Sold // Harry Styles

Chapter 19

I wake up with a slight headache. I'm thankful that Alice made me drink water last night to help balance out the alcohol in my system. Blurry images of last night fill my mind. I pray I didn't do anything stupid but I have a feeling I'm going to be disappointed.

I go to the bathroom and quickly get myself prepared for the day when I suddenly hear hushed voices from the family room. I poke my head out to listen.

"I don't care what you have to do, Alice. I just want it cut," he says. My skin feels clammy with just the sound of his voice.

"Well maybe we could take her to a hairdresser?"

"No, absolutely not. Are you kidding me? I can't believe you even mentioned that."

"Well then what do you want me to say, A.J.?"

"I don't want to hear you say anything. I simply want you to cut her hair. Now, why can't you do as you're told?"

"Because I'm not a hairdresser. I design clothes. Not hair."

There's a pause. Neither one of them talk.

"Cops are looking for her, Alice. They have her picture everywhere."

"So you think cutting her hair will make a difference?" Alice says raising her voice slightly. "Oh yeah, cops surely won't notice her now that she cut three inches off. Woop de doo. That sure made a big difference," she mocks him. A.J. growls but doesn't say anything. "And how do you think Jackie would feel about getting her beautiful hair chopped off?"

"I don't give a damn about how she feels. I want her sold. And I've gone through too much of her shit to let her be snatched up by the police. If cutting her hair is what will be our ticket to money, then so be it. I am not risking anything just to be caught and thrown in jail."

"You disgust me," Alice says.

"What did you just say?" A.J. says lower.

I hesitantly take a step out of the bathroom and start walking to the family room.

"I said, you disgust me."

My pulse begins to quicken as I expect the worse to come. I expect A.J. to lash out on her just like he's done to me in the past. But when I finally make it to the room, he surprises me by his actions. He's not pleasant looking, but I was expecting smoke to pour out of his ears by now. His face is red and the veins in his neck are bulging.

"Just the person I want to see right now," A.J. says. "Sit down. Alice is cutting your hair right now."

As much as I want to go against his orders, I reluctantly take a seat that's placed in the middle of the room after I spot a pair of scissors in his hand. I don't want to think about the things he could possibly do if I were to disobey him.

I bring my hair over my shoulders and look at it once more. It's long-it's always been long. I don't remember a time when it's ever been short. Mom liked it this way. I carelessly run my fingers through it once more taking in the texture and scent of my hair.

A.J. stands in front of me, hands on hips, and promptly hands Alice a pair of scissors. "Begin," he demands her.

She stands behind me and whispers a small "sorry" in my ear. I bite my bottom lip, still playing with the ends of my hair.

"Let go," A.J. barks at me. He slaps my hands away from my face and I immediately drop them to my sides. I can already feel the hole in my throat grow larger.

"I want it short, Alice," A.J. says still standing in front. "Definitely above her shoulders."

Alice combs through my hair as I bow my head. I don't want my hair to be cut. I liked having it long because it reminded me of my mom.

The snip sounds coming from the scissors are the only thing that tells me that my hair is actually being cut. I try to keep my eyes away from the hair that falls to the floor but as soon as I see a few strands lying there, I mentally flinch. Very slowly, more and more pieces begin to collect on the ground and it takes everything in me to refrain from gathering it all in my hands and crying over it.

"Will you hurry up?" A.J. asks impatiently. "You're driving me insane."

"Let me do my own thing," Alice scolds him.

I glare at A.J. through my eyelashes. He's not paying attention to me. My eyes burn with anger and it feels like flames are licking at the irises. I only wish A.J. could feel just a little bit of my anger right now. If I could, I would let him have it.

Alice continues to cut slowly. In fact, it seems slower than before and I know that she's doing that on purpose just to get under A.J.'s skin.

"Give me the damn scissors," he says as she shoves Alice out of the way. He takes my hair in his hand and with one cut, he goes through all my hair in one, jagged line.

"A.J.!" Alice screams. Her voice bounces off the walls. "If you want her to actually be sold, you have to make her look good! Who would ever want their hair cut like that?"

I bite my lip afraid of what it must look like. About eight inches of my hair is lying on the ground. My eyebrows knit together as I try to keep my feelings bottled inside but the tears are threatening the cork.

"Drew is going to buy her in like four days! He doesn't care what she looks like...obviously. Who would want her anyways?"

I can feel my heart instantly fall into my stomach. Am I a pain to everyone? The air becomes denser and the room feels like it got ten degrees hotter.

"I want her," Alice screams. "Now get out. Now."

"No," A.J. says. "I own this house; therefore I can do as I please."

He takes a step in front of me and thrusts something into my hands. I look at the small box afraid to open it.

"You're wearing those from now on," he says.

I carefully open the little package and two colored eye contacts sit in front of me.

"I don't wear glasses or contacts," I whisper.

"They're non-prescription," he mutters as he starts walking towards the front door.

"I don't like things touching my eyes. I can't put them on," I say barely above a whisper.

"Do you think I care?" he shouts whirling around. "You better get used to it 'cause those things are gonna be stuck in your eyes at all times, sweetheart."

"It's not like she goes out anywhere anyways," Alice mutters.

"You're getting on my last nerve," he snarls before turning back to glare at me. "Listen to me and we won't have trouble, get it?"

I nod my head.

"Find a new name. I don't want anyone calling you Jackie anymore," he says as he yanked the door open.

"What is it going to be?" I ask.

"I'm sure you can figure it out. I mean you pulled off Michelle pretty well. I'm sure you can find a new one."

He slams the door shut causing a few pictures hanging on the wall to shake.

I turn around and face Alice for the first time. My head is reeling and the image of my hair creating a moat around the chair I was once sitting in pushes me over the edge.

"Jackie," Alice says gingerly. She starts walking towards me but I sulk past her and make my way to the hair that was once lying on my head instead of the floor.

"I want to go home," I whisper.