, no one accessorizes like you,” Joyce said and pointed to the pretty handkerchief knotted casually around Gina’s neck.

As they approached the group, Joyce squinted at a figure. “Hey, who is that?”

Gina took off her glasses. “Who?”

The figure turned to the side, and Joyce could see that he was holding a camera in his hands. “I didn’t know Sam went to these things,” Joyce said.

“Yeah, I called and told him that his model was going to be here,” Gina said, walking toward the group.

Joyce ran after her, holding on to the sides of her short dress so that the hem wouldn’t ride up. “Gina! I don’t want my picture taken. He’ll say something about my eyes getting done!”

“I like Sam. He’s a good guy. Joyce, stop worrying. Your eyes look great,” Gina said. “Be proud!”

Joyce snorted, but she lifted her chin and let go of the sides of her dress. She couldn’t wait to show Lisa her new eyes.

Lisa was with a group of her girlfriends standing off to the side of the volleyball court when Gina and Joyce approached. Lisa smiled and waved Joyce over.

“Hi, Joyce,” Lisa said. She did a double-take and then gave Joyce a knowing look. Joyce smiled, curling up just one corner of her lips, hoping it looked as mysterious as the smile Lisa had given her on Sunday.

“Hey, Lisa,” Joyce said.

“You look fabulous, Joyce,” Lisa said, lavishing attention on her. The group also chimed in to say how great Joyce looked.

“That dress looks hot on you,” Lisa said.

Joyce looked down at herself. “Thanks! This is my friend Gina,” Joyce said and introduced Gina to the others.

Gina stood off to the side, strangely subdued. The more Lisa only talked to Joyce, the more Gina inched away from the group. And though Joyce reached over and tried to pull her closer, Gina resisted.

Lisa continued. “Whenever I wear dresses or shorts that short, I get all hung up on my thighs. You don’t seem to have that problem.”

At the mention of the word
thigh
, all the other girls began to laugh and shout out their insecurities like a laundry list of chores: freckles, cottage-cheese thighs, flabby arms, double chins, ingrown hairs, zits, small boobs, too large boobs, thin lips.

“I get worried about my knees,” Joyce admitted.

Lisa stared down at Joyce’s legs. “Huh. Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. Those little fat pockets above the knees. They have this new liposuction technique now where they use a laser.”

Joyce felt herself shrinking. She wanted to cross her legs or sit down and cover them with a beach towel. Why had she gone out with this dress on? And red, of all the colors. Could her fat knees be more obvious? Joyce heard the clicking of a camera going off to the side of her.

“Sam, please stop!” Joyce said and tried to block her face with her hand.

“Joyce, Joyce, you’re killing me here,” Sam said. He stopped taking pictures and came over. “I have to get these shots before the group show. You said you would model.”

Joyce stepped away from Lisa and muttered between her clenched teeth, “I said I would help you, but I didn’t think that would mean being your model for the rest of my days.”

Sam stepped back. “Jeez, Joyce, you don’t have to be a jerk about it. If you don’t want to pose anymore, just say so. I’ll find someone else.”

Joyce waved. “Bye, Sam. Find someone else.”

Sam held up the camera and fired off one last shot at Joyce’s face and then turned and walked away. Joyce held the sides of her dress and scurried back over to Lisa and her group. They were talking and pointing to someone in the water. Gina stood just on the outer edges, listening.

“God, he can be such a stalker,” Joyce said to Lisa.

Gina gave Joyce a look, but Joyce pretended she didn’t see it.

Lisa was shielding her eyes as she looked out at the ocean. “You have to be careful of who starts crushing on you.”

“Oh, no. It’s not like that. Sam’s just a friend,” Joyce said.

Gina coughed. “Yeah, who said Sam has a crush on Joyce?”

Lisa put down her hands and leaned forward to direct her comment at Gina. “It’s so obvious that loser is following her around. Last Sunday, I swear, every time I turned around he was taking pictures of her. Does he have to carry his camera around everywhere he goes? Kind of creepy, if you ask me. Who knows what he’s posting on the web.”