How to Survive a Reckless Boy

The air hung heavy with the scent of hairspray and the nervous flutter in Faye’s stomach. Eliana, her best friend, wielded a curling iron with practiced ease, her baby pink hair a stark contrast to Faye’s natural brown.

“Do you want it straight or curly?” Eliana asked, her dark eyes meeting Faye’s in the mirror. “Personally I’d go with straight but it’s up to you.”

Faye knew it wasn’t really up to her. Whatever Eliana wanted, Eliana got. So, she shrugged. “Fine. I want it curly.”

“Of course you do,” Eliana mumbled, a smirk playing on her lips. Faye often wished she could be more like Eliana – bold, daring, unafraid. But with her strict father, safe was always the preference.

“Can we do something fun tonight?” Eliana asked, twirling a strand of Faye’s hair. “Not just watch movies and eat popcorn. It’s Friday after all.”

“Like what?” Faye asked, her heart already starting to pound with an unfamiliar anxiety. She knew where this was going.