think pink.

10 i used to be a blonde

The room was wallpapered and a print of a horse was framed above the bed surrounded by some prints of admittedly some of my favorite men. She had good taste. Wood furniture lined the room's interior and was lit by several lamps. I sat on the bed that was a collection of hip colors with Frenchy herself. The space looked just like her.

The rest of the girls were to show up soon, but Frenchy had gone ahead and given me a call right after I had finished dinner with my mother. Sounding like she was on Cloud 9 as always, she told me I could head on over early so I did. I wondered why in the world she was so nice to me.

She was pulling out her lemon-colored dress to show me what she was wearing to the dance, a cheesy grin pulled her cheeks up high. "And hair to match!"

"Oh, really," I started. "That's wonderful, Frenchy. That'll kill." I knelt on the bed.

She hung it on the back of her bedroom door presumably to show the girls.

"Ya' know, I used to be a blonde."

"No way," she said curiously, climbing back on the bed and picking up a few pieces of my hair.

There was a silence for a minute as she ran her nails through the sections of my dark hair. She sat back Indian-style on the feathery bedspread. I noticed her movements in my hair slow down. I wondered what could she be thinking about. Frenchy didn't seem like the type to zone out in deep thought about all the deep, dark stressors and terrors of life.

She talked to me about her very brief time in beauty school and how she was going to have to make up lost time in the next school year. She wasn't too discouraged though. She even wanted to take up chemistry, something having to do with wanting to create revolutionary face creams, ones you wouldn't find in your mother's medicine cabinet. 

"Would you really let me do your hair?" She switched lanes in the conversation after rambling on her new skincare visions for quite some time.

I nodded. 

Our talk was bobbed when we heard chatter from down the hall.

"Why'd ya' have to haul ass like that over here?" Presumably, Marty whined. "My hair is all ruined."

 Rizzo turned the corner entering the through Frenchy's doorway ignoring Marty's complaints. "Hello, ladies!" She shimmied her shoulders holding her elbows to her sides, both hands full. The train of girls followed with other belongings and pre-packaged snacks.

"Where's Sandy?" Frenchy asked, her face always giving away exactly what she was putting off. Her faint frown lines scrunched up to show her genuine concern. 

"She didn't tell ya?" Marty started.

"She's out with that jock guy," Riz said, sticking a cigarette in between her lips.

Everyone stayed quiet for a few moments.

I pushed my lips together in a slight grin as Frenchy quickly went and investigated what the girls had brought. She passed her hand over a few of the boxes and bags. I saw they were snacks as she tore into a white pastry box.

"Ooh, give me those!" Jan snatched the box right from Frenchy. Frenchy pouted her lip out and widened her eyes. 

Marty came and sat next to me on the bed with a sigh, still fluffing and readjusting her wind-beaten hair. After a moment, she took the purple scarf from around her neck and tied it around her head like a headband, leaving it out of her face and down her back.

Jan plopped down next to Frenchy's television, turning it on filling the room briefly with static before opening her light magenta piece of luggage and pulling out a tattered sweatshirt and light-colored pajama bottoms before a stained glass bottle. She sat the green tinted bottle next to her newly stolen baked goods.

Booze.

Marty was starting to undo her top, and Rizzo had stripped to her undergarments. Frenchy went into her closet.

I stood up to grab my bag and my own light blue case I had brought, a hand-me-down Samsonite from my mother. Popping it open, revealing my clothing for tomorrow and tonight's apparel. My floral lace nightdress had a wide neck and sat on the very edge of my shoulders, It was light blue in hue and draped a little farther down my calves. 

Once everyone was changed, I was seated on Frenchy's carpet in front of her bed along with Jan.

I rubbed at the hem of my gown unknowingly. Little did I know all that was about to take place.