TW: Descriptions of sexual activity.
Chapter Twenty-Five:
"It's...nice, I guess? I just don't think it looks like the girls' hair from the picture I showed you guys," Hazel murmured unhappily as she scrutinised herself in the mirror.
"Well, please do us forgive 'Lady Hazel', but unfortunately, Indiya and I haven't quite graduated from the University of hairstyling yet." Ria retorted, her arms growing fatigued from holding Hazel's hair in place, "I honestly think it looks good enough."
Ria and Indiya had spent the last forty-five minutes pruning and styling Hazel's hair according to an Instagram image she had shown them. The result was underwhelming, to say the least. It wasn't the way the soft auburn-dyed hair fell to her bust in tightly coiled curls that was the problem. It was more the fact that the hair on the top of her scalp now resided more than a few centimetres above her scalp as though it had been stuffed with multiple layers of extensions beneath it.
Leela stepped back, placing her hand on her chin, "It looks cute. You kind of look like Snooki from Jersey Shore...if that's the look you were going for?" Leela offered, and then noticing the mortified look on Hazel's face, she decided to stop talking, turning back towards the mirror and using her mascara ward to lengthen her lashes, her mouth agape as she did so.
"Oh my god. Help me fix this," Hazel gasped, grabbing Ria's hands as they removed the 'pouffe' from the top of her hair, running her hands through her hair in an attempt to minimise the excess hairspray.
Indiya combed Hazel's hair back into a safe ponytail, "Hazel, we're going to a dive bar. I doubt anyone's even going to notice your hair."
"That's the point, Indiya. Nobody notices my hair. Nobody notices me. It's like I'm invisible. I mean, Ria's got Felix, and Leela's got Blaine. Who have I got?"
Ria bit her inner cheek, "I haven't 'got' Felix. But people do notice you, Hazel. They'd be crazy not to; you're absolutely gorgeous and have a...very colourful personality. Messy hair or not. You're one of a kind."
Indiya and Hazel stared up at Ria, gobsmacked as their mouths collectively fell open.
"What happened? Did I say something wrong?" Ria enquired.
Hazel's hand flew to her mouth as she sniffed, wiping an invisible tear from her face, "No, you didn't. It's just that that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," She stood up, grabbing the straightener tongs from in front of her and using them as a mock-weapon, "Now, tell me who you are and what you did to my bitch of a best friend?!"
"Oh, shut up, Hazel." Ria laughed, jokingly pushing her friend away from her.
"I mean, it is pretty out of character of you to say something like that to Hazel," Indiya agreed, nudging Ria with her elbow.
Hazel clicked her fingers, "I got it! Ria got dicked last night. It's the only logical explanation. You know what, I thought I heard you get up and out of bed last night. You were gone for hours. I thought I dreamt it." Her eyes widened, "Imagine, Felix was so good that Ria over here got a personality transplant overnight."
"That was definitely a dream, Hazel. I didn't go anywhere last night." Ria lied and laughed awkwardly, turning away from the girls so they wouldn't notice the uncomfortable expression on her face. She'd been silent when she snuck out of the room to meet up with Blaine, and she'd ensured that Hazel had been snoring before she left.
"Leave her alone, Hazel." Indiya piped up, and Ria silently mouthed a 'thank you' to the older girl.
"Fine, I will. For now." Hazel agreed, stroking her chin comically in thought as she glanced up at her best friend.
YOU ARE READING
Under My Skin
General Fiction[COMPLETED] High-flyer Ria Aslan thought she had her entire life planned out perfectly. Except her plans didn't quite foresee the still unsolved hit-and-run that prematurely claimed her father's life. The unfortunate tragedy only amplifies Ria's n...
