The HOE Code

Chapter Six

"Have you seen Sam?"

Sherry's voice startled me as I put on the only thing I qualified as a party 'dress'. It was a pitch black, knee length, flared dress with sleeves that reached my wrists. It was the best option among the fifty other pair of ragged jeans, and lousy tees. The only reason it made it to my pile was because I bought it for occasions where T-shirts, and denim pants won't be the best outfits.

"Sam, who?" I asked, trying to pile my hair into another messy bun with a dying hope that the hairstyle would co-operate. But when the bobby pin fell off, I had already given up.

"My boyfriend, Sam." She said, walking all the way in as she rummaged through her dresser.

I looked at her quizzically, and she looked absorbed, searching through her drawers.

"I don't think I know him." I said, and her eyes shifted on me, and her nose scrunched.

"Sam is that guy who was folding my clothes?" She said, running her fingers through her things.

"Wait, what? He is your boyfriend? Wasn't he like- your chauffer?" I said, raising a brow.

"Pfft. I don't know how you'd buy that. I say that to save him from dad, if he asks!" She said, snorting a laugh as she finally got a hold of a book.

Sherry? Looking for a book? I haven't taken her as the bookworm type. Well, I hadn't taken that jerk to be her boyfriend either. Guess life is full of surprises.

"So, you tell people he's your chauffer so he gets to stay with you?" I asked, as if it wasn't quite apparent. To an extent, it felt violating. Her boyfriend saw me naked!

"Isn't that dope?" She asked, her eyes a little mischievous.

"Dope as fuck!" I said.
If buying a ticket to hell is dope, then sure it is!

"Are you going to the party like that?" She asked, eyeing my dress from head to toe.

"Yeah? Why?" I asked, and she wrinkled her forehead.

"The dress would do, but the hair...
We need to fix the hair." She said, looking at me as if she had eyed a potential rising star in dirty streets of LA. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but the source?

"Trust me, I can tame the wild!" She said.

"Look at my perm!" She said, and I eyed the well settled hair. No curl sticking out from her blonde head.

"Okay. Access granted." I said, hoping she stands true to her words.

Sherry had amazed me the last five minutes we talked with what she could pull off. Doing my hair would be a piece of cake for her. Hopefully.

"Now all I need is to get a hold of the latest Photogram hairstyles that could suit a curly brunette!" She said, and I looked at her wide eyed.

"Wait. So, your hairstyling tips are straight from Photogram!" I asked, feeling the terrible horror in my hair tips.

"That's where I learnt how to do my hair. Trust me. It would be a great makeover!" She said, and I gasped.

"And you think I am not going to look like a walking bird nest?" I asked, and she dismissed my fears with a smile. Seriously, girl?

"Your dress sucks. Chances are people will not notice!" She said, and I couldn't help but feel offended and relieved at the same time. She had a point. Maybe people would dismiss me as a girl who does goth and coke, and overlook every little flaw of mine. They probably have better things to do!

"Try and make it work?" I asked, and she nodded assuring.

Fifteen minutes of my life ticked off with me trying to calm my nerves down, and Sherry demonstrating her hair styling skills from Photogram. I could feel the comb running across my hair. The burning heat of Sherry's straightener along the ends, and her frequent 'fuck bombs' with every damn minute of 'hairy struggle'.