So, so, so sorry that I haven't updated, but I have a nice, long chapter for you guys! Like, excluding the author's notes, it is 2,714 words! Which might not seem like a big deal, but usually my chapters are around 1,000 words.
I own nothing!
Tasha's POV
"What do you want me to do for you?" the hairdresser asked, combing through my lengthy, dark locks. I looked blankly at him through the mirror.
I honestly had no idea as to what I should do with my hair. I've had it long and dark my whole life and although I've had a trim here or a fringe there, I've never really altered it that much. Mom was always so proud of it, so I kept it that way. But seeing Ross the other night with Logan, well I guess it kind of served as a wakeup call. I need to change. I'm way to... predictable. I want to stand out. I need to stand out.
So after all my classes today I decided to go and change. Find a brand new me. Preferably, one that won't bore Ross.
"Uh..."
The hairdresser smiled, showing his straight, white teeth and laughed a little. "You don't want to do this, do you?"
I sat up straighter. "No, I do! I just... I want to stand out more. I've been a brunette my whole life and I want to be... transformed. I just don't know how yet. Surprise me," I said. "Make me look like a whole different person." He nodded and pulled up the sleeves of his black button up shirt to his elbows and turned me away from the mirror.
"Can I cut it?" he asked, draping a towel over my shoulders.
"Whatever you have to do," I said with confidence that surprised me. As I watched my familiar long, dark locks fall to the ground I felt a wave of satisfaction wash over me. No going back now...
A little while later, he turned me around so that I was facing the mirror. I gasped. I looked completely and entirely gorgeous. This girl, with the sleek, stylish and super trendy blond bob stared back at me. My hair now stopped just below my chin, and had brown and softer blond highlights that looked natural. The tip of a cool layered fringe brushed the left side of my forehead, just barely touching my eyebrow. The cut was so right for the shape of my face, and made my dark chocolate eyes pop. I looked so... chic. I didn't look like me at all.
And I loved it.
"Oh my gosh," I breathed. The hairdresser grinned. "You like?" My smile didn't need more than a few seconds for it to reach my ears.
"I love."
"I thought so. It looked like you really wanted a new beginning. A fresh start."
A fresh start, I mused. I like it.
Trish's POV
"I really don't get it, Trish," Ally was saying as I handed her and Dez a menu. Logan said nothing as she scanned the menu. It was just after my last class for the day. I had decided to spend the rest of the day at my new job – Coco's Coffee Shop. Dez usually comes during my shift in hopes of a best friend discount. I usually give it to him... depending on my mood. Okay, so maybe not usually.
Ally says it's because of my crush on him. Ha. Yeah right. I got over my crush on him ages ago.
"We agreed on being honest with each other all the time and he knows keeping secrets from me bothers me a lot. Not to mention he's sharing it with my mom!" Ally ranted. Suddenly, she gave a gasp. "Oh my gosh what if he wants to propose?!"
I gave a squeal. "Finally! I've already chosen my maid of honour dress. It's got neon purple and leopard print and loads of sequins and a strap that goes like-"
Dez interrupted me with a laugh. "He is not going to propose." Ally's shoulders slumped. I shot Dez a look.
"And how would you know this?"
"I'm his best friend. I know he's not going to propose just like I know Austin wouldn't want you to wear leopard print at his wedding." I scoffed. This is ridiculous.
"He would! And it's not his choice, its Ally's! She would let me, right Ally?" Ally shrugged. Dez laughed, only irritating me more. "Ally?"
Ally handed me her menu with a melancholy sigh. "I don't know what I'd let you wear to Austin and I's wedding Trish," she said, breezily waving Dez's obnoxious chortles off. "I mean first I have to decide stuff like who's coming and where it's going to be and who is going to be my maid of honour and what the colour theme is going to be and..."
"Colour theme for what?" Austin asked, sitting next to Ally in the booth. He leaned in for a kiss but, unlike most of their hello kisses, it only lasted for a few seconds. Austin just sighed and shook his head.
"Trish and Ally were discussing your wedding," Dez said, motioning to the couple. Austin raised his eyebrows. "Already? Jeez, guys, at least let me get the ring first."
"Ha!" I exclaimed, pointing at Dez. "He is going to propose!"
"No I'm not," Austin butted in, "Well, not for a while anyway."
"Aha!" Dez triumphantly said, pumping his fist. "Now come on, you're supposed to be a waitress, right! Bring me some chocolate cake and cat food."
I stop scribbling down his order. "Cat food?"
"Yeah you know how I feed that stray cat that lives across from Bill's Surf Shop. He loves chocolate cake."
"And the cat food?" Logan enquired, tapping her fingernails impatiently on the mahogany table.
"What? It's healthy stuff, man!" For cats, I thought with an eye roll.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because it keeps my teeth shinier than the dog food does!" Idiot. Shaking my head, I turned to everyone else and took their orders. I don't really know why I'm trying so hard – maybe because Courtney, the manager (nickname Coco), lets us keep the tips for ourselves no matter how much. I guess when your prices are as high as they are here you stop caring about tips. Who cares? Free money!
I returned with everyone's orders, and only when handing Logan her drink did I start to think about her and her phoney relationship with Ross. I mean, it's so damn obvious people! She obviously knows about Tasha's feelings towards Ross and just wants to toy with her emotions. I knew it from the way she kept glancing over at Tony and Tasha the other night. It was a total giveaway. At first, I didn't really want to believe it, but over time (a few hours) I decided whose side I was on.
But what I don't get is Ross. I know he's attracted to Tasha. I just know it. So why on earth would he leave her for Logan, someone he's only known for a few months? That's where the fishy stench of suspicion stinks the most.
"Frizzy?" Logan was saying, "You mind letting go of the glass?" I snapped out of my gaze and relaxed my jaw, which I hadn't realised that it was clenched until now. Four pairs of eyes all stuck to me in either worry or amusement. Or both, in Logan's case.
"Sorry," I said in a breathy laugh, "Uh, Ally may I speak to you for a second?"
"Sure is there a prob-"
"Sorry, Trish but I have to rehearse for the auditions on Saturday next week," Austin said, "And I have to show Ally our new practise room." He finished, sending a wink to Ally.
"Okay, call me later," I told Ally. I left them to serve other customers – Courtney was walking by – all the while a question burning in my head.
New practice room?! No. Way.
Ross' POV
Austin, Dad and I once went out on a 'boys only' camping trip. Back then, I was seven and Austin was ten. Mom let us go – only because she made us promise to stick to the schedule she had typed out. Seriously. She made us put a hand on our hearts and everything. For the first day, we followed it. It was so boring. A shame, really, because that sheet of paper was our firewood on the second day.
My point is: I thought going on a camping trip where we weren't allowed to even climb the trees was lame. That is, I did until I spent the rest of my afternoon with Tony.
He's okay, I guess but that's it. We've had several awkward pauses in our conversations so in the end I just let him talk. Even then he talked my ear off. It was starting out to be the worst Saturday afternoon ever – until I saw her walk in.
Call me crazy but I swear she looked like Tasha for a split second. The blond headed beauty stood talking to someone for a bit before heading towards us.
"...And then I was like, 'dude, I'm not really going to take your dog for a walk off a cliff!' The kid was just so gullible it was amazing... Ross, what are you looking at?" I didn't answer and continued to gaze at the girl as she came closer and closer into view. Tony turned around and spotted her immediately. There was something familiar about her.
"Whoa, Tasha? Is that you?" Tony exclaimed, grabbing my attention for the second time in the afternoon. The first was when he told me there was a spider on my back. And, just like last time, I felt shivers go through my body. I felt stiff and tried to speak but no words would come. She just looked so... different.
The girl laughed and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Yeah it's me. How do I look?"
"Hot," Tony said, earning an eye roll from Tasha. She smiled at me, and I felt the familiar fluttery feeling in my stomach. She and Tony were now looking at me with expectant faces. She had just said something.
"Huh?" I spluttered, making Tasha grin. I mentally kicked myself.
"I said, what do you think?"
I looked at her again, my eyes drinking in her appearance before responding. "You look... beautiful." My statement, so simple, caused her whole face – even her neck and ears – to flush. I almost smirked. Logan was right; she did like me.
"Thank you," she shyly said. I nearly sighed in relief. At least she wasn't completely gone. It's not that I don't like her new, uh, self. Not that at all. The fact that she could have changed completely is what scared me. If I'm going to end up with Tasha, I want it to be with the Tasha I know and love.
Tony started saying something again, but like the schedule for camp, I blocked it out and focused on the fun side, or in this case, Tasha.
Ally's POV
I was practically bouncing in my seat with anxiety and excitement shooting through my veins. At last, Austin was going to tell me his secret. The whole drive there, my palms were sweating and my feet tapping anxiously.
"So you got a new practise room?" I said, trying to start a conversation. The silence didn't help the uncontainable excitement that was erupting within me. Austin hummed yes.
"I thought with a competition this big coming around the school's music rooms wouldn't be good enough since other people have to use them too."
It is kind of true. Although the school's music rooms are multiple and had many instruments, there are loads of other students who need them just as much as Austin and I. And the one at Sonic Boom isn't much of an option either. Since the store had gotten so much business, Dad had to order way more instruments and the storage room wasn't enough space so he had to use my old practise room. He even got a new employee there to help out. I didn't mind giving up my new sanctuary because it meant that Dad would benefit massively from it.
"So when did you buy it?" I asked.
"Umm... a while ago. I didn't know if you would approve so I didn't tell you straight away." My forehead crinkled in confusion. Why wouldn't I approve? And when did he buy the place? I looked out the window as we pulled into one of the most upscale neighbourhoods in Miami. By now, the buzzed excitement was slowly dimming as we passed numerous houses and turned to a neighbourhood with a big orange van parked near one of the houses. Not just any orange van – a moving van. I crossed my fingers, silently praying that my suspicions weren't true.
To my disappointment, Austin pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. He sent me a grin and jogged over to open my door. Wait, is this his way of saying he wants to break up? Of course not. He would tell me... right? What if he's not even moving in? Maybe we are stopping for directions?
"Isn't it great?!" he exclaimed, dragging me onto the front lawn so that we had a full view of the massive house. I momentarily stood next to him, gawking at the luxurious house that stood before us. Well, I wouldn't even call it a house. More like a mini mansion.
"Hey, careful with that!" Austin yelled at one of the men who were carrying boxes and furniture. "You break that and it's coming out of your pay check, buddy!" I snapped back into reality. Austin bit his lip, now focusing on me.
"So what do you think?"
I crossed my arms. "A practise room, huh? Austin if you wanted to move out into a place of your own, you could have just said so."
He sighed in relief. "So you're not mad at me then?" he asked. I shook my head. I wasn't mad, but I was sad. Seriously, we've been dating for three years, and we've discussed moving in together. But for him to then move in by himself and hide it from me? That's just unnecessary.
"It's a nice place. It must have cost a fortune." Austin shrugged. My dad pulled some strings," he replied.
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I didn't think his dad would do this even though Austin didn't go to law school, like he'd originally planned. Austin, reading my mind, playfully shoved me.
"Hey, just because my dad still doesn't approve of PCA, it doesn't mean he's giving up on my completely."
"I totally wasn't thinking that," I denied. Austin scoffed. "I believe you," he said.
"But seriously, it's a really nice home, Austin," I said, more serious now. I hope I didn't look depressed, because then Austin would get really worried and over think things, which is usually my job.
"Well only the best for you, Als," he said, ruffling my hair.
"Me? You mean you want us to... and live in this... just the two of us?" I spluttered, trying to wrap this around my brain. Austin's grin started to fade. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down. And suddenly, it makes sense. He must have talked to my parents about it – which would explain my Dad's weird behaviour and Mom's secretive actions.
"You know, if you want to. I mean, I did it for us but if you don't want to I guess I can sell it or... Ugh, it's too early, right? That's the problem, right? I should have known not to do this. I should have just waited for you or-" I giggled, sending him to a halt.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because you're rambling," I said, giving him a kiss. "That's my thing." Austin embraced me with a laugh. "So you're not mad?"
"No. I'm the very opposite. I'd be honoured to move in with you, Austin." I swear his smile was so huge I just had to start laughing again. What a dork.
"The honour's all mine, Miss Dawson," he said with a mock bow. He put an arm around my waist as we watched the last of the boxes get put inside our new home. After a moment of silence Austin said we needed to get back to school to get my clothes and break the news to everyone.
"A new beginning," I said with a grin.
"A new beginning," he replied.
Heyy! Hope you guys enjoyed! I will try and update sooner, guys! Please review!
Sammie