Laconic » a.i

2.4

//cooper//

My new biggest concern, besides getting Michael back, was keeping Ella safe. The last thing I wanted was for her to get killed, and I knew Ashton's episodes shouldn't keep happening if I was around, so I didn't have to worry about him convincing her to do anything -- he started wearing his sunglasses again just in case. But I knew Ashton and I would have to make it a little bit harder for the hunters and witches to find us so we'd have to somehow alter our looks.

"I want to dye my hair," I told Ashton the next morning before we left the tree house. I played with the ends of my dark hair as Ashton's eyes snapped to me. "Maybe blonde."

"Why?" he wondered with a shrug in the same moment Ella commented, "You'd look good blonde."

"It'll make it harder for the hunters to recognize me," I told him, "and I just want to start everything over; a clean slate. So why not be thorough with it?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "Whatever you say, Love. But know that you're still gorgeous no matter what."

"Aw, you guys are so cute." Ella smiled, looking between us.

-

Ashton flashed us to ASDA to get some bleach to do my hair. Ella offered to dye it for me since I'd never dyed my hair before and I didn't want to mess it up.

"Are we still in Brisbane?" I asked as I looked around, keeping my hand in Ashton's. I'd never been to these shops before. There was an ASDA, a few restaurants and shops, but the thing that stuck out was the old-looking bookstore that I kind of wanted to explore.

"Yeah, but just be- Ugh," he groaned as he realized he couldn't say what he wanted to without making me do something. "Okay, uh, will you be careful for me? There's still hunters around here so if it's okay, I'd like to just get the hair dye and leave. I still have money so we could go find a hotel or Comfort Suites or something."

I looked to where Ella was walking on my other side. She had her hands in her back pockets and was concentrating on the ground. She looked like she was working through a tough math problem.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

Her face softened, the crease between her eyebrows fading as she looked at Ashton and I, "Noel has a plan that I think might work."

"Who?" Ashton quizzed, looking slightly alarmed.

"Noel's one of her characters," I told him before looking back at Ella. "Alright, what's her plan?"

Ella looked up at me, her face flushing a slight shade of red, "She doesn't want me to tell you. But trust me, it's good and it'll work."

I sighed, but nodded. This plan was the only chance we had even if Ashton and I would be left in the dark. I trusted Ella and I knew she wouldn't ever rat us out. She was a genuine person.

We stepped into the ASDA and looked around. I had no idea where anything was in this place, but I hoped Ashton might. I doubted Ella did since she lived in Sydney and who-knows-where before that.

Ella stopped dead in her tracks as she looked wide-eyed around the store, "We should leave; Noel says to leave."

I offered a soft smile, "Ella, it's fine, I promise."

She shook her hand, finally meeting eyes with me, "No, we need to get out now."

Ashton leaned over and whispered a fantastic and hilarious idea. I smiled before rushing over and grabbing a cart even though we were only getting two boxes of hair bleach. I pointed to it as I stared at Ella, "Get in."