FicWad

Chapter 6

I walked out of the apartment behind Sam who was striding to what appeared to be her car that was parked on the sidewalk. She quietly unlocked her car door and got in the small purple vehicle. I followed shortly after, sliding into the passenger seat.
“So!”, Sam announced, “Plan of attack. We’re going to hit the shops, buy you some awesome stuff and get a few pairs of shoes. Then, we’re going to go to Frank’s step mom’s hairdressing shop and get your hair all fixed. Frank suggested it when you were in… talking to Gerard.”
I felt a slight blush creep up on my cheeks and I half-heartedly shrugged.
“The plan sounds good. Thanks.”, I tactfully changed the subject away from Gerard. Sam just raised an eyebrow at me.
“No problem. Let’s go.”, she smiled as she started the engine and began driving.

I looked out the window and found drifting back to Gerard and us sitting on the bed. I could almost still feel the burning of where he had touched me, where he had leaned and almost kissed me. I had leaned in, I would have kissed him if Sam hadn’t walked in. And actually I was glad she did. I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved with anyone. Not again. Not after… him. I couldn’t even say his name but I knew how I felt about Gerard was different. It seemed… more real in a way. I sighed quietly and ran my hand through my long hair. His beautiful hazel eyes were still clearly in my mind as was his perfect pale skin. I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut. I had to stop this. He had been so kind to me. I couldn’t ruin it. Besides, I knew nothing about him. How could I even think to involve myself with someone I practically know nothing about. No! I couldn’t, I wouldn’t. And that was going to be the end of it. None of this stupid feelings business.

“You thinking about Gerard?”, Sam voice startled me out of my daydream. I turned around to look at her, what seemed to be, all knowing face.
“What? No I’m not.”, I lied, looking straight ahead, hoping she couldn’t see the blush forming on my cheeks.
“You know you’re lucky. Because Gerard likes you. If he didn’t he wouldn’t have brought you home in the first place. He never brings a girl home. Like I said before we were beginning to think he was gay and was going to hook up with Frank god forbid. But luckily, you showed up and he’s taken a shine to you.”, Sam winked, looking at me quickly before turning her eyes back to the road.
I was a little skeptical about all this. No way could he like me after what he found out about my past. I couldn’t understand why he even wanted to know me.
“I don’t think so.”, I mumbled, running a hand through my hair. I tended to do that when I was stressed or deep in thought.
“You don’t think he likes you or you don’t think you want to be involved with anyone regardless.” ,Sam raised an eyebrow, glancing in her direction.
God, this girl was good. She seemed to simply sense someone’s feelings and know what they’re thinking.
“Uh… both” , I answered honestly.
“Thought so.”, she nodded, “Think about it okay. You might decide on a different verdict later.”
I could tell she wasn’t really going to give me much of a chance to forget what she said. I nodded.
“Good, because I think you guys would make a cute couple.”
I shrugged simply at that comment, not wanting to argue with Sam’s strong willed thoughts.
I sighed quietly as we pulled into what seemed to be the parking lot of a big shopping center.
Sam got out the car and signaled for me to follow her. I walked with her into the giant shopping center.
“If you can’t get what you want here, you won’t be able to find it anywhere… well maybe on the black market but that’s beside the point.”, Sam told me, making me laugh a little as we walked further into the mall.
It wasn’t a palace or anything, quite dated but there was no denying that the sheer size of the place meant that it would probably contain anything you could possibly want. There were at least three floors and went off in four different directions. It was really thriving.

“I have composed a list of what we need to get you.” , Sam declared, whipping out the list she had been talking about, “Definitely a few pairs of shoes- we have this great discount store, jeans- maybe a few pairs, shirts, tops, leather jackets- you seem like the type for that stuff. Uh… underwear, you need your own.”
She rattled off all the things I would need. My eyes grew wide.
“Woah woah stop!” I jumped in as soon as I got the chance, “where is all this money coming from?! I have told you I have like no money!”
Sam sighed and looked pointedly at me.
“We did tell you money wouldn’t be an option. Look, we want you to stay and you need clothes and stuff. I’m not having you go around in the same change of clothes for weeks on end nuh-uh! I don’t have a girl to do things like this with so you’re actually doing me a favor.” Sam beamed at me, very obviously adamant that she would be getting me this stuff whether I liked it or not.
“Thank you.” I told her quietly, quite overcome by how they all wanted to look after me, even though I didn’t deserve it. “No problem now come on, we have a lot to do.”, she informed me, pulling me down the first section of shops with an excited squeal.

Well it was safe to say that we totally killed those shops. We must have gone into nearly everyone that we could make purchases for me in. We bought a lot considering between the pair of us we were laden with bags. Shoes, jackets, jeans you name it we had it somewhere in these bags. Sam kept insisting that it was okay but I felt like she had spent a complete fortune on a stranger but I knew if I brought it up one more time she would sock me in the face. We both half staggered, half walked to her car under the weight of the bags.
“Well I think that was a successful trip anyway.”, Sam noted, trying to pop open the trunk and finally succeeding before beginning to pile in the bags into the trunk, only to realize they wouldn’t all fit, “well we’ll put the rest in the backseat."
I nodded in response to the successful trip comment before helping her close the trunk and sitting the rest of the bags in the back seats.
“Right get in. We’re off to Frank’s step mom’s shop. Get some of that hair chopped off.”, she winked at me, as we both got in the car yet again.
“I’ve been needing to get my hair cut for a while.” I confirmed with a smile, “I think this long mess is like my trademark so it needs to go.”
Sam nodded and smiled,
“It’s not a mess! It’s so pretty. Good thing we got some hair products huh?” she giggled.
“Oh I know, at least you can use those too! I don’t feel so bad that way.”
Sam didn’t retaliate to my comment she just shook her head with a snicker and began driving.

We spent a while talking about all the stuff we bought and when I could wear them and stuff. We spoke about me staying that their apartment and what I would do since it was only a two bedroom apartment and the best suggestion that Sam came up with was for me to hook up with Gerard, that way there would be no need for either of us to have to sleep on the couch. I simply laughed.
“But come on! It’s a good idea!” Sam exclaimed, bringing it up again as she drove.
“No Sam, it not really.” I said with a giggle, if the situation was different then I wouldn’t have minded hooking up with him but it wasn’t. So I wouldn’t.
“If you guys got together there would be no need to use the couch! It’s brilliant!” I gave her a look, “No? Okay then, well I bought an air mattress so it’s going in Gerard’s room anyway, not like he brings girls home anyway.”
I just rolled my eyes, looking out the window, deciding not to argue with Sam’s “great” ideas.

We came to stop on street that was quite run down, I was beginning to realize that a lot of New Jersey seemed to be like that. I looked up at a hairdressing shop before looking in it and saw a small woman waving frantically out the window. Sam waved madly back as she got out the car with me following quickly behind her.
“Di”, Sam squealed, as she ran into the shop and hugged the older woman.
“Sam, darling! It’s been a while! How are you?” the woman (who I assumed to be called Diana) asked, hugging Sam tightly.
“I’ve been really good thanks!”
“How is Mikey?”
“An idiot as usual., but we’re good.”, Sam told her, sending them both into giggles.
“Good to hear nothing has changed. Who’s your friend?”, Diana asked, looking at me.
“Oh this is Ellouise. Ellouise, this is Frank’s step mom Diana. Ellouise, Diana.”, Sam introduced us both.
“Please to meet you Ellouise. That’s such a pretty name.”, she pulled me into a big hug. She was the same height as me, if not slightly smaller which was always refreshing since Sam, Mikey and Gerard were all over 5’ 8’’ .
“Thank you very much!” , I smiled into the hug. She was so bubbly and happy. It was contagious.
“No problem, now what can I do for you two?” , Diana asked, looking between the two of us.
“Well…”, Sam began, “Elle needs her hair cut. Maybe some color, she just needs a new look.”
Sam finished explaining while I just nodded.
“I think that can be arranged. Take a seat chick.”, Diana directed me to the chair and I went and sat down, careful not to sit on my hair and looked quietly in the mirror, watching as Diana ran around getting scissors and things.
“So,” ,she said coming over to me while Sam sat in the chair next to me, “length- what do you think of here.”
Diana put the scissors to my chest. That was a lotta hair that was gonna be coming off. But I knew it wouldn’t look bad, it was the change I needed.
“Yeah, that’s great.”
“Good, color? I was thinking a dark red. It’ll change your hair just enough. What about that?”
I smiled and nodded, I really liked that. It would make me just different enough but I’d still be me.
“I like that too!”, Sam squealed, jumping in. I smiled at her.
“Alright then, let’s do this!”, Diana said, immediately wheeling me over to the sinks and began to wash my hair.

Once my hair was freshly washed Diana quickly started chopping at my long hair. Hair was falling from my head at a fast rate as she moved around my head at an almost inhumane speed.
“So.”, Diana began her hairdressing talk as she looked at me in the mirror, “How did you two meet?”
I opened my mouth to explain in the most delicate way possible only to be cut off by Sam.
“Oh Diana you will never believe this! I actually would have had trouble believing it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes. dramatic pause Gerard brought her home!”, Sam told it as though it should be in the nearest gossip mag.
I rolled my eyes, careful not shake my head in case she chopped off the wrong part of my hair. Diana’s eyebrows shot up as she looked at me.
“Well then…”
“No it wasn’t like that. I needed a place to stay and… yeah, he gave me one. Uh… he slept on the couch!”, I added quickly.
“I see.”, Diana looked pointedly at Sam as she began to mix the color that would be going in my hair.
“He likes her… well they like each other”, Sam seemed to confirm.
“Thought so.”
“No we don’t!”, I protested, “We’re just friends!”
“They’re in denial.”, Sam told her simply.
I huffed and rolled my eyes for the umpteenth time today; deciding not to argue anymore, the lie seemed to be transparent.
Diana and Sam just chuckled in unison.
“We’ll see” ,Diana said quietly.

Over the next couple of hours my hair was colored and we sat with cups of coffee while the dye was on. It was pretty awesome. I could see why Frank and Sam really liked his step mom. She was crazy, like Sam. Mikey seemed to have his work cut out but it was clear he wouldn’t change anything.
Soon after that the dye was washed off and my hair was blow dried and straightened. I hadn’t been allowed to see my hair until it was finished.
“Okay Ellouise, are you ready to see the final product?”, Diana asked.
“You bet!”, I told her, a little nervous.
Both Sam and Diana turned me around and I was faced with a girl I almost barely recognized. My hair was ruby red and it only came to my chest, a place it hadn’t been in a while. She had also cut in a long side fringe that I could easily keep off my face if I wanted to. I looked really good.
“So, what do you think?”, Diana asked expectantly.
“I look really awesome.”, I hugged her, “Thank you!”
“You look better than awesome, you look so pretty!”, Sam jumped in.
“It wasn’t a problem. Now you two better go running along. Your boyfriends will be wondering where you are.”, Diana chuckled.
“He’s not my boyfriend!”, I muttered, picking up my stuff.
“Come on Miss Denial.”, Sam ushered me to the door, “Thanks Diana. See you later!”
“Bye honey! Bye Ellouise! Come and visit sooner this time.”
“Bye!”, I called as I got in the car again with my new hair.

We drove back the apartment and got out, grabbing all the bags and walked up the stairs to the apartment just as Frank, Ray and Bob were leaving. They all looked at me with wide eyes.
“Wow! Elle! You look awesome!”, Frank exclaimed as he got noises of agreement from Ray and Bob, “We actually gotta go but we’ll see you later. Bye gorgeous!”, Frank kissed me quickly on the cheek before I could react.
“Bye guys!”, Sam called as they walked down the stairs, “No Frank I don’t want a kiss! It’s fine!”
I heard Frank giggle as they walked away. Sam pushed open the apartment door and dumping the bags in the dining area. I did the same just as Mikey walked out of the kitchen.
“Hey gorgeous.”, he walked up to Sam and kissed her tenderly on the lips before turning to me, “Woah! Ellouise, you look awesome!”
“Thanks.” ,I mumbled, a little embarrassed.
I heard another door open and I turned to see… Gerard standing at the door looking at me, his eyes slightly open with a tiny smile, barely visible smile on his face.

So guys, sorry for the late update. But as usual R&R :-)