The Perfect Present

A Sacrifice

Tammy Lucitor rummaged through old things that her governess had found in storage.  A bleeding skull, a cursed amulet, a mummified owl claw...Jonah would probably like any one of the things she had.  She was still thinking over which would be best when a portal ripped open in her bedroom.  Out stepped Marcia, wearing the hood of her hoodie over her head, so that only her face showed completely.  In her arms, she carried a big brown box.

Tammy sat up smiling as Marcia set the box down.  "You found a gift for Storm?  Sweet!  What did you get him?"  She got off her sofa and went over to look at the label.  "No way!  You got him a guitar amp?!"  "The latest model.", Marcia said, sitting on the sofa while wearing a huge smile.  "I knew it'd go great with his electric guitar.  Now he can shake the walls even more."

Tammy grinned as she read the labeling on the package.  "You really nailed it, girl!  Storm is going to lo—"  Her eyes fell on the price tag.  $100.95.  "Marcia, this is really expensive.  How could you afford this?"  Marcia ran her hands over her knees.  "I...I came into some money recently."  Tammy looked at her with a suspicious eye.  "How?"

Marcia was quiet for a beat before she quickly got up and walked over to take the box.  "I better go get this wrapped."  Tammy frowned as she reached for Marcia.  "I'm serious, Marcia, where did you get the—"  As she spoke, her clawed hand snatched her hoodie, and it fell down with a gentle yank.  Tammy gasped, all three eyes going wide when she saw Marcia's uncovered head.

Almost of her long, silky dark hair had been chopped off.  It now ended just below her ears, the ends curling around them.  Staring in horror, Tammy grabbed both sides of her bestie's head, examining her new haircut from every angle.  "Marcia!  What happened to your hair?!"  Marcia smiled a little bit.  "Well...remember how you said you'd pay a fortune to have hair like mine?"

A soft gasp escaped Tammy's lips when she realized what Marcia was implying.  "So that's how you got the money for Storm's present!  You sold your hair!"  She shook her head.  "This is all my fault!  I never would have said that if I'd known you'd cut it all off!"  Marcia chuckled.  "No, no, its okay!  They payed me like, sixty suns for it!  Now I can even paid to have the present wrapped."

Tammy looked at the box, and an angry look crossed her pale face.  "Storm better love this gift!", she snapped.  "And I mean, really love it, or I'm gonna burn his ungrateful butt!"  Marcia laughed before giving her best gal pal a hug.  Pulling back, Tammy grabbed the box of Underworld items.  "Now you can help me pick out a gift for Jonah."
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Marcia organized the papers on Storm's desk.  Although she was a full-fledged knight now, and no longer his squire, she still helped him out with a few royal duties here and there, like guarding him when he made visits to other parts of Mewni, or making sure he kept things straight at diplomatic meetings.  He never missed a chance to tell her how much he appreciated all her help.

Just then, the door flew open, and in walked Storm, grinning from ear to ear, and carrying a shopping bag in his hand.  He stopped when he saw Marcia in the room, quickly hiding the bag behind his back.  She turned towards him, and the smile on his face disappeared when he saw the difference in her appearance.  "You cut your hair."

Marcia instinctively raised her hands to her head, rubbing the ends of her newly cropped tresses.  "Y-Yeah...I decided to try a new look.  What do you think?"  Storm struggled to find the right words.  "Well, I...its...you look...its really..."  Marcia's eyes cast themselves to the floor.  "You don't like it."  "No!", he cried, shaking his hand and waving one hand about, while keeping the other one behind his back.  "No, it looks nice!  Really!

Marcia pouted as she hurried past him, holding back a whimper.  "Its okay, you don't have to lie."  She opened the door.  "The meeting's at seven tonight.  See you tomorrow for Stump Day Eve."  And with that, she slammed the door behind her, leaving Storm alone.

He stared at the shut door for a moment before pulling the shopping bag from behind his back and glanced at it sadly.