To Be Happy Now

"Okay," Alaska said, holding the her brother's electronic razor in her hands.

Hayley was cringing and holding her hands up to her face.

"Alaska, think about this..." Hayley said.

"I have," she replied. "I'd rather be completely bald than have bald patches all over my head. I've made my decision."

They heard the front door slam shut, indicating that Ricky was home from work. Alaska shot Hayley a look to stop her from screaming out, but it didn't work–she did it anyway.

"RICKY!" Hayley shrieked. Alaska sighed, waiting for Ricky to come.

He appeared by the door, confused.

"What are you guys doing in here?"

"She's shaving her head!" Hayley pointed to her. Alaska glared at her best friend who basically just told on her and she turned to face her brother.

"Go ahead, yell at me," she said.

Ricky was giving her an odd look but he shook his head. "You're gonna look weird but if you really want to, then who am I to tell you you can't?"

Hayley's jaw dropped. "What kind of a brother are you?!"

Ricky rolled his eyes. "The kind who doesn't dictate their sister's life."

"You are a disgrace."

"Anyways," Alaska cut them off. She turned around and stared at herself in the mirror. If there was one thing about her body that she prized the most, it was her hair. It was short and black but it never did her a poor service–and she was lucky for that. That was the only feature she knew looked nice every single day. And now she was shaving it all off because it was all going to fall out eventually, what with the chemotherapy and all.

"Should I call Austin? I feel like this is a momentous occasion," Ricky cut in the silence.

Alaska shook her head. "I don't want him to see me bald."

Ricky looked confused. Hayley said, to his confusion, "We're going to buy some wigs right after this."

"Oh."

Alaska let out a breath and she turned the razor on. Hayley cringing and covered her eyes.

"I can't look at this!"

Ricky gave her a reassuring look and Alaska started on one side of her head, feeling all the hair drop down on the ground. She continued to do this until she was completely bald, even getting Ricky to get the back of her head while Hayley covered her eyes in the entire time, occasionally exclaiming, "THIS IS HURTING ME!"

When she was done, she turned the razor off. Hayley took her hands off of her face and Ricky stood up straighter. They all stared at her and Hayley whimpered.

"Your beautiful hair..."

Alaska gave her a sad smile. "It'll grow back, right?"

Hayley returned her smile and nodded. She gave Alaska a hug, causing her to laugh. Ricky rolled his eyes and left the two of them be as they cleaned up and got ready to buy some wigs.

Alaska put a beanie on her head and the two of them drove in Alaska's car to a random wig store that Hayley had found in Scottsdale.

"God, this is so weird," Hayley said, staring at Alaska. She touched the part of her bald head that wasn't covered by the beanie.

"Tell me about it," Alaska muttered. Hayley rolled her eyes.

"Is that a terribly bad thing? That you're going bald?" she asked, more seriously.

Alaska shrugged. "Not necessarily. It's just the chemo and since I go to it so often it just happens to be the side effects."

Hayley was silent after that and they entered the wig store once they got there.

The two best friends had a little too much fun while in the wig store. They tried on so many ridiculous wigs that made them laugh so hard they felt six packs form in their abs. They took a million pictures on their iPhones and uploaded them onto Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr–they were just having a good laugh in the midst of such intensity in their lives.

Alaska eventually found a wig that looked almost exactly like her hair, only a little bit lighter. She bought it and tried it on, feeling slightly itchy, but she decided that it would do.

"So?" Hayley said, in the car on the drive home. "What do you wanna do now?"

Alaska shrugged. "I dunno."

"Let's watch Bridesmaids!" Hayley exclaimed. "And after that, let's have a Saturday Night Live marathon because you know how much I love Kristen Wiig."

"She's hilarious–I don't blame you!" Alaska laughed.

"Plus, we haven't had a good girls night in forever," Hayley whined. "Lately, it's been you and Austin or me and John–"

"Or you and Ricky," Alaska smirked. Hayley glared at her.

"Your brother and I have nothing going on," Hayley said. "One date and after that, it kind of fell apart, so no. It's me and John."

"Whatever you say..."

Hayley glared at her again and said, "Changing the subject now–what is up with you and Gibbs, huh? Have you two spoken since the truth came out?"

Alaska nodded. "Yeah, but everything is different. I can tell he's trying to look at me like he used to, but now it's just, 'Alaska has cancer'. It's been hard on him."

Hayley patted her back. "It's okay. It took me forever to get used to it–hell, I don't know even know if I completely am yet, but Austin is just trying to be the best boyfriend he could possibly be."

"I know–I just hate that this is changing everything in my life and it's not for the better either."

They arrived back at Alaska and Ricky's place and they climbed out of the car. Hayley went over to Alaska's side and pulled her best friend into a bone crushing hug.

"We'll fight this," she murmured in her ear. "All of us, no matter what. I'll stay by you until the end of time because you know why, Alaska Sumner? I'm your best friend in the whole wide world and I'll never give up on you. Your true friends and family are those who'll support you no matter what and I have faith that you'll have a lot of supporters."

It was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to her. Hayley Lincoln was her best friend and she always knew she could count on her, but now she could never doubt the girl. Alaska just hoped what she said was true about Austin–she doubted him sometimes...

"Wow, Hayls," Alaska chuckled, pushing away. "Did not think of you as the cheesy type."

"Hey, don't ruin the moment," Hayley glared, flinging her arm over her shoulder.

"Now let's go inside and watch some Kristen Wiig!"