The Hairdresser Diaries (11 page)

“Well since you know now, next time you’ll have to come up with a better excuse than brushing your teeth.”

“I...whatever!” I stuttered and turned around leaving the room.

I got back to Landon’s room, angrily pulled the covers over me, and mumbled to myself.

“Did I miss something?” Landon asked sleepily.

“Why didn’t you tell me Cole was sleeping in Jaxson’s room?”

“You didn’t ask.” I kicked him in the leg for that. “Ow Tay! What’s the big deal, I thought you liked him.”

“I do not like him,” I said making sure I emphasized each word.

“Yeah okay, who you trying to kid?”

“No one, I don’t.”

“It’s so obvious you like him. I can see it in your face when he’s around or just the mention of him.”

“Well then you need to get your eyes checked because you’re wrong,” I said crossing my arms on my chest and letting out a huff.

I was annoyed by this conversation and wanted to end it now.

Landon could see he was getting to me. He started taunting and teasing me saying, “Tatum likes Cole, Tatum likes Cole.” He kept repeating it over and over like little kids do. “Tatum likes Cole.”

“Shut up! I do not!”

He wouldn’t stop. I starting hitting him and yelling “stop it” and “shut up”, even though I knew it would do no good. He just kept teasing me over and over, “Tatum likes Cole.”

Fed up, I stood up, put my hands over my ears and started yelling. I knew the only way to stop him was to act as immature as he was. “I can’t hear you! La-la-la.”

He got up, grabbed my arms, and tried to pull them away still taunting me. “Tatum likes Cole.”

“La-la-la-la!” I struggled to get out of his grips, “La-la-LA-LA-LA!” I got louder and louder until he stopped.

I turned and saw Cole in the doorway. I ripped my arms from Landon’s grip and fell right on my butt. Landon extended his hand to help me up, but I ignored him, still irritated.

Once I stood up, I straightened myself out, put my chin up, and smacked Landon on the back of the head for being an ass. Then I walked out, only to take two steps before I tripped over my own feet.

I ignored the chuckles from Cole and Landon and kept walking. “Watch out for that invisible stick,” Landon laughed.

So, as any person with class would do, I flipped him off without turning around as I went out of the doorway. I didn’t even know where I was going. I just knew I had to get away from them. I thought I’d head outside and get some air. Thankfully my cigarettes were where I left them the night before. I grabbed them and plopped down on one of the lounge chairs on the deck, closed my eyes, and took in the sun’s warm rays.

I lay there for a while soaking up the warmth from the sun until I felt a shadow cast over me. I opened my eyes to see Cole standing above me. I didn’t speak. I just closed my eyes again.

He sat on the end of the lounge I was laying on. I could feel his eyes on me. He started gently tracing the outline of the flower tattoo on my foot and it sent shivers up my leg.

“What made you get this?” he asked.

“I was bored,” I said, my eyes still closed.

“You got a tattoo because you were bored?”

“Yep.” I opened my eyes just a bit to peek at him. He seemed to have many thoughts turning in his head so I continued. “When I get bored and want to do something different, I get something pierced or tattooed.”

“How often does this happen?”

“A lot.” I smiled to myself and closed my eyes again. I was hoping by me not saying anything else he would leave, but no, he just sat there quietly.

Shortly after, Landon came outside and asked if we wanted breakfast. I said yes and offered to help cook. I wasn’t really hungry. I just wanted to get away from Cole. To my luck he didn’t follow or offer to help.

Kelly and Alex were already sitting at the kitchen table. “Morning guys.”

“How you feeling?” Alex asked.

“Tired and sore, besides that good.”

“Are you finally going to tell us what the hell happened last night?” Kelly asked with her eyebrows raised as she sipped her coffee.

“Uh, no, it’s over and done with. Not worth mentioning.”

Kelly and Alex looked at each other, but let it go.

“Where’s Nate?” I asked.

“Still sleeping.”

“Ahh, well what do you guys want to eat?” I addressed the room in general.

“Eggs, pancakes, bacon, waffles, French toast,” they shouted at me.

“What the hell, I’m not making all that. I’ll make eggs and bacon. Anything else you can make yourself.”

“Fine, eggs are good,” Kelly and Alex whined.

I gathered what I needed and started to make breakfast.

“Good Morning Cole,” Kelly said as he made his way into the kitchen a short time later.

I didn’t acknowledge his presence I just went on cooking.

“You Hungry?, Tatum’s making eggs.”

“No thank you, I think I should head out.”

“Good,” I thought to myself. The less time I have to spend with Cole the better.

“Stay, eat. Don’t mind Tatum, she’s just in one of her moods. Besides she’s actually a pretty good cook,” Landon said to Cole as he patted him on the shoulder.

“I wouldn’t doubt she is, but I’d be more worried about her poisoning it than it tasting bad,” Cole said.

I laughed to myself on that one.

“Nah, Tatum’s mean, but not that mean,” Landon said as he shuffled his way to the fridge to get out the juice.

I shot him a look from the side and he just looked at me like he said nothing wrong.

“Thank you anyways, but I should get going.”

Behind me across the kitchen Cole began to move as though announcing to me that he really was getting ready to walk out.

“No prob man, anytime.”

“Bye Cole,” Alex and Kelly said.

I just kept making breakfast, not paying any attention to him, until he left. Landon leaned up against the counter next to me, drinking the juice straight from the carton. “You know, you could have at least said bye,” he said.

“Why do you care?”

“He’s a nice guy, I like him.”

“Then you date him.”

“Nah, he’s not my type.”

Even though I was still irritated with Landon from earlier I knew it wouldn’t last long, it never did. I bumped him with my hip causing him to spill juice all down his shirt.

“Need a bib?” I asked laughing. He didn’t think it was as funny as I did. He just took off his shirt and threw it over the chair.

When I was done making breakfast, we all sat down to eat including Nate who was awake now. After breakfast I was ready to go home and sleep in my own bed with no distractions. Alex took me home and as soon as she dropped me off, I went straight upstairs to my room, still in Landon’s clothes, and fell on my bed burying my face in my pillows.

When I woke up, I looked at my clock to see it was around two in the afternoon. I didn’t want to get up, but I knew if I didn’t I’d be up all night. I dragged myself out of bed and headed downstairs. I found my phone on the table where I left it on purpose so I wouldn’t be disturbed. I picked up my phone, smokes, and headed outside to the back deck.

I opened my phone to see I had over ten missed calls and about twenty text messages. All from Logan minus a few from Peyton wondering if anything happened between Cole and me last night. I ignored all the ones from Logan. I deleted them without even reading them. I ignored the ones from Peyton too, for now at least. I wanted the rest of the day to myself with no distractions.

I turned off my phone to avoid any more calls or texts from Logan. I knew it would piss some people off not being able to get a hold of me, but I didn’t care. I spent the rest of the day doing laundry and watching TV.

The next morning when I got up, I turned my phone back on. Three missed calls from Peyton yelling at me for not calling her back and one message from Logan asking me to please call him. I put my phone back on my nightstand and got in the shower to get ready for work. I stood in the shower for several minutes letting the hot water soak in and the steam fill the bathroom.

When I finally stepped out of the shower I wiped the fog from the mirror and stared at my reflection, examining the cuts on my cheek and lip. They looked a lot better already. My lip wasn’t swollen anymore. It only had a small trace of a cut and my cheek was still a little puffy, but not as bad as I thought. I didn’t want to take any chances so I rubbed some Neosporin on it to help with any potential scarring.

When I arrived at work, before I even got inside, Peyton was attacking me. “What the hell bitch? Why haven’t you called me back?”

“I turned my phone off.”

“I could have been dying and that could have been the last time you were able to hear my wonderful voice,” she said referring to her voicemails.

“Stop being so over dramatic,” I said rolling my eyes. “Logan wouldn’t stop calling so I turned it off.”

“Oh, well you could have told me that last night I would of…”

“Peyton, just please be quiet, you’re giving me a headache.” She looked at me utterly insulted, but kept her mouth shut.

I went over to my station and saw it was overflowing with flowers and candy. “Okay whose crap is on my station?” I asked.

Nobody ever sends me flowers. I automatically assumed they weren’t mine.

“They’re yours,” Peyton said.

“Huh?”

“They’re for you retard.”

“Who are they from?” I asked puzzled.

“I don’t know, but I’m dying to find out.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t already looked yourself,” I said raising one eyebrow at Peyton.

“Trust me, I was tempted, but I thought I be nice just this once.”

I looked at the overabundance of floral arrangements. They varied from roses, to daises, to lilies, with chocolates and a stuffed pig.

I started with the roses. Obviously from someone who doesn’t know me very well, if they did, they know I hate roses.

I opened up the card and it said:

I’m sorry, call me

-Logan

I laughed out loud. “This has got to be a joke,” I thought to myself.

“The chocolates came with the roses,” Peyton said pointing to the tacky gold and red heart shaped box. I picked up the roses and the chocolates and handed them to Peyton.

“Here, I don’t want these.” Peyton gave me a funny look. “They’re from Logan.” Peyton shrugged and took them. She loved roses.

I was scared to open the other cards, but with a sigh I did. The Lilies and stuffed pig was from Landon. There was no card, it didn’t need one. We both knew when I saw the pig I’d know who it was from. Landon knew me all too well. He knew lilies were my favorite flower and the stuffed pig was a reminder of one of our first dates. He spent over fifty dollars trying to win me a giant stuffed teddy bear at one of the local carnivals. He didn’t even come close. The carnival guy felt bad and gave him a little stuffed pig for his effort.

Landon knew the flowers would make me smile and the pig would make me laugh. He always did stuff like this to make me feel better and it always worked.

When Peyton came back from putting the roses and chocolates on her station she asked who the lilies were from. I flashed the pig and said Landon.

”What a waste,” she said.

“What are you talking about?”

“You and Landon. You guys practically act like a couple. He knows everything about you. He’s charming, good-looking, a great guy, but no, you guys are just friends.”

“And?”

“Why not just be with Landon?”

“I love Landon, but I’m not in love with him, and he knows that and feels the same way. Can’t force something that’s not there.”

“I guess, so who the daises from?”

“I don’t know.” I looked around not seeing a card. Then I caught a glimpse of a small folded piece of paper in the mirror. The card had fallen behind the flowers. I carefully reached behind the daises and opened up the card.

Looking forward to our date this Friday

-Cole

I shook my head and handed Peyton the card.

“What? Who they from?” She took the card from my hand, read it, and with wide eyes practically yelled, “I knew it! You slept with him, you slut!”

I ripped the card from her hand. “No I didn’t.”

“Oh, why not?” Now she looked and sounded disappointed.

“Cause I don’t like him.”

She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, “Never stopped you before.”

“Shut up!”

“Hey, I’m just saying, and if you don’t like him then why are you going on a date with him?”

“Well…because…” I started to say before Kayla another stylist interrupted me.

“Whose are those?” Kayla asked with a jealous attitude.

“They’re mine, why?” I said glaring back at her.

“Who the hell would send you flowers?”

“Your dad, thanking me for satisfying him better than your mom ever could,” I replied with a smirk. Peyton started laughing which pissed Kayla off more.

“Whatever, go fuck yourself,” Kayla said walking away.

“I will when I’m done with your dad.”

Peyton almost fell out of her chair bending over with laughter.

Kayla was one of the stylists here no one got along with. She had a mean and jealous nature to her. She was six foot, kind of stalky, brown eyes, and straight black hair that fell just above her shoulders. She had a very manly physique and a big mouth. She never shut up and she thought she knew everything. If you would try to correct her when she was wrong, she would argue with you saying you were wrong even though clearly she was. She would run her mouth about everything, especially stuff she knew nothing about, but acted like she did. And she tattled on everyone. Sometimes we would refer to her as ‘The Mouth’. She’s the bully of the salon. We tried to get her to quit several times, but had no such luck. So we learned to tolerate her, for the most part.

Kayla was almost on the other side of the salon when Tommy, Cole’s friend, walked in. When she caught a glimpse of him she quickly made her way over to the desk.

“Can I help you?” Kayla asked in her best attempt to be sweet and sexy, which was nearly impossible, because she was the meanest and ugliest bitch I knew.