The Rebel Queen

Chapter 5:

"So you're going to see Kriss."

It was so casual that I barely heard the accusation hidden it her tone. Barely. It was the same accusation I had. Whether or not it was a good idea? Especially after what happened during the attack.

I nodded and she grabbed my head and forcefully yet gently held it still.

"Do not move your head while I'm holding scissors," Lucy instructed.

"Sorry," I apologized.

An uncomfortable silence followed. She obviously didn't think it was smart to be near Maxon. She didn't want to say anything, but I knew she was silently judging me.

Lucy was nice and kind. But even she had her own opinion. It would be smart for me to listen to her. She might be younger than me by a year or two and look as fragile as glass. But she was wise and intelligent.

"Is that a wise decision," Lucy finally broke the silence.

"It is," I decided, after a bit of thought. "Maxon knew i was coming to visit before the attack. If
he's already suspicious of me being a rebel...not showing wouldn't do anything to decrease his suspicion."

"Okay. I trust you."

Lucy grabbed a brush and began running it through my damp hair, before picking up the scissors and snapping them teasingly at me.

"What should we do with this bland hair of yours?" She pondered.

"Bland?" I pouted slightly.

"I hate to break it to you America. But your hair isn't very special. It's just straight and long. And very very red. No offense," she added at the end.

"I do take offense to that," I huffed.

"Oh, hush up. You know it's true. Otherwise you wouldn't have come to me."

"I didn't come to you! You ambushed me with a pair of scissors," I reminded her.

"Same difference," she said before going back into hair dresser mode. "I'm thinking that we cut it a bit shorter. Long hair is so overdone. Im thinking a couple inches below the shoulder."

"Okay..." I agreed slowly.

"Also some layers and...side bangs!" She exclaimed as if having a huge light blob go off in her head.

"Woah there..." I backtracked.

"No. Trust me America. You'll look great," Lucy assured me.

I nodded hesitantly and she began to mangle my hair with her scissors.

"So how are things going with Kriss?" I asked curiously, trying to ignore the chopping of her scissors.

"Pretty good. She's nice and really funny. She lays the sweetness on thick when she is with maxon. She's like a bowl of candy. It's amusing to watch," Lucy told me.

I laughed lightly. "Really. She is always yelling at me."

"Stop giving her a reason to yell at you," She advised.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes. Because I yearn for kriss to yell at me. It's my favorite way to Pass the time," I said sarcastically.

She flipped me around and began to adjust l my hair. To cut the bangs.

"Ya. I bet you never thought you'd be teaming up with the competition;" Lucy laughed.

"Once we find the books, Im leaving," I reminded her.

"I'm really going to miss you," Lucy mumbled, her voice cracking slightly.

"In going to miss you too, but we will have no connection. Once we find the books and stop the southern rebels, they're will be no more rebels."

"I can't help but thinking this is my fault," Lucy's voice quivered as she spoke sadly. "If me and Aspen would have told you about us sooner...than you would be queen right now."

I shook my head. "Maxon probably would of sent me away once I told him..."

"You should have more faith in Maxon," Lucy told me. "He loves you. This is just a little bump in the road."

"More likes huge bump in the road. He's set to marry someone else!" I yelled

"Doesn't mean he loves her," Lucy argued.

"Look, Luc. I'm just...trying to put the selection behind me."

Lucy turned the chair around and I beheld my reflection. "Than behold the new you. The rebel queen."

~oOo~

"Woah," Marianna let out a low whistle. "You can rock a pair of bangs."

"Wow, mer. Nice," Aspen commented.

Lucy bounced up from behind me. "I thought you would love them."

"You cut them?" Marianna asked.

Lucy nodded enthusiastically.

"They're nice."

Lucy giggled. "I'd really love to stay and talk, but I have to get back to the palace. Love you."

She sent me an air kiss and skipped away.

"I honesty don't know what to make of that girl?" Marianna commented.

I turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"At first, I didn't like her. Like isn't the right word...more like I didn't think she was qualified to be a rebel. She was so timid and shy," Marianna explained. "Now she is all bouncy and exuberant. I just don't get it."

"It takes her a while to open up to people. She's been through a lot."

"That's my girlfriend your taking about," Aspen reminded.

Marianna nodded but than perked up. "It's so weird seeing you look like that. Usually you keep your hair up in ponytails that are tighter than I thought possible. And during the selection it was always pulled back and kept out of your face. Now it's all light and wispy. And so...different."

I fiddled with a piece of hair. "Is different a bad thing?"

"No, no, no. It's just so...you. It suits you."

"I needed a change. My hair was holding me back."

She corked an eyebrow as if I was crazy. I'm pretty sure I sounded Insane too. How could my hair hold me back? But than I realized how true it was. It wasn't my hair. It's what it symbolizes. My hair is the last piece of me left from the selection. I originally changed it to this style at the beginning of the selection and it needed to be changed at the end. It was someone I wasn't. Or at least...I didn't want to be. 

"Care to explain..."

I rolled my eyes. I swiftly grabbed the pair of stylist scissors and through them right past her head. Missing my mere inches. I leaned my body wait on my back leg and narrowed my eyes.

"I'll explain...If you beat me."

"You are on."