To Kiss a Girl

1

Golden sun rays peaked between the blinds, highlighting Ashley's golden hair. She swept the mane out of her eyes as she sat up, pushing down her pale pink doona. She met eyes with herself as she looked right into a full length mirror that she had positioned at the end of her bed. She brushed her fingers gently through her light knotted hair, cocking her head and examining herself. She had only bleached it last month and brown roots were already showing. She shrugged and grabbed her hair brush from her bedside table.
Ashley brushed her hair, laughing as she recalled her Mum's reaction to her asking to be blonde.
"Darling no, it will be awful, you don't want to ruin such beautiful brown hair." She had said with an all too familiar look of judgement and irritation on her face. Ashlie's mother hated hair dye, she also hated tattoos, piercings, plastic surgery, make up and a number of other things. She always told Ashley to just love what God had given her and not try to change it. They didn't agree on a lot of things. Luckily for her, her father was a lot more reasonable.

About an hour later she walked out of her bedroom wearing her school uniform and a light bit of makeup. Her hair was combed and done up into two long braids that reached her waist, tied off with blue hair ties that matched her eyes. She entered her small, 70's style kitchen where her mother was preparing breakfast.
"What's on your face?" Ashley's mum asked sternly, staring angrily at her daughter. Ashley's gaze darted around, trying to avoid eye contact, in the end she looked at the floor.
"I don't know, I put a bit of makeup on-" she replied nervously. Her mother tsked and shook her head, hurrying out of the kitchen with a damp cloth.
"Darling, leave it." Ashley's father said calmly from his seat. She flicked her gaze crossly from daughter to husband before sighing and walking back, muttering to herself as she did.

Ashley smiled as her dad rose and walked towards her.
"Your makeup looks lovely sweetheart." He said supportively.
"Thanks Dad." She smiled. The door bell rang and she grabbed her bag. "That's Josiah, gotta go." She hugged her dad and ran to the door, grabbing an apple as she passed the fruit bowl.

Josiah had been Ashley's best friend for a while now. He had moved to Australia from the Phillipines a year ago and they immediately got along. His confidence and energetic nature balanced out her shyness, making them the perfect match. He had brown skin and dark hair. His eyes were a deep brown and he was very tall and thin. Her mum didn't like that her best friend was a boy and would always insist that there's something else between them. Ashley laughed at that idea, he was nice, but she was not interested.
She opened the door to her friend. He smiled. "Ready?" He asked. She nodded. She stepped out and closed the door, shivering slightly in the cool autumn air. "Do you need to grab a jacket?" Josiah asked. She shook her head.
"Nah, it'll warm up." She replied with a smile.
"Here, take mine." He offered, pulling off his coat, which was one of his many layers. He wore a lot of layers all year round. Even in summer he rocked a jacket. It was a wonder he didn't boil. Ashley smiled and accepted it, though she felt bad. She put on the oversized coat and walked alongside her friend to school.