Hailey sighed; he sighed, and then she threw her towel over the mirror and held it there. With both hands engaged, she wasn’t quite sure what to do next, and she couldn’t move without exposing the glass.
This was crazy.
She’d just decided she’d imagined the whole thing when a pair of albino arms jutted out from the mirror, through her towel and went straight for Hailey’s head, pulling and twisting her hair this way and that, and Hailey fought against them, grabbing one and using all her might to pull it away.
It shook her loose. Then it slapped her hand and went back to work on her hair. Ducking and squirming, Hailey bunched herself into the corner. Finally, the hands stopped.
Hailey stood up, rubbing her head and finding her hair was pulled into a beautiful, ornate, albeit soaking wet, French braid.
The white-haired boy saluted her from the mirror then disappeared. Hailey blinked, dumbfounded.
No way that just happened. No way anyone would ever believe her if it actually had happened. She probably braided her hair herself and from lack of sleep simply imagined the whole affair with the mirror. That’s what happened.
Except, Hailey didn’t know how to braid.
Eyes wide, she very slowly got dressed and went about her day.
With her hair gorgeously organized, she caught the bus to school, sat herself in the front seat, and avoided all eye contact.
Whispers erupted all around her, and they were hard to ignore. Some girls didn’t even bother whispering their gossip about Hailey and her sister.
“—I heard when they were digging her sister’s grave, her uncle poured a bottle of whiskey into it,” gushed one girl in Physics class.
It was half a bottle, Hailey corrected her in her head. Her uncles drank the rest.
The girl sitting right behind her chimed in next. “At least she finally bought a brush for her hair,” she giggled and a few others laughed with her.
Holy crap, I’m sitting right here.
Tage followed her off the bus that afternoon and fell in step with her as she moped home, walking so close, he actually brushed against her.
Hailey didn’t really feel like talking.
“You’ve got a toothbrush in your hair,” he said.
“What?!”
Hailey felt around and sure enough pulled Holly’s toothbrush out of her braid.
“That albino little punk,” she muttered. She glanced at Tage briefly then returned her attention to her feet. No wonder everyone was laughing at her…
“I missed seeing you in school.”
Hailey pulled the corners of her mouth back in a weak smile.
“I never realized how nice it was to hear your feet tapping under your desk.”
“I do that?” That was something Holly used to do. Hailey didn’t know she did it too. It made her smile for real.
“Yeah, and it’s always a pretty cool rhythm.” Tage rubbed the back of his neck.
“Oh.” Hailey dropped her head again and tried to hide behind some strands of hair that had come out of her braid.
“Wait,” he said smiling. “Was that embarrassing?” He chuckled, and Hailey could feel her cheeks heat. “Actually, I’m glad you’re so shy, otherwise I’d never have the courage to ask you to prom.”
Hailey froze and looked at him in terror. Was he asking her to prom? She couldn’t tell.
“So, uh…I mean, you don’t have to answer right away,” he stammered. “Just think about it for a couple days, okay?”
