‘Just over three and a half thousand.’ I can still hardly believe we raised that much.
‘Wow, that’s fantastic.’ Sally sounds genuinely impressed.
‘My mum died of cancer five years ago and I wanted to do something as a kind of memorial. It wasn’t just me though. My friend Cassie helped, and a few others.’
‘But you organised it, yes?’
‘Well, yes, it was my idea, but I had a lot of help.’
‘Of course. It takes a lot of work to put on those kinds of events.’
I start rinsing the shampoo from her hair. The smell of coconut always reminds me of summer – Mum used to wear a sun lotion that smelled similar.
‘How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?’
‘Eighteen.’
‘Ah, so you’re in your second year. How’s the studying going?’
I shrug. ‘Okay. It’s all a bit intense though.’
‘Do you know what you want to do afterwards?’
‘Yes, I’m going to train to be a hairdresser. Jennifer’s going to take me on full-time once my A-levels are over.’ I get a warm feeling as I tell her my future plans. I’m so glad I’m not like a lot of my friends, who have no idea what they want to do next.
‘Oh.’ Sally sounds surprised. ‘I thought you might have applied to uni.’
‘That was the original plan, but I’ve realised that I don’t want to study anymore. I want to start earning, get my own place. And I enjoy working at Waves. I think I’d like being a hairdresser.’
‘That’s great.’
I spend the next couple of minutes towel-drying her hair, applying conditioner, and massaging her head. She’s quiet for a while and I let my mind wander, thinking about the long summer holidays ahead and whether I’ll have saved enough money to go away with my friends.
‘That feels great.’ Sally interrupts my daydream. ‘If you’re half as good at cutting hair as you are giving head massages, you’ll be a top hairstylist.’
‘Thank you. Everyone loves having their head massaged. I think it’s because our scalps are usually so neglected.’ I start rinsing the conditioner from her hair.
‘Actually… I’ve just had a thought.’
‘Oh? Do you want me to get Debbie?’
‘No, it’s not about my hair. Like I said earlier, I run the marketing department at the college.’
‘Sounds like an interesting job.’ I’m unsure as to where she’s going with her conversation.
‘The thing is, my department’s just created a new role for a trainee PR officer. Only we haven’t had many decent applicants.’
‘Oh. That’s a shame.’
‘Does it sound like something that might interest you?’
‘Interest me? Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean.’ She must think I’m such a dork.
‘Would you be interested in applying for the job of trainee PR officer?’ she explains.
‘Um… I don’t know. What’s a PR officer?’
‘Oh, sorry, PR stands for public relations. Making sure the public has a good perception of the college. Generating positive publicity. That kind of thing.’
