The Girl

FOURTEEN: RESTLESS HEART SYNDROME

"I think they found another cure for broken hearts and feeling insecure. You'd be surprised what I endure. What makes you feel so self-assured?"

SONG: RESTLESS HEART SYNDROME

ARTIST: GREEN DAY

She stared at me as if I were insane. And maybe I was because I was asking her to do something outrageous.

"Blue and purple? Like Brianna's?" Lorena was small, an entire foot shorter than me, maybe two.

Her glasses kept falling down her nose, nose ring catching them, and her dark hair was brought up in a messy bun, keeping her wild curls away from her face. Her bangs were straightened, a black pair of leggings and a white shirt adorning her body.

She acted almost exactly like Brianna. They could have been sisters had they not been so physically opposite from each other. Lorena muttered something in spanish under her breath and then nodded her head.

"Fine," She waved her hand, gesturing for me to follow. "My mom doesn't feed me enough for this."

I raised an eyebrow. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen," She mumbled and took a couple of bottle from the large cabinet inside of the salon we were standing in. "Sort of. Does my age matter?"

"Not really," I told her and bit down on my lip. "How much is it going to cost?"

"Same thing I charge, B," She told me, keeping her eyes on the task at hand. "Nothing."

I nodded my head and tapped my fingers against the edge of the counter. Lorena lifted her head and gave me a look.

"Do me a favor, since we're going to be here a while," She paused and used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "Go into the wash room and grab two bowls from the top shelf and two brushes from the highest one. I would do it myself, but I can't reach."

I smiled and nodded my head, walking into the room she sent me into. I stopped at the sight. Brianna was practically the theme of the room, but at the same time she wasn't. She had just been photographed with various types of hairstyles.

Her hair was blue in some of them, glitter covering the top as she stared straight into the camera. Her eyes were shining, light reflecting off of the surface, her lips painted a bright red as she sported the tiniest of smiles.

I pressed my lips together and took a deep breath. My eyes tore from the picture so I could actually concentrate on what I was supposed to be looking for. When I returned, Lorena had changed into a worn flannel, the material reaching her knees.

Her pale hands moved quickly to mix and then take the bowls from me to pour the colors inside.

"I never asked why you're doing this--obvious and vague reason being Brianna," She commented and then looked at me.

"I want her back," I answered easily and sat in the chair placed in front of the station she was working on. "I'm ready to make a fool out of myself to do it. She the reason I don't feel useless."

Lorena pressed her lips together and nodded her head. "Makes sense."

She looked at the door as soon as it opened and let out an annoyed grumble. Calum gave me a little smile.

"You texted me?"

"Yep," I looked over at Lorena who simply pushed her glasses up. "I wanted you to meet Lorena."

"What the hell?" She stopped in her tracks, almost tripping over her own boot. Calum raised an eyebrow.

"She looks sixteen," Calum commented.