Hell to the No

Aftermath

Once in our downtown supermarket, picking up the random food items scrawled by my mother on my shopping list, my pocket buzzes with an incoming text message. Leaning over with my forearms resting on the handle of the shopping cart, I lazily read the message from Kaitlin.

Heeey babycakes. Come to my house when ur done shopping like a little old lady

Mhm. Thanks, Kait. I type a reply of confirmation before snapping my phone shut and shoving it back into my pocket. With a smirk, I take my sweet time finishing up the grocery shopping, just for the little old lady jab.

Kaitlin is at the door waiting by the time I arrive at her house, and let myself in.

"There you are! Geez, stocking up your bomb shelter with a years worth of supplies? Oh well, come here." Before I can make a snide remark, Kaitlin is bounding away, and I tag along after her. She stops at a desk in her front hallway, snatching a slip of paper as she spins around to face me with a devious smile. I give her a wary look.

"Your hair appointment is tonight, you're lucky Miss Jackson had a cancellation, and she could fit you in her schedule so early!" Confused, I cock my head at Kaitlin. After I open my mouth, but before I can get words out, she elaborates.

"Miss Jacks styles my hair, so you know she'll do well," she says with a wink, giving her short strands of spiky, streaked hair some twists.

"Kait, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Allie!" she exclaims, grasping me by the shoulders, "You're getting your hair dyed! And cut! I know how much you long to be in on this punk stuff, babe, you're just too frightened to break out of your shell and take the plunge into a new look!" I gape at her, my mouth opening and closing wordlessly like a beached fish. She gives me a broad smile, and pulls me toward the stairs.

"Come on. This will be a great change, come look at the punk rock hair magazine I grabbed last time I had an appointment!"

Half an hour later, with the thought sinking in that I'm going to get the sweet make-over I've always secretly wanted, Kaitlin is helping me look through and pick out the perfect style and color for myself.

"Of course, after we get this done, we're gonna go shopping to get you some new clothes." I smile, flipping through the pages of her hairstyle magazine for the hundredth time. Kaitlin peers at the pictures too.

"What color are you thinking? Or what colors, I should say."

"Who's saying I'm getting multiple colors?" I inquire with a grin.

"Oh, come on. Streaks are so boss."

"I dunno... I was thinking black. Maybe with some white-blonde streaks."

"Whaaaat! I was thinking pink, actually..."

"Pink?" I exclaim, turning my full attention on her. She looks slyly up at me from the magazine.

"Yes. A light pink would look sooo amazing. Be drastic, Allie! And if you don't like it, you can always dye darker over it, you know... Pwease? For me?" She has her puppy dog eyes on, with her hands clasped imploringly to her chest. She starts to bat her baby blues as I shrug my shoulders with nervous skepticism.

"I... am not sure, Kait..." Looking down at the pictures of cute punk styles, the thought of pink hair begins to grow on me. Not a bright, annoying pink... A soft pink.

"That sounds perfect," I conclude, smiling up at Kait. She gives an excited squeal.

"Just pick out the style, now! I was thinking something along the lines of this one..."

The evening finds us sitting in the hair salon of Miss Jackson, myself in the styling chair, and Kait across from me. Having selected the style and colors I wanted, the stylist is busy at work with setting the dyes in the proper spots. She and Kait converse casually, and I sit in nervous, though extremely excited, silence. After waiting to let the dyes take effect, my hair wrapped up in tons of pieces of foil like some kind of alien, Miss Frezone washes my newly cut hair. She dries is, and sets to work styling with a blow drier, a round brush, and a straight iron. I chose not to face the mirror until after it's entirely finished, and am left to face Kaitlin, who cries out in joy and excitement every so often as she watches the progress. Finally, the moment of truth...

"Are you ready to see your new hair, Allie?" Miss Jackson asks me with a broad smile. I give a nod, and she swivels the salon chair around.

My jaw drops at the sight before me...

My hair is cut shorter, in straight, textured strands that fall in spikes around my shoulders, and my bangs are trimmed and straight-hanging off to one side of my face, almost covering my left eye. The color is an attractive soft pink, with faint, gorgeous light streaks of texture throughout, and for some reason, it makes my electric blue eyes pop. Overall, I was over the moon with excitement. Staring at this new person in the mirror before me, I couldn't help but furtively wonder what Roman would think about my new scene appearance...