Waiting to Exhale

Valerie's POV

"I'm home," I called as i walked into my brightly lit kitchen. My father sat at the counter, glasses perched on the end of his nose, reading the paper. He folded it and out it down as i entered, looking on while i opened and closed cupboards, looking for a snack before dinner.

"Dinner is going to be earlier today, your mother and i are leaving tonight," My father said as if to scold me for ruining my appetite. I groaned inwardly. My parents were avid business people. They traveled constantly, leaving me alone with the maid in this gigantic house. Oh well, saves me from curious questions when i showed up for breakfast tomorrow dressed in my new attire.

Munching my apple, I walked back to the foyer where i picked up my bags and ran up the stairs to my room. I loved my room. It had a huge kind-sized bed and a carpet that felt so soft it reminded me of walking on feathers. The furniture was a dark wood and both the bed sheets and curtains were light green and gauzy. The balcony door was open when i walked in, the sun pouring into the room as a gentle breeze ruffled the curtains. I dumped my bags onto the bed and stepped out onto my balcony.

I looked upon the acres of land that my parents owned but didn't use and breathed in the tangy smell of freshly cut grass, that, if i remember correctly, always made Mikey's allergies act up. With a sigh, i turned around around and headed straight towards the bathroom to begin my transformation. Out came the scissors. Looking at myself in the mirror, i shook out my long black hair and carefully brushed it out so it lay perfectly down to the middle of my back. With determination, i delicately took the scissors and started cutting my hair.

Black silk fell, gleaming, onto the floor as i got rid of my most prized possession. My gorgeous tresses soon lay in a pile by my feet as i carefully snipped away the last piece of hair to make my look complete. There. Perfect. I had cut my hair until it hung just at my ears. I then went crazy with the scissors, cutting a bunch of hair here, slicing away a bit there until my hair was a mess of layers that framed my face perfectly. I had kept my bangs the same, to the right side and smoother than glass. As i looked at myself in the mirror, I felt the corners of my mouth tugging up into a grin. The girl in the mirror smiles back at me and i already feel like a different person. I quickly cleaned up my mess i had made, feeling a slight tinge of regret as my locks fell into the trash. Skipping back to my room (yes,SKIPPING. I was amazed at myself) feeling better than i had in months. Now for the second part. I turned the bags upside down and the clothes fell into a colorful pile on the bed. Biting my lip, i sorted through the clothes and chose my outfit for the next day. I walked over and opened my closet and surveyed the tasteful pastel colored shirts and perfectly tailored jeans. I wrinkled my nose at the repetitiveness and quickly fetched a garbage bag from the kitchen. Looking one last time at my past, i swept my arm through my closet and dumped my clothes into the garbage bag.