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She’s whoever I want her to be, and I’ll be damned if I letanyoneforce me to be someone I don’t want. This is more than just a hairstyle. It’s the beginning of something new, something fresh, something whollymine.
This is just the start of it.
“You look gorgeous,” Tara whispers, standing behind me.
Our eyes meet in the mirror. Hers are shining green orbs. She lightly runs a hand along the pink streaks in my hair. “It’s not too edgy, but feels a lot like you.”
Heeled footsteps clip the marble-tiled floor. Nya comes into view a second later, wearing a huge grin on her face. “I love it. It suits you so well, Al.”
My eyes start to burn. I wipe the tears away with my knuckles.
“Thank you, guys.” My voice is small. “So much.”
They seem to realize I’m talking about more than just their compliments. They both put a hand on my shoulder, leaning down to rest their cheeks against mine. It’s a brief, fleeting moment, but fills me with so much warmth. Their friendship means everything to me.
The past few days have given me so much perspective.
I need to find a way to escape Saint Frederic University without cutting Tara and Nya out of my life. I don’t know if it’s possible to find friends like them anywhere else—and I don’t want to have to try. They are the best things about the school.
Once the sappy moment has passed, we collect our things and head to the receptionist to pay for our appointment. Yet, the purple-lipsticked man behind the desk tells us that our bill has already been settled.
“What do you mean?” Tara asks. Her black card is perched between her fingers, and she’s got the other hand on her hip. “The appointment is in my name, and I haven’t paid yet.”
His face twists into a Botox smile. “The gentleman covered it.” He points toward the waiting area where Vance and Ezra still are. “Mr. Du Pont.”
My jaw drops. Tara’s confused and Nya doesn’t seem surprised. When she’s regained her composure, Tara thanks the receptionist and walks over to the waiting area. Vance is still occupied with his phone, so she uses her credit card to smack the side of his head.
“What the hell?”
Tara folds her arms. “You paid?”
The anger fades from Vance’s face, replaced with a sly smile. “That’s why you’re upset? Because I did something nice for you girls?”
Tara rolls her eyes. “I didn’t ask you to. This won’t make me like you.”
He laughs. I fold my lips to stop the chuckle from falling out.
Ezra finally seems to notice we’ve joined them, and slowly looks up from his book. Even this close, I can’t make out what he’s reading because of the glare on the glossy cover.
“It wasn’t about you, really,” Vance retorts. “It’s the principle.”
Nya leans in Tara’s direction. “It’s just like I said. He loves to act like a dad.”
“What’s your problem,Nyaleti?” Vance’s gaze hardens on Nya. Is that her full name? It never crossed my mind that Nya could be a nickname. “Do you need my attention that badly?”
My eyes widen. Tara’s jaw slackens, and Ezra’s suddenly more interested in our conversation than his book, peering up with an amused expression. Nya and Vance are staring each other down, her hands tightening into fists at her sides.
“Your attention isn’t hard to get,Vincent. You give it away pretty freely to anything on two legs, if memory serves,” Nya hisses.
Oh my god, Vance is a nickname too?
“Oh, that’s whatthisis about?” Then he adds, “Don’t fucking call me that.”
“I don’t give a fuck. You called me Nyaleti.”
He doesn’t have another scathing remark, and Nya uses his pause to flip him off. She lets out an exasperated groan, and walks away. Tara and I share a confused look before going off after her. We leaveVincentstanding there, stewing.
I catch up to Nya before Tara does.
