Twenty minutes later, they were in Lily’s room with the others, and Aaliyah had Lily sitting on the stool at her dressing table and was inspecting her from all angles.
‘Okay,’ she pronounced eventually. ‘I don’t think it’s as bad as you think it is at first sight because I don’t think she’s actually cut that much off the sides. She’s done most of the side mullet bit with hairspray. Lily, you need to get in the shower and wash everything out of your hair and while she’s doing that you need to go and buy some hairdressing scissors, Tess.’
‘Me?’ said Tess.
‘Er, yes?’ Aaliyah raised one eyebrow.
‘But I’m the bride.’
‘Tess, hun,’ said Aaliyah in a voice of steel. ‘I love you, you know I do, we all do, but I’m not joking, you’ve turned into a complete bride-fucking-zilla. Lily has abadhairstyle right now and we need to sort it, andnotjust because of your sodding photos but because we care about her and I’m pretty sure that she’s really upset about it but not saying so. You need to stop thinking only of yourself and start caring about other people again.’
You could have heard a pin drop.
Lily sat in frozen silence, trying surreptitiously to get a look at Tess in the dressing table mirror without moving her head. She could see Meg out of the corner of her eye, also frozen.
‘Go,’ said Aaliyah, not at all frozen.
‘Okay,’ said Tess, in a slightly wobbly voice. ‘Sorry about your hair, Lily.’
When the door had closed behind Lily, they all looked at each other.
‘Are you okay, Lily?’ Aaliyah asked.
‘Feeling a lot better now that you’re going to be in charge of my hair,’ Lily said.
‘Pretty punchy there, Aaliyah,’ Meg said. ‘Areyouokay?’
‘She’s just been pissing me off,’ Aaliyah said. ‘She’ssoself-centred being more worried about her photos than how you feel with the haircut from hell. She wants to try looking after three monster kids on close to no sleep for a whole year andthenshe’d know what stress was like.’
Lily and Meg both nodded and Lily tried not to think about thehaircut from hellcomment.
Aaliyah did a massive sniff and said, ‘Ireallymiss the kids but also Ireallyneed a break from them.’
‘Hey, come here.’ Lily stood up and put her arms round her. ‘That’s why it’s perfect that you’re here for a few days. You clearlydoneed a break and there’s nothing wrong with that and you’ll be delighted to see them when you get home.’
‘Yeah, you’re right. Thank you.’ Aaliyah squeezed her arm. ‘Now get in the shower.’
Tess was back with the scissors by the time Lily was out of the shower and sitting at her bedside table with Aaliyah standing behind her wielding a comb and lots of hair clips.
‘Tess, go and take a rest,’ Aaliyah instructed, ‘and Meg, stay here so that you can tell me how’s it looking.’
‘I kind of arranged to meet someone for lunch,’ Meg said as Tess left the room.
‘Pythagoras can wait,’ Aaliyah said. ‘Stay here. Lily, I’m going to have to take some of the length off the back to balance things but I think I can make you look good. Actually, you know what, I think I might work better with no one watching. Go and see Pythagoras, Meg.’
‘Your wish is my command.’ Meg practically skipped out of the door.
‘Right.’ Aaliyah clipped some of Lily’s hair up and took hold of the bottom right-hand part. ‘We’re going to go layered. You’re beautiful. You’re going to look fab when I’ve finished.’
Oh, God. It didn’t feel good that this was Lily’s only haircut option.
‘Wow,’ she breathed two and a quarter hours later, studying herself in the mirror. She actually looked okay. ‘You’re a genius. A very slow haircutter, but definitely a genius one.’
‘Why, thank you.’ Aaliyah bowed. ‘If I’m honest, that was a little bit nerve-wracking. I’ve never cut anyone’s hair before. That’s why I took my time.’
‘What, ever?’
‘Never. But needs must.’
