chance meeting,
love lasting.
on a seemingly normal night, a famous creator raids a smaller streamer and sets off a chain of events that lead him to his dream girl.
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Brook shoved her phone in my face, grinning like a maniac.
Eyebrow quirked, I stared down at the picture she pulled up—a girl with hair the same length as mine but dyed a beautiful deep red.
"You need to dye yours, too!" Brook cheered, swiveling in her seat.
"I don't know . . ." I reached around and set her phone on the counter. Reluctantly looking into the mirror, I poked at my ponytail. My hair was plain compared to the picture—dark brown, frizzy, and boring.
"Dye it! Dye it!" my best friend chanted as her hairdresser threw a wrap around her shoulders.
I almost considered it until the girl to our left whispered, "I love yours. I wish my hair could look that healthy and natural again." She held up a few strands of broken, blonde hair. "Yours is perfect the way it is, trust me."
I smiled, glancing at my reflection again. "I think I'm good, Boo."
She pursed her lips, glaring at me in the mirror. "This is what I meant about not exciting, you know."
"I do," I said, leaning against the wall and pulling my sweater sleeves to my fingers. "I'm sorry."
Brook waved her hand, turning to the hairdresser. "Aubrey, do you think my friend would suit a burgundy-ish color?"
Hand propped on her hip, Aubrey looked me up and down, then settled on my face and narrowed her eyes.
I broke eye contact immediately, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Perhaps. I like it now, though. With a trim and clean-up, it would look amazing," she concluded after a full minute, and I finally looked her way again.
The girl beside Brook caught my gaze, smirking, as if to say 'told you'.
"Then at least do that, Lani," Brook sighed, then perked up and squealed. "What about layers?"
Aubrey's focus shifted to me again, though the comb in her hand didn't stop moving through Brook's wavy bob. "Layers could work. What do you think, Lani?"
I opened and closed my mouth a few times, but no sound came out. Brook spoke up instead, eager with her answer.
"She'll do the layers. Come sit, Nini." She pointed to the free chair on her other side. "Say goodbye to this you."
"If you want to, I can call Stef over." Aubrey gestured over her shoulder at the petite ginger sweeping by the registers.
I looked between Brook and the blonde girl, both of their faces expressing a different opinion. Shrugging, I said, "You can get Stef, Aubrey."
While Brook was over the moon, the blonde shook her head and remained silent the rest of the time she was there.
