3/4 Natural, 1/4 Dyed

5

So I totally forgot I had parts already written for this story. I have up to Part 10. My bad, guys. Please forgive me.

Here's Part 5. Part 6 tomorrow and so on.

Thanks for reading:)

Copyright 2013-2014.

~S.

Mari

            The physical differences between Mari and Marianna were only somewhat noticeable.

            Marianna was light and girly, with natural makeup, preppy clothes and a flat iron. She walked with purpose and looked ready to take on the world.

            Mari was vibrant and grungy, with an unconventional makeup pallet and clothes that European teens wore. She glided like a jungle cat, her eyes wandering uninterestedly.

            People called Marianna the class president who should’ve been. People called Mari the Effy Stonem of the West Coast.

            As if she could explain that to Justin.

           

            Justin only knew the carefree dancing girl with ¾ natural, ¼ dyed blonde hair from the party-club on 71st Street at the Boulevard. He knew the girl he had to have in all of his new music videos. He knew her as wild, blasé, and edgy. He knew Mari.

            They first met at a new party-club on 71st Street. She was boozing up after the day with her mother; he was hiding from his ex. She had been dancing by herself, surrounded by a bunch of people when he approached her. They had danced all night, and then talked for hours afterwards in his car. Cassandra had been furious when Mari stumbled into her house as the sun came up, but Mari had stopped caring when Justin called later that night to ask if she wanted to be the new voice of his upcoming album, Journals.

            The first video they shot was for “All That Matters.” It raked up hundreds of millions of views online, making Justin more famous and Mari just touching the surface. They got invited to event after event so the world could see the mysterious, beautiful girl Justin was hanging out with all the time. She didn’t like Hollywood parties, though; she often drove Justin crazy when she turned down his invitations to hang out with her friends at The Strip or Warehouse or whatever hole-in-the-way club they could find.

            Cassandra hated Justin; Cassie thoroughly despised him. He would take Mari out for late nights and encourage Mari to remain in existence. Mari was being allowed to exist for weeks without an appearance by Marianna. And while Cassie loved them both, there was only so much Mari she could take.

            Justin loved keeping Mari out past her Cassandra-appointed curfew. Sometimes they would sit in Justin’s car for hours outside Cassandra’s house, just to piss her off. Sometimes they wouldn’t come home at all. Mari didn’t care; as long as she was allowed to live.

            Mari didn’t notice that Cassie was more distant whenever Justin was mentioned. She didn’t notice that Cassie’s problem went below the surface. She didn’t notice that Cassie sometimes seemed close to slipping away, but always came back.

            Because Mari is oblivious to anything but Justin. Even to Cassie’s feelings.