Short Stories (80s Version)

Hair Color (John Taylor)

"Nope, I can't do this." I said before storming out of the salon. "I'm not dyeing my hair."

"You made a commitment." John replied, dragging me back in. "You can always get a temporary color."

"But it makes me look dumb and I don't want to spend a lot of money."

"No, you won't. I promise you."

"Don't say that just because."

"If you color your hair, I'll color mine."

"Really?"

"Isn't that what best friends are for?"

"All right."

John and I each picked out a color of our choosing before we had to get our hair washed.

"It's on me." He mentioned.

"John, I don't want to take your money." I politely refused.

"You're not. I have plenty to get by."

"What if I don't like it?"

"Then you could always come back and take the color out. It's simple."

"How does Nick do it?"

He would've given me excellent advice on during my hair. Nick included so many colors in his hair that I wondered how he didn't damage it. I've seen him go from black to red to orange within the last two years. He should've tagged along with us.

"Are we ready?" The stylist, Lucy, asked us.

"Yeah, we're ready." John replied.

"Okay. You come with me."

I was the first to undergo the process. Lucy attached a drape onto me and mixed the coloring that I requested. She ran a tiny pick through each layer of my hair to brush the color like she was painting a picture. With every streak, she placed little foils to let the color sit.

After she finished the last streak, she let me sit under the hairdryer.

"Give or take, 30 minutes to an hour." She estimated.

She set the hairdryer down before turning on the heat and tending to other customers. It was already hot sitting under here and the foils clung to my hair like magnets.

"What color did you get?" I questioned John who was sitting beside me.

"It's a surprise." He responded.

"A surprise for the next girl you're sleeping with?"

"Corinne? No, we're not seeing each other."

"You know, foils are a good look on you."

"Shut up."

I grabbed a magazine from the table until my time was done. Lucy guided me to the hair wash station and reserved a sink. I sat in the chair with my head dipped into the sink and a hand towel resting at the nape of my neck. She removed the foils one by one before dousing my hair with cold water. She added shampoo and conditioner to give my beautiful brown hair a silky texture.

She squeezed the extra water out of my hair before drying it with a towel. She led me to her station where she picked up the hair dryer and ran it through my thick, curly hair. I closed my eyes to the relaxing sound of the hairdryer blowing my hair in opposite directions. I awoke to the clicking noise of the hairdryer being turned off after my hair was dry.

Once she put the hairdryer away, she divided my hair into sections to run a flat iron through it. John was sitting at another station while the stylist was applying mousse to his hair for a finishing touch.

"I don't mean to pry, but are you two involved?" Lucy hinted.

I knew I was going to get asked about John. I'm used to the questions, so it's nothing new.

"No, John and I are just friends." I replied honestly.

"It's a shame. You two would be a cute couple." She spoke.

As if.

"I'm sorry. That was very unprofessional of me." She apologized.

"I've been asked before if we were together, so no harm, no foul." I forgave her.

She straightened the last strand of my hair before turning off the flat iron and putting it into the holder.

"Wow." I gasped over the blue streaks in my hair. "It looks so good."

"Be sure to wash with cold water. If it fades faster than it should be, you can call and we'll make an appointment for you." Lucy instructed.

I nodded, taking the rules into consideration. I rose from the chair to find John.

"Blond is a superb look on me." He spoke while looking in the mirror.

"The fans are going to love you more." I commented.

I stood next to him to see my blue streaks in the mirror again.

"Wow. Look at that." He gasped. "My best friend is on fire."

We approached the counter to pay.

"Is it all on one tab or separate?" Lucy questioned.

"One tab." John replied before digging out his wallet.

He inserted his credit card into the machine and waited for the transaction to approve. Lucy printed his receipt and handed it to John along with his card before he could put them in his wallet.

"Have a good day." Lucy smiled before we could leave.

John opened the door and held it for me.

"Thank you for talking me into it." I said to him after closing the door. "Lunch is on me."