"Will you do it any way, please? Just for me?" She is practically begging now. "You know that Peter only goes out with blonde girls. And I'm so desperate to go out with him. I'll die if I don�t!" It is only a slight lie and it does the trick: her friends agree to go through with the whole hair dying process even though they don't think it'll work.
A bottle of hair dye, a lot of mess, a very angry mum and two friends sent home later and we find Anna sitting in her room, admiring her new hair. New hair that looks to everyone but Anna exactly like her old hair except a shade lighter. To Anna it looks blonde: bright blonde like the hair on the bottle. The hair that she knew Peter would like, just like the hair that all his girlfriends and ex-girlfriends have. Them and all the other Barbie clones worldwide.
Also, Anna's new hair gives her confidence she never had before. She gazes into the mirror in her hands, smiling wildly. Even though the idea of sending Anna to her room was to punish her for going behind her mother's back the reverse is true. She is having a fabulous time. This is because the longer she gazes into the mirror the easier it is to see someone else staring back. Already she had the blonde hair off the packet, her deep brown eyes have changed to light blue and now as she watches her skin is gradually getting lighter. She was becoming the girl she always wanted to be: the normal girl that everyone else wanted her to be.
***
The next day as Anna walks around school she feels on top of the world. She believes that she looks blonde: she has convinced herself that that is what she looks like and wont let anyone tell her otherwise. Not even her mum who can usually talk her into or out of anything. She doesn't want to hear it: she doesn't want everything to be ruined. And because of this she feels so happy that she has the confidence to go and talk to Peter, who is practically a god in her eyes.
"Hi Peter." Anna stammers, turning red. Peter is a tall, dark, handsome 16 year old who goes to Anna's school. He is two years ahead of Anna at school but he's kind and doesn't tease people like all the other boys in his year do.
"Oh, hi, umm�"
"Anna." She tells him.
"Of course, Anna." He smiles.
"Umm, yeah. I was wondering, thinking, about you� and me. And anyway, umm�I was hoping that� would you like to go out with me?" Anna asks hopefully, daring to look up at him. He's smiling, a real smile that reaches his eyes but Anna can't tell if he's smiling with her or at her.
"Aww, that's sweet." He says. But Anna doesn't want to be sweet. "But I don't think I could, I mean, you're a bit young for me." He smiles again, falsely this time.
"You've been out with girls in my year before." Anna replies, almost angrily. Why was he lying to her?
"Oh yeah." He admits reluctantly. "But it's just�" He stops, not being able to find the right words.
"It's what?"
"You know, my parents. Well they wouldn't really want me going out with a Pa- person like you. There's so old fashioned. You know what these old folks are like." He is trying to laugh it off but he can't. "I am sorry." He says as he looks into her eyes. She knows that he means it but that doesn't make it any better.
"I understand." Anna says even though she doesn't. She doesn't understand at all. How can these people not want him to go out with her when they've never met her? They know nothing about her, never even seen her. Quickly she rushes along the crowded corridor towards the toilets: not wanting to cry in public.
She splashes cold water on her face. It doesn't help at all but she's got to do something to try and hide the red eyes and the tear marks that run down her face. Gingerly she looks up into the cracked and dirty mirror hanging on the wall: not knowing what to expect. She sighs disappointedly as she sees that the 'new her' was no more that a dream. Black hair, brown eyes, brown face: still Anna. Despite her best efforts she was still Anna.
Part four
All around them the party is raving: music is blaring and lights are flashing. But the three friends are sitting quietly on chairs at the sides, recovering from dancing so hard for so long. They are celebrating the end of the exams and no more school- not if you don't want to go. Now they can go out into the big wide world. Finally shake of the bullying and prejudice of the playground. That doesn't happen in the real world, does it? Excited and nervous they huddle in a corner and watch all the other people dance.
"He is so checking you out!" Anna's friends announces as she points to a boy who's sitting on the opposite time of the room.
"He's not." Anna giggles.
"He is! Look, he keeps staring at you." Its true, he is staring at Anna.
"He's probably just thinking how weird I look." She can't believe that anyone could think she looks pretty.
"Anna!" She says sternly. "Don't be so stupid. Just go talk to him."
"But-" Anna starts, but its too late. She's already being dragged to her feet. Quickly she's pushed into the middle of the room before she has a chance to make up any excuses. She looks behind her and sees her friends giving her thumbs up and smiling wildly. What has she got to loose?
"Hi!" She says quietly as she sits down on a chair next to the boy.
"Hi, I didn't think you'd come over."
"You wanted me too?"
"Of course."
"Well here I am." Anna says, laughing.
"Here you are. Do you want a drink?"
"Umm� yeah. I'll have an orange."
"I meant a real drink." He says, indicating to a bottle of vodka he has hidden in his coat.
"No thanks." Anna mutters, thinking back to the last time she drank alcohol. She'd had 3 glasses of wine and then could barely stand up.
"Suit yourself." He goes off to get Anna a drink and she sits uncomfortably while she waits for him to return. What is she doing? After what seems like forever he arrives back with the drinks. Anna takes a sip of hers and almost chokes. Is that vodka she can taste? Quickly she tells herself to stop being so suspicious.
"You never told me your name." Anna says.
"It's Jo. You?"
"Anna, I'm Anna. Your not from round here are you?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yes. I mean� if you were from here, this school, then you wouldn't be talking to me."
"What do you mean?"
"The people round here don�t like me." She admits reluctantly.
"I like you." Anna laughed. He was so sweet. "So, have you got a boyfriend?"
"Umm� no. I mean, not at the moment." The truth is that Anna has never had a boyfriend.
"Can I be your boyfriend?"
"Sure." Anna says: trying to act coolly while her heart was doing flips.
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