Ten of Me ✓

Twenty-Three

LINDSAY

Lindsay had silky-smooth silver hair and high cheekbones, and when I stared at her in the mirror I didn't even recognize Nicole Thorn underneath. Mom had done just as good of a job disguising me under makeup as she had with Hannah, and I was convinced that as long as Noah didn't force a washcloth up to my face again, he would never see who I really was.

Mom had clearly put everything she had into my transformation, using it as therapy for herself. Her tears had slowly dried on her cheeks as she had coated mascara, eyeliner, and foundation on to my face, and though she didn't crack a smile as she usually did while giving me makeovers, her clenched fists slowly eased over the hour or two it took to transform me. My cheeks felt cakey and my eyes felt heavy from all the makeup, but she had done a good job hiding my eyelids that were puffy from my tears as well as the dark circles right above my cheekbones. She had entirely concealed Nicole under Lindsay, and my relief was immediate.

"Are you going out?" she asked as she unsnapped my cape and shook it out; it was stained lightly from the silver hair dye. Mom had even added a few lavender-colored streaks to my silver waves that roughly resembled her own.

I nodded, running my fingers through my hair gently. There was not a single tangle, and the shampoo Mom had used left an orange scent wafting through the air. "Yeah," I said, standing and pulling down my athletic shorts. I debated returning home to change my clothes, then remembered that I had to change my contacts, anyway. Mom had recommended a cloudy grey color--I guessed it could suit Lindsay's mysterious personality.

"All right." Mom began cleaning up behind me, straightening bottles of hairspray and conditioner and wrapping the cord of the hairdryer back into its proper place. "I'm going to stay here for a while, so I may not be back when you get home."

I knew she was planning on staying at the salon as long as possible so that she didn't have to return home and face the rest of the family. This place was a relief to her just like being other people was a relief to me.

With a small nod, I pushed my hair over my shoulders so that it grazed the small of my back and then pushed open the front door of the salon, squinting my eyes as the sunlight blinded me. It was only just after one o'clock, and the possibilities of the afternoon were endless.

As I walked the short way home, I pulled out my phone to text Noah. I hadn't communicated with him since our brief phone call the previous night, and even that didn't seem to be real. Noah probably wouldn't even remember that conversation, and he'd probably forgotten everything that had happened at the party. I wondered if he'd even remember Hannah at all.

Hey, I texted him, my fingers flying across the keys. I glanced up to make sure I was still walking in a straight line along the sidewalk, then ducked my head down again to look at my phone. I'm going to Aroma Mocha and I'll be there in about twenty minutes. We should go see a movie when you finish your shift.

Smirking, I locked my phone and pocketed it. Despite everything that was going on in my life, I felt slightly better knowing that Noah Murdock was about to get what he deserved--or at least part of it. No amount of revenge on my part would ever get him back for all the heartbreak and pain he had caused me.

Still, a part of me was happy that he had done what he did, because otherwise I would never have turned to my transformations, and I would have no way of coping with what my family was going through. Of course, Mom and Dad probably wouldn't have started fighting more frequently if it weren't for their conflicting opinions about my makeovers.

Exhaling loudly, a kicked a pebble out of the way with my tennis shoe and watched as it skipped across the pavement and rolled into the road, where it came to a stop before being obliterated by an oncoming truck's tire. When had my life become so complicated?