Montana Mansion

The Transformation

"So, Charlene," my hairstylist stood behind me, playing with my hair. "What are you thinking?"

"Go crazy," I said. "Anything you want. Extensions, chop it, dye it, bleach it, whatever. Knock yourself out."

"Really?" Abby gawked.

I nodded. "Don't worry. I'll give you the credit in the magazines." Slyly, I winked.

"I can't believe I'm about to destroy Charlene Turner's beautiful, beach blonde hair."

I grabbed a magazine off of the desk looking thing in front of me. "Better not destroy it. I'll sue."

Abby rested her hands on my shoulders and we looked at ourselves in the mirror ahead of us. "Is all of this Disney villain drama really real? Just between us."

I rolled my eyes and dodged the questions. "I'll need an action ready style. I'm pretty active."

Abby squealed. "It's true!" Pulling me up from my seat, she whispered down to me. "Don't worry, I'll have you taken care of. It'll be the best look of your life."

"Good," I smiled. "Some of the most important things in my life are happening right now."

Abby took me back to a secluded room with relaxing piano music playing in the background and washed my hair before taking me back to my seat. She placed a sheet of black cardboard in the mirror in front of me. "What's that for?" I asked.

"It's not the same unless it's a surprise."

"Oh dear," I sighed.

"Are you sure about this, Charlene?"

"Nope, but do it anyway."

And with that, the first piece of hair fell to the floor.

Soon after she was done snipping at my originally hip length hair, I felt her paste some sort of cream on it. Fun. Highlights. I flicked past page after page of Keeper news on my phone, some true, some false, all of it boring. I was looking for some news of the Famanda breakup. Surely one of us posted about it. Forty minutes later, a timer dinged.

"OK, Charlene, let's rinse it out." Abby led me back to the shampoo room, shielding my eyes in case I wanted to look into a mirror. After rinsing it out, she put in a deep conditioning treatment, rinsed it out, then took me to the 'Glamour Glasses' section.

"Glasses?" I asked. "I don't wear glasses."

"You do now," Abby decided, putting frame after frame on my face. They whizzed by so quickly I couldn't tell one from another.

Abby dragged me from place to place all over the salon so much I hardly knew where I was at once. My hair was up in a towel so I couldn't see and no one could give it away. I had eyelash extensions put on, my nails were painted, and I think that people were holding up outfits to me. I really couldn't tell.

After having me change into the new outfit, shoes, and transferring all of my things into the new purse, Abby pulled my hair back from my ears and pierced them.

"Ouch!" I squealed, having not expected it. Or asked for it.

"You're fine," Abby handed me two Tylenol and a glass of water. After styling my hair with what I think was a curling iron and pinning it back behind my head, Abby popped my glasses on my face. "Done!" she finally exclaimed.

"I was pretty before, you know." I grimaced, nervous about my new look.

"Yes," Abby nodded. "But now you're gorgeous, and those glasses give you a real edge."

"Let me see!" I exclaimed. 

Abby winked at me. "Don't you want your boyfriend to see first? He's waited out there an awful long time."

Oh no! I thought. This wasn't good at all. I hadn't thought about the fact that Philby and I being a couple would blow up all over the internet now that we'd been seen at the salon together. "We aren't dating."

Abby wiggled her eyebrows. "After he sees you, you will be."

"I'm not interested." I assured her. 

"Who are you interested in, then?"

"I won't say."

"OMG, Finn!" She exclaimed, looking up with horror from her cell phone. "Famanda broke up last night! That's why you're here!"

"Keep your voice down!" I hushed her, swatting her phone out of her hands.

Abby placed her now empty hands on mine, which were folded on my lap. "You're beautiful, darling. He'll be falling over his feet. Though Amanda will be jealous."

I looked down. "No she won't."

"Why not?"

"Long story. Now let me see myself before I die!"

Abby dramatically tore down the cardboard from in front of the mirror. I gasped. My newly white platinum blonde hair was pulled back from my face in a gorgeous pinned curl look. False diamond strands were knotted through my hair, creating a stunning look. My ears were pierced with beautiful diamond studs and simple black square glasses with thin rims sat on my face. The inside color was silver, which shined through slightly. I wore a sexy black miniskirt with a red belly top that accentuated my curves. On my feet were tall black heels with red soles. 

"My purse," I gawked. It was gorgeous. An over the shoulder bag with white and black snakeskin handles. I dug out my fake diamond choker and snapped it around my neck.

I had the stylists take pictures of me standing in front of a simple backdrop with my phone, which I immediately uploaded to social media, tagged #New&ImprovedCharleneT. After taking selfies with the staff and a few with Abby, I walked out into the waiting area to see Philby.