PICS and IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

29. The Care

I stare at my wrapped up wrist and leg. It was a fall from the stairs - such a cliche way to get injured. But the pain was a bitch.

A few days' worth of absolute rest is the doctor's recommendation.

On day one, I thought this was a blessing in disguise since I get to sit around and watch TV all day with no school work or chores to do.

But by day three, I'm running options for how we all could be living inside a matrix.

I'm back to reality whenever Frank or my friends drop by. But my friends can't come today since they need to help out at Becca's aunt's cafe. And Frank has practice.

My mom has gone to a get together with her friends. Dad's still at work.

I hate my life.

Which means I should have some snacks.

I hop into the kitchen with my uninjured leg, and rummage the kitchen cabinets with my uninjured hand for a chips packet. I accidentally knock down a plastic spice jar.

The jar topples and spills its content over my head.

I hate my life even more now.

I bend forward and shake my head while ruffling the hair strands with my hand, hoping to make as much of the powder fall down as possible.

The doorbell rings.

Pausing my manic hair-shaking I head to the door and open it.

"What happened?" Raylan says laughing. "Never mind, Tess asked me to give these to you."

He extends a couple of notebooks in his hand - today's class notes. I take them.

"Is your mom home?" I ask him, doubting Nina has also probably gone to the get together with my mom.

"No."

I narrow my eyes at Raylan. Why is he always the only one who's exactly there where I need someone to be?

"What?" He says.

"Help me wash my hair."

He looks at me as if I'm asking him to sign off his eternal soul to me. "What? No way!"

"It's just my hair. Haven't you washed your late dog and the kittens before? My head just has... longer hair."

"No way, I'm not doing it."

There must be a code or something where boys don't wash someone else's hair. Only one way to be sure through. "Fine, is Tony home then?" I'll ask Tony instead.

Now Raylan looks like I'm asking him to sign off his best friend's eternal soul to me.

"Never mind, I'll ask him myself," I say and start to turn around when Raylan stops me.

"Wait! I'll help," he says.

Eh??? Didn't he just... Oooh, perhaps he thought I was threatening to show Tony those photos. Alright, this works too.

I point my finger towards my room. "Turn on the heater."

After he leaves, I safely put away the notes and ruffle my hair some more to get the remnants out.

I go to my room. Move all of my hair over to my face and cover my shoulders with a towel.

Looking like a live grudge girl, I enter the bathroom with a stool. I put down the stool and sit down.

Raylan removes the detachable shower head and brings it over my head. "Ready?" He says.

I nod.

He sprays the water.

"Fuck, Raylan! It's hot!"

"Sorry," he says and quickly moves away the shower head. He goes over to the faucets, makes the adjustments, checks the spray over his hand and comes back.

This time the water is of perfect temperature. I use my free hand to rub my head so the water would get into my hair fully.

After my hair is sufficiently wet I ask Raylan to stop, and reach my palm out. "Shampoo."

He goes over to the shelf and goes quiet for a moment. "Which one's the shampoo?"

He must've been overwhelmed by my collection of hair and body care products.

"Orange one with a flower that says shampoo at the bottom," I say.

Soon I feel a dollop of shampoo fall onto my palm. I rub it into my palm before spreading it onto my hair and lathering.

I would've asked Raylan to shampoo my hair if I wasn't scared he would've just pulled all my hair out while at it.

"Rinse," I say after I put down my tired arm. I never realized shampooing with one arm could be this hard.

Water flows into my hair and this time his hand helps it move through my strands. He rubs and ruffles my hair to get all the foam out.

After a thorough rinse, I say, "Wrap the towel over my hair and pat it dry."

He puts away the shower head and returns to me. He moves the towel on my shoulders to my head and starts to vigorously rub my head while I clench my teeth.

My poor hair. Hopefully, it can survive this abuse for once.

When my hair is no longer dripping wet, I hop to the counter. I point a small glass bottle to Raylan. "Take a couple of drops from it and apply it gently to the ends of my hair."

Raylan follows my instructions.

I plug the hair dryer to the socket and sit down on the stool. Before I could pick up the turned on hair dryer, Raylan takes it and starts blowdrying my hair.

Hmmm... this doesn't require his help though since I won't get the bandage wet for this.

However I let him be. Although not as good as myself or a professional, surprisingly Raylan is not so bad at using the hair dryer.

"How are you not burning my hair now? You style your hair with a dryer every day?" I say.

"No. I used to dry JJ's fur, otherwise he got the whole house wet," Raylan says, referring to his late dog.

"Well, JJ has trained you well," I say.

Raylan laughs. "He loved it whenever I dried his hair. He loved it when I do this too," Raylan says and massages the back of my head.

A smile spreads on my face. Damn, it does feels good.

I hear Raylan's low voice from next to my ear. "I guess he isn't the only one who loves it."

I don't have a come back to Raylan's teasing this time and just enjoy the free service.

After we're done, Raylan says, "And what about your body? Need me to wash that too?"

Now he's pushing it. "Nah, Frank will take care of it tomorrow."

Raylan's smile disappears. He throws the dryer onto the counter and says, "Should've asked him to wash your hair too then."

How come he gets all grumpy at my jokes when I take his in good stride?

I just laugh. "My mom will help me, but I'm sure even she can't do such a spectacular hair wash as JJ's groomer."

"Whatever," Raylan says while trying not to smile, and leaves.

It's ironic how mushy he gets when it comes to his pets.

End of chapter

A/N - See you tomorrow, guys :) 🫧