CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR – THE HAIR
Squeezing the bridge of his nose. Right between his eyes. Made his nose. And his eyes. And the front part of his head. From hurting. The pain in the back. However. Nothing could be done.
With one arm pinching his face. Lara had hers hooked around his other.
He closed his eyes. To see if it would help. And almost ran into a pole.
"Whoa. You okay?" Lara veered him over to the curb. Watching him reopen his eyes. And try to blink away the pain.
"It hurts." He said. His mouth coming open weirdly. Trying to stretch the pain out. Thinner. Less piercing.
"Let me see." She pushed down his hand. And poked lightly at his nose. He cringed away. "Ow."
"It's bruising. There's blood in your eye." She pulled down his bottom eyelid. To get a better look at it. The blood was in the blue one. Dark. And blue.
She kissed his chin. Then turned away. Taking his hand. "Come on. We're going to get you some pain relievers."
She felt a burst of energy go through her. And Catcher was at its mercy. They ducked into the nearest drug store. The bell rang. But didn't scan their eyes. It was an old store.
The cashier. A large man. Named Amja. He had magic hair. And wore a black tee shirt. And orange pants. With big white words across it. WARNING: KEEP OUT OF CHILDREN.
The law of the city taking humor almost too far. In 2022 they passed a law. Almost with a fire lit behind it. That pedophiles were to be castrated. Amja was one. And got the chop.
A cross was around his neck. He thought himself to be saved. From himself.
Lara pulled Catcher to a big black box. Behind it. In the wall. A conveyor belt ran from it. To a stall behind the counter. To Amja.
Lara waved her hand. And the screen popped on. Catcher took a step back. In surprise. And Lara smiled.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE?
It gave categories:
Food. Clothes. Utilities. Toiletries. Entertainment. Medicine. Games.
She touched. MEDICINE.
It gave subcategories:
Allergy. Pain. Prescription. Vitamins.
She touched. PAIN.
A slew of painkillers came up. The pharmacies had run rampant.
Lara scrolled. And touched one. The black box chirped.
And the painkiller appeared behind the counter. Coming into Amja's waiting hand.
She went to turn away. But stopped in mid shift. Of her weight.
She looked over to Catcher. Who stared back at her. And she licked her teeth.
"I want to show you something."
She started over.
ENTERTAINMENT.
Its subcategories:
Movies. Holovision Shows. Magazines. Newspapers. Radio. Music.
She touched. MAGAZINES.
She scrolled. And chose. Scrolled some more. And chose again. Catcher raised an eyebrow.
She just smiled.
And started over. For the third time.
"I'm feeling spontaneous." She mused.
Touched. TOILETRIES.
Its subcategories:
Hair Care. Facial Care. Skin Care. Nail Care. Make-up. Accessories.
She touched. HAIR CARE.
Scrolled. And looked at the slew.
"Which one do you think?" She asked. And Catcher seemed questioning. As always.
"For what?" He asked.
"For something different. For me."
He thought for a moment. Looked over the options. And chose.
"That one."
"Good. I was thinking that too." She pressed. And headed towards Amja. Who had the things waiting.
She paid. Then pointed over her shoulder. "Is your bathroom back there?"
Amja nodded. And bagged her things.
Lara went back through the aisles. Catcher following. She went into the woman's bathroom. And he stopped outside.
"Don't be shy. No one's here." She pulled him in by the wrist. And shut the door behind him. Locking the deadbolt. She dumped the items down on the counter. And threw the bag on the floor.
Catcher sat down on the floor. Opposite the sink. And Lara.
She tore open the box of painkillers. Pulled out the bottle. Took off the wrapper. Unscrewed the cap. And shook out a long. Blue colored. Pill. Dark. And blue.
"These are like an instantaneous, mild euphoria." She said. Looking at him. Through the mirror. Then turned and tossed it to him. He caught it. And looked at it. Studying it.
She bent down. Waved her hand. And the water came on. She cupped her hands. Filled them. And walked quickly. And carefully. Towards Catcher. Her hands dribbling a bit.
"Put it on your tongue. Don't chew it." She instructed. And he did. And she put her hands up to his chin. "Drink." She said. And his dipped his lips into her palms. Swallowing the water. And the pill. Whole. With a little difficulty.
His lips tickled her. As he drank her hands dry. Then she watched him soften. And begin to kiss her palms. His eyes closed. He kissed. At each section on her fingers. And pressed his face into the smooth. Of each palm. She liked that part.
She moved her hands up. And her head down. To catch his lips. Lifting them. To her own. She kissed him deeply. Pressing herself against him. And his knees parted. To let her closer. She hooked her legs beneath her. Twisted them in his. Wrapped her arms around his back. And pulled him away from the wall.
He came willingly. And his hand cradled the back of her head. His thumb. Strumming the dip in her neck. The base of her brain. As her hand slithered down. Swam through his clothes. The sweatshirt. The tee shirt. To touch skin. And went downward.
She felt his fly. Grabbed the extended metal. And pulled. The zipper came down smoothly. The pants were old. And worn. And soft. She ventured inside. The zipper teeth abrading. Slightly.
It was warm in his pants. And she felt his body stiffen. His lips stop kissing. Sucking in his breath. "Do you want me to?" She asked. Whispery. Not moving her hand.
His eyelids flickered. His eyebrows stitching. Emotions passing. Over his face so quick. She couldn't catch them all.
She forced him into a kiss. To keep him. From confusing himself. And he fell into it. "Yes…" he breathed. Then stiffened again. When she advanced softly. "…and no."
"No, why?" she asked. Not bitter. But curious. "I told you I wouldn't hurt you. You're safe with me."
"…I…" he said. And she kissed him. Just to pull a taste from him. With a barrage. And they found themselves spread out. Across the floor. Lara braced above him. Catcher on his back. She pulled away. To look at his face. Wrought with overall grief.
"We don't have to. Until you're ready." She said calmly. Smiling. Stroking the side of his face.
"I'm ready. I think. I just…" his voice faded. And he took up her stroking hand. To kiss the soft pads. At the tips of her fingers.
"Just what?" She wanted him to quit skirting. The issue.
"I don't know how." He practically breathed. Barely even words. It was so quiet.
Lara almost laughed. But bent down. And muffled it with a kiss. A long. Loving. Kiss.
Then she sat up on her knees. Leaned over to the side. And stretched over him. To reach the magazine. On the counter.
"Come here." She said. Leaning back. And moving to sit. With her back against the wall. She patted the spot next to her. And Catcher wriggled there.
She handed the magazine over. And watched Catcher open it.
Sounds came out. And Catcher shut it quickly with wide eyes. Scared eyes. His breath hissing.
Lara couldn't help but laugh this time. And threw her hands up to muffle it.
Catcher turned to her. His jaw open a bit. His eyebrows curled. His face slightly red.
"What was that?" He asked. An almost disgusted look. Coming over his face.
"Aw, babe." She said. Sympathetically.
She pulled him to sit in front of her. His pants sliding easily. On the slick floor. Her legs propped around his sides. His back against her chest. She took the soft porn magazine. And opened it up again.
The sounds came out. And the recorded holographs floated off the page. She felt Catcher's body stiffen again. In a different way. And for a different reason this time. And she kissed his hair. On the back of his head. Comforting him.
She held the page open for a little while. Letting Catcher see it. Hearing his breath catch in him. The uncomfortableness.
When the people on the page had finished. With Lara smiling at Catcher's tweaking. Curling. Body. At the noises. She shut the magazine. And laid it down. Pulling Catcher's stiff body. Back into hers. Cradling it. Rubbing at his head. He touched her wrapping arm. His hands feeling clammy.
"That's sex Catcher." She said. And stroked his hair.
It took a while. But an answer came. "I don't think I can do that."
Lara smiled. And buried her face in his hair. "You can. You just don't know it. It will come naturally. Like breathing."
He relaxed back into her a bit. His hands not so clammy. "That didn't look natural." He said softly. And Lara blew a breath of laughter. Out her nose. Onto his head. It warmed his scalp for a moment.
"It's alright. You'll know how to do it when you're ready." She said aloud. While in her mind. She thought. 'How can he not know so many things?'
"How's your headache?" She asked.
"Better. I think." He said.
"What about your belly ache?" She touched his belly.
"It still hurts a little. But less than before." His eyes falling on the closed magazine that lay at their side. Remembering what he saw.
Even though he said nothing. She could feel the doubt in him. The worry. And the wonder. Surrounding him. At himself. At her. At them. And she decided to ease his mind for a bit.
"Here." She said. Pushing him up. Off of her. Enough to slip out. And away. "There's something you can help me with." She went to the counter. And pulled out the large box. And turned to him. Patting the counter. "Come up here."
Sighing. He rose. Walked. And jumped up onto the counter. Leaving the magazine on the floor.
She opened the box. Dumped out the things. And pressed the top corner of the box. A holograph came up. Showing the instructions. When it finished. It disappeared back against the box.
"Sounds easy enough." Lara smirked. And unscrewed the cap. To the bleaching agent.
She took out a cap. That had come in the box. And put it on. Shoving all her hair into it. It was like a soft helmet. See-through. That didn't cover her ears. It looked slightly silly. With a nozzle thing. Sticking out from the top. And it made Catcher smile.
"Here," she tipped her head. "Put this," pointing to the end of the bleaching tube. "In here," pointing to the nozzle thing.
He did. And locked it in. Like the holograph had showed. Then pressed the button on the top of the bleach.
The effect was almost immediate. Her hair turned. In the blink of an eye. From black brown. To a yellowish white. And a light came on. On the bleaching bottle. Signaling that it was done.
"Okay," Lara said. Excitement in her voice. "Now for the color."
She handed him the coloring tube. And he locked it into the nozzle. Throwing away the empty bleach one. He went to touch the button. But she stopped him.
"Wait." She smiled. "I want it to be a surprise."
He thought for a moment. Too long. And was shooed off the counter by her. Chasing him into the stall. She closed it on his face. With a kiss goodbye.
And he only smiled goofily at her. Amused.
Going back to the counter. Looking in the mirror. She pressed the button. The color came out. And she waited.
This one took longer. Not much. But longer than the bleach.
When it lighted done. She took out the tube. Threw it away. Then took off the cap. Crumpled it up. And threw that away too.
Then she messed with her hair. Deciding if she liked the color. Surprised at how it changed her face. Liking it. Loving it slowly. In fact.
When she felt satisfied. She went triumphantly to the stall. And opened it up. Standing akimbo.
"What do you think?" Running her fingers through it. Cocking an eyebrow. Playfully.
It was bright red. The box had said the color was. "Vendetta Red".
She could see the color reflecting in his eyes.
The green one turned brown.
The blue one turned purple.
And his lips turned up into a smile.
"I like it."
Squeezing the bridge of his nose. Right between his eyes. Made his nose. And his eyes. And the front part of his head. From hurting. The pain in the back. However. Nothing could be done.
With one arm pinching his face. Lara had hers hooked around his other.
He closed his eyes. To see if it would help. And almost ran into a pole.
"Whoa. You okay?" Lara veered him over to the curb. Watching him reopen his eyes. And try to blink away the pain.
"It hurts." He said. His mouth coming open weirdly. Trying to stretch the pain out. Thinner. Less piercing.
"Let me see." She pushed down his hand. And poked lightly at his nose. He cringed away. "Ow."
"It's bruising. There's blood in your eye." She pulled down his bottom eyelid. To get a better look at it. The blood was in the blue one. Dark. And blue.
She kissed his chin. Then turned away. Taking his hand. "Come on. We're going to get you some pain relievers."
She felt a burst of energy go through her. And Catcher was at its mercy. They ducked into the nearest drug store. The bell rang. But didn't scan their eyes. It was an old store.
The cashier. A large man. Named Amja. He had magic hair. And wore a black tee shirt. And orange pants. With big white words across it. WARNING: KEEP OUT OF CHILDREN.
The law of the city taking humor almost too far. In 2022 they passed a law. Almost with a fire lit behind it. That pedophiles were to be castrated. Amja was one. And got the chop.
A cross was around his neck. He thought himself to be saved. From himself.
Lara pulled Catcher to a big black box. Behind it. In the wall. A conveyor belt ran from it. To a stall behind the counter. To Amja.
Lara waved her hand. And the screen popped on. Catcher took a step back. In surprise. And Lara smiled.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE?
It gave categories:
Food. Clothes. Utilities. Toiletries. Entertainment. Medicine. Games.
She touched. MEDICINE.
It gave subcategories:
Allergy. Pain. Prescription. Vitamins.
She touched. PAIN.
A slew of painkillers came up. The pharmacies had run rampant.
Lara scrolled. And touched one. The black box chirped.
And the painkiller appeared behind the counter. Coming into Amja's waiting hand.
She went to turn away. But stopped in mid shift. Of her weight.
She looked over to Catcher. Who stared back at her. And she licked her teeth.
"I want to show you something."
She started over.
ENTERTAINMENT.
Its subcategories:
Movies. Holovision Shows. Magazines. Newspapers. Radio. Music.
She touched. MAGAZINES.
She scrolled. And chose. Scrolled some more. And chose again. Catcher raised an eyebrow.
She just smiled.
And started over. For the third time.
"I'm feeling spontaneous." She mused.
Touched. TOILETRIES.
Its subcategories:
Hair Care. Facial Care. Skin Care. Nail Care. Make-up. Accessories.
She touched. HAIR CARE.
Scrolled. And looked at the slew.
"Which one do you think?" She asked. And Catcher seemed questioning. As always.
"For what?" He asked.
"For something different. For me."
He thought for a moment. Looked over the options. And chose.
"That one."
"Good. I was thinking that too." She pressed. And headed towards Amja. Who had the things waiting.
She paid. Then pointed over her shoulder. "Is your bathroom back there?"
Amja nodded. And bagged her things.
Lara went back through the aisles. Catcher following. She went into the woman's bathroom. And he stopped outside.
"Don't be shy. No one's here." She pulled him in by the wrist. And shut the door behind him. Locking the deadbolt. She dumped the items down on the counter. And threw the bag on the floor.
Catcher sat down on the floor. Opposite the sink. And Lara.
She tore open the box of painkillers. Pulled out the bottle. Took off the wrapper. Unscrewed the cap. And shook out a long. Blue colored. Pill. Dark. And blue.
"These are like an instantaneous, mild euphoria." She said. Looking at him. Through the mirror. Then turned and tossed it to him. He caught it. And looked at it. Studying it.
She bent down. Waved her hand. And the water came on. She cupped her hands. Filled them. And walked quickly. And carefully. Towards Catcher. Her hands dribbling a bit.
"Put it on your tongue. Don't chew it." She instructed. And he did. And she put her hands up to his chin. "Drink." She said. And his dipped his lips into her palms. Swallowing the water. And the pill. Whole. With a little difficulty.
His lips tickled her. As he drank her hands dry. Then she watched him soften. And begin to kiss her palms. His eyes closed. He kissed. At each section on her fingers. And pressed his face into the smooth. Of each palm. She liked that part.
She moved her hands up. And her head down. To catch his lips. Lifting them. To her own. She kissed him deeply. Pressing herself against him. And his knees parted. To let her closer. She hooked her legs beneath her. Twisted them in his. Wrapped her arms around his back. And pulled him away from the wall.
He came willingly. And his hand cradled the back of her head. His thumb. Strumming the dip in her neck. The base of her brain. As her hand slithered down. Swam through his clothes. The sweatshirt. The tee shirt. To touch skin. And went downward.
She felt his fly. Grabbed the extended metal. And pulled. The zipper came down smoothly. The pants were old. And worn. And soft. She ventured inside. The zipper teeth abrading. Slightly.
It was warm in his pants. And she felt his body stiffen. His lips stop kissing. Sucking in his breath. "Do you want me to?" She asked. Whispery. Not moving her hand.
His eyelids flickered. His eyebrows stitching. Emotions passing. Over his face so quick. She couldn't catch them all.
She forced him into a kiss. To keep him. From confusing himself. And he fell into it. "Yes…" he breathed. Then stiffened again. When she advanced softly. "…and no."
"No, why?" she asked. Not bitter. But curious. "I told you I wouldn't hurt you. You're safe with me."
"…I…" he said. And she kissed him. Just to pull a taste from him. With a barrage. And they found themselves spread out. Across the floor. Lara braced above him. Catcher on his back. She pulled away. To look at his face. Wrought with overall grief.
"We don't have to. Until you're ready." She said calmly. Smiling. Stroking the side of his face.
"I'm ready. I think. I just…" his voice faded. And he took up her stroking hand. To kiss the soft pads. At the tips of her fingers.
"Just what?" She wanted him to quit skirting. The issue.
"I don't know how." He practically breathed. Barely even words. It was so quiet.
Lara almost laughed. But bent down. And muffled it with a kiss. A long. Loving. Kiss.
Then she sat up on her knees. Leaned over to the side. And stretched over him. To reach the magazine. On the counter.
"Come here." She said. Leaning back. And moving to sit. With her back against the wall. She patted the spot next to her. And Catcher wriggled there.
She handed the magazine over. And watched Catcher open it.
Sounds came out. And Catcher shut it quickly with wide eyes. Scared eyes. His breath hissing.
Lara couldn't help but laugh this time. And threw her hands up to muffle it.
Catcher turned to her. His jaw open a bit. His eyebrows curled. His face slightly red.
"What was that?" He asked. An almost disgusted look. Coming over his face.
"Aw, babe." She said. Sympathetically.
She pulled him to sit in front of her. His pants sliding easily. On the slick floor. Her legs propped around his sides. His back against her chest. She took the soft porn magazine. And opened it up again.
The sounds came out. And the recorded holographs floated off the page. She felt Catcher's body stiffen again. In a different way. And for a different reason this time. And she kissed his hair. On the back of his head. Comforting him.
She held the page open for a little while. Letting Catcher see it. Hearing his breath catch in him. The uncomfortableness.
When the people on the page had finished. With Lara smiling at Catcher's tweaking. Curling. Body. At the noises. She shut the magazine. And laid it down. Pulling Catcher's stiff body. Back into hers. Cradling it. Rubbing at his head. He touched her wrapping arm. His hands feeling clammy.
"That's sex Catcher." She said. And stroked his hair.
It took a while. But an answer came. "I don't think I can do that."
Lara smiled. And buried her face in his hair. "You can. You just don't know it. It will come naturally. Like breathing."
He relaxed back into her a bit. His hands not so clammy. "That didn't look natural." He said softly. And Lara blew a breath of laughter. Out her nose. Onto his head. It warmed his scalp for a moment.
"It's alright. You'll know how to do it when you're ready." She said aloud. While in her mind. She thought. 'How can he not know so many things?'
"How's your headache?" She asked.
"Better. I think." He said.
"What about your belly ache?" She touched his belly.
"It still hurts a little. But less than before." His eyes falling on the closed magazine that lay at their side. Remembering what he saw.
Even though he said nothing. She could feel the doubt in him. The worry. And the wonder. Surrounding him. At himself. At her. At them. And she decided to ease his mind for a bit.
"Here." She said. Pushing him up. Off of her. Enough to slip out. And away. "There's something you can help me with." She went to the counter. And pulled out the large box. And turned to him. Patting the counter. "Come up here."
Sighing. He rose. Walked. And jumped up onto the counter. Leaving the magazine on the floor.
She opened the box. Dumped out the things. And pressed the top corner of the box. A holograph came up. Showing the instructions. When it finished. It disappeared back against the box.
"Sounds easy enough." Lara smirked. And unscrewed the cap. To the bleaching agent.
She took out a cap. That had come in the box. And put it on. Shoving all her hair into it. It was like a soft helmet. See-through. That didn't cover her ears. It looked slightly silly. With a nozzle thing. Sticking out from the top. And it made Catcher smile.
"Here," she tipped her head. "Put this," pointing to the end of the bleaching tube. "In here," pointing to the nozzle thing.
He did. And locked it in. Like the holograph had showed. Then pressed the button on the top of the bleach.
The effect was almost immediate. Her hair turned. In the blink of an eye. From black brown. To a yellowish white. And a light came on. On the bleaching bottle. Signaling that it was done.
"Okay," Lara said. Excitement in her voice. "Now for the color."
She handed him the coloring tube. And he locked it into the nozzle. Throwing away the empty bleach one. He went to touch the button. But she stopped him.
"Wait." She smiled. "I want it to be a surprise."
He thought for a moment. Too long. And was shooed off the counter by her. Chasing him into the stall. She closed it on his face. With a kiss goodbye.
And he only smiled goofily at her. Amused.
Going back to the counter. Looking in the mirror. She pressed the button. The color came out. And she waited.
This one took longer. Not much. But longer than the bleach.
When it lighted done. She took out the tube. Threw it away. Then took off the cap. Crumpled it up. And threw that away too.
Then she messed with her hair. Deciding if she liked the color. Surprised at how it changed her face. Liking it. Loving it slowly. In fact.
When she felt satisfied. She went triumphantly to the stall. And opened it up. Standing akimbo.
"What do you think?" Running her fingers through it. Cocking an eyebrow. Playfully.
It was bright red. The box had said the color was. "Vendetta Red".
She could see the color reflecting in his eyes.
The green one turned brown.
The blue one turned purple.
And his lips turned up into a smile.
"I like it."