Author's note: Here's another chapter! Enjoy! ~ 1LiLRoGuE / KaTe ~
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Minutes later, Rachel sat, staring numbly at a pile of what had formerly been her hair.
"Okay, darlin'. That's th' best I can do."
Rachel turned around.
"Let meh see," She said in a demanding tone.
James shrugged.
"No mirror—wait---there's a broken one right here."
Rachel grabbed the shattered mirror from him and peeped into it.
"What have yah done?!" She gasped, dropping the mirror and clutching her shorn head in horror.
James raised his eyebrows.
"I jus' cut it…"
Rachel let out a sob.
"It's horrahble!" She moaned, frantically feeling the uneven ends.
"People will think ah'm th' braide ahv Frankenstein ouh somethang!"
James snorted.
"Oh c'mon Rach, it's not *that* bad," He said, surveying his work with a kind of pride.
"Now hand me th' mirror. I gotta do my own."
A moment and a couple of slices later, he retracted his claws and looked over himself with satisfaction.
"Not bad," He said, patting his much shorter hair.
Rachel folded her arms over and began to pout.
"Well, youhs is ahlraight! Just look at what yah gave me!"
James sighed.
"No one will notice, Rach. Yeh still look as pretty as yeh ever did. Now let's get goin'."
Dragging a protesting Rachel in tow, he walked out of the little side street and into the restaurant.
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"I love your hair! Can you give me the name of your salon?"
Rachel looked with astonishment at the blond waitress who was admiring her shorn locks with an expression of absolute intrigue.
"Uhh," She said, trying to think of an answer.
"M-mah friend did it foah me."
She jerked a thumb at James.
"He's a hairdressah."
James shot her a very venomous look, but it was too late as the waitress put down her pad.
"Really! That's so sweet! Is he your boyfriend?"
Rachel shook her head.
"No, he's just mah friend."
The waitress looked at James with new interest.
"That's nice," She said, staring openly at his biceps.
James eyed her with a very disdainful look.
"Are you single?" The waitress asked, putting down her pencil too.
"Yes," Rachel said at the same time James said "No.".
Rachel threw a mischievous glance at James before speaking again.
"He is single, yah know. James, Ah think you two would look good togethah! Whaih don't yah ask her foah her numbah?"
"Rach…" James growled between gritted teeth.
"Y' know very well why I'm not gonna…"
Rachel slapped a hand to her forehead in mock forgetfulness.
"Oh! That's raight! Ah forgot! He doesn't laike t' flaunt it, but he's gay."
James's expression grew murderous.
"Rachel…"
The waitress picked up her pad.
"Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I'd rather not be a part of it. I'll bring your orders over in a bit."
She backed away slowly and ran into the kitchen.
Rachel laughed hollowly and leaned back in her seat, ignoring James almost entirely.
"Strange girl, wasn't she?"
James snarled.
"What th' fuck was that all about?!"
Rachel shrugged and sipped some of her icy water.
"Payback," She said nonchalantly.
James blinked.
"Payback?" He asked in a clueless tone.
Rachel took a moment to answer.
"Yup."
James raised his eyebrows.
"Fer what?"
Rachel pretended to take a minute to think.
"Oh…just foah giving meh th' worst haircut in th' history ahv salons, and foah calling meh a crossdressah yestahday! Not t' mention shoving meh out ahv ah window without warning…"
James groaned.
"Rach, it's all fer yer own good---fer yer survival. If it weren't fer me, y' would've been killed already."
Rachel pulled a face.
"If it weren't foah you, James, ah wouldn't be traihyn t' haide in the fihst place!"
James looked down at his plate.
"If yeh feel that way, darlin', then why don't y' just try it without me."
He got up and left the restaurant.
Rachel sunk back in her seat and swallowed noisily.
The truth is, yah can't survaive ah day without him, Rach, an yah know it.
She clenched her fists with a determined look.
Oh yes ah can. An ah will. Yah'll see. He'll see. Ah'll be faine without him.
She got up and left the restaurant through the opposite doors.
Just faine.
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