by Lucy Rains
Alex sighed dramatically, “But…” He glanced behind me and then back to my hair. “Like how short are we talking here? Like Taylor Swift short, or like Halsey short?”
My eyes blinked in confusion, “I don’t even know who those people are. And I haven’t decided yet.”
His eyes widened, “How can you not know who Taylor Swift is? Didn’t you own a radio? I mean, like in your car?”
I cleared my throat uncomfortably, “My mother had it removed.”
His jaw went slack, at a loss for words.
“But I’m sure I’ve heard her music sometime, like maybe at a store or a friend’s house,” I offered.
Alex opened his mouth but Pierce interrupted. “Alex.” We both looked over to him, and he gave Alex a look that I know meant to shut him up.
Alex turned around and walked away while shaking his head. I looked back to Pierce but he was turned back to his computer screen, as was Kyson.
I pushed off the wall I was leaning on and walked slowly around the room, stepping over brown food bags. I came around to the other side of their table full of monitors and looked at the screens. Two of them off, their screens dark. The two Kyson and Pierce sat in front had multiple tabs and boxes open on each of them. Before I could get much closer Pierce turned to look at me, stopping me in my tracks.
I straightened, “I just wanted to see what you were doing.”
His eyes had a touch of green in the blue depths I hadn’t noticed before. The dimly lit room casted a shadow over his face and his demeanor seemed tense. “Nothing legal.” he said with a bite.
My eyes flickered to the screens again, my curiosity peaked even more. Kyson began typing and one of his open screens began filling with text. Gibberish letters and numbers I didn’t understand.
I took a step closer to get a better look and Pierce let out a heavy sigh. “I would prefer you didn’t get involved in this, or become too aware of everything that is going on.”
My eyebrows furrowed. “Why not?”
He stood up to block my view of the monitors and took a step towards me. I had to take a step backwards and look up to meet his eyes now. “Because you aren’t ready to know everything yet. The things that go on in here delve into the deepest darkest places of the lab, your mother, her research, and all the dirty details surrounding it.”
I swallowed, “I thought you guys were just doing surveillance and keeping tabs on her.”
He lifted a shoulder, “That too.”
I let out a resigned sigh and left the room. I wasn’t going to argue with him However, now my curiosity was at an all time high. I would have to wait for them to eventually open up to me.
Not wanting to go back upstairs, I decided to clean the kitchen. It wasn’t like my cleaning skills were anything spectacular. I rarely did it at home, because Charles had always been one to take care of it. But I refused to live in such a mess. I scrubbed, washed and disinfected until everything in the sink and on the counter was cleaned and I had managed to find it’s home. No one bothered me while I did the chore. I heard footsteps behind me at different moments, but I was left to my cleaning in solitude.
A couple hours later I sat in the back seat of Gavin’s silver Audi with Alex in the front. Alex had attempted to let me sit in the front by holding the door open for me in the driveway, but I had steered myself to the back seat behind Gavin. I avoided his scowl when he climbed into the car. There was no way I was sitting up front with Gavin. It was bad enough being in this close of proximity to him.
I looked out the window as we drove, listening to them bicker over the radio station. The sky was still gray though the rain had stopped. The tires of the car sprayed water has it drove through deep pools gathered on street corners. I studied the area we drove through, trying to learn about the new environment. I made mental notes of the stores, buildings, restaurants that we passed by. There were many resources that would provide employment and the idea of a job started turning in my mind when my stomach growled suddenly.
The bickering stopped abruptly and Alex looked back at me. “Why didn’t you tell us you were hungry?”
I shrugged and looked back out the window. “I’m fine.”
“Yeah,” Alex huffed, “And Gavin’s a saint.”
I hadn’t wanted to say anything. I was hoping I could wait it out until lunch time, but the hunger had started to claw in my stomach while I was cleaning. My body had not caught up on calories yet.
Suddenly the car pulled into a parking lot of a little Mexican dive and zipped into the drive through lane. I tried to protest but Alex silenced me with a look and I sat back into my seat. Even Gavin gave me a glare through the rear view mirror.
“Don’t worry,” Alex said, “Gavin loves having an excuse to eat here. And my favorite hobby is eating, and also thinking about the next time I will be eating.”
Gavin let out a snicker and rolled down the window to order our food. All in spanish.
As Gavin pulled forward and waited to pay I couldn’t help but ask, “Are you actually going to let me eat in your car?”
Another glare. “Can’t have the princess starving.”
“He won’t admit it but he can’t stand the thought of you suffering,” Alex said in a dramatic whisper.
I expected Gavin to argue with this, maybe punch Alex. But he didn’t react at all. Just kept staring out the window, waiting for our food.
I had to admit it was the best breakfast burrito I had ever eaten. Grease and salsa dripped over my fingers as I ate. The blend of cheese and bacon with chorizo was heavenly. It was huge, but I had no problem finishing it.
When we pulled up to the front of the salon my stomach suddenly went uncomfortably tight. Nerves were winding their way through my gut and not mixing well with my food. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten the whole burrito. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. Maybe I could convince the guys to take me home.
I could do this, I told myself. This would be a first of many steps towards freeing myself. And it was just hair.
It was a lovely little salon called La Lux and for a Sunday morning it was busy. Was I even going to be able to afford this place? I realized in that moment that I should have requested a budget haircut shop. Chic, trendy girls were entering the salon. Their designer bags hung on their elbows with their glittering nails and jeweled wrists curled upward. I swallowed. Here I was going out into public with these beautiful guys and I looked like a frumpy rag doll.
The guys opened their doors and started exiting the car.
“Jade?” Alex looked at me still sitting.
Suddenly my door opened and Gavin was standing by me. “I don’t have to be an empath to know you’re avoiding the situation.” He smirked, almost like he was enjoying my discomfort.
I got out of the car and he closed the door behind me. Both he and Alex led the way through the entry doors.
I looked around nervously, the salon was modern and obviously high end. I looked for a price chart. When I found one my heart sank. This was going to use up alot of my hard earned money.
“Hi there, how are we today?” A cheery voice greeted. I looked at the receptionist that had walked up to the front desk. I smiled nervously. Her black hair was layered in choppy waves around her face and her high cheekbones sparkled in the sunlight.
I didn’t know what to say, what to ask, how to act. Whenever I had been to a salon my mother was always the one in charge. My mouth opened but nothing came out.
Gavin spoke from behind me, “She would like to get her hair cut.” I felt a hand at the small of my back push me forward.
Her eyes drifted to Gavin and her expression changed from friendly to alluring. With a shift of her hips, and a tilt of her head, she was flirting with him without saying anything.
Her eyes moved to me and she smiled pleasantly. “Sure thing sweetie, just one moment I’ll get a stylist for you.” She turned and I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“What’s
the matter?” Alex asked.
“Couldn't we have gone somewhere a little more middle class?” I asked quietly.
Gavin scoffed, “Those places are like the fast food of hair. Dirty, cheap, and they screw up your order half the time.”
Alex looked up, “You have never gotten your hair done before?”
I lifted my shoulders, “Not like this.”
“All you gotta do is sit there, nothing to it.”
“I know that,” I said exasperated, “I just, I’ve never, oh nevermind,” I said quickly as the hostess walked back over to us.
“Bianca is ready for you,” she said with a smile. She motioned for me to follow and I noticed the wink she slipped to one of the guys behind me.
I followed her to a hair station and sat in the high black chair. “Can I get you anything sweetie? Water? Coffee?”
I assured her I was fine and she walked away. A moment later a petite, blonde, curvy lady walked up with a big smile on her face. She greeted me and we talked for a few minutes about what to do with my hair. 10 minutes later I was covered in a black sheet with my hair parted in weird sections and foil lining my hair. I had decided at the last minute to add hints of red into my dark hair for a touch of color.
I could see the guys from my chair in the reflection of the mirror. They talked occasionally and busied themselves on their phones. A few times I caught them watching me intently. It was hard not to be embarrassed with my head looking like a spaceship. Alex gave me a thumbs up at one point and waggled his eyebrows. I couldn’t help but smile. The stylist looked over my shoulder to see what had caught my attention.
“Such cute boys, are they your brothers?”
She wished. “No,” I smiled. “Just good friends.”
“Well, they must be really good friends.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because no guy waits for a girl to get their hair colored and cut unless they’re family or a very devoted ‘friend’.” She said with a teasing smile. “And sometimes, not even then.”
I studied them, absorbed on their phones. I doubted they held me in the high regard she was insisting at. I had been a high maintenance pain to them, and they had admitted this morning, they wanted my help. Not me, but my skills. I was pretty sure they were just here to guard me from making a run for it.
Things were going smoothly until the scissors came out. As she combed through my hair in preparation to cut it, icy fear rushed over me. My breath caught tight in my throat and I stiffened. I pinched my eyes closed, trying to get control over my physical responses, anxiety pushing down on my chest.
My hands wrapped around the metal armrests, trying to find stability. The noises around me started fading, a whooshing sound filling my ears. Guilt, and bitterness bit into me. I couldn’t do this. My mother’s face, the displeased turn of her lips, and scowling eyes. I tried to pull it out of my mind but couldn’t. I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t ready. I wanted to bolt out of the chair. The stylists hands were like ants on my head and I wanted her to stop touching me.
I was vaguely aware of the stylist trying to get my attention,
“Miss? I’m sorry miss, are you-”
A deep voice cut in, and her hands disappeared. A firm grip on my knees, rotating my seat around. I shook my head, hot tears were pricking my eyes and I wanted to disappear. Screw the salon, screw my hair. Screw this stupid idea of gaining control. My mother’s face rose in my mind again, and I cursed her. Hating her power over me.
Warm hands wrapped around my face and held me still. The humming in my chest intensified, sending thick warm relief to my tense limbs. Immediately the anxiety melted and I was able to relax. The need to run disappeared. My hands loosened and I settled them back into my lap. I peeked through my wet lids into Alex’s eyes. They were wide yet calm. He encouraged me to breath slow and steady.
After a minute of letting me pull myself together, he continued. “First of all,” his voice low and soft, “I forgive you for cutting your hair. If it was my way, you wouldn’t touch it.”
I knew I should smile at his attempt at humor but couldn’t manage to lift my lips. Instead, I sniffed through my dripping nose.
“Second, she’s not here. Don’t let her have that power of you anymore. It’s time to start making your own choices.”
I brought a hand up from underneath the black shield and wiped at my eyes. My head nodded and sniffed again, letting out a heavy breath.
“As much as I hate to admit it, this is a good step for you. Okay?”
I nodded again. The muscles in my neck relaxed and the need to cry had ebatted. Shame washed over me. I peeked into the mirror as I wiped at my face, seeing the neighboring stylists looking at Alex in his squatting position. No one was looking at me.
“You’re going to make some poor girl walk out of here with a mohawk.”
His face twisted in confusion. “What do you mean,” he asked, dropping his hands from my face and leaning back.
I glanced quickly to the side of me and back to him. “Stop distracting the stylists.”
He folded his arms over his chest, making his muscles bulk without trying. “Don’t change the subject,” he said firmly.
He was right, I didn’t want to talk about the dark feelings inside of me. I nodded, “I’ll be okay. Thank you.”
I saw in the mirror that Bianca had come back. “One step at a time.” He patted my knee and went back over to sit by Gavin.
When the scissors came out again I was prepared and didn’t melt into another mess. Inches were snipped off and layers were created all around my shoulders. Fringed layers tickled the sides of my cheeks. The look was sharp, with an edge. Not too short for Alex’s sake, but short enough to shed the old me.
When the black sheet was removed I thanked Bianca for her help and went up to the front counter to pay for my cut and color. When I walked over to the guys, both were holding their phones in front of their faces in identical positions, but no longer looking at the screens, their eyes focused on me. I reached out with my new 6th sense and felt a jumble of emotions between the two of them. Fascination, and something new I wasn’t sure about. Admiration, or awe maybe. Blood rushed to my cheeks and I looked away.
As I pulled my wallet out of my fraying purse, I turned to the register and began counting out my cash. I had counted out a few $20s when the money was suddenly yanked out from my fingers.
“Hey!” I turned to reach for it, but was distracted by my wallet being grabbed out of my other hand. “Son of a-”.
I turned to yell at the guys but they were too quick. Gavin handed Alex my wallet, my cash quickly stuffed back inside. My mouth hung open and before I could form a sentence, an arm was put around my waist to lead me outside.
“Wait!” I shrieked.
“Oh hush,” said Alex.
I growled and was sorely tempted to bring a hand up to show my frustration. “I have money, I can pay for it!”
I looked up at Gavin, but he didn’t bother meeting my eyes. Alex plopped me back down into the back seat and quickly shut the door.
I waited until he had sat down in his front passenger seat before I continued. “What the hell?!” I yelled, “If that wasn’t controlling, I sure don’t know what is.”
Alex ignored me by clicking on his seat belt and putting his sunglasses on, checking his reflection in the sun visor mirror.
“Alex!”
“You don’t need to repeat yourself,” he snapped the visor up, “I ignored you just fine the first time.” He handed my wallet to me over the center console without turning around.
Gavin sat down in the car and turned the ignition. “Jade, you wouldn’t have needed to do that if it wasn’t for us.” His voice was flat, completely unruffled by my protests. “Surely we're not going to make you pay for something that was made necessary by our actions.”
“And we can afford it just fine.” added Alex.
My mouth turned down and I set my wallet on my lap. My mouth locked shut and I
rolled my eyes. I ran a hand through my new $200 hairstyle as I leaned back into the soft leather. Silence filled the car, as I sat back in a mix of annoyance and appreciation.
CHAPTER 11
When we pulled up in the driveway, the last trickles of anxiety from the salon still flickered over my mind and I was glad to be back at the house. Not happy about my situation, but the house seemed less threatening than the scissors Bianca held over my head.
The sun was beginning to peak out from behind the clouds. Pierce was in the driveway, talking to Kyson while Kyson washed his car. Soapy bubbles streamed down the sides, and Kyson held a poofy washing mit over one hand. Kyson’s dark blue Honda sedan looked to be about a century old and needed way more than a simple car wash.
Gavin and Alex popped quickly out of the car once it was off. Alex was complaining about being hungry again. I took my time getting out, not in a hurry to go back inside. In fact, rather than going towards the house, I leaned against the car, watching Kyson work. I inhaled the fresh spring air and let the oxygen cleanse my lungs. The air was thick with moisture and I could feel my hair cling to my cheeks.
Alex spoke quietly to Pierce as he passed by him, and I knew it would be about my salon melt-down. I inwardly chastised myself and my moment of weakness. My arms wrapped tightly around myself.
Pierce nodded silently and looked up at me. I quickly diverted my gaze back to Kyson. But it was pointless, there was no avoiding him as Pierce began slowly walking over to me. I wanted to push off the car and follow Alex inside but I felt rooted to my spot. As he came closer, I pulled back my senses, not wanting to know what he was feeling. Wanting to avoid his smell, or being tempted to look up into his blue eyes.
“It looks good,” he offered in greeting.
I continued to watch Kyson spray off his car. My attention flickered behind him to the garage. The door was open and I spotted workout equipment. Dumbbells, weight benches, and lots of black circular weights. That explained everyone’s muscled physics.
“Thank you,” I responded in a tight voice. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of my own expenses.”
