READ THIS! Okay, I'm trying to get this in sync with the Artemis Fowl files. I have to fix stuff up cause I wasn't planning on this being chaptered.Holly's in Traffic for six months before getting into Recon. Trouble becomes a Captain and Root a Commander in those six months. And I know I said she was the first female to get into the LEP in the first chapter, and technically she's not until she gets into Recon, but I'm making her the first female in Traffic, too. I'll end the story right before the events in the Artemis Fowl files, and then everything will go on as it went in the books. Actually, I'll have the transformation in this story and that's it, and then have a sequel with the rest of the six months. Alright? Or I could keep the fic as one, but then a lot of the story won't have to do with the title 'Haircut'.
So... two choices. One: this story covers Holly's transformation and I do/do not have a sequel with the rest of the six months. Or, Two: The whole six months in this story, start to finish. Pick one.
Summary: Right after Holly gets a job in the LEP, she cuts her hair. Each auburn lock falling through the floor makes her think about choices, and especially their consequences. What will happen after?
Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl. Eoin Colfer does.
Haircut
Chapter Three
The day's events grew boring after lunch, and by the time Holly reached home, she was dead tired. And she wished nothing more then just to go forward in time to when she was promoted to Recon. The fun job.
But she knew what was going to happen when she got back. A few precious moments of silence on her couch was all she would get.
Five… four… three… two… one.
Then the phone rang. Sighing, she picked it up and answered weakly.
"Hello?" The perky voice of Holly's best friend rang out into the silence.
"How was the second day of work?" She had called yesterday, asking how the first day of work went, and probably would call tomorrow, too.
"Fine, I suppose." Her voice was monotone, but in her head her thoughts were swirling around in excitement. Today had been a good day.
"You don't sound right, Hols." A pause. "I know! How's about we go see a movie? Action's your favorite! That new 'Attack of the Mud Men III' is out! Or was it four…"
Holly rubbed her temples tiredly. "It was three. Lils, I really don't feel like it." (1)
Lili Frond was Holly's best friend since early childhood. A big feminist and what you would call a girly-girl, she was a couple centimeters taller then Holly and had a lighter red color of hair, as well as a lighter color skin. She was moderately intelligent, and usually had a different guy every week.
They were the pair of the moment in school, being Lili and Holly, or Lils and Hols. Sometimes, though, Holly just felt like a tag-along.
The bright voice started up again, knocking her out of her thoughts.
"Alright then, what about ice skating? You love ice skating!"
"Really, I'm just tired. All I want to do is sleep."
"Are you sure you don't want to get our hair done or something?"
She froze. Hair. Lili didn't know. What would she think?
"Lili, about my hair…"
"What about it? You didn't dye it or something, did you? 'Cause you always said you wanted to make it black!" An audible gasp was heard from the receiver.
"My hair… I… cut my hair."
There was a pause and a horrible, suspenseful silence for a moment.
"Well, we all need a change sometimes, I suppose. How short is it?" She talked very slowly.
"Um, it's cropped. A few inches long, maybe." Suddenly Holly was very uncomfortable.
"Oh." It seemed like she was fidgeting. "Why?"
"Because… I had to."
"Why?" Her voice was softer now.
"It was the only way."
"To what?"
Another pause. "To be accepted."
Her voice rose a notch. "Accepted? You cut your hair to be accepted? You turned into a boy to be accepted? You ARE accepted, Holly! With me! If you give them time, they will accept you as a girl!"
A little bit of anger presented itself in her mind. "Yeah, accept me as a girl, sure! As a girl, Lili! As someone different then them! I admit it, I want to fit in; I want to be received and acknowledged as one of them! And I'm not a boy!" She had forgotten how much of a feminist Lili was.
"It's not worth it, Holly! You're changing yourself; you're going to do things you don't want to for approval! There will be a price! What'll you do next, abandon me!"
The spark ignited, and those words were just fuel. Holly could feel the anger flowing through her blood vessels, or maybe it was just her over-active angry imagination.
"Well, maybe I will." And she hung up. A little rash, perhaps, but at the moment, she didn't care.
Feeling the lingering effects of adrenaline from the argument, she decided she didn't want to go to bed anymore.
She changed into some light clothes and went outside to run, thinking over her conversation with Lili.
And after twenty minutes of mulling it over, she was no closer to a conclusion then she was at the beginning of her run.
She watched the ground as she ran, observing the cracks and wondering about the many things she had done wrong.
Maybe, if she had done better, she would still have a friend. But her arguments with Lili usually only lasted a day.
Holly's stubborn nature knew that this fight would last much, much longer.
Perhaps Lili was right. Perhaps she shouldn't have changed much.
Suddenly, she collided with another running elf. Looking up from the ground, she saw a grinning Trouble Kelp, his brown eyes smiling and dark brown-red hair damp from sweat. He helped her up with a friendly "Hey, new girl," and a pat on the back.
And as her doubts disappeared into the words of her new friend, Holly knew that come what may, she could survive this.
END OF CHAPTER
(1)—Ha! Bet you didn't expect that! Don't worry; I have the whole thing planned out.
It may seem as if its Holly's fault she lost Lili, but in my story, it is. I think Holly has to have her faults also, and it seems to me she's hot-headed and tends to speak first and think later. So she might wreck her friendship with Lili, but she will regret it later. And due to her overwhelming stubbornness, they probably won't be friends again.
By the way, if anyone has an idea on what this fic's genre should be, let me know. I don't like keeping it on 'General'. Ack, this chapter's a little short. Sorry for the long Author's Notes, I had to clear some things up. Thanks to all the reviewers!
One other question to you: Should I make this Holly/Trouble? Oh yeah, and please comment on the READ THIS paragraph at the top. I need to know.
