DIRTY HAIR

CLAIRE 

I approached the mirror with care, pausing for a final look at my outfit—it is my most beloved dress. The dark circles under my eyes from the overnight rehearsal didn't come as a much surprise . "It better be worth it," I murmured softly to myself.

As I debated whether to keep my hair in a bun or let it cascade over my shoulders, my phone rang, playing "Heartbeat" by Christina Perri. I smiled nervously, knowing exactly who was calling and that he was close by. With a chuckle, I answered the call, my nerves palpable.

"Hey Sydney! Are you ready?" Philip's voice buzzed with excitement over the phone.

"Yeah... I guess I am," I replied softly.

"Hey? What's wrong?" His excitement faded as concern crept into his tone.

Sometimes I wonder what good I had done in my past life to come across someone as sweet as he is .

"Um... nothing... I just don't..."

"Come on, spill it already," he interrupted impatiently.

"Okay... fine. What if this is a wrong decision? What if I get there and I don't sing well? What if I forget the lyrics? Or, much worse, lose my voice?"

"Okay... okay... calm down Sydney, and please, enough with the 'what ifs', okay?"

"Phil... you know I'm just..."

"Enough... okay?"

"Okay..." I surrendered.

"I actually called because there's some bad news, and it's frustrating because I know you need me right now," he explained.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly, hoping it wasn't what I feared.

"I can't come over to pick you up. There's a bit of a situation at school," he dropped the bombshell.

Phil..."  

"I'm sorry... I promise to come pick you up... with burgers?" Philip interjected.

I chuckled lightly; he knows my love for burgers all too well. "Burgers won't cut it... but I'll gladly take the offer," I replied, smiling gently, hearing his excitement in return.

"I'm sorry, Sydney... I really am," he apologized.

"It's fine, Phil... and I get to eat burgers, something I'll always choose over you anytime, any day," I teased.

"Ouch!... now that's painful," he responded playfully and I can imagine him pouting his mouth childishly and that picture made me chuckle .

After ending the call, I grabbed my bag, took one last glance in the mirror, and headed out of my room.

"Are you leaving already? Where's Phil?" Gran Gran inquired as soon as I entered the living room.

"Phil won't be able to make it, and yes, I'm leaving so I can get to town early enough before the audition starts," I explained, still feeling uneasy about how the day was starting on a sour note.

"Come here, baby... what's wrong?" she asked gently, sensing my mood.

Gran Gran... I'm nervous," I admitted, snuggling into her warm embrace.

She placed her right hand on my head, the other hand holding me gently as she started to pat my hair.

"How can the great Claire Cassie be nervous?" she asked, mimicking a tone that made me laugh.

"You're my big star, and I know you will do well. So just let loose, be natural, and watch as you shine. And if the judges fail to see how bright you shine, that means they're blind, right?" She asked smiling .

"Come on, Gran Gran," I responded, pulling away from her embrace.

"I have to go. See you later, Gran! I love you," I continued as I dashed to the door.

"Claire," she called gently, and I turned to look at her, stopping in my tracks.

"I'm proud of you... and I'm sure your mum is too," she said.

I paused for a brief moment, nodded gently, and headed out.

******************

I alighted from the bus to Henleaze and stood by the roadside, waiting for a cab to take me to the audition venue. It seemed rain had fallen the night before, judging by how mushy the roads were, so I stuck to a corner to avoid any mishaps with reckless drivers. As if the devil was really toying with me, a vehicle sped past and splattered dirty water all over my body.

I muttered a curse under my breath and was about to move when I noticed my dress is all ruined. It's a white dress with pink flower petals all over it, but the whitish part now looked dirty brown and the flower petals had stains.

I glared towards the direction the car went, and a dark smile crept onto my face the moment I saw the car was parked. I picked up a small rock and tiptoed closer to the back of the car where it is parked. I aimed slowly at the windscreen and threw the rock at it.

"Wheewww!" I exclaimed excitedly as I heard the glass shattering sound. With a satisfying smile, I clasped my hands together, thinking about what to do with my dress. But the smile froze immediately when the driver's seat door opened.

Wait! What? I thought there was no one in there! Oh my goodness! What do I do? With a swift move, I turned trying to walk away.

"Hey!" the male voice yelled.

I ignored and tried walking away.

"Hey! You with the dirty hair, stop there!" He yelled again.

Dirty hair? How dare him call me that? Angry, I turned to lash out at him, but my tongue froze immediately I saw him.