Courage

Chapter Thirteen

[Maya]

Somehow, Francesca and I ended up at a hair salon. She said she just needed to make a quick stop before going home.

"Do you think if I become a blonde people will start to demoralize my intelligence?" she asked while going through a magazine.

"I don't know, why?"

"I kind of want to dye my hair." She gasped, "will you do it with me?"

"I'm not becoming a blonde," I protested.

"You don't have to. You can get another color."

"Can the people here even do black peoples' hair?"

"I assume so. But if they can't then someone may not have a job tomorrow."

"You're the type of person to get a teacher fired for a bad grade, aren't you?" I asked.

"I would be, if I wasn't homeschooled basically my whole life."

A man did Francesca'a hair. A woman asked to do my hair, and, she can do all types of hair. Thank god, no ones going to be unemployed tomorrow. I also decided to change the color of my hair as well.

"You look great," Francesca complimented. I stared at my new ginger curls. Yes, I am now a ginger. And Francesca was now a corn silk blonde. "We're like Cady and Regina, or Melody and Josie."

"I actually like it," I admitted.

"Let's go home."

By the time we got back it was already dusk. I changed into grey sweats and a hoodie, then put my hair into two Dutch braids and went downstairs to the kitchen.

"I'm going to order sushi, what do you want?" Francesca asked.

"Oh, I'm just gonna make ramen noodles," I told her.

"Ramen noodles?"

"Y—yeah. Ohhh, I guess I should've expected that you've never had a struggle meal. Do you want me to make you some?"

"Uhh, sure." She sounded unsure.

"Are you sure?"

"Y—yes."

"Okay."

While I made us both dinner Francesca sat on the counter and basically interrogated me.

"What's your favorite ice cream flavor?"

"Mint chocolate chip."

"What's your middle name?"

"Evangeline."

"That's pretty. What's your favorite flower?"

"Marigolds."

"First boyfriend's name?"

"Andy Kress."

"First celebrity crush?"

"Roshon Fegan from Shake It Up."

"Favorite song from a movie?"

"'Don't Run Away' from Let It Shine. You done with the questions?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said.

We ate our food in peace. The silence was comfortable.

"Where's your sister?" I asked her and put my dish in the sink.

"Library," she replied.

Francesca washed the dishes, I dried them. It was still nine.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" she inquired.

"Yeah, okay."

I got a fuzzy green blanket, and covered us with it. I went on demand to see what movies were free.

"I'm not watching anything that involves a dog and a leech vying for the attention of a boring female protagonist," Fran asserted.

"Okay, no Twilight," I muttered.

"Or a grown man devoting his life to killing a literal child."

"So no Harry Potter," I said.

"No Harry Potter," she repeated.

"Alice In Wonderland?"

"Sure."

I leaned my head on Fran's shoulder "Franny?"

"Yeah."

"You're forgiven."

The next thing I felt was her head on top of mine.