Hey There, Delilah - A 5 Seconds of Summer story

Chapter 34

“I am in dire need of a milkshake!” Em agreed, fanning her face.

I pursed my lips, remembering this morning’s idea. “Jo? Can I go to the hairdresser please?”

“Why?” Jo asked, clearly startled by the question.

“I want to get the red taken out of my hair.”

“Cut off?”

“No! Just dyed out.”

“Lora can do that for you, Delilah.”

“Really? She wouldn’t mind?”

Jo chuckled, making me flush with embarrassment. “It’s her job.”

“Oh. In that case, milkshakes sound perfect.”

*

I arrived back happy and hopeful once more, full of chicken sandwich and strawberry milkshake.

Lora clapped in delight when I asked her if she could take the red out.

Which is why I found myself in the chair, with foul-smelling toner in my hair, scribbling down song lyrics.

“You’re not so perfect?” I mumbled. “You made it look so perfect? You are perfect, a perfect liar?”

“Having fun?”

I shrieked and dropped my pencil, scowling at Ollie, who was cracking up in the doorway.

“Ollie!” I snapped. “Don’t sneak up on me!”

“Aw.” He pouted. “I’m sorry. What are you doing to your hair?”

“Taking the red out.”

“I liked the red.”

“It’s time for a change.”

Ollie looked at me lopsidedly. “Change isn’t always a good thing.”

Spurred on by thoughts of Alison and Luke, and the fear that they’d never change, I snapped back. “Yes, it is!”

Ollie raised his hands in surrender, thrown off by my mood change. “Ok, ok. Sorry.”

I sighed. “No, I’m sorry, Ollie. I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just…”

“It’s ok.” Ollie shrugged easily, punching my shoulder lightly as he left.

I bit my lip, guilt biting my stomach.

“Alright!” Lora breezed back in and set to work. “Let’s get these babies out!”

*

“Oh my goodness.” I gasped at my reflection.

Not only did Lora take the red out, making my hair the colour of glossy chocolate once again, but also she had given me a side fringe and a trim, and my hair fell in luscious waves to just beyond my shoulders.

“Lora, thank you!”

She grinned. “No problem, kiddo. We’re leaving in an hour. Make sure you collect the others, ok?”

“No problem!”

Happiness was such a funny feeling, and I’d ben feeling it a lot today.

New hair, new friendship with Luke, no nightmares and new Delilah.

My grin radiating the sunshine, I rounded the corner to our tour bus and stopped dead.

My smile slid away and a blank expression replaced it.

Two blonde heads leaned against the bus, their faces close together, talking quietly.

A smirk of bubblegum pink caught my attention, and the guy followed the girl’s gaze to me.

The laugh died off his lips too.

“Hey, Del.” Luke said, awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head like he does when he’s nervous.

“Hi.” My tone was flat, uninviting of conversation. “We’re leaving in an hour.”

“Ok.” He said, obviously still feeling awkward.

My gaze zeroed in on Alison’s dainty hand, which was playing with the neckline of Luke’s singlet.

Disgust rolled in my stomach.

Happiness gone.

Muttering a “see you later”, I went into the bus and flopped on the couch with Em, Calum, Stella and Mike.

Em took one look at my face and held up a Cadbury block of chocolate.

“Thanks.”

Chocolate fixes everything.

Except maybe broken hearts.