Freak

17.

17.

The heat was killing her. Even at the energetic age of 10 the heat of the summer sun was too much for her to be able to do anything but sit in the shade. She couldn't even read because her hands got too sweaty holding the warm leather of the covers. Most of the gang had spread out around the abandoned farm they stayed at, seeking shade in a desperate attempt to not burst into flames.

Blue had taken Jack down to the shallow creek earlier only to find the water was just as warm as the air and therefore gave them no comfort. PonPon refused to have a saddle put on and Junior dosed in her tent all day. Eventually she simply laid down flat on her back in an unoccupied patch of shade beneath a tree and just stared at the still leaves of the crown, waiting for them to move in the wind.

For hours she laid there, wiping the sweat from her forehead and cursing her thick hair for keeping her neck and scalp so warm. The heat had gone on for two days now and the day before Blue had asked Miss Grimshaw to cut her hair for her, just to get a little cooler. This, however, had not been allowed nor had it been discussed any further.

Through the years with the gang, Blue's hair had been up for discussion more than once. Were they to let it grow forever? And most of all, did Blue have anything to say about whether this should be the case or not? Dutch wanted her to keep it because it made her 'look like the princess she really was', Blue doubted Dutch had ever seen a real princess... Arthur was too much of a coward to tell off Grimshaw and the other women of camp when they argued about it and therefor it was just left the way it was.

In the heat, however, Blue was becoming desperate, and after a few moments of collecting every ounce of courage she had, she made her way over to Miss Grimshaw to once again ask for the unthinkable. The older woman was sitting behind one of the wagons, fanning herself with Hosea's newspaper. On the crate in front of her laid the pair of sharp scissors used when cutting the gang-members hair once it was deemed too wild.

"What can I do for you my child?" she asked as Blue drew near, not even opening her eyes to see who it was, she just knew, Susan always knew...

"I... I was just wondering...if, if..." Blue stuttered, not knowing how to put it.

"Come on, out with it"

"Well I know you said no, but-"

"Then don't ask again child!" the woman sat upright and opened her stern eyes to stare Blue down.

"Please Miss Grimshaw! Please cut my hair!"

"That's out of question, I've already told you, now go help Pearson with the stew" thinking her response had deterred Blue form her wants, Miss Grimshaw leaned back again and closed her eyes.

Blue looked at the scissors laying there, shining in the sun. Slowly she reached for them, hand hovering just above them when the older woman's voice broke through "Don't you even think about it Blue Morgan!" But she did, Blue-Bell Morgan thought about it and she acted too. Grabbing ahold of the warm metal she turned away and raced towards old barn at the other side of camp.

"Oh no you don't!!! come back here! COME BACK!"

Adrenalin pumping, she ran for her life, now more concerned with not being caught rather than cutting her hair. Honestly she hadn't thought Grimshaw would follow her, didn't even think the woman was actually capable of running! But she ran alright!

Blue just barely managed to get to the barn, climb up the ladder to the loft and pull it up with her before her pursuer thundered inside, followed by several other curious outlaws.

"You get down from there now child or I swear I'll put you over my knee and whoop you till you can't sit for a week!"

Oh Blue believed it! Laying flat on her stomach she peeked over the edge of the loft. The pure rage on Miss Grimshaw's face was almost comical, almost... She had been joined by an amused looking Sean and an equally amused Karen. And as she was lying there looking at them both John and Bill joined the spectating group.