Part 2 (2/2)

”Ew, get off!” Claire laughed and bucked even harder. Her hair was starting to sweat under the helmet and her scalp was getting itchy.

”Is everything all right in there?” Judi Lyons knocked on her daughter's bedroom door, then opened it just enough to stick the tip of her b.u.t.ton nose inside the room.

”Yeah, we're fine, Mom,” Claire panted.

”Hi, Mrs. Lyons.” Layne's voice was sweet and innocent. ”Sorry for the noise.” She dug her knees deeper into Claire's arms.

”No problem,” Judi replied kindly. ”Have fun.” She backed away from the door but left it open a crack.

As soon as her mother left, Claire started bucking again.

”If you lie perfectly still, I'll get up.” Layne's body was being flung from side to side.

”Fine,” Claire panted.

”Stayyy.” Layne held her index finger in between Claire's eyes like she was training a dog. ”Stayyyy,” she said again. Before Claire could stop her, Layne whipped the scissors out from behind her back and in one smooth motion snipped the chin strap on Claire's helmet. Claire lifted her head in shock and the helmet slipped right off. Layne rolled off Claire and onto the floor. She kicked her legs in the air and pumped her arms over her head. ”Victory!” she shouted.

”You ruined my bike helmet,” Claire shouted, trying as hard as she could to suppress the smile that was forcing itself across her flushed cheeks.

”You're welcome,” Layne said. ”If Cam ever saw you in that thing, it would be over for good.”

Claire felt the lead returning to her bones. Her smile started to fade.

”Now, let's work on those bangs.” Layne grabbed Claire's arm and pulled her over to the full-length mirror by the window.

Claire allowed herself to be led. ”I dunno. It took me four months to grow these out.”

”Your call.” Layne cut the air with the tiny scissors. They were so stiff they squeaked.

Claire sighed. ”Okay, why not?” She had a feeling she'd regret it, but at least she'd have something else to worry about besides Cam.

”Cool.” Layne rested her hands on Claire's shoulders and turned her around to face the mirror.

”Don't you want me to face you?” Claire asked.

”No. This is how they do it at the hairdresser's.”

”Fine, do it.”

Layne reached into the back pocket of her dusty pink cords and pulled out a peppermint Altoid. She popped it in her mouth and stood right in Claire's face. Layne's b.u.t.t was reflected in the mirror and Claire checked to see if there was a metal Altoids tin imprint on her back pocket. There wasn't. The mint had been in there naked, probably all hot and soft from Layne sitting on it all day. Claire shook her head.

Layne quickly moved the scissors away from Claire's forehead. ”Don't move.”

”Sorry.” Claire rolled her eyes. But she was glad Layne was taking this seriously.

The tiny scissors came toward Claire's face and for some reason the Jaws Jaws music started playing in her head: music started playing in her head: Da-na da-na da-na... Da-na da-na da-na...

Layne pinched a clump of hair between her two fingers and Claire squeezed her eyes shut. The scissors squeaked once and a flurry of yellow hair fell to the floor.

”Let me see.” Claire moved her head to the side so she could look in the mirror, but Layne grabbed her chin and held it in place.

”Don't move or you'll mess up my line.” A cool mint smell rushed out of Layne's mouth. ”You can look when I'm done.”

Claire took a deep breath, shut her eyes again, and waited for the next squeak. ”I'm so good,” Layne said to Claire's bangs. ”This looks perfect.”

Claire felt her shoulders relax. Having her old bangs back might be fun.

”One more snip and you're done,” Layne said with a satisfied sigh.

She pinched the last bit of hair and slid the scissors into position.

”AIBO! COME 'ERE, AIBO!” Todd, Claire's ten-year-old brother, shouted in the hallway.

The sudden noise startled Layne and she released Claire's hair.

Both girls let out a sigh of relief.

”That was close.” Layne sighed. ”Good thing I wasn't midcut.”

”Sorry. Aibo is Todd's new robot dog. He's in love with it.”

”A robot dog?”

”Yeah. He wants a real one but my parents don't think he's responsible enough, so they're making him prove himself with this stupid barking robot.”

Layne bit down on her Altoid and reached for Claire's hair again. First the pinch, then the squeak, and then Todd kicked open Claire's bedroom door with the heel of his L. L. Bean boots.

Layne screamed and jumped, just as the scissors bit down on Claire's hair.

”Have you seen Aibo?” Todd shouted.

”NO!” Claire wailed.

”Nice hair,” said the freckly redhead. He chuckled into his hand and slammed the door behind him.

Claire pushed Layne aside and looked in the mirror. Most of her bangs were perfect ... except for the part above her nose, which was two inches shorter and crooked. Claire immediately flashed back to the third grade when her front teeth were missing and she spoke with a lisp. She'd wanted to cry every time someone asked her what her last name was, because it came out sounding like Lyonth. Lyonth. Eventually she'd dropped the Eventually she'd dropped the s s and referred to herself simply as Claire Lyon until her big teeth grew in. and referred to herself simply as Claire Lyon until her big teeth grew in.

”I can't believe this.” Claire's ears started ringing and her vision became narrow and a little blurry around the edges. ”It looks like I got a haircut in the Leaning Tower of Pisa.” She thought of the hair clips, the gels, the endless tugging and training that had gone into getting her blond bangs to finally reach behind her ears. Now, one mistake and they were gone. Just like that.

Just like Cam.

Layne knelt down on the floor and quietly started putting her things back in the Suns.h.i.+ne Tours bag.

All Claire could do was stare at her crooked bangs and wonder who she wanted to kill more, Todd, Layne, or herself.

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