Vacancy

15. Exposed.

My neck began to ache as I sat with my head resting in the salon sink. Ari was getting her lengthy, dark hair blow dried and sat tapping away on her phone. "Poppy and Frankie are coming to yours at 8, Marla is working, but said she would get ready at hers and meet us at yours later on for drinks before we head out. I mean, I assume we're getting ready at yours? Your dad and Ainsley will be at Mels right?" she quizzed me. It was Friday, My dad and Ainsley were always at the neighbours on a Friday, well, as many days as they could to be honest. Harry and Mel were my parents best couple friends, and their son, Chase, was a year older than Aliyah, so they spent every waking moment together. Aliyah and Chase were basically myself and Brandon at that age, she was too young to care about boys just yet, but if she wasn't careful she'd end up just the way I had. Or maybe she'd be lucky. "yeah, I guess. That's fine. Jordan will most likely be home, playing video games as usual, but I'll make sure he doesn't bother us." I called over the salon. My head was being lifted, and I caught the end flipping forward out of the corner of my eye, a flash of blonde, well orange. I'd never been blonde before, usually I dyed my hair darker, so this was a complete shock to me.
"oh don't worry babe, it hasn't been toned yet, we'll soon get that brassysness out" Adele comforted my nerves and wheeled me back over to the mirror. I looked vile. Blonde was definitly not my colour, Ari peared over and let out a roar of laughter. She didn't look much better, half her hair was pinned up, the other roughly curled in pins on the side of her neck. "fuck you." I mouthed and turned away.

Soon my hair had become multiple shades of silver and lilic, which honestly, I didn't mind, however blue was set in my head. After all, I had to match my $350 dress. Ari was done now, her loose, voluminous curls resting on her shoulders, and down to her waist. Arielle has such an effortless way of looking good, her bright eyes popped right out of her head, and her plump rosy lips sat in a constant pout. Her Brows were light and bushy, and she had the most envious, long Lashes, I could only dream of. She fluttered them away from her phone screen, a smile spread across her face and tucked the left side of her hair begin her ear. "don't you just love a fresh hair day?" she grinned, picking her phone back up and posing. "gotta show Luke what he's missing." she began tapping away again. I glanced at my own phone, still no word from Jai, shocker. "Ready?" Adele asked as she stirred the blue mixture in a bowl, excitement flourishing. My stomach grumbled and I felt nerves shoot through me. "as ill ever be." I said through gritted Teath and leant my head back once more.

"almost done sweetie" Adele beamed as she stood in front of me, straightening iron in her hand, taking a clip from the front of my hair. She hadn't let me look in the mirror once after washing out the dye, I could see the bright blue ends of my hair as she worked away, and I was getting incredibly impatient. "tadaa!" she spun my chair around and showed off my dyed, cut and styled locks. My mouth fell open in awe, it was stunning. The colour was an incredible Cobalt blue, she had cut only an inch or two from the ends, but my naturally, wild, wavy hair, was now long and sleek, down to my breasts. It had been a long time since I'd styled my hair, usually I just tied my hair into braids or a half bun, too lazy to make an effort. My natural hair wasn't hideous, just a lot to work with. "Adele, it's incredible, I wasn't really sure what I imagined it to look like, but this beats it!" I hugged her tightly and stared one again into the mirror. I ran my hands through a few times, letting the silky strands fall down over and over. "it feels so luxurious, I'm in love" I gushed over my new hair.

"blue really is your colour" Adele said whilst cleaning her station. Arielle joined me to pose in the mirror and then we followed Adele over to the register. She handed us both a gift bag, "I've put some treatments in there for you girls, Ari, the spray will really help add volume to your hair, just spray it into your roots, as you dry it, and lift with the brush. Jess, I've put a straightening and heat treatment in yours, and some colour revive treatment, use it twice a week, but the colour should hold well for a month or so. Try and wash with Luke warm to cold water, it'll keep longer, and I've also written down the dye product name of you need a little home touch up." she smiled and rang up our bill. $180 dollars later and we ventured back out into the open.

Almost instantly I could feel strangers eyes drawn to me. If I had been better dressed and if my rushed makeup was half decent, I might have felt more comfortable, but right now all I wanted was for the wondering eyes to snap shut. "Ari, I feel so exposed. Can we get that milkshake and leave?" I asked, swinging my bag as we walked. She agreed, fretting about her hair falling instantly flat, which was about as likely as Jai calling. We wondered into the shopping centre, me keeping my head down in an attempt to hide unwanted stares, Ari the opposite. She flicked her hair around and when a group of guys stopped her to ask for her number, she acted coy and embarrassed, even though she secretly loved the attention. She giggled as she rejected their advances, telling them she had a boyfriend, but appreciated the 'kind words'. I stood awkwardly to the side of her, trying to ignore the muscles of the man directly in front of me. "I'm Theo" he held his hand out towards me. He was wearing a pale blue singlet, his bulging arm tensing as he lifted it up, I looked up, and was met by a warm smile, a messy lock of golden hair, shoved into a black cap, and a gleam of white teeth. "she also has a boyfriend, sorry boys! See you" Ari pulled me away and giggled once more. "see, we're hot!"

Less than ten steps away from the boys we had just left, we finally got our shakes. Banana for me, mint choc for Ari. "okay my darling, lets go get glam" Ari said as we left the centre and headed towards her car. Her phone buzzed in her hand, just as we arrived at her car, and she leant across the drivers side door. "hi baby!... You really like it?... I miss you too gorgeous... Yes, more than anything." Luke. "stop being cheeky, you'll have to wait" she said flirtatiously, sucking on her straw. I climbed into the car, not wanting to listen to what would no doubtedly turn into soft phone sex. A few minutes later she joined me. "ugh, three weeks without sex is not going well for me" she blurted out and snapped her seat belt into the socket. "I want him so bad, like SO bad." she turned on the engine and released the clutch. "48 more days..." she finished and pulled out into the road.