Bad Boys & True Love

“Are you sure it looks okay?” I asked for the hundredth time, nervously petting my new hair. Of course I loved it—there’s no way it could have looked worse than my old hair—but I had to admit that I cared a little bit what others thought if this was going to be the look I would be sporting for a while.

“Since when do you care?” Christina retorted. She had gotten tired of reassuring me halfway on our way to school.

I sighed and forced myself to put my hands down. “You’re right. Screw everyone else.”

Christina grinned. “That’s the Stella that I love. Besides, you look like a smokin’ hot babe. Chill.”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath. It actually helped and I felt better. I locked my arm around hers as I walked her to her class. All the familiar faces that I passed stared at me in a way that made me both blush and smile.

I guess I could have chosen a color a little less…loud. But hey, red was my favorite. And I loved that I was now the only one in school with fire-engine red hair.

“So how’s Mike?” I asked conversationally. The bundle of nerves in my stomach sizzled down dramatically.

Her face lit up. “A dream.” She sighed adoringly. “I think I’m in love, no lie.”

“Aw,” I cooed. “That’s so sweet. I told you he was a good guy.” I squeezed her arm. “So…have you guys…done it?”

Christina went beet red. “Well no. But we will. Soon.”

My eyebrows rose. Although Christina had always been more popular with the opposite sex, it had never made me feel inexperienced because we were both virgins. She once even told me that she would be a virgin until marriage…but I guess things change. “Good for you,” was all I said.

I dropped her off and made my way to my class. I couldn’t help but run my fingers through my hair every so often. I was really digging it—and I thought I was doomed to always hate my hair.

“Awesome hair, Stella!” someone called out from over my shoulder and I grinned back at them. Fuck yeah!

I turned the corner and—surprise, surprise—ran race first into Drew. Again. “Fucking—” He cut himself off when we realized that it was me. “Holy shit! Your—your hair!”

I smiled and hugged him. “You like?”

“Y-yeah,” he enthused. “When did this happen, kitten?”

I brought down his face to mine and kissed him eagerly. Drew responded with just as much enthusiasm and before long I had to pull away. “Just the other day. I’m glad you like it,” I purred and kissed him again.

He grinned, his dark chocolate-colored eyes bright, and ran both hands through my hair. “I feel like I can’t call you kitten anymore. You’re like…a hellcat.”

“Aw, I like it when you call me kitten,” I crooned and batted my eyelashes at him.

Drew grinned even bigger and dragged his head down, his lips pausing just next to my ear. “Kitten,” he whispered and kissed my neck. I squealed and pushed him away playfully.

“Damn you. We’re in school,” I scolded with a smile. “Now I have to go before I’m late.”

He groaned and pressed his face to my hair. “You should skip with me.”

“We should hang out after school,” I edited.

Drew kissed me once more. “Nah, I can’t. Some other time.”

“Okay. But you’re coming to my recital later this week, right?” I clarified.

“Um, sure. See you later.” He turned and walked away without as much as a goodbye hug. I wondered if it was possible to love two people at once.

Or if I even knew what love was.