Chapter Eighteen

Celia I managed to get through my class without breaking down again. I got a couple of curious looks from classmates I’d shared notes with a time or two before, but nobody really seemed to be too interested in my hair, at all. And most importantly, Keith hadn’t freaked out and dodged me.

I still hadn’t seen exactly how bad it was. I’d glanced at it a little when I got dressed, but I’d been in tears and the reflection was blurry. All my lovely hair -- my veil, my sanctuary, was gone. It wasn’t that I was vain about it, not at all. It was that I’d really felt like my hair hid me from the world when I needed it most. I hadn’t even thought about it much over the last couple of years.

Mom used to nag me to cut it, so I’d stop hiding behind it, but she’d stopped and I hadn’t thought about it since. It was a part of me and I’d left it to grow. Now, Rachel had cut it all off with malicious glee.

I checked my phone as I left the building and saw that Keith has sent me a message. I smiled because his name was there now, on the top of the contact page. Where there’d only been question marks before, I’d put in his name.

The last week had left me sore, but oh, so happy. Stupidly happy. And sore. But so ready for more of what Keith had to give me. We’d had a lot of sex, a lot of it, but I still wanted more. Even now, I wanted his touch to reassure me that he still found me as gorgeous as he used to. Before that bitch cut my hair off.

I headed over to the building he’d told me to meet him at and looked around until I found him. He’d changed hats, he now had on a gray hat with no ball, but I didn’t pay it much attention. “Hey, baby.”

He took me in his arms and kissed me as soon as I got close enough to him. I wrapped my arms around him. He was a little bulky with his black winter coat on but let myself sink into him all over again. I listened to his heartbeat for a second and then he pulled away. “Let’s see this hair of yours again.”

He touched the shredded ends and looked for evenness. I guess he didn’t find it, because he shook his head. “Nope, you definitely need that salon. Come on, baby. I’ve got it all set up for you.”

“What? I can’t afford a haircut, Keith!” I dug my feet in, but he pulled harder.

“I didn’t say you had to pay for it. Come on, somebody has to make this up to you, and I’d be happy if you let that person be me, Celia. Please?” The imploring look he sent me made me change my mind.

I was going to refuse his offer but decided not to. Not with those gray puppy dog eyes he gave me. I just couldn’t turn him down. Besides, something needed to be done with this mess.

We walked in and I knew Keith had already explained what had happened. The fluffy blond woman who led me to a chair and sat me down had sad eyes when she looked at me. Then she tutted and murmured about why did women have to be so mean to each other.

“Let’s see what we can do with this shall we, my dear?” She smiled at me in the mirror and I nodded my head. “Alright, what I suggest is this…”

She went on to describe a style that would leave most of what was left but would mean my hair would be short in the back. There was about four inches left at the sides, and she’d cut those to angle along my jawline, and the hairstyle would be a little severe but would grow out. Eventually. I nodded, still too shocked by it all to fully take it in.

I watched her through the process, and answered her questions, but didn’t feel like any of it was really happening. It just wasn’t real. It was some kind of nightmare and I’d wake up to find that Rachel wouldn’t be that fucking insane and my hair would be where it was supposed to be.

The woman, Natalie, soon had everything done and she styled it with a blow dryer before she let me leave. Keith paid for it all and looked at me with a smile. “Well, I wanted to try that one thing we did with your hair one more time, but this looks good. I like it.”

“I’m glad you do.” I looked at my reflection in the glass outside of the salon and frowned. “I’m not sure I do, but there isn’t anything I can do about it is there?”

“There is. Kind of. Why don’t we go and get your things packed up and we can talk about it?”

“Packed up? Did you talk to the school about having me moved?” I walked quickly to catch up with him, and he looked at me with an awkward smile.

“Not exactly. I have an extra room which means you won’t be stuck in that dorm with her. If you want it.”

“You mean to move in with you?” That was sudden, even for me. “But…”

“I know, it’s insane. But it can be temporary, just until the school puts you somewhere else if you want. But I can’t have you going back there with that psycho bitch. Do you know she gave me your number?” He looked guilty and I stared at him.

“What?” I didn’t understand.

“That’s how I knew your number, to text you. She came up to me at a party that first night and gave me your number. Said you both wanted to have a good time.”

“That fucking bitch! And you fucking slut!” I laughed at the last part. “I should be pissed about that, but I can’t be. It brought me you.”

It had been a game for so long that eventually, I forgot to ask him how he’d even got my number. Now I knew. Fucking bitch Rachel gave it to him. On the first night!

Which meant she’d been playing with me this whole time!

“Fuck. Fine, I’ll take your room.” I didn’t want to, but what other choice did I have? “But only until I can be placed somewhere else. This is too new for living together type stuff.”

The look he gave me said “sure” but I had a feeling he didn’t exactly mind the idea of us living together. I’d figure it all out later, I decided as we headed back to the dorm. I dug out the stuff I needed right away, and we put it in all the bags I had. The rest I’d have to go back for, but for now, my life in the dorm was over.

I went down to let them know I was leaving the dorm room and why, and I was sent to someone that was in charge of placements. The girl there was horrified and promised to get on it right away but said it might take some time. Most of the dorm placements were gone right now.

For the moment, it didn’t bother me. I had Keith to rely on, and that made everything so much easier to handle. Our hands were full of bags as we went out to the taxi he’d called, or I suspect we’d have held hands as we left the campus. I just hoped he wouldn’t regret the whole thing.