LA to The Bay

Chapter 34: Las Vegas (5)

MGM Grand, Las Vegas

I never had a credit card before, likely because if I did then I would end up doing something stupid with it. Something like rocking up at a hair and beauty salon at a posh hotel in Las Vegas willing to pay three hundred dollars for a haircut, and all because I worked myself up in to an abyss of depression and ended up embarrassing myself in the most humiliating way. But a haircut will sort it all out, my mummy told me so.

Based on the advice she's given so far in my life I'm convinced that my mother actually knows shit, but let's hope she can prove me wrong now, if only for my wallets sake.

Surely there are cheaper salons in Las Vegas, especially given the part of town that Motel Hell is located, but it turns out, as I stagger out of the motel's car park and on to the freeway, the sight of daylight blinding me and reminding me that I have locked myself away in my cave for the best part of the day, that we are sitting right next door to a big fat juicy posh hotel, the MGM Grand to be precise. Now why couldn't we have just stayed here instead, and that way I could have at least wallowed in luxury?

'So it's a colour and cut you want?' The beautifully presented model-like hairdresser asks me. She is the epitome of groomed perfection, her blonde hair pinned back elegantly in a chignon, a complete contrast to the annoying hipster layers that Marty and Juno are continually swooshing about.

After ninety minutes of having my hair caked in an unnervingly pink hue, I am washed, chopped and blow dried and served up a bouncy auburn damsel who is hopefully no longer in distress.

And who cares about three hundred dollars when I can blow a whole lot more getting my make-up done at this place too. Victoria's Secret Angel glow? Why yes please! For an extra hundred and fifty dollars I'm being transformed in to the sort of girl I had originally looked on at enviously at the airport, but maybe this is what happens to you after you spend a certain amount of time (and money) here, you start to get the real American dream glow?

'Whoa, you look amazing!' Ana exclaims as I barge through the door to our room hurriedly. It's six pm and I need to finish getting ready pronto. 'I was worried you were going to stay in the room crying all day, but what happened?'

'I sucked it up and went and got my hair and make-up done. The girl who did it all was lovely, she really cheered me up.'

And she really did, the entire afternoon did, the whole experience, being exposed to the luxury and nice words which I deserve, they've made me realise that okay, so maybe the trip has been a bit rocky so far, but there's still plenty of time to turn things around, if only I can believe in myself. Starting with tonight.

'OMG Harry is going to die when he see's you like that!' Ana comments when I appear from the bathroom.

'Louis.' I answer back unamused.

'Whatever, but those trousers will kill them both off with a heart attack.'

I admire myself in the mirror hoping that she is right. She has to be right, I can't and won't let another hour of this vacation be ruined by my non-stop self-loathing. It is okay to enjoy yourself, I remind myself, trying to recall if there is actually a time in my life where I have managed to truly enjoy myself guilt free.

'Wait. I don't know if I can do it.' I suddenly panic as we are about to leave the room and head to the bus. 'I've not seen everyone since last night.'

'Oh they will have forgotten about last night, don't worry.' Ana reassures me. 'Most of them have had their heads blown off today anyway, with sunstroke and the Stratosphere, so there's no way they will remember. Plus everyone is too busy discussing who is going to get with who at the club, since this is our first night of partying since the Double Deuce, and we all know each other so much better this time.' She is grinning, no doubt hoping that tonight will be the night when she finally gets to make a move on Duncan.

I have to admit that I am excited to be going partying, if only I could receive a prior assurance that I will not have to watch any of the IT gang snogging the faces off each other again, and that includes Louis and Harry.

But first I must survive dinner aka sitting down and trying to eat whilst everyone is staring at me; because watching someone chew their food is not the grossest thing to want to do, now is it?

'I told you they'd not forgotten.' I kick Ana under the table as I try to eat my burger.

'You are being paranoid. And if anyone is looking then it's because they are either checking you out or jealous of how hot you look.'

I pray that she is right, otherwise the evil look that Marty just gave me, from where she is sitting further along the table, is definitely because she is planning her attack on Lottie's behalf, since Lottie knows better than to do her dirty work herself. But thinking about it, why would Marty want to attack me for ruining Lottie's faux wedding to Harry, since wasn't she the one who fancied him originally?

'That's why she just gave you the daggers, not because of what you did last night.'

'What do you mean?' I was sort of hoping that the snarky look on Marty's face was either part of my imagination or just a bad case of trapped wind perhaps?

'She's jealous because Harry and Louis keep looking at you instead of them.'

'Louis?'

'Okay, well mainly Harry but I wanted to make you feel better.' She sniggers.

I look back down at my plate trying to find something interesting to say about the burger, but damn it she's right, I can see it out of the corner of my eye, he keeps looking over, like he thinks nobody else can notice just because he's trying to keep his face expressionless.