Betting Chances
Ogled
“Holy mother of all that is proper hair care and shampoo.” Hailey stood at the doorway of our shared bathroom. While her eyes were wide open, her mouth was just the same, hanging at its very hinges. I could swear I could see even the slightest bit of drool just dripping from the corner of her lips. “What the hell are you doing? Are you insane?”
I shrugged. My hand was steady by my face, taking deep and steady breaths. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I looked completely and utterly scared, and I knew why, too. I could feel the cold edge of the scissors on my skin, in between its two pieces a bushel of my own hair.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa—“ Hailey moved closer. Her hands hovered just before the scissors. “Let’s not get hasty now, Jesse. I know times are tough, but ruining your hair is not the answer.”
I could already feel my lip getting swollen from me continuously gnawing at it.
“Jesse—“
It’s now or never.
“Jesse, no!”
Snip!
Four little auburn ringlets slipped through the sheers and tumbled down to the floor passed my shoulders. The weight on my head lessened, and it wasn’t just in the physical definition. Even with those few strands, I could already sense the change. I could smell the change in myself and in the air around me.
Hailey just gaped at me.
“Jesse.” She started hyperventilating. “What—“
“Can’t stop now, can I?” I giggled. Taking even bigger strands, I continued snipping away at my thick twists and waves of hair.
“Just stop!” My twin attempted to steal away the clippers out of my hands.
“What would you rather have me do now?!” I held my hand behind my back, “It’s half gone already!”
“But why?” Hailey just looked intently at what she used to see as her mirrored image. “Jesse, what the hell are you thinking?”
I twisted my lips together. “I was thinking that everything has been the same for way too long.”
The long-haired twin gaped at me in such a way that made me know that she was just trying to understand me. We’d been together for our entire lives and now we’re starting to think differently. Well, not as if we ever felt the same way before, but now we’re thinking in ways that neither of us could truly predict.
“Do you—“ Hailey heaved a sigh. She blinked away the remnants of her thoughts. “Do you need any help?”
I could see the honest good intentions behind my sister’s question. She was never one to openly do things like this—things that she didn’t know whether it was wrong or right. Knowing her above everyone else, she was going out on a whim for me.
“Sure.” I answered quietly.
With my back facing towards her and my face towards the mirror, Hailey finished what I had started and cut away at my locks. Before I knew it, I was not looking at the Jesse Reynolds with the long golden-brown tresses. Now, I see a girl with a strong face that is not defined by her looks—a girl who was determined to do whatever she could for things that she needed.
Hailey smiled shyly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it actually looks really good on you, sis.”
“Always the tone of astonishment.” I sniggled, fingering at my new hair which was still in shock from the sudden cut.
“You got to give me some credit!” She rested her chin on my shoulder. “The entire school is going to be talking about you.”
“You say that as if they already don’t with all that’s been going on.” I sighed. “I hate school. Of all the places that I could be right now, anywhere in the world, I have to be in this hell hole that is Dulaney High School.”
“There’s only one month left, sis.” Hailey rubbed my shoulder. “One month.”
**
“Whoa.”
That one word was basically composed the entire chorus of what the school hallways whispered as Hailey and I walked passed them towards our lockers. It was expected that the gawks from girls were unreceptive, but the looks of the guys said otherwise.
“Hey, Reynolds!”
We both turned around.
It was one of the jocks. Typical. Varsity jacket, Nike dunks, and one too many cases Crest Whitening mouth wash, but needless to say, he wasn’t anything short of attractive.
“Yes?” Our twin voices inquired simultaneously.
“Niiiice.” His dragged out tone nodded in approval. “Your hair looks sick.”
“Thank you.” I chuckled as he backed away, still looking.
“Ugh.” Hailey groaned. “I feel neglected. Maybe I should cut my hair, too, since I know it’ll look good.” She teased.
“Um, no.” I rolled my eyes.
“Whoa.” A male voice snuck up behind me.
“Hey, Alex.” My twin stuck her face in her locker. She’s probably still paranoid around him. I couldn’t blame her. I explained my situation to her at around midnight when she was so tired that even when she tried to take swings at me, all I had to do was push her away with one finger and she’d fall backwards.
Alex Gaskarth ogled me. “Your hair—it’s just—Um…”
“Boyish? Short? Not in the least bit feminine?” I laughed at myself. “I don’t even care anymore.”
“Well, yea, you’re getting a lot of stares from the other girls…” Alex chuckled. “I hope none of them go lesbian because we’ve got some cute ones here, and then I might not stand a chance.”
“Then go gay and find another life to ruin.” Hailey mumbled.
I jabbed her in the side. “Shut up.”
“No.” Alex snickered. “I probably deserved that one.”
“Actually, you did.” Hailey slammed her locker. She paced her way around, brushing passed me and made a beeline trail straight for the shaggy haired boy. “You haggard, disgusting, dense, ungrateful little—“
I knocked her head probably too hard seeing as she wobbled backwards. “CALM YOUR TITS!”
I shrugged. My hand was steady by my face, taking deep and steady breaths. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I looked completely and utterly scared, and I knew why, too. I could feel the cold edge of the scissors on my skin, in between its two pieces a bushel of my own hair.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa—“ Hailey moved closer. Her hands hovered just before the scissors. “Let’s not get hasty now, Jesse. I know times are tough, but ruining your hair is not the answer.”
I could already feel my lip getting swollen from me continuously gnawing at it.
“Jesse—“
It’s now or never.
“Jesse, no!”
Snip!
Four little auburn ringlets slipped through the sheers and tumbled down to the floor passed my shoulders. The weight on my head lessened, and it wasn’t just in the physical definition. Even with those few strands, I could already sense the change. I could smell the change in myself and in the air around me.
Hailey just gaped at me.
“Jesse.” She started hyperventilating. “What—“
“Can’t stop now, can I?” I giggled. Taking even bigger strands, I continued snipping away at my thick twists and waves of hair.
“Just stop!” My twin attempted to steal away the clippers out of my hands.
“What would you rather have me do now?!” I held my hand behind my back, “It’s half gone already!”
“But why?” Hailey just looked intently at what she used to see as her mirrored image. “Jesse, what the hell are you thinking?”
I twisted my lips together. “I was thinking that everything has been the same for way too long.”
The long-haired twin gaped at me in such a way that made me know that she was just trying to understand me. We’d been together for our entire lives and now we’re starting to think differently. Well, not as if we ever felt the same way before, but now we’re thinking in ways that neither of us could truly predict.
“Do you—“ Hailey heaved a sigh. She blinked away the remnants of her thoughts. “Do you need any help?”
I could see the honest good intentions behind my sister’s question. She was never one to openly do things like this—things that she didn’t know whether it was wrong or right. Knowing her above everyone else, she was going out on a whim for me.
“Sure.” I answered quietly.
With my back facing towards her and my face towards the mirror, Hailey finished what I had started and cut away at my locks. Before I knew it, I was not looking at the Jesse Reynolds with the long golden-brown tresses. Now, I see a girl with a strong face that is not defined by her looks—a girl who was determined to do whatever she could for things that she needed.
Hailey smiled shyly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it actually looks really good on you, sis.”
“Always the tone of astonishment.” I sniggled, fingering at my new hair which was still in shock from the sudden cut.
“You got to give me some credit!” She rested her chin on my shoulder. “The entire school is going to be talking about you.”
“You say that as if they already don’t with all that’s been going on.” I sighed. “I hate school. Of all the places that I could be right now, anywhere in the world, I have to be in this hell hole that is Dulaney High School.”
“There’s only one month left, sis.” Hailey rubbed my shoulder. “One month.”
**
“Whoa.”
That one word was basically composed the entire chorus of what the school hallways whispered as Hailey and I walked passed them towards our lockers. It was expected that the gawks from girls were unreceptive, but the looks of the guys said otherwise.
“Hey, Reynolds!”
We both turned around.
It was one of the jocks. Typical. Varsity jacket, Nike dunks, and one too many cases Crest Whitening mouth wash, but needless to say, he wasn’t anything short of attractive.
“Yes?” Our twin voices inquired simultaneously.
“Niiiice.” His dragged out tone nodded in approval. “Your hair looks sick.”
“Thank you.” I chuckled as he backed away, still looking.
“Ugh.” Hailey groaned. “I feel neglected. Maybe I should cut my hair, too, since I know it’ll look good.” She teased.
“Um, no.” I rolled my eyes.
“Whoa.” A male voice snuck up behind me.
“Hey, Alex.” My twin stuck her face in her locker. She’s probably still paranoid around him. I couldn’t blame her. I explained my situation to her at around midnight when she was so tired that even when she tried to take swings at me, all I had to do was push her away with one finger and she’d fall backwards.
Alex Gaskarth ogled me. “Your hair—it’s just—Um…”
“Boyish? Short? Not in the least bit feminine?” I laughed at myself. “I don’t even care anymore.”
“Well, yea, you’re getting a lot of stares from the other girls…” Alex chuckled. “I hope none of them go lesbian because we’ve got some cute ones here, and then I might not stand a chance.”
“Then go gay and find another life to ruin.” Hailey mumbled.
I jabbed her in the side. “Shut up.”
“No.” Alex snickered. “I probably deserved that one.”
“Actually, you did.” Hailey slammed her locker. She paced her way around, brushing passed me and made a beeline trail straight for the shaggy haired boy. “You haggard, disgusting, dense, ungrateful little—“
I knocked her head probably too hard seeing as she wobbled backwards. “CALM YOUR TITS!”