Title: Lovely Locks
Rating: PG
Summary: Six quick looks into Audrey's life.
Author's Notes: I'm still a noobie when it comes to writing, so don't expect a masterpiece. This just came to me last night, & I wrote it all down before the inspiration left me. ^_^ Hope you all like my attempt to give Audrey a little more dimension.
Disclaimer: I do not own the story or characters in The Lorax. I never will. All these things belong to their respective owners. So don't sue me.
:Pigtails:
When Audrey is twelve, her luscious, red hair is held in two braided pigtails that pop out from the sides of her head. They make her ears stick out, they're braided a little too tight (thanks to her enthusiastic mother), and make her hair a knotted mess when they're undone at the end of the day. Adults coo and say she's 'so adorable', pinching her cheeks as they fawn. Boys at school tug on them, and call her 'Pippi Longstocking' as she sits on the swings, surrounded by plastic grass.
A bright, red ball lands in her yard for the first time.
:Long:
When Audrey is 16, her hair is kept long and flowing over her shoulders. She gets knots, split ends, and it takes forever to brush every morning and wash every night. She's a freshman in high school, and she's both weird and popular. Girls squeal and compliment that her hair's 'so soft and well-maintained', but sneer and scoff at her sketches of trees. Boys ask her out, saying she's 'really pretty and nice', but joke that her head is filled and topped with fluff.
A twelve year old boy brings her a seed and changes her life.
:Ponytail:
When Audrey is 19, the red on her head is rigidly held in place by a green, elastic band. It's simple, mature, and doesn't take to long to do each morning. But it's also constricting, boring, and it hurts to yank it out of it's form every night. Leaving shining, red strands abandoned in her hand. She's a senior in high school, trying to be the adult people expect her to be. Her boyfriends come and go, bored by her love of nature, and annoyed by her endless enthusiasm for it.
The toys stopped landing in her yard months ago.
:Short:
When Audrey is 23, her red waves of hair barely graze her shoulders. Her long locks weren't making things easy for her as she helps the town plant more and more, and her fiancé likes it short. She's in her second year of college, and looking to to start a flower shop within the next year or so. She gets encouragement and support from her family and friends, saying she's 'such a driven young woman' and 'full of promise'. But even as she feels a sense of pride and freedom, she feels like she's missing a comforting weight on her person.
A young man in a red, flannel shirt stops by her dorm with saplings, shovels, and a smile.
:Unkempt:
When Audrey is 26, her hair is a rat's nest. It's the longest it's gone without a proper washing or brushing. Cowlicks stick out from all angles, split ends run rampant, and it's starting to feel oily. She's the owner of a small flower shop in town, and has been thrown away. Her engagement ring lies on the floor, gathering dust and what have you. Her friends pat her back, saying 'he was scum, and you'll find someone else'. Her family, while comforting as well, remind her 'these things happen, and you'll be a better person for it' over the phone. She grips her hair in frustration, sadness, and hate, all the while thinking that they're wrong and she's stupid.
Her only customer of the day looks down at her with a sad smile, handing over a bright orange truffula sprout.
:Natural:
Audrey is 30, and she doesn't give a damn about her hair. All she knows about it is that it's currently being combed through with the fingers of her husband. She's the owner of a very popular flower shop, and is happily married. Her friends may say 'he's too young for you', and her family may say 'he's not right for you'. They may say these things, but she's doesn't care.
"Hey, Audrey?", he questions. "You seem kinda out of it. What'cha thinking about so hard?"
Audrey hums in contentment, leaning closer into her husband's touch.
Smiling, she answers, "Hmm. Nothing really."
Audrey Wiggins is 30. She's the owner of a very popular flower shop in town, is happily married, and doesn't give a damn about her hair. And why should she?
No matter how it's looked throughout the years, Ted has always thought it was lovely.
End
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Hope you liked it. If you didn't...I don't blame you. XD