Krystal's POV

‘’Dye it back.’’ That’s what she told me.

Jessica had her arms folded tightly against her chest with this stinging look aimed towards my hair. I looked at the fridge behind her and the drive to eat the leftover cheesecake died off. ‘’But I like it this way.’’ I said and focused my eyes back on her. ‘’Do you know what mum is gonna say? Or how much you’re gonna affect your image in school? Do you know how this is gonna affect me?’’ I listened to her stressed out voice and only frowned at her in disbelief.

‘’How will my hair colour affect you if no one at school even knows we’re related?’’ I asked and she went quiet. There was something off about her. None of this made sense. She definitely was one to push me and change my image a little while ago and now when it accidentally happened without her say or opinion she suddenly wants me to change it back.

I don’t get it.

‘’Ugh. You don’t get it!’’ she screamed and took a step closer to me. Yeah, that’s right, I really don’t get it, you need to explain. ‘’You’re ruining everything.’’ She slammed her phone on the counter and swished past me whilst slamming the kitchen door into its lock. I breathed out.

I looked at the phone and the game that still carried on only for it to say ‘game over’ a few seconds later made my eyes widen. Did I do that? Was the game what she got mad about or was it… something else?

‘’You don’t have to get mad over a game…’’ I murmured and felt hurt, it wasn’t fair that she was this controlling over me. It seemed that she’s the only one that matters here but, I’m here too, in fact I have been a slave to her for most of my life, I don’t see how my hair could ruin her life, it was inexplicable. Why did she get so offended? I for one thought she was going to be happy, I was disappointed instead. I never did the right thing even if it was the right thing.

I left and went to my room and fell on my bed with a silent sigh, a ray of sunlight sprayed over my face and the sudden increase in brightness almost hurt my eyes, the shimmering hair was captured by the sunlight for a few seconds and it glistened. I squeezed my eyes together. But only for a short while, a cloud came and sifted through the light and it wore away the effect. I grabbed a strand of my hair and inspected it.

Why are you causing so much trouble for me? I gripped harder onto the strand and felt angry, it really was the cause of many problems and I knew many more were to come.

I suddenly got up. I went up to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror for a good five minutes trying to decide whether the scissors in my hand should slice through the full length hair stand. If this hair represented so much trouble for me then why should it exist any longer? I closed my eyes and took a couple of breaths as I prepared my fingers to squeeze together.

Spaced out vibrations in my pocket made me stop and open my eyes. My phone ringing in my pocket made my hand slowly place the scissors down on the sink. I picked up the phone as I kept looking in the mirror at the blond hair still shimmering in its pride. It was almost a shame to cut it. I knew it too well, either way, I listened.

‘’I heard you dyed your hair blond.’’ His cold voice seeped through the receiver and my eyes moved. ‘’So?’’ I questioned and I heard a chuckle. I felt mad for no apparent reason.

‘’ Just double checking. My mate told me what happened and I heard that you went wild enough to attract the attention of most boys in the school and I got jealous.’’ He said and I glowered.

‘’What are you talking about?’’ I asked. I never intended for anything to happen. ‘’And why would you be jealous?’’ I asked without thinking and once again he chuckled softly. ‘’ In case you didn’t know, until now I was trying very hard to get you to be mine and you’re just… being difficult. Anyway, I must infer that for looks you’ve changed for the better and not for the worst and it’s most probable that other boys could jump at you and get you before me. So I was trying to save you before any of that happens.’’ He said and I pulled the phone away from my ear and gave it a stupid look.  

‘’Well, first of all, no one’s gonna jump at me because it wouldn’t make sense and second of all, you’re gonna have to start hating me now, I’m gonna cut my hair so that I don’t get any more of any boys’ attention, especially yours.’’ I stated and grabbed the scissors with a little too much force.

‘’Listen Krystal.... If you dare to cut that hair I will personally come and find you right now.’’ He threatened and I felt the scissors slip out of my hand. I nodded without any hesitation as I heard the hard drop of the metal blades of the scissors on the floor making a microscopic earthquake wave next to my feet. There was no way I would challenge him to do that, I knew just what he was capable of and finding me wasn’t going to be hard for him, last time he kidnapped me right from my parent’s house.

‘’ In fact, meet me tonight so I can double check that. You’re not cutting your hair before I see it. I need to see it, understand?’’ I heard his breaths afterwards when he expected some sort of an answer from me and I did answer. ‘’I can’t’’ I rejected.

‘’You know you didn’t come last time either, I was a little too disappointed…and if you don’t show up tonight, I’ll kidnap you. Again.’’ He hung up and I stared at the phone in continuity. Why does this happen to me? Why am I always the one pushed around? Why is it always me he threatens? Why? Why? Why? I thought Jessica took care of him when she met with him.

Well, it seems that it’s still me that has to deal with him.

I dialled his phone number back and he picked up in an instant.

‘’Listen here, I’m not gonna take this anymore. And this time I mean it. I’m not gonna meet up with you, I’m gonna cut my hair because it just reminds me of you wanting to see it and no, I don’t want to be kidnapped so stop saying that. It’s rude, unpleasant and illegal.’’ I listened to what seemed like six seconds of silence then he started laughing.

‘’Fine. Do what you want.’’ He said.

To me it seemed like he had given up but it was much too easily. Is there an invisible game he’s playing? He sounded like he was okay with my choice, whatever it was, he sounded okay with it and it was weird. I never said anything else.  I decided to hang up and then thought, was he still giving me a choice not to go or was he…telling me that he was agreeing to me defying him? Which was it?

I looked at the scissors on the floor and walked away. I came out of my room and came back in the kitchen to find Jessica in there again. ‘’Umm, sorry for earlier…’’ she sat down swinging her phone upside down with her fingers and then back around. ‘’It’s okay.’’ I said and walked inside. ‘’It’s that time of the month’’ she blamed and I smiled at her understandingly. I also sat down and she watched me intensely. 

I looked at my watch and saw that it was getting close to the meeting with Zico, I still had to make the decision; to go or not. She was still looking at me. ‘’Can you go and get me triple chocolate cookies? You know it always makes me feel better.’’ She said and I knew that she wasn’t feeling well. Those things however make her feel better. I nodded and she smiled upon knowing I agreed to go for her.

When do I ever refuse though?

I zipped up my jacket and tied the white laces of my sneakers and walked out of my apartment with some money in my pocket, my keys and my phone half charged.

I got on the bus and went towards the supermarket; she only likes the ones in the supermarket so…that’s where I went. I got off the bus and walked to the supermarket itself making a note to myself that it was getting dark soon. This time, I wasn’t gonna risk anything.

As this was the time everyone came back from work, the lines were long and I spent at least an hour trying to get to the point of paying. It wasn’t just that, but the lady at the cashier seemed to be in a good mood of conversing so it held up the line pretty much, the other cashiers weren’t an option, there was an old lady to my right and the other one was closed. It was like the workers here went on strike. How convenient.

‘’What a lovely girl we have here, your hair is very gorgeous.’’ the lady exclaimed when I got to her to pay and I blushed at the comment. They don’t come my way every day, I only watch these comments go towards my sister so I pretty much felt special at the moment for getting such attention. ‘’Thank you’’ I said as I placed the cookies in my side bag and paid the woman. I left and she smiled a