Authors Notes: Well, I've had this done or a while, and then the laptop died, and when we went to fix it I didn't get it back until after I came back from college, thankfully most of the chapter was still intact. So that's my excuse for this chapter, I'm good with those, don't you think? (ducks garbage and other randomly flying objects). Well, not my favorite chapter to write, though the concepts fun. I like writing for Danny better. That and I have no experience in fashion except what my friends and mom shove down my throat. The ends of my hair are ratty and I wear no makeup. So – this is mostly for character development, and moving the plot along, though the next chapter will do that better. Love to all!
Chapter Fourteen
A Makeover
"It's been a month girl, don't you think it's time to drop the gothica threads?" asked Veronica, sitting at the bar they casually drank something with virgin in the name. The two sat side by side, generally ignoring the hustle and bustle of the other rich kids, especially one in particular that had decided to sit beside Sam and was silent as death, but had refused to leave, attaching herself like a leach to the two friends. Sam had felt bad for her when as her reputation grew, Lucy's appeared to disappear, but now that the other had made it clear she was going to annoy her until the end of summer or Sam stopped coming Sam had chosen to stop feeling bad for her.
"For once, you have a point," sneered Lucy, causing both to look at the girl.
"We weren't talking to you," shot back Veronica then turned to Sam.
"Doesn't matter, I'm taking interest in this matter," said Lucy like she was once again the thing that everyone should pay attention to. "Let's see, we could definitely get you dolled up, maybe even in some dark colors if that hair of yours matches once we get all of that dye out."
"Lucy, are you consciously agreeing with me?" asked Veronica.
"Only when it suites me," said Lucy flippantly, still looking at Sam like the girl was a dress up doll that needed a new outfit after her color blind little sister had come through and dressed her.
"I don't think so, I look fine the way I am," said Sam confidently.
"I don't know, I mean, I'd love to know what you like under all that black," said Gavin with a captivating smile. Sam blushed briefly before pushing the idea away.
"I like the way I look," she said with determination. "I like all things dark and gloomy."
"And yet you're obsessed with the environment. Don't get all high and mighty on us, you follow a band wagon, it just happens to be that you follow ones that are thought to be… undesirable with faults that others like to exploit because they are easier to make money off of, and keep the general population happy," said Lucy, an odd sort of determination in her eyes as she gently tapped her lip with her finger.
"Do you even know what you said?" asked Sam, scrunching her nose in disgust. "You are just like everyone else in school…"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Lucy, turning back to the counter.
"I'd love to see what you really look like, Sam," said Gavin, a heart stopping smile gracing his handsome face. Sam nervously looked down, trying to will her blush away.
"Yeah, yeah, listen to the stud," cut in Lucy ruining the mood.
"Lucy, she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to," consoled Gavin laying one pale hand against the Goths shoulder. Sam was struck by sudden inspiration.
"Hey, Lucy, if I agreed to this makeover thing, afterword would you leave me alone?" asked Sam. Lucy leaned in, and Sam blinked while pushing back, surprised by the seriousness in the girls gaze.
"Yes, I think I would, as much as we can be hanging out with the same group of people and all," reasoned Lucy. Sam refrained from responding to that. While it was okay to hangout with Veronica since she had an easy enough personality that did not mean she planned on hanging with these people for the rest of the summer. She was only staying as long as they might be useful to this whole ghost thing seeing as most of their families had been going to this resort for generations. After that she was going to find people who were more into her kind of scenes. The ones that were dark and dreary preferably.
"Does that mean we get to doll you up?" asked Veronica seeming to perk up to the idea.
"Yeah, fine, whatever, if it will get her to stop acting depressed around us then I'll do anything," said Sam pointing her straw at Lucy the other made a face at her, but pushed herself up and went to leave with the Veronica and Sam following behind.
"I'll catch you girls later," said Gavin, with a small wave then winked at Sam when she turned to look his way.
"You've got him wrapped around your finger," teased Veronica going down the stairs. Lucy snorted in head of them.
"More like the other way around," said the girl flippantly. "Why else would she hang out with a bunch of preps. I mean, it's not as if your 'the rich can only associate with the rich, and the poor only with the poor' would actually change her mind. That's a lessons she's got to learn on her own."
"That's a prejud-" snapped Sam.
"Yeah, yeah, I was just pointing it out to the fatty," interrupted Lucy. Two deadly eyes rested on Lucy's back, which the girl ignored in favor of heading down a cobble walk way.
Sam loved this place, if simply because it seemed so untouched. Sure it had a small town and cabins… well it was over run by humans. At the same time the scenery was serene. It was a place that had actually achieved its goal when it tried to incorporate human technology and nature, well, as far she could tell. The buildings were either a deep wood color, or a gentle white. They appeared to spring as if wildlife from the grass, and the stone pathways were kept clear except for the most beautiful perky flowers that everyone had taken a vow not to trample. The landscape had not been terrible altered. There were still the small rolling hills, though they were covered in grass instead of trees. The valley was perfect, with high reaching mountains reaching out with recognizable but tasteful trails beginning at their base. There was even a small pound where the horse trail led past.
"Hey, goth, we're here," said Lucy jabbing her in the side. Sam glared at the girl, and Veronica looked less than impressed.
"Hair Masters," muttered Sam. "Can't escape that name."
"I know it sounds common," rasped Lucy, sounding irritated herself about the name and then glanced at Sam. "But I thought that wouldn't matter to you."
"It doesn't it's just that…"
"Don't care, let's get this over with," said Lucy with an irritated sigh. Veronica and Sam shared a look before following the irate girl inside.
"That's basically it, get someone who can…" Lucy had somehow already started talking the front person's ear off. She looked almost murderous, but seemed to know better than to interrupt the chattering. "Ah, here we are, so the one decked out in black. As you see, a moron cut her hair, it looks like – someone threw a skiff metal dome on her head that somehow sprung a cow lick. It needs to be washed five times to get the gunk out and then, I don't know, layer it maybe, get someone creative who can really…"
"Margret!" the woman shouted, Lucy cringed back and unhappily clasped her hands over her ears.
"Yes Miss Fina? Oh, whose hair do I get to do," said the woman practically bouncing with excitement.
"No ones, this is a much too difficult case for you," snapped the woman, the southern lady pouted but still looked… overly perky. "Now, get the new girl, I want her to watch me do this, and I want you to watch the desk."
"Course, I'll be back in a sec." said the woman with a small flirt with her hips. "OH, don't look at me like that Miss Fina, I can't very well get the girl and man the desk at the same time."
"No I suppose your accent is too thick for that," muttered the stern woman but Margret had already headed back to get 'the girl.' "Alright, you goth girl, follow me."
Sam huffed, for some reason having all these people call her goth in such a negative connotation was ticking her off. She wasn't sure why, people had always seen her that way and had let it known. Hell, even her parents had at one point in time, though they usually skirted around the actual term like it was the plague. Really, they needed to grow a backbone; but back on track. Perhaps the reason it was so irritating was because she was trying so hard to be in their good graces. That had to be it, the fact that she now had a reason to fit in, it started to make her just as shallow as the rest. Sam shivered in disgust. After this she was going to go through a serious soul cleansing. Nothing cute, nothing fluffy, perhaps she would even perform a ritual that could be fun and it would definitely kill any good will from these people that might come up. All that Danny and them had to do was catch this ghost and put it in the thermos and she would be free!
"Come back from the depths of the abyss, girl," snapped the woman. She rolled her eyes when Sam glared, and grabbed her wrist and pulled her to one of the chair with the uncomfortable neck brace. She glared at it.
"Well, you'll be on it longer than most," grossed the woman. Sam glared at Mrs. Fina. Who just looked more annoyed, there was going to be blood split over this issue.
"Oh, I should have guessed that it was you when Margret told me that the old hag was going to be doing a hard cut," Sam glared at Valerie.
"So this is your job?" snapped Sam.
"Yeah, and you have known that if you had you been paying attention to any of Danny and mine conversations," said Valerie, backing the goth into the chair and throwing a heavy blanket over her. Sam glared as well as she could at the other girl.
"I'm, going to ignore that slur on my age and looks and just tell you to keep this little black thing under control until we can get her hair into something that doesn't ice the retina's," said the old woman, pushing her sleeves up like the hard work had just started.
"Oh, nice way of putting it," said Sam sarcastically, cursing her weakness and giving into the two rich girls.
"Child, what monster told you that a dome style was legal, and who gave you the ponytail that forces your hair into some kind of freak cow lick?" demanded the woman. She pushed Sam back and started the water. First cold but soon becoming almost unbarring hot.
"It was a look that established my being an individual," grit out the girl, curling her hand into fists. The woman scoffed, lathered her hands and attacked the Goths hair. It smelled like oranges.
"Right, you and every other rebellious teenager out there," grossed the woman in annoyance. She rolled her eyes and really went for the deep scalp cleanse, she hoped that how long the girl had had this junk in her hair wouldn't take too long to get out. She sighed, but almost marveled at the product, her hair was a little damaged from the use of the dye and wasn't as real feeling as those who did nothing with their hair. Still, it might even still have a nice shine to it after she was done. Not need too much products to bring it back to its usual gloss, and if the silly thing would learn better then she could grow out her hair and have it back to its usual glossy self. Though if these girls scathing eyes were anything to go by, then this lass would be properly dressed and putting so much junk in her hair that the black would have almost been better with it. But it would bring in money, so what did she care?
"It looks like your hair is bleeding black," said Lucy with a slight interest.
"Like your soul is being cleansed," said Veronica with a smile.
"Or like your soul is so dark that you bleed back," drawled Valerie form the side. Lucy scoffed but didn't pay the other any special attention.
"Don't you have a job to do?" snapped Veronica, glaring at the dark skin teen. Their eyes caught and they glared at each other until the old woman sent her worker away, sick of dealing with teenage melodrama. What lovely young women this modern age was baring.
"Veronica, I don't like Valerie much, but she is Danny's friend, and he'll get on my case if I just let you mow her down like that," the Asian-American girl lifted an eyebrow, but didn't say anything; however, Lucy looked confused and mildly irritated at being left out.
"Who's Danny, I thought that you were into Gavin?" asked Lucy looking between the tow girls.
"Who's Gavin?" asked Valerie.
"Hot guy where we hang out, tall build, stark white hair," said Veronica with meaning in a flippant sort of way.
"Which means you get the Danny guy," said Lucy seeming to pick up part of the tension between the two girls. "How is the washing going? Almost done, I want to see the Goths real color."
"If you girls didn't chatter so much I might have been done sooner," snapped the woman. She rinsed out Sam's hair again, and black seemed to have faded, but before they could really get a hint of her real color, the old woman had once again lathered her hands and was making quick work of Sam's hair.
"Well, he dad has blonde hair and her mother has red hair," said Valerie.
"You sure they don't dye their hair?" asked Lucy.
"No, I'm sure that's their real color," Lucy scrutinized Valerie for a second, making sure she was sincere, before nodding and going and watching them with intensity again. "You sure you can make her look good?"
"I can make her hair perfect, or as close as it can get," assured Ms. Fina. "The rest of her is up to you lot."
"I see a shopping spree in our close future," said Veronica with a wicked smile. Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Well, duh, we can't just stop at her hair, it'd look like a happy wig on a goth body, ew," said Lucy with a disgusted face. "That's not really your eye color; please god let that not be your real eye color."
"Well, no," said Sam, but stopped talking when the woman tugged on her hair hard.
"If she had purple eyes it would unique said Valerie off handedly. The others took this as just a fact, or they were still pretending that she didn't exist. Sam tried to glare at her and ended up glaring at the ceiling, she knew how important being unique was to Sam.
"Alright girls, time to unveil," said the old woman wrapping Sam's hair into a white towel and starting to drag her toward a chair. She sat the girl down violently and twirled the girl. Sam glanced around her; it seemed that there weren't that many people having their hair done that day. Then again, this a resort meant for people big on hiking and the like, and people that most likely had only one specialist that they went to for advice on their hair. "And walla, she's a red head with gold highlights."
"What the hell Sam, why'd you dye and chop that gorgeous mop?" squealed Valerie. Sam glared at the reflection of her now sunny head of hair.
"It's too bright," she said with her patent glare.
"As I said, I can fix up her hair but everything else is up to you girls," said the woman, taking her scissors with a mad gleam in her eyes.
"I suddenly fear for your Goth life, Manson," said Valerie sarcastically looking quite pleased about something.
"Thanks for your concern," said Sam not even looking in the direction of the other. Lucy snickered. And Sam shut up when the hag pulled a harsh hand through her hair with only a little of the junk that she had just sprayed on it.
"You too don't get along, at all; I would have thought that Sam would be more tolerant of someone in your position," Valerie seemed surprised to be acknowledged by the other.
"Makes sense, plus half the time I think their mad at me for a reason that completely escapes me," Lucy looked at the African American seriously, her confusion one of complete confusion.
"What?"
"I used to be rich and then that Danny Phantom and his damn dog ruined it all. My friends dropped me quickly enough after that. I only started noticing Danny after that, and while he was easy to forgive me, but the others continue to distrust me. That and they'll randomly be either paranoid or mad at me," said Valerie with a shrug.
"Well, she makes sense," said Lucy tilting her head toward Sam. "You were competition for Danny, not sure about the others."
"Hey..!" squawked Sam before her hair was pulled again and the scissors made a threatening snapping noise in the air.
"Danny, one second isn't that the name of the ghost also?" asked Lucy.
"Yeah, but the ghosts name is Danny Phantom," said Valerie with a shrug.
"And your Danny is..?"
"Danny Fenton," Lucy blinked and looked even more confused.
"Their names are really close," she pointed out with a flourish. Now it was Valerie's turn to look confused, until she backed up with a shaking head looking furious.
"No way, for one thing Danny isn't dead, another, he's too much of a wimp to ever do half of the things that blasted ghost does," said Valerie, now split between anger and endearment. Sam choose this time to once again try and make her voice known among them.
"Don't underestimate Danny Val, he can be tough when he wants to be," said Sam.
"Yes, his little revenges against Dash were very daring," Valerie said sarcastically. "Plus, I think that he's cuter that way."
Sam didn't agree, but Veronica saw the expression on her face.
"Hey, remember this is for Gavin, remember Gavin? Cute tall boy with natural white hair and can ride a horse like no one's business," she pointed out.
"I thought this makeover was because you thought that I had been a Goth for too long," snapped Sam.
"Well, yeah, but Gavin is definitely a bonus right?" said Veronica. "Hey, wow, your hair actually looks good!"
Sam glanced at her red gold hair, she wasn't too thrilled. It was still short but layered and fluffed so it had more body instead of looking like a thin helmet. Her bangs now relaxed into her hair and there was no cowlick thing.
"It's definitely a start," said Lucy only mildly interested. She pushed herself off the wall and went to the front desk, supposedly to pay.
"How long do I have to keep this look?" asked Sam tugging at her hair. All her hard work.
"Until I no longer half to see you," muttered Valerie, but her back was already facing Sam by the time the still purple eyes locked onto her.
"At least this week, if you still hate by then, by all means go all black again," said Veronica, Sam almost shivered at her smile. Danny better pull her out of the club by then. Why was she still there she had no idea. Boredom seemed like a good excuse, oh, and finding out more about the weird things that happened at this resort.
"Well, here are all your new junk," said Lucy shoving a bag of hair products into Sam's arms. "Ones a shampoo, a conditioner, and something that gives your hair body sense you made it lie so ridiculously flat for such a long time that it probably needs some help, oh and some gel that will help the hair you forced into a cowlick."
"Well, no need to stop now, we're a bunch of girls on a mission with unlimited funds," said Veronica with an evil smile, and quickly cut off Sam when she looked like she was going to protest. "Oh, no, today you don't get to spew any of that high headed free Goth talk, today is about me and Lucy getting you into the perfect look that is much more natural than anything you've been wearing in this rebellious stage of yours."
They gave her no time to protest. Soon the three girls were deep into the shopping district. The place was interesting. It had a lot of the latest fashions mixed with general stores. It was pretty impressive all in all. The stores were massive but the trees seemed to loom over all of them. Creating a picaresque scene instead of looking like a modern world dropped rudely into the woods. Each store had a theme of gentle colors. Many had vines growing against stones, and many were rough and untamed. One store they went into even looked like a hobbit home from the outside.
The two girls hardly gave Sam anytime to admire how well they fell into line or all the really cheesy green name of the stores as she was dragged from clothes stores, to shoe stores, to jewelry stores, they even took her to a special place that specifically did her nails, plucked her eyebrows, and her makeup redone. During that time Lucy had refused to stop being a twit until Sam handed over her contacts, she could have standed it if Veronica hadn't joined in. Of course when she was idiotic enough to give Lucy her purple contacts the girl promptly destroyed them and the Goth teen had to be restrained from ripping the other to shreds.
By the time they had finished Sam was exhausted. She felt like she had visited every store at the resort. She was ready to hit her head against something hard. Too many bright colors, and while she could usually brush it off with a slight twitch of the eye, the bright colors had been on her person, with the strict instructions not to turn them black, especially sense they didn't feel like buying tacky clothes. The best wardrobe was filled with amazing clothing that was lucky to be worn once. What was worse was that half way through it Sam had to check herself. She had been starting to have fun. A girl's day out just shopping, there had been something liberating in being part of a group, especially a group of females. She was so used to the shallow girls who paid her no attention, and only being around two boys. The fact that she was having some fun was liberating and it scared her. With these two girls at her side it would be easy to lose herself in the crowd, become just another face. She needed to stop hanging around them. If she stopped coming she doubted that they would come looking for her. Lucy just wanted her out of the way, and Veronica wasn't that intrusive. The fact that Sam kept coming meant she thought that she had somehow gotten to the Goth girl.
"Well, we got everything that money could buy," said Lucy looking at Sam with a sadistic smile. "You look great, unfortunately they don't sell anything that can change your attitude or you would have been perfect."
"Oh hush harpy," said Veronica putting an arm around the glaring Sam. "Come on girl chill out. Give us at least a kind of smile."
"I don't smile," said Dam crossing her arms over her light green shirt with a bold pink-red rose. Her jeans were speckled with glittered and ripped strategically, they also rode low and were the most uncomfortably tight things she'd ever had the displeasure of wearing.
"See, Veronica, the look isn't complete without a smile," teased Lucy seeming to be satisfied.
"Excuse me," came a soft unsure male voice came from behind Lucy, while the two girls turned toward him with a small bit of interest while Sam tried to hide herself. "You girls know a girl that goes by Sam Manson?"
"Who's asking?" asked Lucy crossing her arms and looking at him skeptically. Veronica looked at the hiding Sam and a sudden knowing smile.
"Hey, you Danny?" asked Veronica already dragging Sam out from behind her.
"Ye-" all words seemed to fail him and he just stared at Sam. They looked at each other until it became apparent that Danny did not recognize her, there was no flash of recognition in his eyes. Sam blushed and looked away. She couldn't help but feel a little betrayed that he didn't recognize her, but then again, that was her fault wasn't it. This was basically a completely new look for her. The way that her hair hung probably made her face look different, and the way clothes clung to a body could alter the shape of a person, at least to other people making different aspects of their bodies into the light. Still, a part of her couldn't help but feel betrayed.
"She looks real good, right?" asked Lucy moving so that she was leaning against his shoulders giving an evil smile to Sam. "You'd never recognize her as your friend would you?"
"Sam?" gasped Danny.
"Perfect," squealed Veronica. "You've definitely got his nod of approval over your new look, and he seems like the type to go for the dark haired chicks. You've got Gavin in the bag!"
"Um," Danny was blushing and his eyes glanced away before he found his courage and the reason he'd been looking for his friend in the first place. "Right, dinner is – well, by now its probably done now… and right I guess."
"Oh my God," said Sam looking down at her watch in horror. "I'll see you two later. Susan is going to kill me!"
"Seeing the new outfit might help," said Danny unthinkingly. Sam just stared at him for a second, hoping the meaning was in her eyes. "Oh, right my bad."
Danny laughed nervously, and Sam rolled her eyes. She noticed that her arms were still wrapped around Danny's arm and they both blushed and looked away when she hastily pulled away.
Behind them the two young rich girls watched them leave. Both of the their arms were crossed, their bags being sent to their rooms.
"You could have scared her away with that," said Lucy, her voice flat.
"It's a chance I had to take," said Veronica, she suddenly smiled with satisfaction. "It's best to do this cleanly, with as little mess as possible."
Lucy glanced at her and then shrugged.
"What do I care, she's not my project."
"I can't believe you didn't recognize me," said Sam, once they were far enough away.
"I'm sorry," said Danny rubbing the back of his neck with a friendly smile. "I've just never seen you in those kinds of clothes, or that color hair dye."
"It's my natural hair color," muttered Sam, Danny's eyes grow.
"Really, wow, why do you dye it, I mean you look great, I mean…"
"Danny, I'm black, whether or not my genes agree with me," sighed Sam. "Though you might have to deal with the eyes for a while, Lucy destroyed my contacts."
"I didn't know you wore contacts," said Danny thoughtfully, Sam tried to reply but was caught off by Danny's face appearing hardly an inch from her eyes. His blue eyes dug deep into hers, and she felt her cheeks burn with the proximity. "Turquoise."
"Ex-exxuse me?" asked Sam trying to steady her voice.
"You're eyes they're a really pretty shade of turquoise," Danny had that friendly smile back on his face as he backed up to a respectable distant. Sam told her heart to calm down. Her eyes darkened.
"Danny," her voice came out colder then she wanted, but she needed to get this across, the halfa almost looked nervous. "I can't hang around them anymore. If I do, I know that I'll lose who I am trying to make sure I continue to fit in."
"Oh, you never had to stay Sam," said Danny and then gave an apologetic smile. "I thought you had made friends there, but there's probably a group of Goths around here somewhere."
"As long as I don't have to hang around those computer nerds," said Sam with a smile. Danny gave her a look she couldn't decipher and then smiled and started chatting about classes and how the teachers and Susan were driving him up a wall. Sam didn't pay too much attention, her thoughts lost in the actions and thoughts of that day.