𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠 𝐌𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 (𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏)

BONUS PART | Alternative Start

Song: Stronger - Kelly Clarkson

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This is about what would had happen if Arielle had never moved away and they had met when Hayden entered Milton High.

/Three years ago /

Something was off. I tried brushing my hair to the other side but... Nop. Still useless. Something definitely was off with my hair. I studied my chestnut locks and huffed in frustration. I needed a change. Maybe dye it to some lighter color... Mm, not a bad idea. Blond perhaps?

Dad's voice calling for me snapped me out my trance and, scoffing in frustration I decided to pulled it up in a high ponytail and ran to get in the passenger seat. Julian's sleepy frame stuffed himself on the backseat, looking like he hadn't really waken up as dad started the car and headed towards Milton.

All too silently. Like it's been ever since mom left.

I bit my lip and looked out the window to distract myself but it was useless. Her absence was as evident as a kick in the guts.

Not having my mother here was really hard.

She had used this Spring Break to move across the country, to start a new life in Arizona not even giving Julian and me time to process their split. Man, the hadn't even let the ink of their accord dried!

How could one happy family torn this much in a mather of months? That I didn't know. One year ago we were fine, or at least that's what we thought. But then started the small quarrels, that turned into disagrements every now and then and ended in massive fights that broke our family like it had never been together to begin with.

It hurt. It hurt to see her took that plane and only be near her when she called. And it hurt how sour my father looked. I even caught him a couple times looking at the family picture she kept in his third drawer with vacant eyes.

As I been doing a lot recently, I cleared my throat and plastered my best smile on. "You know? I've decided something." my voice breaking throught the tension and my father hummed, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

"Really?"

"Something really important. Trascendental. Extremely vital..." I heard Julian snorted from behing and narrowed my eyes at him. "It is!"

"Okay." dad nodded cutting ay posible quarrel between me and the brad behind us. Latelly the twelve-year-old back there had been quite snapy and irritate, but he kept coming to my room for comfort when he felt lonely so I knew I wasn't loosing him anytime soon. "And what is it that you decided so important?"

I sticked out my chin, proudly. "I'll dye my hair."

"Dye your hair?"

I nodded. "I'm in desperally need of a makeover."

"Wow, sis, so deep." Julian rolled his eyes. "No wonder why is it trascendental."

"It is!" I repeated pouting. "I really need that change. And do you know how important it is to do it properly? If I mess the color all my being could be let down. It could destroy my hair, or my image... Or my whole remaining student life! Do you think they would had let me in the squad if I look like a savage monkey? I just got in and can't afford a bad job 'cause-"

"I really is a big deal, uh?" dad cut my ramble sparing me another quick glace before focusing on the road and turning a corner. "I like your hair now."

"Thanks." I sighed fiddling with the hem of my ponytail. "But I'm in the squad now, I can't fall short.

"So you need to accomplish the blond cheerleader clitche?" the corner of my father lip twisted upwards slightly. That's it! I made him smile! My grin turned ten times brighter and patted myself on the back. Mission acomplished. "If you're so sure about it we can book a date in the salon."