Constance was nervous while getting ready to meet Kendra. Kendra was surprised when she received her message. Her first replies seemed hesitant, and Constance couldn’t blame her. Kendra still remembered her as the uptight model student with nothing but education on her mind.
She wanted to make sure to bury that image with her first impression.
While applying her make-up, Constance used every trick she had learned from Chrissy, plastering thick layers and big fake eyelashes on her face.
She was pleased when she examined herself in the mirror when she was done. Looking at the overweight woman with cheap blonde hair and overdone make-up, no one in their right mind would think of a model student. Constance smiled, confident that Kendra would be excited about her new look. She would fit right in with her and hoped to rekindle their friendship.
Blowing herself a kiss, Constance left her apartment, feeling like another new and exciting part of her life was about to begin.
***
Kendra lived in a part of town Constance would have never set foot in a year ago. It was the part of town her former friends would sneer at whenever someone mentioned being from there.
However, Constance felt pleasantly surprised when she arrived. Something about the dirty and run-down state made her feel right at home, sporting her cheap look.
The hallway of Kendra’s apartment complex was no exception. It was dirty and smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. Somewhere down the hall, a couple argued loudly, using every profanity Constance could think of. As she made her way toward Kendra’s floor, she spotted a used condom in the corner that had seemingly been lying there for a long time. Constance was surprised that even this image wasn’t enough to make her feel icky.
When she arrived at Kendra’s door, she took a deep breath and rang the bell.
Kendra opened the door, shooting her a hostile look.
“What do you want?”
“Hey, Kendra,” Constance replied and smiled.
It took a few seconds for Kendra to realize that the girl before her was her childhood friend. She couldn’t hide her shock when it hit her.
“Conny?” she asked, using the old nickname Constance’s parents had forbidden her to use after High School as they thought it made her sound unprofessional.
“That’s me,” Constance said, giggling.
Kendra’s demeanor lightened up, and she gave her a tight hug. Then she stepped back and looked Constance up and down.
“You look so different than I would have thought.”
“You mean I don’t look like a boring student from an elite college? I decided to mix things up a little,” Constance replied and laughed.
“Yeah, something like that. You look great with all that junk in the trunk! Come in! I can’t wait to catch up with you.”
They walked into the small apartment and sat on Kendra’s couch. Constance could tell Kendra barely got by with her income from the sparse and cheap furnishing. While Constance looked around, Kendra took out a bottle of sparkling wine and poured two glasses.
Usually, Constance was not a fan of drinking, especially not that early in the day. But when Kendra handed her the glass, it felt right to take it without voicing her concern. They toasted, smiled at each other, and took a sip. Kendra lit herself a cigarette, and Constance followed suit, prompting Kendra to be astounded again.
“What?” Constance said, laughing, “I like enjoying myself, too.”
“I can see that now,” Kendra said and looked almost proud, “I like you more with each minute.”
As they emptied and refilled their glasses multiple times, the two friends catched up on the recent years. Since Constance had nothing exciting to tell about her upper-class life, Kendra mostly did the talking.
Kendra’s life had drastically changed when her parents got divorced. Her father had bankrupted their company and fled the country, never to be heard from again. This left Kendra’s mother to deal with the bankruptcy on her own, putting them into heavy debt. They had to move to the poor part of town and rent a cheap apartment. Her mother had handled the stress with excessive drinking and partying, resulting in Kendra being alone for long periods. Kendra switched to a public school but never regained her interest in studying. Instead, she quickly dropped out and spent her time on the streets. She told Constance about the bad-paying jobs she had to take and how she struggled to get by. Then she confessed to exchanging sexual favors for money and gifts whenever necessary.
Not too long ago, Constance would have been appalled by Kendra’s confession. But now, she was fascinated by the thought of having to use her body to make it through another week. It was absurdly far away from the life she’s had so far. Constance was still a virgin, saving herself for the right man. She knew those experiences had not been any fun for Kendra at all. Still, deep down, Constance could suppress a slight shiver of forbidden excitement as she listened to how far her friend had fallen.
After the two had caught up on their lives, they opened another bottle of sparkling wine and watched a few episodes of Kendra’s favorite reality show. Constance enjoyed the buzz they had going, ignoring how early in the day it still was. They drank and laughed together while lively discussing each episode.
Constance had a blast. Nothing in her life had ever compared to the simple joy she felt in those hours.