I walked through Rhodes Park, searching for Ryan. I see a figure dressed entirely in black sitting in the swing set, smoking a cigarette. "Hey," Ryan called as I approached him. "Took you long enough." He joked with a smirk.
He took a drag of his cig, then offered it to me. "No thanks," I said, "I don't smoke." He looked at me for a moment. I sat down on the swing next to him, playing with the rips in my tights. "You look like someone that would smoke. I mean, you have a badass look to you." He gestured to my purple hoodie and the black shorts I have over my pair of ripped tights, and the deep purple Doc Martins on my feet. "Yeah, I guess," I mutter.
"Wanna try it?" He asks, offering his cigarette to me one more time, the cherry burning red and hot like his question. "Sure, why not?" I take the cig from between his fingers, and purse it between my lips. I take a hit, and hand it back. "Wow, no cough?" Ryan questioned, "You sure you don't smoke?" I laughed. "I've smoked once or twice, but nothing constant." He stares at me for a second. "Wanna do something fun?" I hesitated for a moment, letting the question linger in my head.
"Sure. What is it?"
"Let's dye your hair."
"What?"
"You heard me."
I let the thought of changing my hair color set in the back of my throat. "Come on," he tugged at my arm, "I know who will do it for free." I finally agreed and followed Ryan.
We took my Tacoma. He directed me to a small, one-story house with blue siding and a gray roof. He knocked on the door, and a girl, about 18 years old answered. She had an eyebrow and nose piercing, and black and blonde hair. "Hey Grace, can I ask you a favor?" She looked at me, then back at him. "Let me guess. Dye job on her?" She said as she pointed a finger in my direction. "Yessssssss," Ryan hissed excitedly, "Please, Grace?" She looked me up and down. She waved for us to come inside.
She sits me down in a chair in the kitchen. "What's your name?" I looked around for a moment before realizing that I was being spoken to. "Oh uh, Phoenix." She gives Ryan a look and he nods. Oh god. "I know what color you should go with..." Grace mutters, "a fiery red. She pulls out a bottle of hair bleach and a canister of red dye. "Let's get started."
