Writing Assignment #10, Draft 2

Bath

Ama Fisher loved to take long, scalding hot bubble baths in the evening. On the night of April 16th, Ama, wearing her favorite fuzzy plaid bathrobe, trudged into her icy bathroom to indulge in her favorite pastime- sinking beneath perfumed mounds of foam and letting her mind wander. After scraping her knuckles while turning on the hot water, Ama gazed out the window into the dark yard, which was currently obscured by chilly mist and rain. She glared morosely at the darkness, feeling slightly reassured by the blurry lights of the neighbors, and exhaled heavily on the pane, making it more opaque than it already was. Ama dragged her finger across the surprisingly cold and smooth glass, and wrote “I AM EMO”. She stared at it for a second, then wrinkled her nose in disgust and swiped her hand across the window, erasing the declaration. She was happy to say that she wasn’t actually emo, she just felt like it when it was particularly cold and rainy. Turning around, Ama saw that the bath was only half full of water, and, on a petulant whim, she poured the entire contents of Foxy’s Forget-Me -Not and Fig Froth into the tub, hoping for big beautiful bubbles. Then she turned and faced the mirror. A split second later, she snorted in resignation and amusement at the sight of her bedraggled appearance. A combination of running the mile, the rain, and a melt down probably related to PMS, had created a rather washed out Ama. Her mascara and electric green eyeliner had melted down and settled into the creases under her eyes. Her hair, (which could not seem to decide on whether to be blonde or brown) had dried oddly, resulting in Pride & Prejudice -worthy ringlets framing her face, but stick straight and frizzy everywhere else. Her face looked shiny and square, and her lips were so chapped that they were cracking as she smiled. Ama let her robe fall into a crumpled ball on the floor and kicked it aside with one foot. She stuffed her uncooperative hair into some semblance of a topknot, and stuck a single toe through the towering bubbles and into the blistering bath. Her cold feet stung and tingled as she stepped into the water, and lowered herself down, as she was enveloped by fragrant foam . Within seconds, her entire body was buried, and she rested her head back on the towel on the tub’s rim, which was slowly soaking up moisture. Ama was too tall to properly fit into the bath, so she scooted her knees up so that they broke through the steaming bubbles like dripping, pale, mountains. While scrutinizing the large, wine colored bruise on her right kneecap, ( a product of her chronic clumsiness), Ama reflected that this was her only time to relax and be absolutely alone. When one has two younger siblings, it's hard to find peace and quiet. All other free time was taken up with homework, or band practice or doing chores. Humming tunelessly, she wiggled her toes, which were decked out with jet black nail polish, and absentmindedly scrubbed her elbows and stomach with a sudsy loofah. When all the bubbles had dissolved and evaporated, Ama heaved herself out of the tub, wrapped herself in a warm towel, and yanked a brush through her locks. After brushing her teeth and putting in her pink retainer, Ama put her bathrobe back on and watched the murky water spiral down, down, down the drain.