Friendship? [H.S.]

Chapter 45

*Song for this chapter: Delicate by Taylor Swift*

May 6, 2017

"Can I come with you?" Somehow, Harry managed to get a key to my hotel room and was currently sitting on the bed watching Lou fix my hair.

"Are you joking!?" She snapped her eyes to him in the mirror and I couldn't help but laugh. My eyes weren't coming off the curling wand that was dangerously close to my scalp though.

I've been very afraid of curling irons and wands since both my mom, and Nonny, burned my scalp, ears, and forehead almost every time they curled my hair, which was everyday because 'Ladies should be put together and straight hair is ugly, especially mousy blondes...' I was blonde as a kid. 

"Shush Jana, it isn't anywhere close to you!" Meanwhile, I'm choking back tears because if I cried, I would get 'bopped' on the head and told to shut up. "Oh, whoops. Guess I did get you a little bit." There was a literal piece of my flesh on the curling iron from my hairline.

"No." Harry returned incredulously. "I'm not used to having a day off and us not being together." Lou set the tool down on the table and turned around to him with a look to match his. They crack me up.

"You make her sound like she's property." She turned my chair around so I was facing them and in that moment, I very much felt like a piece of property. "Are you property, Jana?"

"No..." I couldn't stop the inflection of my voice that made it sound like I was questioning my answer. Lou groaned and shook her head while Harry laughed and buried his face in the plush white comforter.

Lou started fussing with the loose curls she put into my hair, which was now just past my shoulders. "If you're alright with it, maybe I can even you out a bit and make this look like that bitch didn't take a hatchet to your perfect mane."

"Damn, Lou. Are you saying her hair looks bad?" Harry made a tsk tsk sound with his tongue as he shook his head. "I ought to fire you on the spot for speaking to my best girl that way."

We both just stared at him because we knew he was full of shit. She stood to one side and started braiding that section of hair tightly against my scalp. I nearly cried because I've wanted this hairstyle for so long but I can't braid hair and I never thought I could pull it off, so I didn't ask any of the stylists I'd had before. "Why haven't you let me play with your hair before, Jana?" She secured the braid and sprayed a few pieces here and there, and for the first time since Presley cut my hair 7 months ago, I loved it again.

"Because you're always busy and I don't want to impose." She scoffed and started to pull out her makeup bag. "I'm serious. Just because I'm Harry's friend doesn't mean I assume I have access to everything or everyone he does. Wait... you don't have to do my makeup."

"You're going on a date. I've seen your idea of... makeup." Harry cackled and buried his head again. I scrunched my face in a pout. "I'm not going to do much, just going to get you set for the night."

After a bit more of Harry pouting because I wasn't going to be around to watch movies with him and Lou making me wear a lip shade that was far too red for me, I showed them my outfit and Harry cleared his throat. Lou sucked in air through her teeth, and I immediately started questioning it. I had chosen a black, semi-pleated faux leather skirt and a light grey, almost cropped long-sleeve tee with my black motorcycle jacket. The top was a little more form-fitting than I originally intended and the skirt was brand new. Sarah said it looked great, so I bought it.

"It's terrible, isn't it? I look like I'm trying too hard? Oh god, do I look like a –"

Harry got up off the bed and walked over to me, turning me around to face the full-length mirror we had moved while I was being made up. He kept his hands on my arms and made me look in the mirror. "You look beautiful."