Okay, I haven't posted AF fiction in a long time. I'm not dead! Just read the latest Harry Potter book. Well, this was a middle of the night idea (literally… exactly midnight), and I had to get it down on paper. Enjoy. It took me thirty-nine minutes to write!
Disclaimer: I own… nothing.
Summary: Right after Holly gets a job in the LEP, she cuts her hair. Each auburn lock falling through the floor makes her think about choices, and especially their consequences. One-chapter.
Haircut
She had done it.
She was the first female ever to get accepted in the LEP. Sure, she was starting out on Traffic, the worst of the worst, but it was getting somewhere. And the little gadgets were pretty cool.
The auburn-haired girl—officer–grinned at her reflection in the mirror, holding up the moss-green outfit in front of her. Sure, it wasn't the latest style, actually, it was downright ugly, but it's the thought that counts, right?
She practically skipped into her bathroom to change into her new uniform, something rather unlike her. The cloth draped over her loosely, being made for a male's structure, but she didn't care if she went baggy for a while.
And it was back to the mirror.
The gold-framed picture was of a brown-haired, brown-skinned, hazel-eyed girl in a rather large green suit. But it didn't look right.
It didn't feel right.
She studied her reflection more closely, taking in every detail. She noticed the freckles across the bridge of her nose. No, that wasn't wrong.
The dimples—or lack thereof. Nah, she didn't care for dimples. Too girly.
The large eyes. What was wrong with large eyes? Nothing, of course.
The pointed ears—no, everybody had those.
The small chin? But what did that matter?
She was a centimeter below average height. But that was the average height for males and females, so it didn't count.
She cocked her head to one side and turned around; trying to figure out what she was missing. All she knew was that she couldn't possibly go to work the next day like this.
She twirled again. Her hair flew out behind her, a whole foot and six inches of it. She was very proud of her beautiful curls.
And then it hit her. The hair. Her gorgeous hair had to go.
In addition to her tresses, her personality had to leave also.
She couldn't waltz into the LEP tomorrow boasting curls and a girlish personality! She had to toughen up—curse, swear and push around. She couldn't be the girl in the group of guys. At least not figuratively.
I'll show them that I'm not different. I can be just like them. I can get to the top. She thought fiercely. Determination. The first step to her transformation.
The second was her hair.
Trembling, she picked up her pair of scissors. When was the last time she had done this?
She steadied herself (of course you can't handle scissors with a shaking hand) and cut the first lock off.
Snip.
Why was she doing this?
Snip.
Why did she want to become an officer?
Snip.
Was it the attention? Did she want simply to be famous, to be the black sheep in the herd?
Snip.
Perhaps. Perhaps to a lot of things. Or maybe she wanted to be the hero. To save people.
Snip.
And then she remembered why. Because she enjoyed it. Because her father had been an LEP officer, and he had always taken her to work. There she would sit, fumbling with inactive Neutrinos and the latest equipment. And she would admire her dad from time to time, envying his fun life.
Snip.
But of course she soon learned that the LEP can be anything but fun. It could be serious, and deadly. This didn't deter her at all. More excitement to the job!
Snip.
The strands of hair fell to the ground, coming apart but still staying together. Kind of like how she felt.
Snip.
Her good reasons for becoming an officer were falling apart, but she still wanted to be one. And nothing would stop her.
Snip.
Did she really want it this short? It was almost cropped, turning from eighteen inches to four and a half. Never mind… it was cropped. And Holly wasn't much of a hand-eye coordination person yet, so it was uneven and unleveled in many places.
Snip.
But what did it matter… it would prove them all wrong. She knew they were betting on her… three days at the most. They all thought she would get the pink slip that fast? Pfft. She was determined to stay at least… three years? Would that be a good time?
Snip.
They were gambling. On her. How childish! She snorted slightly and moved the scissors a bit to the right on accident, now having slanted areas of her hair. She had her eyes closed, too. Whatever she had done to herself, she wasn't ready to see it.
Snip.
Was she almost done? And there was still the matter of her personality. What would she be like? She definitely couldn't be the sweet, boring, expressionless girl she was for the beginning of her life.
Snip.
How about… fiery? She could have a spit-fire personality, giving random insults and comebacks out everywhere. She certainly was smart enough for it.
Snip.
Almost done. Just a few more snips and that would be it. She winced as the current lock of hair added to the growing pile under her chair. It took her a couple seconds to remind herself of her purpose and stop her from staring in horror at the pile of pretty brown tresses beneath her.
Snip.
Was this all worth it?
Snip.
Of course it was.
Snip.
And then it was over.
She slowly turned her head up to the mirror, cracking one eye open after the other.
It was a little mess, hair sticking out at random intervals. It was a little roguish look, her hazel eyes just adding to it.
She had to get used to acting… thorny, though. She could start immediately.
A scowl appeared on her face as she realized she had gotten brown hair all over her new suit. Now she'd have to wash it.
Looking up at her reflection and trying out an evil grin one last time, she headed for the wash-room.
She left the pile of hair, and her old personality, behind.