This might seem like fluff, but you really need to look closely at it. Look at it on a deeper level.

Our Lives, Victorious

Chapter Ten: Picture Day

Zoey 101

December 10th. Saturday, 2011. 6:30 A.M.

"Nicole...Nicole," Dana whispered, gently shaking the girl's shoulder. The sky was still dark, stained with the crimson and yellow hues of the sunrise.

"What?" Nicole groaned, still half asleep.

"...Can I borrow your hairspray?" the dark-and-curly-haired girl asked, her voice sounding somewhat nervous.

"What?" Nicole moaned, her eyes tightly closed. "Yeah, sure." The brunette rolled onto her side.

"What's going on?" Zoey asked, sitting up in her bed. Her eyes were squinted, still adjusting to the light of the morning.

"Nothing," Dana replied, keeping her usual cool.

"She wanted to borrow my hairspray," Nicole answered, her eyes closed. "What for, Dana?"

"It's nothing," Dana snapped. "My hair's just weird today. What's the big deal?"

"You never cared about your hair before," Zoey replied. "Why's today so important?"

"Would you just get off my back," Dana shot back, growing defensive. "Gosh!" The girl grabbed a white spray bottle off the counter, and stormed off to the bathroom.

"What's her problem?" Zoey asked once the door was slammed shut.

"I don't know," Nicole answered. "She's never this moody. Oh, I hope she didn't take the bottle off the counter by the door."

"Why?" Zoey asked, checking her digital clock.

"That's spray-on red dye," Nicole answered, rolling back onto her side, not knowing what was actually going on around her.

Suddenly, a loud, high-pitched scream tore through the walls of the bathroom, causing Zoey and Nicole to freeze, their eyes wide open. "I think she grabbed the wrong can," Zoey declared, realizing the horrible consequences of what just happened.

Dana stomped into the room, her long, curly hair now a light crimson color, and her face locked in a tight scowl that sent a chill down Nicole's spine. "T-that's a good look for you," the brunette weakly said, trying to calm her roommate's fury.

Letting in a vicious, trembling breath, the red-haired girl clenched her fists, her entire body shaking. Then, she dropped down on her bed, and covered her eyes.

"Dana?" Zoey asked, growing concerned. "Are you...crying?"

"No," Dana lied, her voice muffled by her hands. "Leave me alone."

"I've never seen her cry," Nicole whispered to her blond friend. "Something's wrong."

Zoey walked up to Dana's bed, sat down beside her, and put her arm around her. "Dana, it's okay," she said, her voice gentle. "We can wash that red out. It's not a big deal."

"First of all..." Dana began, her voice shaking. "Get off of me" Zoey took her hand off the red-haired girl. "...Second...It's not just my hair. Monday's picture day, and I've never had a good class picture before. I thought this year would be different."

"Since when do you care about that kind of stuff?" Nicole asked, getting out of bed, and walking over to the girls.

"Look, just...leave me alone," Dana replied, standing up.

"Dana, why does this matter so much to you?" Zoey asked, sympathy in her voice.

"It doesn't matter," Dana shot back. "Do you know how stupid I looked? It took me years to fix my reputation."

"Were they that bad?" Nicole asked.

"Look," Dana replied, grabbing an old album from out of her cabinet. The girl opened the book, and leafed through the pictures in front of Zoey and Nicole. The pictures were anyone's nightmare; frizzy hair, coke-bottle glasses on sideways across the face, showing too much of her teeth when open-mouth smiling, a pink, baggy sweater with a unicorn on it...for the eighth grade picture, zits, bad ponytails, pigtails, and finally, blurred makeup and red eye.

"Uww," the blond and brunette declared, proven wrong.

"...Hey, we can help you with your picture," Nicole declared, standing up. "I'm great with hair."

"And I can probably help with your outfit," Zoey added, eager to help. "What do you say?"

Dana sat still for a second, debating the option she'd been given. "You promise you won't make me look stupid?" she replied, accepting her friends' offer.

"...We promise," Nicole answered, a big smile forming on her face. The girl then wrapped her hands around Dana.

"Get off me," the red-haired girl snarled. "...Now." Quickly, the brunette took her hands off Dana, and sat down in a chair.

Zoey stood up, and looked over the redhead; Taking in every detail of her appearance.

"What?" Dana asked, her voice growing defensive as her confusion grew.

"...We have a lot of work ahead of us," Zoey replied, looking over at the brunette. "Ready, Nicole?"

"Let's do it," Nicole answered. The girl walked over to Dana, and fluffed out her red hair at the sides. Dana sat still, a weirded-out look on her face. "Mmm...first things first. Let's wash this red out." The brunette pulled her friend up, and walked her to the bathroom. "Come on."

Once in the bathroom, Nicole put Dana's head in a sink. The girl then slid in a chair from the hallway underneath her friend. "Close your eyes," she said, her voice gentle. Turning on some warm water, the petite brunette gently but firmly ran her hands through Dana's hair, watching the red imperfections run out of each lock. "Almost got it...Just a little bit longer."

Keeping her eyes closed, spitting out the liquid that went into her mouth, the bad girl felt her face grow warmer under the water. Not wearing any makeup, having it run wasn't a concern. This was so unusual; the beauty parlor treatment.

"Okay, sit up," Nicole instructed, her voice quiet. Dana sat up in her chair, and looked at herself in the mirror for a second. She didn't look much like herself right now. "Lemme just comb this out." Nicole ran a long, pink comb through her roommate's hair, bringing it down straight. "O...-kay...how do you like that?"

Gazing at herself, Dana realized something that disturbed her; "I look like you," she exclaimed, obviously growing angry.

"Is that a problem?" asked the petit brunette.

"Change it!" Dana snapped, starting to freak out.

"Alright," Nicole quickly replied. "Relax." The girl then pulled out a hair-drier, and began blowing it into Dana's hair.

After a few minutes, the dark-haired girl opened her eyes, and was disgusted; her hair was now practically an Afro. "Nicole!" she screamed, growing furious.

The girl began furiously combing out her roommate's hair, terrified of what would happen to her if she couldn't make it right. I hate this so much, Dana thought to herself, looking at her image being altered before her very eyes.

"Close your eyes," Nicole said a little later. Dana complied, then opened her eyes after about four minutes to find her long, shining, dark-brown hair parted down the middle and divided into two pigtails.

"You are so dead," Dana snarled, feeling her neck grow burning hot.

"Sorry," Nicole giggled, taking the small pink orbs out of the girl's hair. "Okay, I have a great idea." The brunette began to comb through Dana's hair dramatically.

"Ow," Dana shrieked, feeling her roots being pulled.

"Just hold still," the girl replied, not stopping for a second. After a few minutes, Dana looked at her new hairstyle; it was straight down the left side (though it looked like the right in the mirror), and was flared out in a sassy style on her right. All of her curls were gone, and she looked more mature.

"Wow," Dana exclaimed, breath-taken by her astounding new look. "...Thanks, Nicole." Defeat hurt a little bit.

"Any time," the brunette replied. "Zoey, you're up!"

The blond entered the room as Nicole exited, and was holding several different outfits in her hands. "Wow," Zoey said. "Nicole did a good job. Ready for your new style?"

"I guess," Dana answered, using her normal, somewhat stubborn tone.

After changing into a long towel, Dana watched as Zoey held up different colored shirts, blouses, and skirts up to her; most of which were pink or other girly colors and styles.

"Uw, this one's pretty," Zoey finally said, looking at a soft, royal blue blouse with lace around the neck line and its elbow-length sleeves. "What do you think, the pink jeans or the skirt?" The blond held up an aqua-colored skirt that was divided into sections.

"I don't wear skirts," Dana replied, her voice cold.

"We'll go with the jeans then," Zoey replied, her voice still up-beat. "Here you go. I'll let you change."

The blond left the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Walking over to Nicole, Zoey whispered something in her ear. The brunette nodded in agreement.

After dawning her new outfit, looking at her new hair-do, Dana started looking herself over critically. She looked pretty, sweet, and very put together. So this is what it feels like to be one of the Pretty Girls, she thought, turning to her sides to look at her new self. I guess I can live with this. I look...nice.

"Hey Dana," Zoey called in from the hallway. "We have some new perfumes for you to try."

"We also have some blush, mascara, and foundation if you want," Nicole added. "You're gonna be so pretty."

Dana listened to what she was being told; To every word. "Sounds great," she called back, a smile on her face and her voice upbeat. "Let's see it."

After about ten minutes of brushing, patting with sponges, and applying, the long-haired girl opened her eyes, which were now colored an alluring purple. Her eye lashes were longer and curled towards their ends. Bright pink coated her naturally soft lips, and her cheeks were hued red. "Wow," Dana said, taking in her new appearance.

"I know," Nicole happily replied, holding onto her friend's shoulders. "We did a great job on her, huh, Zoey?"

"Yeah we did," Zoey excitedly agreed. "She doesn't even look like herself. Wow...how's it feel being a beauty queen, Dana?"

"...Beauty queen?" Dana replied, shaking herself out of a brief daze with a smile on her covered face.

"Yeah," Nicole replied. "You're pretty. Just like one of the girls in a magazine. It'll be hard to keep up this look, but I think you can do it."

"Wait..." Dana said, looking away from the mirror. "Wasn't I pretty before?"

"Uw, let's use some glitter on her cheeks," Nicole suggested, looking at Zoey with a smile.

"Wait a minute," Dana replied, standing up. "What'd you mean? Didn't I look pretty before all of this?"

"Well, I don't know," Zoey answered. "Why'd you want all this if you thought you looked okay?"

"...I...I didn't think I looked..." Dana stuttered, her purple eye lashes repeatedly batting.

"Good enough?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah," Dana answered. "...Good enough for the other kids..." Thinking about what she just said, the girl looked down at herself; it wasn't her. Oh man, she thought to herself. I'm like some painted-up doll. "...I have to go." The girl ran out of the room, her new high heels clanging on the floor.

Come Monday, everyone was lined up for their picture to be taken. Chase was checking his hair spontaneously in a mirror on the wall. Sonny looked gorgeous, of course, and didn't even check. Emily was brushing out her light brown hair. Quinn was holding up two compacts, checking only the back of her hair, which was done in complex braids.

Zoey was dressed in a blue top that looked like a little-girl dress with her hair down and curled around the bottom. She was wearing very little makeup, and had her best earrings on. Nicole had her brown locks pulled back flat into a ponytail. With the help of a Bump-It, her hair was bigger than usual on the crown.

"Have you seen Dana?" Zoey asked.

"Not since she ran out on Saturday," Nicole answered. "I'm worried about her."

Meanwhile, Dana was standing in front of a mirror in the girl's room. Her hair was in a new, sassy, un-curled style, her face gently glossed over with makeup, and her clothes girlier than ever before. Should I go with this? she asked herself. "...I'm a beauty queen," she said, not knowing how to take herself. "I look pretty...now." After a second of silence, Dana turned on the sink, and cold water gushed out. Grabbing her hair in the back, the girl thrust it in front of her face, and dove her head into the water. Her makeup running violently and her hair soaked, returning somewhat to its natural curled form, Dana looked at herself; her real self.

"Next up is Dana Cruz," declared the photographer. "...Where is Ms. Cruz?"

Zoey and Nicole looked at one another, growing nervous.

"Right here," Dana answered, unenthusiastically as she walked forward. Her girly, pink blouse partially covered by a black jacket and a loose black tie that dangled to one side, and her hair back to normal, the girl sat down on the chair, no makeup masking her face. "Cheese." With that, the camera flashed, and took the picture.

"You look awesome, Dana," Sonny said as she stood next to the girl, Nicole, and Zoey.

"Back at'cha," Dana confidently replied. She turned to her roommates. "...How long did you plan it?"

"Plan what?" Zoey asked, trying to hold back a smile.

"All that beauty queen stuff," Dana answered. "Once I got my head straightened out, it all seemed so obvious."

"About half way through it," Nicole answered. "It was Zoey's idea."

"Guilty," Zoey happily confessed, raising her hand.

"Thanks, I guess," Dana replied, her tone less grave than usual. "I was being stupid. Who cares about school pictures?"

"Are you sure?" Nicole jokingly added. "Cuz I'd really like to give you another makeover."

"Don't count on it," Dana answered, back to her normal tone. The girl walked away from the others.

"What's up with her?" Sonny asked.

"...Just being Dana," Zoey answered. "I don't think we'd have it any other way."

Later that night, Sonny, Quinn, Nicole, and Zoey were sitting in The Lounge, watching James Cameron's Titanic.

"I love this movie," Nicole exclaimed, watching the elderly Rose lay in her bed next to all the photos; all the memories of things she and Jak planned to do together.

"This part's really sad," Sonny said, feeling her eyes fill with tears.

"Hey guys," Dana said, sitting down on the couch.

"Sup, Dana?" Zoey replied.

"I just wanted to say...I really appreciate what you guys did for me," the curly-haired girl said. "It means a lot to me."

"Whatter friends for?" Nicole replied. "I'm just glad you see yourself as beautiful."

"What exactly did you guys do, anyway?" Sonny asked, growing confused.

"Just ask Nicole," Zoey replied. "She'll show you."

The three girls chuckled. Sonny just sat there, being out of the loop. Finally, she just forgot all about it, and enjoyed her friends' company.