Perfectly Destroying Me

I walked into the salon, my friend and work colleague Rachel, was looking at me concerned, "Are you okay, Ethan told me what happened," her bright red hair dropped over her face.
"Rach, I'm fine," I smiled. Rachel had been my one and only friend since Matt and I had lost all contact. She was there before and after-my shoulder to cry on, "actually we're giving our friendship another shot," I shrugged.

"Ali! You've got to be kidding me!" She yelled in shock, "after everything he put you through, you're just going to let it go?!" she said raising her voice slightly.

"No," I sighed, "I guess you won't be happy that we kissed yesterday," I smiled sheepishly.

"Alicia, you're moving backwards, he's not going to change," Rachel shook her head, I ruffled my eyebrows at her.

"Rach, please. I'm 23 years old! I can make my own decisions, plus he genuinely seems sorry."

"Fine but as soon as he proves that he can treat you like a best friend again, I'll eat my hat, okay?" she gave up. I smiled and nodded my head.

"Okay, so my first appointment-Alexis Hamilton," I sighed reading the name from my appointment book. My eyes scanned over the familiar name again. Alexis Hamilton. My sworn enemy, but to Matt-his ex girlfriend, "Oh my God! Rachel, look who Jenny put down as my 11 O'clock!"

"Shit," she sighed, "I swear Al, I didn't know," Rachel said softly.

"It's okay, maybe she won't recognise us."

"Well look who it is," I heard a voice. I guess I spoke too soon. I looked to the door and saw IT. Lexi . Her straw like blonde hair was tied back from her face and a pair of designer sunglasses covered her dark, evil eyes, "So which one of you losers is doing my hair?" she asked snottily.

"This one," I said confidently. One thing about Lexi-she doesn't have shit one me. You know why? She doesn't have Matt, he was the only thing that made her more dominant than anybody else. And she doesn't have him any more, "Can take your bag?" I asked. There was no point in risking my job over a worthless bitch like her. She wants weakness and she's not getting it. Not an ounce.

"No," she said simply, I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, well do you want to come back here and I'll wash your hair," she didn't say a word, she just followed me. I wrapped a cloak around her, securing it with the Velcro at the back, wrapping a dark brown towel around her neck, she took a seat positioning her neck in the dip of the sink. I ran the water, making sure it wasn't too hot. I would gladly scald that big head of hers with water that was far too hot, but like I said, it's not worth risking my job over. I rinsed her hair through with shampoo twice and then left the conditioner to settle. Each moment was spent trying not to pull each strand of hair from her head. It was the least she deserved.

Lexi and I had a full on hate/hate relationship. Why? She ripped the head off of my favourite doll when we were 5. It escaladed as we got older, especially high school, her and her little clique would constantly pick on me and hurling abuse. But then, it turned out that her mom and my dad had an affair with each other. Like mother like daughter I guess.
As the end of high school was getting closer, she would gradually lay off of me, purely for the fact that the principle ordered her to stay away from me. After graduation it took a turn for the worst. Her and Matt started dating. It was all because I ran against her for prom queen and won, I blame Brian's amazing rigging skills. Everybody knew how much she wanted to be prom queen and I stole that from her, but how would she know about my feelings towards Matt.
She hated me promoting his band, she thought it was a way for me to get closer to him, in more than a friendly way. No chance. She eventually started to manipulate him-telling him how I really felt about him and as soon as he confronted me about it, I would deny it. So wrong. Then a year later, she gave him an ultimatum- "me or her". Guess which one he picked.

I rinsed out the conditioner as I shuddered at the memories coming back to me. I rang the water out of Lexis hair as hard as I could, making her wince in pain. "Ali, give me a hat, it's time for me to start eating," Rachel said as she walked into the room.

"What?" I asked in confusion as I wrapped Lexis hair in a towel. I gestured her to follow me as I walked back into main reception and saw, to my surprise, Matt standing there with a dozen red roses. I smiled at him and tilted my head.

"For you my lady," he said giving a soft grin.

"Thank you," I said holding them. I wrapped my arms around his neck giving him a hug, standing on my tiptoes and smiling to myself.

"Hey Matty," I heard Alexis say dully from behind me. Matt didn't say a word, he just smiled falsely.

"Rachel, can you dry her hair? I need to prepare the bleach," I asked.

"Sure, I'll put these in some water too," she winked as I handed her my roses.

I wandered into the store room, grabbing a mixing pot for the dye and I grabbed the solution, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, "Guess who?" they joked in my ear.

"Hmm, Shagrath?"I grinned as I turned around to come face to face with Matt, "Goddammit," I said sarcastically. I held up the hair dye and mixing bowl trying to wriggle out of his grip, "Matt I need the peroxide," I giggled.

"No you don't," he grinned pulling me closer, I smiled at him showing my white teeth, "how about you skip Lexi and we go out somewhere."

"Matt this is my job, I can't just walk out," I sighed.

"Yeah you can," he laughed.

"I would never come on stage telling you to skip a gig and hang out with me," I said raising my eyebrows. He nodded his head and loosened his grip, "Thank you," I said quietly.

"After your appointment with her royal skank, are you free?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, I don't have any appointments, plus that stringy mess on her head is going to take me a while," I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, well is it okay if I come over later?" He gave me that kind of smirk and winked at me.

"Sure," I grinned before he walked out.

So, there is a small detail I've left out about our friendship.