Once-ler's mother, Susannah, could see something was fishy about that Norma girl. She could see the way Norma would try and distract Once-ler from his work. She said nothing of it to him though in fear that he'd take Norma's side. She wasn't so heartless to not see that the two were head over heels for each other but she didn't have to like it.
For the next few months, as Norma continually tried to drag Once-ler somewhere, she'd find ways to make sure he stayed put. She brought Norma to get manicures and pedicures, go clothing shopping and other things such as that. On that particular day, she'd insisted on Norma coming with her to the hair salon.
"Well hun, I'd say you are in dire need of a makeover. Those curls of yours are alright but I feel like you could look so much better if you actually put some effort into it." She laced her words with sugar, the insults trying so hard to sound like suggestions.
Norma was about to protest Susannah's words but before she could get a word in edgewise, she was dragged out the factory door and into a limo. The limo took them to a fancy salon just at the edge of Greenville. As they pulled up, the eyes of many civilians followed their every move, wondering just who they must be to own such a limo.
Once seated in the salon chairs, Susannah immediately got to telling the hair stylist what to do. "Just a little off the top for me. For her though, straighten it as well you can and put it into a poof, something like mine. More poof, less frizz." Norma looked stricken at the thought of her hair being straightened.
"Just wait a minute! I don't think changing my hair style is necessary. I could just get a little trim. I like the way I look!" Norma was rising from her seat ready to leave right then when the stylist brought her back down by her shoulders.
Susannah patted her hand gently, "Trust me doll, you are in dire need of a makeover. And who better to give you one than your future mother in law?" At the words, 'mother in law' Norma looked sick to her stomach.
"Mother in law? Once-ler and I haven't even been together that long! Barely 4 months!" Susannah rolled her eyes.
She laughed, her chuckle light and airy but incredibly fake. "I know that, hun! But you grew up together. It's plain to see that he wants to ask you. Probably won't ask for a while but I know he will. Call it mother's intuition."
Norma pouted in her seat, crossing her arms in annoyance. For the next 2 hours, she wasn't allowed to see her own reflection. Her hair was pulled between straighteners, scrubbed with funny smelling shampoo, and tugged at by combs and brushes. At one point she thought they might have put foil in her hair but her glasses had been taken off so she couldn't tell for sure. It took all of her patience not to leap from the chair and place her glasses back on her face.
By the time it was over, Norma was sure she had bruises on her scalp and possibly a few burns. She had a headache that made her head throb in pain. She desperately wanted out of the salon and away from Susannah. If she didn't realize just how Susannah had Once-ler on puppet strings, she'd surely say a few choice words she was taught never to say.
Finally she was given her glasses and as she placed them on, she saw the dramatic change her hair had overtaken. It was still very large in height but hardly curly at all. The front of her hair lay in waves travelling downward. Her hair looked much longer due the straightening. It was lighter too. Her normally chocolate locks were now a light brown. And on top of her head was a large bow resting to her right side. She hardly recognized herself.
"Oh, darling! You look as pretty as a peach! I'd say thought that you'd be even prettier without those horrid glasses! Maybe something like mine… or maybe no glasses at all!" Norma's mouth hung open in shock and her eyes twitched.
"I kind of need my glasses to see." She said it plainly, her nerves being danced upon with every second.
"Oh honey bunches; I didn't mean leaving you blind! I meant contacts! They're all the rage. Been thinking of getting some myself but you don't mess with a good look like mine. You however could use them. Those glasses make you look like some sort of school girl. Any girl that's gonna be with my Oncie better look sophisticated. Can't have his image being ruined because he looks like he's with a much younger girl. You looked 15 before!"
Norma could barely contain a growl that rose from her throat. At that moment she wasn't sure what was worse, the trees being cut down or having to listen to Susannah talk. She pinched the bridge of her nose and was all but dragged out the door and towards the eye doctor.
Along the way, Susannah had them stop at several high end clothing stores where Norma would be piled with clothes to try on. She was forced to come out at every outfit for Susannah's approval. She looked at Norma with a judging gaze, giving every outfit a decisive expression.
She ended up leaving the store with several new outfits that made her cringe at their over the top ways.
Getting Norma contacts was not an easy feat for Susannah. Norma very often would say she couldn't see her own hand when wearing them though Sue could tell she was just trying to get out of it. She eventually told Norma that they weren't leaving without a pair of contacts for her which finally made Norma take it seriously. They found a pair that worked though they itched Norma's eyes something fierce.
…
As the day came to a close, Once-ler finally finished some of the papers that lined his desk. He'd have to continue on the pile for the next day but at least he completed a significant amount, actually making a dent.
From outside he heard a car pull up. He assumed it must be Norma and his mother returning from their day out. He stood from his seat and left to greet them at the door.
When he got to the limo, his mother was just getting out, her hair primped and rock solid with hairspray. She immediately pulled him into a hug. "Oh Oncie! Today has been so much fun! Did you get plenty of work done today? I sure hope so. Never mind that though. I got a surprise for you!" Her southern drawl was overly obvious as she spoke.
She turned to the limo, the black windows hiding the insides. Susannah whistled loudly, a loud screeching sound that echoed through the surrounding area, prompting several creatures to peek through the trees, barbaloots, humming fish and swami swans.
A sigh came from the limo and the door opened revealing a short leg. Norma scooted further out until Once-ler could see her clearly. She shut the door behind her and stared right at Once-ler, looking miserable. She wore a smile but it was very fake and forced.
Once-ler's eyes bugged out of his head at her. He noted her hair, now much less curly and with a large bow on the right side of her head. Rather than wear a sun dress, she wore a mid-sleeve shirt with a skirt that started just below her bust line. It hugged her curves, making her look older than she was by about 5 years. The skirt's only redeeming factor was that it had dots scattered through it giving it some sort of visual interest.
He hardly recognized her the way she looked. Her hair was lighter, dyed or highlighted. Her glasses were gone. She looked pretty but she didn't look like herself. He subtly cringed at her fake smile. He could feel her annoyance radiating from her.
As she stood, there was a collective gasp coming from the valley behind her. The animals seemed to have seen the dramatic change that overtook her. Susannah stood next to Once-ler smiling in satisfaction. "Ain't she a beauty? Her hair's much nicer lighter. And don't she look much more her age like this? She actually looks like an adult!"
He stood there gaping before his eyes flickered down at his mother. He quickly pasted a large smile to his face, trying to hide his dissatisfaction. "She looks…" He searched for the right word to define her change without making it sounds bad. "breathtaking." He settled on.
Susannah smiled wider and waved goodbye to the two who had still not uttered a word directly to each other. He hesitantly stepped toward her, reaching out to rest his hand on her shoulder.
She was looking at the ground when he placed his hand on her shoulder. Her head snapped up and he could see the anguish in her eyes. He didn't quite understand how she could be anguished over the way she looked though he didn't question it. She'd always been a girl of her values and choices and from what he saw, this look was not of her own choice.
"I'm going for a walk." Her words were quiet, sadness the only emotion in her hollow voice. Once-ler thought to reach out but it was too late. She had already run off into the valley, the trees disguising her and keeping her hidden from his view.
He sighed and walked back inside, his head hung low even with his towering figure.
…
Norma swiped at her eyes, tears blazing down her cheeks. Once-ler wouldn't understand her sadness but it was a lot of things. Getting the makeover from Once-ler's mother had just made her realize how little she was able to do. She wouldn't give up on Once-ler but she felt as if this were the breaking point. There was no turning back now and she knew it.
She ran to the clearing, still ever as beautiful even with several less trees. She sat upon the grassy ground and finally let loose the tears she tried to hold back. Her sobs were the only sound heard by the valley animals and it broke their hearts.
It was when a furry palm rested upon her shoulder that she looked up from her hands.
"What happened to ya? You look like that mother of Beanpole's with that stupid bow in your hair." Norma glared up at the sky, aiming for her hair and plucked it from her head.
"She made me get a makeover. And Once-ler said nothing. I'm losing hope. If I can't keep his mother from attacking me with beauty products, how am I supposed to stop her from controlling Once-ler's life?" her hair was now messy from running and her skirt had grass stains on it but she found it better that way.
The Lorax looked deeply troubled at her words before regaining his composure. "We'll have to try harder. You'll have to try harder. And I'm sorry to say but you have to keep looking the way you are. You need to gain that Sue lady's trust to keep her from getting suspicious. We need to go to more extreme measures to get Beanpole to stop. You're the only one he'll even think of listening to. And he still can't know that we even know each other. If he's not willing to stick up for you, you need to make him. Right now I'm relying on you." He took a gulp of air and looked at her, waiting for her response.
"If I'm going to make sure it happens, I'll have to do it soon." With that, Norma wiped her eyes and stood, her messy hair blowing in the breeze. The animals came from around the trees and crept towards her.
Pipsqueak pawed at her legs and she picked him up, hugging him to her, a sad frown etched upon her face.
The clouds in the sky grew grayer and grayer and suddenly it was raining, water trickling down her back and into her hair. Her hair frizzed and poofed everywhere and the makeup on her face ran. Her clothes stuck to her curves like glue and her footsteps were like lead weights. She placed Pipsqueak down before starting her trek back to the cottage, only to find it gone.
Before her eyes, the cottage was gone as if it had vanished from thin air. There was no trace it had ever been there, not even a hole in the ground where the posts had been.
A/N: Hi! It took a while to write this one mostly because I needed to work out the events in my head first. I don't think the review chart thing is really working so I'm just gonna start updating whenever I feel like it. But really, that could mean from when I first finish a chapter all the way up to a certain amount of reviews so don't think that I won't notice if a chapter happens to get only 2 reviews. Hope you guys enjoyed!