Every Little Thing

Chapter 3

Okay Carter this is your last day of summer vacation, and it's time for that first baby step—— a hair cut. I stood alone at the front doors of a salon a couple blocks away from my house. It's small, but I've been told it's one of the best in the city. The salon's name, Sally's, lights up before me and the windows flash a professional looking interior. As I walk inside, this lady greets me right away. She introduces herself as Wendy. Wendy has me sit down while the other ladies finish with their clients. I didn't mind waiting. It gave me time to observe the salon. It mostly had older woman stylist, they all had a peppy look and seemed to be making small talk with their clients.

About twenty minutes later, Wendy comes back with a much younger looking woman, compared to the other women. The woman is slim with a heart shaped face framed by a metallic shade of purple hair. She's wearing a skirt that makes her long legs look fantastic. On her right arm she has a sleeve of tattoos. She smiles at me and gestures for me to follow her. I take a seat on a chair and look at her through the mirror.

"Hi hun, my name is Alana. Tell me what you want for your hair." She says while preparing a whole bunch of different hair tools. I didn't know cutting hair required so much preparation.

"Um...well I just wanted my tips cut off, but now that I think about it, can you layer my hair?" I reply. My long hair is above my waist. I only cut it when it grows beyond my waste or when I get split ends. Everyone always comments how lucky I am to have it, but honestly it's a pain in the ass.

Alana continues gathering her hair equipment. I take out my phone and continue with the wattpad story I was reading. "Hmmm...I know! How about we add some highlights. I think it'll look great." She says minutes later, she then commences to turn me around, waiting for my answer.

"That doesn't sound half bad. Let's go for it." Alana cheers and grabs a pair of scissors. She begins cutting and I watch as my hair falls to the ground. I always get scared at the sight of my hair on the floor. For some unknown reason, I always picturing it all being cut off.

After about thirty or more minutes of snips and watching hair fall, we walk over to another chair. Alana sits me down and then washes my hair. She grabs a dye and begins to work her magic. It feels really relaxing when her fingers massage my scalp with dye. I have to admit, I didn't think it would take this long though. 

An hour later and it's time to reveal my new look. She hands me a mirror and pulls off the towel. I gasp. No one says a word after the towel comes off. I stare at the bright pink hue my hair has taken up being reflected.

"Oh honey...I am so sorry!" Alana takes back the mirror and gives me a sad look. "If it makes you feel better... you're totally rocking the pink look." Although I appreciate her attempt to lighten the mood, that wasn't what I wanted to hear right now.

"Uh...well um." I could barely say anything. Pouting at a lose strand of my hair flowing in my face, I begin to wonder how the hell I was going to explain this to my mom. Hell, how am I going to go to school like this. I look up at Alana and see her reading the bottle of dye.

"I don't know how to tell you this but, I can't dye over this and it's going to last four or five months." FOUR OR FIVE!? It's official, I was meant to have a bad time in high school.

I breathe in slowly, then say,"it's okay, I'll just wear a hat. Thanks for everything. Where do I pay?"

"It's on the house if you promise not to sue us, or give us a bad review, This salon's image is everything, we can't have it ruined." She whispers to me.

"It's cool, I won't say anything. Although, my mom might not be too thrilled...I guess I'll just have to pick up cake on my way ba-"

Alana cuts me off."Let me pay! I mean, I insist. It's the least I can do."  She looks at me with pleading eyes until I agree. This city is weird. First it's I get a heads up about my new high school, now this random hair stylist offers to pay my cake.

*     *     *

Sally's wasn't far from a bakery. I'm starting to realize everything I need is close by, which is great. The trip was quiet, not an awkward quiet, it's more like a peaceful kind. Walking into the bakery, the sent of cake pops and banana bread hits me. The bakery has a very cute themed look. It has bright blue and brown walls. One of the walls had a mural of the country side. Connected to the picture was a tree that had branches with purple flowers overshadowing some tables.

"Order whichever one you want hun." Alana says. After awing at the delicious looking cakes, I grab a medium sized chocolate cake that is also half red velvet. I always had assume they were the same though, except you know, one is red.

My mom loves cake and all other types of desserts. When I was little, I would bring her a cupcake every time I was in trouble. My dad would bring her back French toast or donuts when he was late coming home, which was often.

I bring the cake to the register and see Alana talking to the guy behind the register. They laugh and talk about something I couldn't quite hear. In the end I guessed she was flirting because the cake was "half off" when she paid. You had to respect the woman for getting her own way.

"So um...did you get that guy to give it to you for half the price?" I ask on our walk to my house.

"Yep! He wasn't that hard to seduce. Got his number and everything. I may be twenty seven, but even he was too much of a fuckboy for me." She takes out a piece of gum, then offers me one.

"How can you tell?" I take the piece and wait for her answer.

"Haven't you heard eyes are the windows to the soul? It's totally true, also body language helps. If he was really interested, his eyes would flicker and he'd be a little off. Does that make sense?" I shake my head and she laughs. "You'll learn soon grasshopper." My laughter joins hers and I give her a mocking bow.

Once we arrive to the street across my house we say goodbye and schedule another time to hang. She's really nice and is someone I really like. An experience woman like her would be great to talk to for some advice for high school. One piece of advice she gave me was not to eat brownies or drink punch that's offered to me by random kids, or at parties. Although I'm too anti-social for parties, and I doubt I'll get invited to any.

I open the door to the apartment and hear my mom begin to say something, but she stops and just stares right at me.