The Spirit Keeper by Melissa Luznicky Garrett

The Spirit Keeper by Melissa Luznicky Garrett

Author:Melissa Luznicky Garrett [Luznicky Garrett, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-03-08T00:00:00+00:00


As Priscilla and I waited in the salon for my name to be called, we flipped through the pages of a few magazines so I could get an idea of what I wanted. “I like this one,” I said. “Just above the shoulders with layers.”

Priscilla eyed me with not a little skepticism. “Are you positive that you want to do this?”

I stabbed the picture with my finger. “This one. I’m sure. And I’ll even donate the hair.”

But once I was actually sitting in the chair, I began to have serious doubts. Eighteen inches was a lot of hair to cut off at once. There was nothing I could do about it once the stylist made her first cut, and what if I didn’t like it? All of a sudden I had this incredible urge to rip off the vinyl cape and run far away from the smell of acetone and hair dye.

Priscilla leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “They can smell fear, you know.”

I took a deep breath and gave Priscilla what I hoped was a confident smile. “I can do this.”

The stylist gathered my long hair into a low ponytail. Then she held a flexible measuring tape to my head and counted off exactly eighteen inches. With just a few snips of the scissors, she severed the hair and placed it in a clear plastic bag. Then she handed it to Priscilla for safe-keeping.

“Done,” Priscilla said, rubbing my arm while trying to conceal her giggling. I swatted irritably at her hand, trying not to cry. I was being completely irrational.

The stylist pushed on my shoulders to get me to lie back, and I finally relaxed under the soothing effects of warm water, lavender-scented shampoo, and the complimentary scalp massage. Of course my thoughts drifted to Adrian. And the more I thought about him, the more I started to stress out about our first real opportunity at being alone together.

What would we talk about now that school was over? What if Priscilla was right and he wanted to do more than just talk? We hadn’t even kissed yet! Adrian was eighteen years old. He must have had at least one girlfriend back on the reservation. And that meant he probably had a ton more experience. As much as I wanted to kiss him, what if it wasn’t enough for now?

I pushed all thoughts of Adrian out of my mind and instead concentrated on the pop music coming from the speakers overhead, and the rush of warm water flowing past my ears and down my neck.

After the stylist finished washing my hair, she led me to another chair and began combing out the tangles. Then she parted it in neat sections, making careful cuts and snips with the scissors. With my chin resting against my chest, I watched as large chunks of wet hair tumbled to the floor. I reached out from underneath the cape and grabbed a piece that had gotten stuck on its way down. It was a lot like fingering a dismembered body part, or so I imagined.



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