I Learned To Trust | The Joanne McKinley Diaries 2

8. I Like It Short

"How short are you going to cut yours?"
I ask Mai.

Sunday. It was the day to finally depart with my long ass hair. Most people would cry but I was so glad. This motherfucker was such a chore to wash and style and sleep with in hot weather. So chopping it off was the third best thing that happened to me. Not completely short: just a few centimetres below middle back.

"I'm going a tad bit beyond shoulders," she replies.

That's the difference between me and Mai. She was bold and I was...la cobarde. Don't know what it means? Search it up on Google Translate. We enter the hairdressers and the hairdresser instantly runs up to Mai and gives her a huge hug.

"Auntie Moria!"

"MaiBaby!"

Auntie Moria? MaiBaby! I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself laughing at the nickname. It sounded like a YouTuber.

"What d'ya want dwuall," she says. I think she meant to say 'what do you want doll' but it didn't come out like that. I raise my eyebrow at Mai and she shoots me a look that told me to shut my mouth if I wanted to live.

"Haircuts. I'm going tad beyond shoulder and she's going five beyond middle. Doable?" Mai dead-pans.

"Of course!" She began talking normally now. "Brunette, you're up first."

Brunette has a name New Jersey.

I take my seat in the chair and let her work. If this came out shit then I would never trust anyone with my hair again. Let's just hope.

***

I look at myself in the camera on my phone, grinning. My hair had low blonde highlights, it was layered and it felt soft. It wasn't just thick and hard to manage. It was nice!

"Going short is best thing I've done," I decide.

"Same here." Mai looked bomb. Shoulder short suites her. She had chestnut it lowlights and nothing else was done. My hair was a disaster compared to hers.

"Mason would like yours," she says, wiggling her eyebrows. I feel my cheeks light up like a Christmas tree and I hit her. Hard.

"You." Hit. "Know." Hit. "I'm." Hit. "Right." I'm baffled at how she let out that sentence while I was hitting her. Props to her.

I roll my eyes and we continue into Westfield. Yep, spending the day with my best friend. I feel a buzz in my pocket and take out my phone. The thing had seen better days. I was just so happy that I was getting a new one today.

>> Talk. To. Me
<< Delete. My. Number.

I close my phone and groan. Alisha was persistent, that was for sure. I feel another buzz and take out my phone.

>> I hope you're happy that I'm going to sacrifice my back for you tomorrow.
<< At least you get to see my hair.
>> Yeah. I like it short. And don't think I'm not jealous that you actually for to go out today. I'm stuck with my mum at her lady doctor. Why would you bring your son to a lady doctor?
<< I'm so sorry Mason. Have fun learning about why your mums vagina is having whatever problems it is. Make sure to not eavesdrop or you WILL BE SCARRED. Bye now.

I put my phone in my pocket and giggle to myself thinking of Mason's face. Yeah, I was going to pay for that on Monday. Then Mai stops, her eyes glued on one shop. I follow her gaze to... VICTORIA SECRET. Mai was planning on having sex? What the fuck like what the actual fuck!

"Mai who are you going to self peer yourself to?" I ask, sincere concern in my voice.

She whines at the thought in her brain and slaps me. "No, I not doing that anytime soon. I want to go into the PINK! part. And you're coming."

With that, I'm pulled into the world of bras and pants. And then through a door way to a more reasonable area. To be honest, I liked this part. I might actually buy a jumper and sweatpants from here.

"I told you I would be right." Sometimes I hate Mai you know.

***

I walk out of Victoria Secret buzzing. I was going to get my new phone. I could say goodbye to this thing it was old and it was going through bad things. I mean, my screen was cracked (thanks to Mai, she still owes me). We see my mum at the Apple Store and she's already got her card out.

"Let's go in there and spend my money," she says. I follow her in.

And I walk out with a new phone. We say our parting words and my mum continues to go home while we still had a lot to do. Like eat. And shop. But mostly eat. I'm dragged into stores left and right and I come out with a bag containing items from that store. Only when we are finally in front of JD Sports I smile. Finally, a shop for me. I walk in with Mai and walk out with about four bags. I had some extra birthday money to spend. I wasn't rich or anything.

"I'm hungry," I whine.

"We still have two more shops to go to," she says, dragging me to the doors of a shop I do not think I know. Then I look up and smile. New Look. It was the cross between Forever21 and H&M and I hated to go in any of those stores. So of course Mai brought me here.

We step out half an hour later, completely knackered. Well, I was completely knackered. Mai was still standing.

"Now we eat," she announces. I instantly perk up at to sound of food and lead her to the food court.

"My God you're a pig," she mutters.

"I don't care, I'm hungry!" I shout.

Finally, my love, I finally get to eat you.

Sorry Mason but food is my bae. And he knows that.