Status: as soon as possible
Ruby and Will
Chapter 1
I woke up to the sound of car horns and angry voices. The noise was almost unbearable. Back home I would wake up beside my dad, or another man who I hadn’t ever met before, but never to the ruckus of the city. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and checked my watch for the time, which read 5:00. I sighed, and tried to close my eyes again, but couldn’t find sleep so I got up and pulled my back pack over my shoulders.
Once I was out of the ally I headed for the nearest cafe. I ordered an egg with bacon and a coffee to drink. I only stayed long enough to eat and pay in fear that I might run into someone I knew. Then I headed to a hair salon, the first thing I wanted to do was to change my appearance and have a fresh look to my new life.
“Hello,” the lady at the till greeted. I nodded and gave a little smile. “Would you like just a trim today?” She guessed.
“No, I would like a cut and dye.” I said. I could see the image of my new look perfectly.
“Alright,” she said with surprise. “You’ll be with Anna, first chair on the right.”
“How much will it cost?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t too much. I only had three-hundred dollars left to spend, and I had to use it wisely.
“With a cut and a dye, it will come to forty-five dollars.”
“Okay, thank you.” I walked over to Anna’s station and heard the receptionist say that Anna would be with me in a moment. I picked up a magazine and looked at the many different hairstyles. I could get anything I wanted. I looked up at the big mirror in front of me and let my red hair fall between my fingers; imagining that soon it would be all gone, and hoping that I looked completely different.
“Hello,” a voice said from behind me. I almost jumped, and held the urge to throw the magazine.
“Hi,” I replied, trying to avoid any conversation between us.
“What would you like done today?” She asked as she opened her scissor case. I stared at the cool metal, and said, “Can I get my hair dyed brown with caramel highlights, and cut about chin length?”
She eyed me with what I thought was suspicion, “Messy?”
“Yeah,” I replied instantly, imagining the cut.
“Are you sure you want to dye over your red?” I saw her expression in the mirror, it was one that read are you insane?
“Yes,” I answered to both questions.
“Alright then,” she said with strain. I could tell that she hated the idea of dying over red. “There will probably be a red tint to the brown you choose, is that okay?”
God she asked a lot of questions, “Yes,” I repeated, getting a little annoyed. She brought up a board of coloured hair then and asked me which shade of brown I preferred. When I pointed to one of the darker shades, I could hear her catch her breath.
“That is going to be a dramatic change, and you probably won’t look like yourself.” I could tell she was trying to coax me out of dying my hair, and if I had any other choice I would keep the red; it was my only reminder of my mother, besides the old leather jacket that I had smuggled out of the house when I left.
“That‘s the point,” I sighed. Anna nodded like she understood me, although I was positive that she had no clue at all. Then I chose the second colour, and she left the station to mix them.
When she came back she held two little bowls in her hands. The chemicals that would soon taint my red hair were the colours orange and blue. I swallowed hard and squeezed my eyes shut.
“Are you ready?” She asked. I inhaled and kept the air in my lungs until I felt the need to breathe again. I nodded.
Once I was out of the ally I headed for the nearest cafe. I ordered an egg with bacon and a coffee to drink. I only stayed long enough to eat and pay in fear that I might run into someone I knew. Then I headed to a hair salon, the first thing I wanted to do was to change my appearance and have a fresh look to my new life.
“Hello,” the lady at the till greeted. I nodded and gave a little smile. “Would you like just a trim today?” She guessed.
“No, I would like a cut and dye.” I said. I could see the image of my new look perfectly.
“Alright,” she said with surprise. “You’ll be with Anna, first chair on the right.”
“How much will it cost?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t too much. I only had three-hundred dollars left to spend, and I had to use it wisely.
“With a cut and a dye, it will come to forty-five dollars.”
“Okay, thank you.” I walked over to Anna’s station and heard the receptionist say that Anna would be with me in a moment. I picked up a magazine and looked at the many different hairstyles. I could get anything I wanted. I looked up at the big mirror in front of me and let my red hair fall between my fingers; imagining that soon it would be all gone, and hoping that I looked completely different.
“Hello,” a voice said from behind me. I almost jumped, and held the urge to throw the magazine.
“Hi,” I replied, trying to avoid any conversation between us.
“What would you like done today?” She asked as she opened her scissor case. I stared at the cool metal, and said, “Can I get my hair dyed brown with caramel highlights, and cut about chin length?”
She eyed me with what I thought was suspicion, “Messy?”
“Yeah,” I replied instantly, imagining the cut.
“Are you sure you want to dye over your red?” I saw her expression in the mirror, it was one that read are you insane?
“Yes,” I answered to both questions.
“Alright then,” she said with strain. I could tell that she hated the idea of dying over red. “There will probably be a red tint to the brown you choose, is that okay?”
God she asked a lot of questions, “Yes,” I repeated, getting a little annoyed. She brought up a board of coloured hair then and asked me which shade of brown I preferred. When I pointed to one of the darker shades, I could hear her catch her breath.
“That is going to be a dramatic change, and you probably won’t look like yourself.” I could tell she was trying to coax me out of dying my hair, and if I had any other choice I would keep the red; it was my only reminder of my mother, besides the old leather jacket that I had smuggled out of the house when I left.
“That‘s the point,” I sighed. Anna nodded like she understood me, although I was positive that she had no clue at all. Then I chose the second colour, and she left the station to mix them.
When she came back she held two little bowls in her hands. The chemicals that would soon taint my red hair were the colours orange and blue. I swallowed hard and squeezed my eyes shut.
“Are you ready?” She asked. I inhaled and kept the air in my lungs until I felt the need to breathe again. I nodded.