"Lillian Mae! Get your rear back here now!"
A squeal of tires, a cloud of dust, and two voices howling at the moon announced Lillian's departure from her mother one late afternoon. Martha saw the long dark locks of her only child blowing in the wind as the convertible took Lillian from the barley fields of her home, a small town called Piedmont, west of Fargo, North Dakota's largest city.
"So where are we going, Jason?" Lillian asked. The boy driving the old Chevy was eighteen, tall, handsome, and adventuresome. Lillian had been on a quest to find out where she really belonged and fell in love with his bad boy attitude.
"Well, first we're going to go to a real town, not these boondocks you call home," he said, flashing her a smile. Jason was from New York City, a dark haired demon in a leather jacket. He saw that he could easily manipulate Lillian, a small town girl, just recently turned 16, into what he wanted. He was testing her limits tonight.
When they reached Fargo, with a population of just under 100,000, Lillian thought that was as far as they would go today. As much as she wanted to be the rebellious, wild child, she couldn't help but feel some regret for leaving her mother, knowing that she would be worried. But no matter, Lillian would be home the next day... she thought.
After what seemed like ages of driving, the pair arrived in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lillian had never seen such a large city. Even though the combined populations of Minneapolis and St. Paul only tipped just over 650,000 residents, Lillian's eyes went wide with wonder. The sun had set somewhere in the expanse of Minnesota, and Lillian's eyes traced the glittering lights of the city. Jason saw her reaction and acted on it. "Look, babe. This is a town. Not even a real city. Maybe someday you'll want to go to New York with me. For now, lets just enjoy ourselves with what we've got." At that moment, Lillian would have signed her life away to Jason had she been given a pen. Jason parked downtown and they took an elevator to the top of one of the tallest buildings.
He laughed at her when she was too nervous to go to the window and look out over the city. He walked to the edge, placed his hands on the glass and leaned into it. "Look, babe. It's safe. Come on," he coaxed, holding his hand out to her. She looked at him and realized that she was being childish. Her back stiffened and she smiled. She walked forward, putting her hand in his, and looked out over the city. He heard her gasp when she realized she couldn't see where the lights ended. He watched her eyes dance over everything in sight.
He put a hand to her cheek, then ran it through her dark hair. She turned to him as he leaned in to kiss her, and she accepted him as if he were her savior. When he pulled away from her, she smiled, her skin glowing and her eyes twinkling. "What do you want most in life right now?" Jason asked quietly.
Lillian didn't hesitate as she looked into Jason's eyes. "I want to be somebody else. I don't want to be this small town girl from Piedmont, North Dakota."
Jason smiled. "I know how we can do that," he whispered, his hand coursing down her cheek.
"How?" she whispered back, eager to hear what could be done.
"You'll have to trust me," Jason replied. "Without question." Lillian nodded quickly.
"Well, first off is your name. Lillian Mae just isn't a name that people in cities have. Just go by Lil from now on."
"Lil," she repeated, listening to the name. She hadn't heard anyone call her 'Lil' within the reaches of her memory. She decided that it was acceptable and nodded with a smile. "Lil, it is."
"Alright, now for the look." Lil looked down at her clothes- tight, hip- hugging blue jeans, with a dark blue tank top that exposed her midriff. She looked up in confusion. He had gone shopping with her a few weeks prior and gave some subtle suggestions for her wardrobe. "No, babe, your clothes are fine. I meant your hair."
For a moment, Lillian stiffened. She and her mother both cherished their long dark hair. Finally, Lil realized that she needed to do what he suggested to become who she wanted to be. "Where to?" she asked.
Jason smiled, kissed her again, and led her to a cheap looking barbershop. There he gave the hairdresser specific instructions. When Lil was told to open her eyes, she had shoulder length platinum blonde hair. Her roots were purposefully left dark in places to add an extra sense of what Jason wanted. There was a good two feet of dark hair on the floor that had been chopped. At first, she was shocked, but then she steeled herself again and made herself become determined to do as Jason instructed.
"Great job. Thanks," Jason said as he paid the hairdresser. He walked Lil out of the shop and they walked along the street for a bit. "You were pretty with your long dark hair, babe, but now you're just plain sexy."
"So is this it?" she asked, not sure if she wanted more change or if she wanted to run home to her Mama.
"The night is young, babe." They turned the corner and Jason flashed a large man his ID. They walked into the bar and Jason ordered a round of Jack for the two of them. Lil was at first confused as to how they had gotten in, then she realized that he must have a fake ID. She tried the shot of Jack that was put into her hand and started coughing after it was down. "Ah, babe, don't worry about it. It'll get better," he smiled, handing her another as he downed his first.
After the second shot, Lil was already drunk, brand new to the world of alcohol. Jason gave her one more just to make sure she was completely smashed. They left the bar, and Jason took her to a tattoo parlor. He handed the guy a picture and watched as the man stenciled his symbol on her arm.
A squeal of tires, a cloud of dust, and two voices howling at the moon announced Lillian's departure from her mother one late afternoon. Martha saw the long dark locks of her only child blowing in the wind as the convertible took Lillian from the barley fields of her home, a small town called Piedmont, west of Fargo, North Dakota's largest city.
"So where are we going, Jason?" Lillian asked. The boy driving the old Chevy was eighteen, tall, handsome, and adventuresome. Lillian had been on a quest to find out where she really belonged and fell in love with his bad boy attitude.
"Well, first we're going to go to a real town, not these boondocks you call home," he said, flashing her a smile. Jason was from New York City, a dark haired demon in a leather jacket. He saw that he could easily manipulate Lillian, a small town girl, just recently turned 16, into what he wanted. He was testing her limits tonight.
When they reached Fargo, with a population of just under 100,000, Lillian thought that was as far as they would go today. As much as she wanted to be the rebellious, wild child, she couldn't help but feel some regret for leaving her mother, knowing that she would be worried. But no matter, Lillian would be home the next day... she thought.
After what seemed like ages of driving, the pair arrived in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lillian had never seen such a large city. Even though the combined populations of Minneapolis and St. Paul only tipped just over 650,000 residents, Lillian's eyes went wide with wonder. The sun had set somewhere in the expanse of Minnesota, and Lillian's eyes traced the glittering lights of the city. Jason saw her reaction and acted on it. "Look, babe. This is a town. Not even a real city. Maybe someday you'll want to go to New York with me. For now, lets just enjoy ourselves with what we've got." At that moment, Lillian would have signed her life away to Jason had she been given a pen. Jason parked downtown and they took an elevator to the top of one of the tallest buildings.
He laughed at her when she was too nervous to go to the window and look out over the city. He walked to the edge, placed his hands on the glass and leaned into it. "Look, babe. It's safe. Come on," he coaxed, holding his hand out to her. She looked at him and realized that she was being childish. Her back stiffened and she smiled. She walked forward, putting her hand in his, and looked out over the city. He heard her gasp when she realized she couldn't see where the lights ended. He watched her eyes dance over everything in sight.
He put a hand to her cheek, then ran it through her dark hair. She turned to him as he leaned in to kiss her, and she accepted him as if he were her savior. When he pulled away from her, she smiled, her skin glowing and her eyes twinkling. "What do you want most in life right now?" Jason asked quietly.
Lillian didn't hesitate as she looked into Jason's eyes. "I want to be somebody else. I don't want to be this small town girl from Piedmont, North Dakota."
Jason smiled. "I know how we can do that," he whispered, his hand coursing down her cheek.
"How?" she whispered back, eager to hear what could be done.
"You'll have to trust me," Jason replied. "Without question." Lillian nodded quickly.
"Well, first off is your name. Lillian Mae just isn't a name that people in cities have. Just go by Lil from now on."
"Lil," she repeated, listening to the name. She hadn't heard anyone call her 'Lil' within the reaches of her memory. She decided that it was acceptable and nodded with a smile. "Lil, it is."
"Alright, now for the look." Lil looked down at her clothes- tight, hip- hugging blue jeans, with a dark blue tank top that exposed her midriff. She looked up in confusion. He had gone shopping with her a few weeks prior and gave some subtle suggestions for her wardrobe. "No, babe, your clothes are fine. I meant your hair."
For a moment, Lillian stiffened. She and her mother both cherished their long dark hair. Finally, Lil realized that she needed to do what he suggested to become who she wanted to be. "Where to?" she asked.
Jason smiled, kissed her again, and led her to a cheap looking barbershop. There he gave the hairdresser specific instructions. When Lil was told to open her eyes, she had shoulder length platinum blonde hair. Her roots were purposefully left dark in places to add an extra sense of what Jason wanted. There was a good two feet of dark hair on the floor that had been chopped. At first, she was shocked, but then she steeled herself again and made herself become determined to do as Jason instructed.
"Great job. Thanks," Jason said as he paid the hairdresser. He walked Lil out of the shop and they walked along the street for a bit. "You were pretty with your long dark hair, babe, but now you're just plain sexy."
"So is this it?" she asked, not sure if she wanted more change or if she wanted to run home to her Mama.
"The night is young, babe." They turned the corner and Jason flashed a large man his ID. They walked into the bar and Jason ordered a round of Jack for the two of them. Lil was at first confused as to how they had gotten in, then she realized that he must have a fake ID. She tried the shot of Jack that was put into her hand and started coughing after it was down. "Ah, babe, don't worry about it. It'll get better," he smiled, handing her another as he downed his first.
After the second shot, Lil was already drunk, brand new to the world of alcohol. Jason gave her one more just to make sure she was completely smashed. They left the bar, and Jason took her to a tattoo parlor. He handed the guy a picture and watched as the man stenciled his symbol on her arm.