Read on my lovely readers :)

I stood at the edge of the ocean, looking at my feet. I was contemplating my options. Either spend a hundred bucks on a hotel room, or go act like I'm "Dana." I mean, it is my dorm room, I have a right to be there.

But... Fang is there. It'd just be awkward.

Maybe I'm making it awkward. No, he would be awkward about it too, right?

It's times like this when I'm elated to have a phone.

I dialed Nudge's number.

"Hello?" Nudge said.

"Hey, Nudge. I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"If somehow, in a hypothetical situation, someone maybe, I don't know, set something up, not on purpose, I don't think, for you, and then-"

"Max, spit it out. What's going on, and what's this about a hypothetical situation that we both know isn't actually a hypothetical situation?"

"Ella invited F-Nick to spend the night in our dorm room, and I'm just psyching myself out," I blurted out.

"Oh. Uh..."

"He came over to drop a present off, and I pretended to be someone named Dana- I don't even know a Dana- And now F-Nick is spending the night because he thinks I'm not there. Like, I'm not the only one who's awkward about our situation!"

I heard Nudge swallow over the phone.

"What should I do? What if he somehow finds out? I can't wear these sunglasses to bed! And I'm not wearing earrings for the rest of the night! And I refuse to put this scrunchie back in."

"Max! You need to calm down. Are you calm?"

"Yeah," I said, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes. I opened them and I could see my breath. The ocean was peaceful, but raging at the same time. The sun was starting to set, and I appreciated the orange sky. "I'm calm."

"Good. Now, let me think this through. You and Nick are going to be in the same place, sleeping in the same room, with Ella. Hmm... Well, I would go for the hotel if you really don't want to do it, but you have student loans and stuff. So, I'd say... go get your hair dyed or something. Costs much less."

"Yeah..." I said. "Yeah, I could go for some new hair... this brown at my roots is leaving me with nothing cool in my hair."

"Hey! I have brown hair!"

I laughed. "I said it just to get you going."

"You better have."

"Yes, I'd like a hair cut, and some hair dye."

"Sure honey, lemme get you a chair," said an old lady with a deep Mainer accent.

She came around the counter and led me over to a spinning chair in front of a bank of mirrors.

"Thanks," I said. I took off my sunglasses and ruffled my hair, taking out the big earrings.

"So, what color would ya like?" she said. Her nametag read 'Dianna.' She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest.

I thought about it. If I went light I would look just like I did in high school. If I went dark it would just be weird. And color would look tacky on me.

"Can I ask you something, honey?"

"Yeah, go ahead. When it comes to beauty, I'm lost."

"I been in this business a long time. I think if you told me what you're dying your hair for, I could probably figure something out. You going to a party? A dance?"

"Well, actually, I'm just... trying to look like a different person."

"Ooh, running from the cops?" she said, looking over at the phone on the front desk. I laughed.

"No, not like that. Just..."

"Boy problems?"

"I guess you could say that. It's a bit more complicated, but..."

"It always looks that way, but in actuality, honey, things are a lot more simple than they seem. Anyways, I'm thinking you could go with some bangs, a middle part, let's get rid of that side ways part, it makes you look like a high schooler. I'm thinking more blonde, more brown, and yellow. It's a good color on you."

"Really?"

"Sure! That tie-dye may be tacky, but the yellow is cute. Yellow peek-a-boo highlights would be fetching."

"I don't know what that means, but lets do it."

She ran in the back room for a few minutes and came back with a bunch of hair things. She brought out some tinfoil and a brush and started going through my hair. I didn't pay much attention.

Am I making things too complicated? I mean, dating your sister's ex? No-no, right? Being awkward for five or six years because I like him anyways, understandable, right?

"Nah."

"What?"

"It's understandable, but still too complicated."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I was talking out loud." I said. I was sure I'd been thinking to myself...

"It's kind of a superpower we hair stylists have. I think it has to do with the repetitive painting of your hair."

"Yeah, must be."

"Maybe you should talk to your sister before jumping to conclusions. How long ago did she date him?"

"Uh, five? Six?"

"She must have another boyfriend by now."

"Yeah, she does. They've been going for like, a year."

"Well, maybe she doesn't care that much. You could always ask."

I thought for a minute. She pulled at my hair with the paint brush.

"They dated for like... two years. They really loved each other. I'm not just going to..."

"Honey, sometimes God brings a guy into the family for a reason. And sometimes the guy picks the wrong girl at first."

"Maybe."

"You believe in God?"

"I don't know what I believe. I know that there's something. But I believe in science, too."

"Well, honey, who has to say that science and God can't co-exist? Evolution could have happened in seconds, and we only see it in years. The way I see it, the only thing holding people back from believing is a reason not to. Everyone has a reason not to. No one believe the man who thought the world was round. Now we know it is. What if science hasn't found God yet?"

"What if science isn't meant to find God?"

"That's entirely possible. But that doesn't mean you have a reason not to believe."

"I don't agree with that."

"Take it from me. I had plenty of reasons to believe that no one was helping me, I was alone in the world. So many bad things happened to me. I was in the foster system since I was three. I been in so many abusive homes."

"Why would God allow that to happen?"

"He doesn't have a say in it."

"Then what does He do?"

"He gives you the promise that there will be something better if you keep holding on. Just wait a little longer. People do what they do because they're full of sin. Sin can be taken away. But God doesn't force men to do what they do. They do it themselves, and God is there to help you get through the tortures of mankind. Anyways, honey, what I'm gettin' at is that if you just keep believing he has something better for you, and believe that you can hold on through what you're going through, you're gonna get there. And when you do, it's gonna be a load off your shoulders."

I left the shop with a lot on my mind. She was obviously a good person. She seemed to know what she was talking about. Maybe there is something better for me. Maya got something better for her. Maybe my something better is waiting for me.

...Did God bring Fang into our family for a reason? Man could lose his way even when God is guiding him, right? I think Dianna would agree with that statement.

The street lamps were on now, and my hair was blow dried and dyed. I couldn't stop feeling it. It's the first time I've cut it in a few years, other than trims. Dianna split my hair into three layers, dyed the first layer brown, the second yellow, and then kept the bottom my natural hair color, sans adding a few highlights. If I put my hair back in a scrunchie, it would look like I hadn't done anything.

Although, now, after talking with Dianna, I almost feel like it was a waste of money. I'm glad I got to talk to her, though. I'm not sure I regret it. I did know one thing, though. I needed to call my sister.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed her number.

"Hey, Max," Maya said.

"Hi, Maya. I think we need to talk about something, really important."

"Yeah, sure, go ahead."

I took a turn without looking where I was going. I bumped into an old man.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine."

"Max?"

"Yeah, sorry. Anyways. I'm just... It's a really weird question, and I'm uncomfortable asking you to answer this, but I just know that it has to be done."

"Okay..." she said.

"Alright. Here goes. The thing is... I mean... just... would it be weird to... to date your ex?"

The butterflies in my stomach were so nervous that they spread to the muscles in my leg and I had to sit on a bench.

"Uh..."

"Uh..."

"Um..."

"Uh..."

"I mean, you know I'm happy with Andy right now..."

"Yeah..."

"But, I mean, it would be kinda weird. I mean, we dated for a long time..."

"Yeah..."

"You're talking about Nick, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Okay, um."

"Yeah..."

"Would it make you happy? Does he make you happy? Wait, when did you start liking him?"

"When you guys were still dating. I know I'm a really bad person."

I was starting to think I shouldn't have done this at all.

"Huh. I mean..."

"Y'know, nevermind, it's okay, that was a really awkward question to ask."

"Max, wait-" I hung up the phone and got really dizzy. I ran to the side alley and threw-up the butterflies. Goosebumps were covering my skin, and I regretted wearing shorts.

I started on my way back to the dorms.

So, guys, tell me how ya like it :)