How To Stay Afloat (BxB)

Chapter 81: We're going down together

Mom made an appointment at the hairdresser for me because 'it's christmas, you're not gonna look like this for the most important holiday of the year'.

The same woman as last time ends up cutting my hair. She just shaves the sides shorter again and leaves the top almost as it is. I could have done that at home, too.

Okay, maybe not.

"How do you like the hairstyle?" She asks me as she puts product in my hair.

"It's great. A lot easier to tame than the long hair." I explain.

"And your boyfriend was also satisfied, I hope?" She asks me.

I smile. "Yep, he loves it."

"That's great. Are you gonna be celebrating christmas together?" She asks me.

I feel bad for getting my hair cut on christmas. They are open until 2 just because of people like me.

I shake my head. "No. I'm celebrating with my family and he-" I stop talking as I think about it. I don't even know what he does. Does he celebrate with his dad and grandma? I think he told me he'd celebrate with them. Does his grandma even know what happened yet? "-uhm, I guess he does, too." I end the sentence. "Oh, well, with his family, not mine. Uhm, you?"

She smiles wide. "I'd love to be with my family, but they live very far away. I'm gonna spend christmas with my fiance's family."

"Uhm, sounds nice. Congratulations on engaging." I say to her.

Lea chuckles. "Oh, we've been engaged for over a year. We've been putting off trying to find a date for the wedding."

I smile at her. "How long have you been dating?"

"Six years. It feels like I've been with him all my life." She tells me. "I couldn't live without him."

I look at my hands, thinking about Austin. "Yeah. I get what you mean." I never wanna lose Austin ever again. I never wanna be without him again. Once I'm out of rehab I'm gonna be the best boyfriend ever for him.

"You sound sad." She comments as she rolls a streak of hair on my forehead into shape with hair finger.

"We were broken up for a while and it was horrible." I explain.

"Oh no. I'm glad you're back together. Your hairstyle wasn't the reason, right?" She asks me.

I let out a laugh. "No, my hairstyle wasn't the reason. We just both made a few stupid mistakes."

She nods understandingly. "Mistakes happen, it's important to talk them out right away."

Austin and I talked everything out, but I feel like there's still some tension left. At least from my side. I'm still jealous and get angry when I think about this stupid bitch, Angela. I also feel nauseous and hurt when I think about it. It brings out only negative emotions.

"Are you a hairdresser or a therapist?" I ask her, chuckling.

"I'm studying psychology." She explains.

I gasp. "Oh seriously?"

She nods. "Working as a hairdresser is almost as good as an apprenticeship. I get to hear a lot of people's problems." She tells me.

I snort. "Wow, that's practical."

"Right. Got any other stories you can tell me?" She asks me jokingly.

I laugh. "A lot."

"Your mom's not leaving you out of her sight." She comments.

I look into the mirror, seeing my mom sitting in a café outside the hairdresser, watching me closely. Like a mother bear, protecting its cubs.