Despite missing school the previous day, Friday at school was thankfully uneventful. Sure, I got dirty looks from Cassy and her posse, but since I wasn’t cornered in the locker room or tossed in the school’s pool, I was going to call it a good day.
As soon as the final bell rang, Isabelle, Ethan’s girlfriend, and I met in the parking lot. We were going to have a girls’ afternoon to prepare for Ethan’s party tonight.
“How are you doing?” Isabelle asked as we climbed into my 4Runner. “Ethan told me what happened with that guy who attacked you.”
“I—I’m alright,” I said as I turned on the car.
“You don’t sound so sure,” she said, peeking at me before looking out her window. “I’d be a mess.”
“I think I’m still processing it,” I said and pulled out of the school’s parking lot. “I was terrified at the time. I was angry afterward. Now, I don’t know how to feel.” The truth was that I was disturbingly unfazed.
She tucked her long, dirty-blonde hair behind her ear. “That’s understandable. If you begin to feel overwhelmed while we’re out, don’t hesitate to tell me and we’ll go home, okay?”
Finally, I thought. I’d found a girl who could be a good friend. Logan would be happy. “Thank you for that. I’m really happy to be out, though. I love hanging out with the guys, but I’ve desperately needed some girl time.”
She smiled. “Same. I swear I’ve been spending all my time with Ethan.”
“What about your other girlfriends? They haven’t wanted to hang out?” I asked. I had seen Isabelle hanging around two other girls at school. I thought their names were Gina and Paige. Both were quiet and kept to themselves.
Isabelle didn’t answer right away, and I caught her sad expression before she turned her head to look out the side window. “They don’t like Ethan. They think he’s a player and don’t understand why I would want to date him. It doesn’t help that he’s popular, either.”
“What do you mean?’ I asked.
“Gina and Paige hate the popular crowd at our school. I mean, you know how bad Cassy and her friends are.”
I nodded. Yes, I did.
“I’m not proud to say that I used to judge Ethan and his friends because they hang in the same social circles. That’s why when Ethan first tried talking to me, I shot him down right away. I disliked him without truly knowing him. Seeing him trying to cover up his hurt puppy-dog look made me feel disappointed in myself. I guess you could say it was an eye-opening moment. So when he tried talking to me again, I listened.”
“I’m glad you did, because I can confidently say that Ethan is crazy about you.”
The joy that filled her eyes was genuine. “This place we’re going to does hair, too. What are your thoughts on adding that to the agenda? I think I want to take the plunge and dye my hair.”
She had told me she had been thinking about dyeing it pink. I glanced at my dark roots in the rearview mirror. “Sure.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed and pointed at the shopping center I needed to pull into. “Now I’m more excited than nervous.”
“You’re nervous?” I asked as I pulled in and parked in front of Mystic Beauty Salon.
“I’m a little nervous about the party,” she replied. “I’ve never been to one unless you count birthday parties.”
“Same.” Was I nervous? Not really. I was kind of looking forward to it. Shayla had been to more parties than I could count. She’d even risked the wrath of our parents every time.
We walked into the Mystic Beauty and upbeat music greeted us. The salon was decorated in bright white and gold.
“How can I help you?” a lady wearing a black apron over all black clothes asked from behind a tall, white marble counter.
“We’re here to see my cousin Maranda,” Isabelle said.
Not a moment later, a slightly older version of Isabelle came out of a door behind the desk. She and Isabelle had the same dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes.
“Hey, Izzy,” the older version of Isabelle greeted her. She was also wearing a black apron over black clothes. Her hair was styled flawlessly, and her red nails had geometric designs on them.
“We’re here,” Isabelle said and gestured to me. “This is my new friend Shiloh. We’re going to get our hair done, too, if that’s alright?”
“Nice to meet you, Shiloh,” Maranda said with a smile. “Adding hair to the schedule is no problem. I’m training a new girl, so I have extra help today.” She tilted her head to the back. “Let’s go get started.”