~A Hairy Disaster~

"Dad!"

Dolores yelled out from within her room. She was slowly losing all of her patience which the therapist had taught her to exercise, to frustration. She was seated opposite the mirror, hands in hair and the hair itself looking like something out of a horror film. Having soaked in a tub full of rose water for more than thirty minutes, she had given herself a good scrub then waltzed into her bedroom to prepare. The thoughts she had was that making her hair herself wouldn't be so much work since she'd seen Adelina do it over and over.

However, if there was a word that could best serve as a perfect description for her hair preparation for prom, it would be called 'Disastrous'.

The water from her bath had long dried on her skin and yet, she didn't seem to be making headway with getting her hair ready. She'd shampooed, dried, conditioned and about to style to her desire. Still, the hair continued to be adamant to all of her efforts, falling uselessly flat each time she let it loose from the coiling iron.

Damian burst in through the door like one being chased. "Amor? Is anything the matter?"

He stopped long enough to stare at the mass of wet bush seated on her head before doubling over in laughter. She glared hard at him.

"Don't you." She hissed between clenched teeth.

"I'm not." He quickly composed himself, trying hard not to let his eyes stray to her head and struggling to keep a straight face while at it. "You called me, amor? Was there an emergency?"

"Well, obviously." She rolled her eyes. Pivoting around in her chair, she pinned him a look that reflected how dumb his question sounded. She managed to tug a restricted hand out of the mess of entanglement on her head. "Doesn't this appear to be an emergency to you?"

The laughter bubbled up from within but he had his lips pressed tight, dispelling the urge before he offended her. "It does look like an emergency, amor. What would you have me do about it then?"

For the first time ever, she wanted to act like a spoilt brat because his questions only added in infuriating her the more. She tried to ignore the plain truth slapping her in the face. "Anything you can to free my fingers from these locks of bondage. Do something, dad."

"Why don't you just call Lina? She's the one who usually helps you out with things like these." He walked to her side, peering at her hair to see how he could ease her fingers out without pulling out her scalp. "I haven't been seeing much of her these days. You both used to be like frick and frack, what's going on?"

There he spells it out; her inability to do without Adelina.

Dolores winced in pain as the untangling began, frowning at the mention of her best friend who preferred to pick a boy over their many years of inseparability. "I can't call Lina. She has a boyfriend."

"Hasn't she always had a boyfriend?"

"It's kinda complicated. Can we just focus on prying my fingers out? Then we can talk." She concluded with a tone of finality.

With a reluctant shrug, he focused on the task assigned to him, sending her several words of apology when he seemed to tug at her scalp painfully. In less than no time, he was through and came to sit next to her.

"So?"

She raised an eyebrow quizzically. "So what?"

"What's with you and Adelina? I've seen you both quarrel before and I don't interfere because it usually doesn't last for more than a day. It is very unusual this time. What did one of you do?" His stare sat unwavering on her face, studying every of her unspoken emotions.

"Well, here goes." She gave a tired sigh. "Before Nicolas and I had this fallout, I and Adelina's started the moment she had a boyfriend but I guess we didn't pay much attention to the details."

Damian didn't say a word but nodded slowly, indicating that she had his attention. He didn't want to ask any questions and have her divert from the main topic. She continued nonetheless.

"Don't get me wrong though. I'm not trying to say I have something against her relationship or I'm jealous..." When her dad raised an eyebrow at her in unbelief, she backtracked immediately. "Okay, maybe I am but it's only a little bit. Ever since they both started going out together, it's as though I've become too invisible to be noticed by her."

Damian smiled. "I know that feeling as well. Happened between Mateo and I but as best friends and as men, we talked to each other and trashed the matter out. We were back to being best buddies in a few minutes of discussion. I can't give advice on how to treat Adelina since you ought to know better but I'll say this: Don't let your sentiments cloud your judgement."

"How?" Sentiments and judgement had no relationship whatsoever to the topic at hand because if that was the case, she would have made sure to vomit every thing she felt and their friendship would be have been over like a done deal.

"You're letting your anger for Nicolas get in the way. She might be looking so invested in her boyfriend to pay any attention but she does care about you deep enough to call you after school today." He finished with a knowing smile.

"You saw that?"

"I heard that. Instead of venting out anger, speak with her and find out what the matter is. There might be a reason for it. Until then, don't do anything I wouldn't want you doing, alright?"

She nodded with evident uncertainty. "I'll try not to."

He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, rising up from his seat. "Try well enough, amor. Don't lose the great friendship you have because of boy issues. You shouldn't let something as insignificant come between the relationship you girls have built."

"Alright, alright. Thank you so much. That's even enough advice for a lifetime, Mr counsellor. It looks enough to last me till my fourth generation." She groaned.

Damian chuckled at her response. Her reaction was already half expected by him. "Don't forget to see Lina for your hair. It looks as bad as the fur of a bedraggled cat." Those were his departing words.

"Dad!" Dolores called out in anger, embarassment fast replacing it when she heard his laughter echo down the hallway. She grabbed a small portable purse where she could place all of her hair products in, while muttering to herself, "I can't believe I got that man when everyone else got a dad."

Discarding her bathrobe, she opted for a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. She picked up her phone and her car keys from the dressing table then walked out of her room with the purse slung across her shoulders. On second thoughts, she grabbed the lovely blue gown she'd purchased alongside it's jewelry just in case she finished her hair and make up too late to come back home.

She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time when her father winked at her on her way to her car outside.

"Be good, amor. Don't end up tugging someone's hair out." He teased with laughter in his eyes.

"Dad! I told you already, I'm just going to try talk to her and apologize if need be. I'm not going for some battle."

"Then stop wearing that scary look on your face and put on that graceful smile I'm used to."

"Don't expect me to come home from there. Let's see how you'll cope without someone to talk to." He could mock her for all she cared, what she wanted was to get her hair done so she could  get on with other things in time for prom. She could not afford to be late to that as well.

Her reaction earned her a big belly laughter from him but it was waved aside too. She was in her car ready to leave when a notification came up on her phone. It was a short text from Simeon which read:

That dress better be looking more than fantastic on you else we are heading back to that store for a refund. ~~ Simeon

Dolores laughed. An actual one that had her blue eyes brightening up in humour and the sides crinkling together. She didn't know what the matter was with him and the gown not coming out as expected. Even if it didn't, she felt obliged to wear it still. Call her an emotional trainwreck but that was who she was and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

~~~{•}~~~

Okay, okay
I lied. It's not prom yet but it's still the day of prom
Right? 😁

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~~Chignature~~