The Bad Boy

Chapter 133

Stephanie's P.O.V.

The cab drops me off in front of my apartment complex. I go up to my apartmet and drop my bag on the bed before glancing at myself in the mirror. I look like hell, of course. Somehow I've acquired black bags underneath my eyes, my hair is beginning to frizz out of it's bun, and my shirt is rumpled. I slide a black headband on over my head to tuck some of the frizz into and then force myself back out into the world to go to the store. At least while I'm walking down the busy streets I'm not left alone with my thoughts like I was in the cab on the way back to the apartment.

My shoulder bumps into someone else's. "Watch where you're going!" The guy yells before rudely flipping me off and continuing on his way, totally unnaffected.

I shake my head and continue on down the sidewalk, to the nearest grocery store which happens to be a Walmart, thankfully. It smells like sour mop water, and it's too crowded but it's a distraction and I'll take it. I walk slowly down each of the aisles, leaning on the cart. I grab the few neccesities but mostly I people watch. I'm walking down the hair color aisle and begin to examine all the color possibilities. You'd have to be begging for attention to dye your hair green. I pick up the box and examine the girl on the front closer. She looks bold and.....proud even.

"Uhm, excuse me?" I hear a guys voice say.

I snap out of my trance with the hair dye box and turn to see a guy with shaggy black hair and a sharp jawline. He's clad in black skinny jeans, and a black band t-shirt adveritising Blink 182

"Listen dude, if you're here to flip me off or yell at me or something, I'm not in the mood to hear it." I sigh.

"Um, I just need that box of orange hair dye." He says and points to the rack which I'm obviously blocking.

"Really? Doesn't seem like your color....." I joke.

"It's not for me, surprisingly." He chuckles. "It's for this girl in my band. That color you're holding would look good on you..."

I glance down at the teal colored hair dye in my hand. "Oh, uh thanks. I was just looking..."

"You should get it." He grins. "Step out of your comfort zone a little."

"What makes you think this isn't in my comfort zone?" I ask.

He looks me up in down. "Just a guess. The sweatpants and frowny face shirt are kind of giving off a sad vibe. "

"Well they're not wrong then." I sigh, reaching up to adjust my headband.

"You should change it up a bit." He says.

"I wouldn't even know how to put this stuff in if I tried." I say. Something about him makes me want to talk to him.

"I could do it...if you wanted me to." He blushes and looks down at his boots.

I don't know what it is about this stranger in Walmart or what makes me think it's a good idea to let him ito my apartment to dye my hair but I decide to let him do it anyways, despite my consioucness screaming at me for stranger danger. 

"Sure. Are you busy now?" I ask.

He looks shocked that I said yes.  "Uh, no actually. Her dark roots can wait." He laughs, reaching forwards past me to grab the box of orange hair dye. "I'm Brandon, by the way."

"Stephanie. But you can call me Steph." I smile at him.