Karen hated wearing makeup. She felt fake and weird when she wore any. All her friends laughed at her. "Don't be a little boy," they would say. "You're going to look ugly without it." Karen believed them.

 

Apart from not liking how it felt, Karen hated the price. Makeup is very expensive. She did not want to waste money on it. But every girl she knew wore it. "I guess I have to buy it," Karen thought.

 

One day, Karen met a boy she really liked. He thought Karen was very nice and funny. Still, he didn't want to ask her out. "Why not?" asked his friends. "She wears too much makeup," he replied.