Becoming the Luna

"Let's get our hair and nails done first then we'll go shopping!" Shana announces, dragging us all into the crowded mall.

"You really need girlfriends." I shake my head, letting her drag me along.

"Well she found one." Virgil shrugs.

"And fell in love with her." Dale adds.

"Watch your step." She threatens darkly, effortlessly navigating the crowded mall.

"How do you even know where to go to?" I ask in disbelief, I mean my Grammy, my Aunt and my mom usually dragged me to the mall with them but I would get lost if I had to go all by myself.

"It's not that complicated." She says smugly, stopping in front of the beauty section. "Everyone is getting their hair dyed." She suddenly announces.

My mouth drops open in shock. "What?" 

"Not the entire thing silly, that's my thing, I'll just tell the stylists to dye the edges."

"I hope we aren't getting tattoos as well." I say with a slight shiver, tattoos hurt.

Shana's eyes go wide at this, taking my hands to jump around a bit with me. "That sounds like so much fun, we definitely have to get tattoos before we go back." She squeals excitedly.

Virgil and Dale just keep their distance from her and I pout in dismay at being the one to deal with her hyperactivity.

"Let's go in!" 

We all follow her quietly, watching as she cheerily greets the stylists in the salon and effortlessly steers us to different seats, throwing orders around too at the same time.

She pushes Virgil down on a chair and I watch with unhappiness as his stylist, a slender and pretty woman go red in the face and stare at him with too much happiness.

Shana whips out her phone and flashes a photo in the stylist's face. "I want this for him okay, and dye the edges of his hair, a dark bluish-grey."

The stylist's eyes go wide and I'm curious about the picture that she had shown her, she nods furiously and pulls out a drawer obviously very eager to get started.

"Do you have face masks?" Shana asks the stylist who nods. "I'll need three."

"What?" Virgil frowns, looking like a trapped animal. "What do you need face masks for?"

"This." She says shortly, covering up his eyes with the mask and patting it in place. "It won't turn out perfect if you all see it while it's happening."

"But you're not going to cover your own eyes." Dale complains, moving backwards when she comes over to him to put on the face mask.

Shana just rolls her eyes. "Well, someone has to keep track of what is happening."

After she puts the mask on his, she pushes him to another chair and I discreetly glare at the ogling stylist - that's it! I dislike salons, especially when Virgil and Dale tags along.

"Just renew his hair cut and dye the edges sliver." She orders importantly.

"I feel like I'm going to regret this." I mutter, letting her put the mask on my face after she's done with Dale.

"Make your conclusion after I'm done okay." She says, pushing me gently on a chair.

"He's not cutting his hair, just dye the edges…"

"He's a boy?" The stylist says in genuine surprise and I roll my eyes behind the face mask, not this again.

"Yes." Shana says shortly, not encouraging the interruption. "Just dye his edges a pastel pink and curl his hair slightly so his loose waves bounce a bit."

I just tune them out, impatient to get out of the chair and see the disaster that Shana is so excited to create on my head.

The washing and curling of my hair is so relaxing that I start to doze off, I actually fall asleep and don't wake up until much later when Shana taps me.

"Hayden? Wake up." She shakes me gently.

I blink and open my eyes only to stare at the interior of the face mask. "Is it done yet?" I ask feeling nervous and excited at the same time.

"Yep! Ready to see my masterpiece?" She asks grandly and I shake my head imperceptibly at her dramatics.

"Yes, of course."  I say impatiently, already reaching for the straps.

She slaps my hand away. "I wanna do it."

I fold my arms in exasperation. "Fine, just hurry, I feel like I'll look like a drag queen contestant."

I keep my eyes closed when she takes off the mask so that the light doesn't hurt my eyes, slowly, I open my eyes and peer at the mirror sitting in front of me and… woah!

"Now, I look like a girl!" I complain in horror, staring at my reflection.

My hair had really grown out, it's well past my jaw now and painting the edges a pale pink didn't help at all.

I turn around to Virgil, ready to complain but what I see makes an involuntary scream escape my throat.

I just stare wide eyed at Virgil, trying to recognize my bestfriend. 

"I know, I know, I'm awesome aren't I?" Shana says smugly, dragging me to go over to Virgil.

He still had his face mask on but I'm still devastated, why hadn't we done this a long time ago?

Shana takes out her phone and starts taking pictures, the stylist sprays something over his hair and pronounces him ready.

I hadn't even noticed Shana's hair because I was too distracted by Virgil, she had done her hair in a striking blue, leaving the roots a dark red.

Virgil doesn't even wait for Shana to proclaim him ready, already ripping off the face mask and turning in the direction that I was seated, instead he sees me standing in front of him with a stunned expression.

"Shana, have I ever told you how awesome you are?" He asks distractedly, reaching out to grab me and pull me on his leg.

I slap a hand over my mouth in shock but I'm not totally against this, considering his stylist backs away a couple steps.

He frames my face in his arms to get a better look. "This really looks good on you."

I avert my eyes from his intense look. "You haven't even seen yourself yet."

His eyes widens fractionally in surprise, like he hadn't really considered it. "Why don't you be my mirror? How do I look?"

I blink at this. "Me? Why are you asking me? The mirror is just right in front of you."

He throws his arms around my waist and shrugs slightly. "Why not? It's still the truth anyway."

I try to lean back at his face that is so close to mine, his wicked handsome face hits harder with the undercut and blue-grey edges, he looks straight out of a comic book. "You look great." I mumble under my breath, looking away.

There's a rustling sound beside me and I turn to see Dale sitting up with a frown on his face and… no! Why did Shana do this to me?

He rips the face mask off his face with an upset expression. "What the fuck is going on?" He demands and I see his stylist slowly collapse on another chair, I'm grateful I'm already sitting down because I'd have done the same.

"Dale, you haven't looked in the mirror yet." Shana says quickly, wanting their feedback.

Dale just glares at her and comes over to help me off Virgil's legs. "Hayden can be my mirror." He says with finality, pulling me close - here I was almost thinking that they had forgotten about their rivalry. "How do I look, Hayden?"

Shana just shakes her head and grabs on to both of their ears. "Pay the stylists, Hay, I'll make these idiots get their nails painted as a punishment for ignoring me." She threatens in a dark voice, manhandling them towards the doorway.

I smile nervously at the stylists who are giving me weird expressions. "Sorry about that, um, just use this to pay for our hair." I bring out the card and notice their eyes go wide.

"Um, hello." Virgil's stylist walks up to me while I wait for my card. "Could you help me give this to your blond friend?" She asks nicely.

I smile threateningly at her and take the scented piece of paper.

"Here." The cashier gives me back my card and I take it, rushing out before another stylist gets brave enough to hand me another paper.

When I step out of the salon, I see them on the other side waving me over, I wave back and walk over to the nearest trash can, dumping the scented piece of paper in with a happy smile on my face.

No one, no one gets near my Virgil.

I dust my hands when I'm done and start to make my way through the crowd, there's a fountain in front and I beeline for it, there's less crowding around it.

I don't want to lose my card after I had just gotten so I decide to put it in the front pocket of my skinny jeans, I look down briefly for this and in that split second I bump into someone and lose my balance nearly falling down.

The person grabs onto my arms and I'm already apologizing profusely before I look up at the person and realization dawns on me, along with a healthy dose of horror.

Blake…

Oh my God! This is the absolute worst, I hope he doesn't recognize me.

I'm off balance so it's his arms that are stopping me from going over and conking my head on the side of the fountain but he's not letting go, instead he's staring at me with bright brown eyes like he's trying to remember.

I don't give him the chance to, quickly separating from him. "Ah, I'm so sorry for that, I wasn't looking." I apologise, already sneaking away.

He grabs my arm again. "Wait, I know you, Hayden?" 

My mouth slowly falls open and I see Dale and Virgil marching over with Shana trying to hold them back and failing.

I smile nervously. "Hi, Blake."