Surviving the Nicholson Boys (Re-write)

forty-six : best mistake

Song/title of the chapter: Best Mistake by Ariana Grande (feat. Big Sean)

"Breakup, makeup, total waste of time. Can we please make up our minds and stop acting like we're blind?"

***

When I left the house, I had no intentions of going to school. I didn't want to. Not anymore. I didn't want to see Jas. I didn't want to see Jeremy. I didn't want to see any of them. Not right now.

I headed to the nearest hair salon and walked in. It was empty except for some of the stylists sitting in the salon chairs, talking to each other.

One of them looked up from the magazine they were reading and smiled at me. "Well hi there, sweet pea."

"Hi," I waved, "you guys are open?"

She nodded. "Mhm. Want a new do?"

"Yes, please." I said. I held up my hair. "Cut it off. All of it. Shoulder length, please."

The lady smiled at me and patted the seat she was once sitting in. "Take a seat. On the house for being our first customer in ages."

I sat down. "Thank you."

"No worries." She said. "So what's your name, darling?"

"Aria," I replied. I wiped the stray tears that had fallen.

"I'm Shona," she smiled, "that's Lola and Fawn."

Fawn leaned forward and examined my face. "Why's a pretty girl like you crying?"

"My boyfriend's a dick." I chuckled bitterly and started crying even harder. Fawn and Lola frowned.

Shona shook her head. "Did he cheat?"

I nodded. "Yeah...twice."

"And you're still with him?!" Lola was surprised.

"I love him!" I cried.

"Honey, I know. I can see it in your eyes, but what that boy's doing to you isn't love. If he loved you, he wouldn't cheat on you. Twice, at that." Fawn sighed. "Things like this can be hard, but you've got to know when to either let someone go or give them another chance. It's clear you've already given him another chance, but this time, you've got to think about how it'll affect you if you go back to him again."

"But the thing is, we both screwed up the first time and agreed to have a fresh start." I explained. "And I was so ready to be a better girlfriend. I don't know what I did wrong. Was I too clingy? Was I not there for him?"

Lola put a reassuring hand on my leg. "Honey, the only way you're going to know is if you ask him."

I ran my hands over my face. "He's the last person I want to talk to right now."

"Then wait until you're ready. Don't rush yourself into anything." Shona advised.

I nodded and let out a breath. Fawn gave me a small smile. "He really does means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

I returned it. "He does."

***

When Shona finished my hair, I stayed and talked with the three ladies for another four hours. There wasn't any point of me going to school at this point.

I kept playing with the ends of my hair. I liked how it turned out. It was better than my first thought, which was to go to my bathroom and chop it all off myself.