Yes, it has been over a year and a half since I last updated. I'll just say that life happens and mine got busy.
Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.
- Will Rogers
It was when Tifa was cleaning the bathroom that she first noticed. She happened to bump some of the shampoo bottles sitting on the edge if the bathtub and when they fell over she realized that they were empty – well, a lot emptier than they had been that morning when she had taken her shower.
Tifa was not a vain woman; she didn't spend that much time on her appearance or hair but she had found one brand of shampoo in particular that worked wonders. It also happened to be quite expensive and it was that bottle, plus the matching conditioner, that were nearly gone. Just to be sure, she picked each one up and gave it an experimental shake. The tiny bit that sloshed in the bottom of each wasn't even enough for one more hair washing.
She was on the war path.
When you lived in a house with three teenage boys who were more obsessed with their looks than you were it wasn't hard to figure out who to blame.
Those boys were down stairs in the kitchen eating lunch and they all heard Tifa coming down the stairs.
Loz looked slightly worried.
"Do you think she noticed the shampoo?" He whispered to Kadaj who was sitting across from him admiring his reflection on the back of the spoon he had used to eat his pudding cup.
Kadaj glared at him in annoyance.
"Of course she noticed."
Loz's eyes widened.
"What do we do?"
Kadaj didn't answer. He had gone back to the spoon again and was running a hand lovingly over his shiny silver hair.
Yazoo, who had been silent up until this point, spoke up.
"Act normal and don't admit anything."
Loz nodded and picked up his sandwich.
Just then, the back door opened and in walked Marlene from the yard where she had been playing with Denzel.
The sunlight streaming through the open door lit up the boys' hair and to Marlene it glittered like tinsel.
Her eyes widened and she walked towards them.
Yazoo stopped eating and looked down at Marlene who was standing by his chair staring in awe.
"Yes?"
"Can I play with your hair, please?" She asked hopefully.
Yazoo considered the request.
"Are your hands clean?" He questioned.
She nodded.
"Okay."
Marlene was dragging a chair up next to Yazoo when Tifa finally reached the kitchen door way.
Loz was suddenly very interested in his food and Kadaj was still in love with the sight of his own face and didn't even look up.
"Do any of you know what happened to my shampoo and conditioner?" She knew but she wanted to see if the silver haired trio would actually own up to using it.
"Maybe Cloud used it." Loz gulped.
Yazoo kicked him underneath the table.
Tifa's eyes narrowed.
"Cloud has his own shampoo."
Then she looked at Kadaj.
"Do you have anything to say?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment and then shrugged.
"Eh, I've got nothing."
Suddenly, Marlene spoke up. She had been absorbed with braiding Yazoo's hair, completely oblivious to the conversation taking place.
"Yazoo, your hair smells just like Tifa's shampoo." She then buried her nose in a fist full of the silver strands and inhaled.
The look on Tifa's face could have peeled paint.
She glared at the three boys angrily while Yazoo stared back, shamelessly unrepentant.
"You three owe me a new shampoo and conditioner." She insisted before turning and stomping back up the stairs as noisily as she'd come down them.
Kadaj shrugged carelessly.
"It's not our fault we were created with such beautiful hair."