Avery the Immortal: Part Six (special preview)
Added 2019-11-26 22:01:00 +0000 UTC“None of these people actually believe in magic, Mama,” Avery grumbles as I help him get set up. He’s quite pretty, even with his zombie like expression, so I dress him up and add some makeup, try to liven up that pale skin with my best rouge. The androgyny angle makes him more credible to the patrons. If you came in to get your fortune done by some skinny white boy, you’d probably laugh and walk out the door.
Avery rubs at his eyes and I grab his wrist. “I told you not to rub!” I snap at him. “You’ll smudge your makeup.”
“This mascara is awful,” Avery groans.
“Would you rather wear false lashes?” I give him the eye. “Because I’ve been there, I’ve suffered through a decade of wearing false lashes. You’re not strong enough.”
Avery grimaces. “Why would you do it then if you didn’t like them?”
I sigh and turn to Avery. “Because some people think a woman has to present herself at a certain level of femininity at all times. And since I may not be everyone’s favorite version of woman, I may have tried too hard at one point.”
Avery goes quiet for a long moment as I finish touching up his nails. “I think you’re woman enough Mama,” he murmurs. “But only because women scare me.”
I laugh, chuckling to myself as I shake my head. “That’s smart.” I then grin at him. “It’s not about being enough, but about being happy with yourself.”
Avery shrugs. “Are you that?”
I smile, nodding. “Yeah. Took a long time, but I’m finally happy.”
Avery’s eyes fall down onto his hands. “That’s good. You deserve it, Mama.” He looks over his nails. “Ugh, what color is this?”
I hear the chimes of the front door ringing as someone comes inside. “Fortune teller color, now go get behind the table!” I shoo him as I go to the front.
