~Ponyboy~
After sitting outside together for a while, Emily and I went back inside the church when we heard Alice and Johnny coming back.
I went through the box of things.
My eyes widened when I saw a paperback copy of Gone With the Wind.
"Wow! How'd you know I have wanted to read this?"
Johnny shrugged. "I remembered you mentioning it once."
Emily laughed. "Wow, you really do pay attention, Johnnycakes."
I don't know what about Emily calling Johnny "johnnycakes" made me angry. We all called him that. But hearing her say it made me hurt a little. Why doesn't she call me by a nickname?
I shook off the feeling and continued looking through the box until I came across a bottle of peroxide.
"Oh, no Johnny, you ain't thinkin'..."
"We have to," he replied.
"Yeah," said Alice, "we can't match our descriptions in the paper."
Emily furrowed her eyebrows. "What? I'm confused. Someone please tell me what's going on."
Alice sighed. "You guys are bleaching your hair. Johnny and I are cutting ours."
Emily's eyes widened and her hands flew to her beautiful long, wavy brown hair.
I knew just how she felt. My hair is a part of me, I can't change it! It is my pride and joy, and it makes me look tuff. It's the one thing I like about myself.
"I'll go first." Said Alice. "It won't be so bad."
"Yeah, that's cause you already have blonde hair so you can't bleach it! Plus your hair grows fast enough so it'll be back to that length in no time!" Emily argued.
Alice ignored her and held her switchblade close to her head. She quickly sawed off all her hair. It wasn't very even, but she still looked okay.
Her blonde locks that used to fall below her shoulders now came just above them.
"Okay. Now do mine. But like... not too short." Johnny said.
Alice took a little more time with Johnny's hair. She cut off his bangs and cut all the hair off to his ears, then carefully combed it back and over to the side. He didn't look like the Johnny I've always known.
After they were done, Alice poured bleach on Emily's hair after cutting hers too. Emily's hair was already so long, so it was only cut below her shoulders.
Then, Alice looked at me.
I sighed. "Please just get it over with."
I cringed every-time I saw tufts of my once long, once beautiful hair fall to the floor.
"Now go sit in the sun." Johnny instructed us.
Emily and I walked outside, but the sun was already gone.
"Johnny's such an idiot. It's literally dark outside." Emily complained.
***
Once we washed out the bleach and Alice combed our hair, Johnny handed Emily and old cracked mirror. She actually didn't look half bad as a blondie. Well, her hair wasn't exactly blonde... some parts were, but it was mostly a light brown considering her hair was already really dark before.
She took a breath of relief. "I hate it, but I don't look as bad as I expected."
I took a deep breath as I prepared to look at my new self. Emily smiled as she handed me the mirror.
"Don't worry, Pony. You actually look real nice." She said.
I nodded as I took the mirror and stared at myself.
It didn't look half bad actually, I mean sure, it wasn't me and I didn't exactly like it, but it wasn't super horrible.
But still, for some reason, tears started making their way out of my eyes.
I felt everyone's eyes on me and the air was still and awkward. No one really knew what to say.
"I'm sorry about your hair Ponyboy." Johnny whispered quietly.
"It ain't that!" I sobbed loudly. "It's... its... this whole situation! I just want to go home!"
I felt Emily wrap her arms around me. Well this is awkward... a girl is comforting me crying. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
Stop being a sissy, I told myself.
I quickly wiped my tears and tilted my head back to prevent the rest from escaping.
"Pony... it's ok," I heard Emily say. I didn't listen. I ducked underneath her arm, stood up, took a deep breath, and said:
"No. It isn't. But we will all get through it. We always do. We got this. Guys, if it were anyone in the gang who I'd want to run away with, it would be you guys. So let's stop all this cryin' and toughen up. We can't think about what happened no more, that's in the past. For now, let's just think about what's happening next."
