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"Ooooh look!!" Mika said, running up to catch up with Chouko, Zyta, Nom, Rene, Xarae, and me. "Look what I found."
Priire took the flier from Mika and read it out loud. "....Need a haircut? Just out of Nom's Hair Care Training Class, Annika, our newest beautician, is all certified to cut, create, and clean hair! The first ten people in line on Saturday get a free cut, creation, or cleaning!!" The flier went on like so.
"So?" Mika asked.
"Uh uh, not me!" Chouko said. "This braid stays...." begins to whisper "...and are you sure you need to trust Annika with your hair? I mean, she's a great gal, but...Annika?"
Zyta and Xarae stiffled a few snickers, and sobered at Nom's stern glare.
"HEY!!! I trained her!" Nom said angrily.
"Be nice, Nom," I said. "Any way, I have been needing a trim, I mean, this really gets hard to brush, I think I could take about six or so inches off."
"Hey, it's your hair," Chouko said.
"I know," Xarae said. "You, me, and whoever else wants to go can go tomorrow and 'supervise' Rune's trim."
"That'll be interesting," Zyta said. "And I'm not missin' it!"
Over supper that night, they decided that they'd go first thing in the morning. Of course none of them would miss this for the world - this is Annika as a 'beautician' we are talking about.
The shiny bell on the local hair parlor clinked a couple of times as all six girls piled into the small shop.
"How wonderful!" Annika exclaimed. When she looked up, she wasn't paying attention and snipped the braid off of the Jedi-in-traning she was attending. "Oops. It'll grow back."
"Aieee!" he screamed, "I'm not paying you, number ten or not!!!"
"We can always go back now," Xarae said over Rune's sholder.
"I already promised Annika over breakfast that I'd come in for a trim," I said and gulped.
"Hi Rune, guys. Who else is getting their hair done?" Annika said, her blue eyes bright with excitement.
"Uhh, um ya see..."
"Got mine done yesterday..."
"...So sorry, don't need one yet..." were some of the replies from the group, none of them meeting Annika's glittering eyes.
"Just me, Annika," I said, swallowed, and put on the best fake smile I knew.
"Great! Have a seat." She motioned to a seat in front of her. "What'll it be?" she asked.
"Just a trim, please, I need a few inches taken off, about six or so, I think. Is that a problem?" I asked.
"Nope!" She said, wrapping a striped bib-type thing around my neck as I sat down. "Want me to wash and condition it too? No extra charge."
"I guess," I replied.
"Fab!" she said and whirled my head down to the sink to start the wash.
"Ummm Annika, what exactly are you washing her hair with?" Mika asked, almost worried for her friend's beloved hair.
"Oh, it's a product that Nom suggested for long, dark, straight hair. It's supposed to bring in more volume, body and essential vitamins and stuff." Annika babbled on about the shampoo for so long the sink overflowed, submerging Rune's head under soapy bubbles and water.
"ANNIKA!!" Rene yelled and jumped over about two chairs to pull my head out from under the water.
"Oops," Annika said. "At least let me finish," she said, frowning.
"Whatever," I said, gasping, "Next time, don't hold my head and hair down while the water's running okay?"
"Mmmmhmmmm," she said and rinsed my hair out. All the while, Chouko, Mika, Xarae, Zyta, Rene, and Priire stared openmouthed and wide-eyed.
"Now, I'm putting in a hydrating conditoner." Annika said.
"Uhhhh, Annika, why is the conditioner bright yellow?" Priire asked.
"Oops. I must have put the extra dye into the empty conditioner bottle," she laughed and resumed washing my hair. "It'll grow out, or you can dye it another color..." she started.
"Ahhhh." I started crying. "My hair, my hair, I've been growing my hair for nineteen years!!! And you... you... YOU... in less than ten minutes have made me.... BLONDE!!!!"
All I could do was cry, hoping that maybe, just maybe, my beloved hair would be salvaged. I slumped in my chair while Annika began to blow dry my hair and get it dry so we could all see the damage that had been done - and at least if it was dry, she could trim the bottom and get the first part of my trip right.
A few minutes later, Nom walked out of the back office, carring a stack of papers. It took about three seconds to analyze the situation: Rune's blonde, there are about five girls staring in shock, and Annika is chopping away at the long three- to four-foot hair. Now that I think about it, all she did was drop the papers she was carrying, drop her jaw, and gasp.
"How did you pass my class, Annika?" Nom asked. I think she was still in shock... but she did well and almost managed to control her emotions.
"Well, I washed it and tried to condition it, but... it's blonde now... and um, I'm taking six inches off and," Annika started. Of course, she then started babbling about hair dye, the weather, and what type of shoe laces would go best with my blue tennis shoes - but of course from that, you should be able to guess that no one was listening.
"Ugggggg," Nom started, "I'm going to re-file this and then Rune better be back to normal, maybe with a haircut if she so wishes, or you're fired and I'm recalling your liscence and you will never have the title 'Beautician' again."
Annika sniffled, nodded, and went to start back on my hair. Immediately, Xarae pushed in front of Annika and held out her hand. "Give 'em up, Annika, you've done your damage here."
"But," she started, "Nom told ME to do her hair."
"No, I used to dabble in hair and cosmetics schooling, plus I used to live by a Kary May selling lady, and belive me, makeovers every month got to be a habbit... well that's not the point. I'll fix it because, trust me." She lowered her tone and emphasized her words then. "Rune, I don't think, really wants you to 'repair and fix' her hair."
I brightened up, and behind me, at least four of the five girls giggled and made silly comments - "...ooh tough girl... snip, shave, and cut..." and a few others. As I think of the rest of them now, in the situation, they were pretty hilarious. Well, anyway, then Annika handed over the scissors and comb, slumped in the whirly chair next to us, and pouted.
"Ahem," Xarae said and stood poised, holding the tools over my head, took a deep breath, and began to finish the ragged cut at the bottom of my hair. When that was finished, she whirled me around so I could look and see if the job was sufficient. It was fine, except I was still blonde.
"Thanks, Xarae," I said. "I slumped back in my chair deciding on what to do next. I certainly didn't want to fry my hair, but going for something wild and crazy might be fun.
"So, what'll it be?" Xarae asked, shaking a bottle of brown hair dye.
"Do it Rune!! I dare you!!" Rene said. It seemed to me that she could read that vibe coming from me.
"I think we should restore it to brown, but," I paused, "I think in Annika's honor, we should..." Annika groaned and put her hands on her forehead and over her eyes. I started again. "...do odangos, but hurry, while I'm still being daring. I might actually think about what I'm doing and change my mind."
"Cool," Xarae said and started dying my hair back to brown.
When we finally finished, I stood and walked to the mirror. Mika and Annika came and stood by me. "Nice 'do," Mika said.
"I agree fully," Annika said.
"I need some decorations for it or something. I mean, I love wearing clips and things and other hair pieces..." I paused. "What can I put on my odangos to SPICE them up some?"
"Here." Annika said, opening a drawer marked "acessories."
"Ooooooooooooooh," Chouko said, peering over my shoulder. "I'd go with stars. It'd match your necklace."
"Yeah, that sounds nice," I said, picking up a sparkly pair of star-shaped bun clips. "Hey Annika, how much for the cut? Or should I ask that question to Xarae?"
"Hey, don't bother paying for the clips. It'll come out of my paycheck if Nom doesn't fire me," Annika said, smiling.
"Xarae?" I asked.
"Don't worry about it, I just didn't want another steryotypical blonde with two odangos and pig tails running around the place. Just think of it as a favor," she responded.
"Great," I said, leaving the parlor with my friends.
A few minutes later, Nom came out of her office, she had finished refiling her papers. "Annika?" she asked.
"Yeah, Nom?"
"Who was that girl leaving the shop with the two odangos? I didn't see her pay," she said.
"Oh. That was Rune. I didn't make her pay since I caused so much trouble with her hair." A big crash of papers sounded behind her. Annika whirled and stared suprised.
Nom had dropped her papers, again.
