Promise Fulfilled

"So she took you to her room, made out with you, stripped, put your hands on her tits... And you just left?" Rouge asks, slumped next to the toilet basin in Elise's bathroom. She definitely had too much last night, but when she puts it like that, maybe I didn't drink enough. "You're so lucky I like a challenge." she continues with a groan.

Rouge had stumbled into Elise's room last night, having realised she didn't know where she was sleeping last night. Fortunately for me, she was so out of it I'd managed to put my T-shirt back on before she'd turned the light on. I didn't mind sharing the bed but hearing her vomiting this morning was not a fun accompanying soundtrack for my first hangover.

"It made sense at the time. Besides, you were all saying how normal it is to see each other without clothes on." I argue, sipping at my glass of water. I swear, this stuff's never tasted so sweet.

"Yeah, seeing, not groping and snogging!" Rouge retorts angrily. Rouge is the only person I know that still uses the word 'snog'. She's a 90's kid at heart. "Any of these things individually, fine, that happens. When all of them occur it's kind of a sign."

"I get it. I'm a romantic dunce." I concur. "How much more did you drink last night?"

Rouge's crumpled face flickers a slight smile. "Oh... Enough..." I wait for her to finish her thought, but it's clear she's not in a state for a long explanation.

"Ominous. Here, drink the rest of this, I'm going to check on Trish." I snort, handing her my glass of water.

"Good idea.. Then you can find a way to not fuck her as well. Keep up your streak." Rouge mocks, leaning back against the wall next to the toilet. I'd be offended, but I feel like I understand Rouge a little better, she's only trying to make me feel better in her own special way. Thankfully, I don't feel like I need cheering up, I'm still riding high.

I make my way downstairs and I'm greeted by an amazing smell. I follow my nose to the kitchen where Trish is frying eggs and mushrooms. Her hair's wet, I guess she just got out of the shower, but what's more eerie is she's singing in a language I don't recognise.

"Trish, are you summoning Satan for breakfast?" I ask over the sound of grease frying. She looks back over her shoulder and sticks her tongue out at me.

"It was Punjabi, not Latin! But yes, yes I was!" She jokes. I suddenly feel bad. Trish doesn't have an accent so it's easy to forget her parents aren't native speakers. "I figured Rouge could use a pick-me-up, she went hard last night. No meat in the house, but eggs, mushrooms, and toast should work!" She explains. I notice she's fully dressed, how is she functioning?

"How aren't you feeling like shit?" I ask honestly. "You went through whisky like it was squash."

"Trade secret, I'll tell you one day!" She answers with a wink. How did a wink just make my stomach flutter? Am I at that level of horny? "More importantly, do you know what day it is?"

"Er... Saturday?" I answer honestly, with a shrug.

"Well, yeah, but more importantly, it's dye day!" She smirks. Shit. I did agree to that, didn't I? Shit. I suggested it. I really can't back out. I mean, I'm up for it, this is just very quick. "You thought about what colour you want?" Blue. Duh. It's always been blue in my head. Blue's the opposite of red, right? I mean, it is in my mind. Maybe green? Shit. Now I kind of want green.

"Not sure yet." I lie. I don't want to set expectations. Damn. That's basically my life motto isn't it?

"Who's colouring what?" Comes Rouge's voice from the doorway. I guess she was drawn by the smell. Can't blame her.

"Me and Scar are getting our hair dyed!" Trish reveals enthusiastically. Scar? Huh. Guess people do call me that. I like it better when it's coming from people I like.

"Oh, mum's gonna kill you." Rouge sighs, taking a seat at the dinner table. "I'm in. When are are going?" Huh? Is she serious? She just said how much it'll piss off Mum. My surprise is met by an answer. "No more solo runs." She says aloud, I guess if I'm getting in trouble she is too.

"As soon as we've eaten. I checked in on Sleeping Beauty to see if she fancied it but she just hid under the covers. We'll check on her when we get back." Trish explains. "There's a hairdresser with open slots about 10 minutes walk away, best not to drive just yet." Fair point. Rouge could use the air anyway.

Trish serves us with her veritable feast. It's nothing fancy, but right now I've never tasted anything better. Well. Maybe one or two things. Rouge and I take turns in the shower before dressing and. Wait. Where are my clothes? I did pack clothes for the next day, right? I wouldn't be that stupid. I'm that stupid. Clad in nothing but a towel I have **** but to call for help.

"Rouge. You wouldn't happen to have a spare... Everything? I kinda forgot my change of clothes." I yell through the door. The only immediate response is a loud laugh before a few seconds of silence.

"Yeah, one sec." Comes Rouge's response, before the door cracks open and a set of clothes are pushed through. I didn't expect that to work. I at least thought I'd have to wear yesterday's underwear, but there's even fresh pants included. I put them on along with the black pleated mini skirt and Navy T-shirt and step outside. Weird, this doesn't seem like Rouge's style.

"Why did you have a spare set again?" I ask, realising who I look like.

"I didn't." Rouge grins evilly. "But you wanted to get into Elise's knickers, and now you are." Oh that bitch. I go to take the stolen clothes off before I realise I'd be back in the same predicament. "Relax, she won't mind!" My sister chortles.

I finish putting on my socks and shoes and we make our way downstairs to Trish and immediately out the door. The sun takes my **** for me, as Rouge has to shield her eyes from it's overwhelming brightness. Our walk is short but it gives us a chance to **** her with sudden loud noises. Soon enough we arrive at the hairdresser's and Trish does the talking for us. We're each taken to different booths, much to my dismay, while we await the colourists.

Before I know it a young woman enters with a binder. Her look is definitely striking, her skin is jet black, but her hair is an array of colours that seem to move as she does. Like an ocean made out of rainbows. If this is the sort of thing she can do I'm feeling a lot better about my chances of this looking good.

"Hey!" She greets me with an enthusiastic tone. "My name's Anya, I'll be taking care of your hair today. We've got a range of options if you want to take your pick." She continues, handing me the binder, which contains picture after picture of different colours, combinations, and highlights. It's a little overwhelming, but I see the one that calls to me immediately. "Great choice, I'll get the dyes and be back in a moment!"

It turns out, getting your hair dyed is a pretty dull affair. It's mostly sitting around with a bag on your head waiting for stuff to dry. Lucky for me, Anya's upbeat enough to keep me entertained.

"Oh, you're Jasper's sister! I knew I recognised something!" She affirms as she works. "How's he doing nowadays? We left school at the same time but we kind of fell out of contact. He still climbing the corporate ranks?"

"Yeah, I don't see him as much nowadays but he hasn't really changed, still a snarky bastard." I respond, unable to open my eyes due to the dye.

"Well, tell him 'Hi' from me when you do, he told me about the bar where I met my girlfriend, been together since." She reminisces. Woah. Jasper helped set up a lesbian couple? First question, how did I not know he had gay friends? Second, with Rouge helping me is this some kind of family tradition? Are we guardians of the gay? Questions for later.

Finally, it's done, and I gaze into the mirror at my new form. I didn't need to decide on blue or green, instead opting for a dark blue with subtle green highlights, it looks exactly how I imagined. So long red. Can't say I'll miss you. I emerge from the booth, seeing that Rouge and Trish are done already and are sat on some nearby chairs. Rouge's hair isn't too different, but the black highlights that now adorn it definitely match her style. Trish is the real shock, however.

Gone is the natural brown, replaced with pure white. The way is curves and flows makes it seem like it's always in motion. It shines in the light and makes her seem ethereal, otherworldly. It's striking. Not just striking, but enchanting. If she looked like an angel before, she looks like a deity now. She looks up from her magazine with a look of awe, tapping Rouge to get her attention.

"Wow, no wonder you took longer!" Trish exclaims, standing and walking toward me. "It looks amazing, I didn't expect you to go all-out like this." She continues, while Rouge catches up.

"Can we go? I've never been so tired in my life." She requests bluntly. It's fine. She's done her bit. She can give me compliments later. Who am I kidding?

We pay at reception and I say goodbye to Anya as we head back to Elise's house. We arrive to find her washing up the glasses from last night. She's fully dressed but her face looks tired. Didn't she sleep in?

"Ta da!" Trish announces, entering the kitchen first. "What do you think?" She asks Elise with a twirl. Elise looks around at our new visages before a smile forms on her face. Something bothers me about it. It looks different to usual. Like she's forcing herself.

"Wow, it all looks amazing." She says half-heartedly as Rouge and Trish take a seat. "Can I speak with you?" She asks me. There's no joy in her voice. What's going on? I follow her through to the living room, but she doesn't sit, instead she turns to me with her arms crossed, avoiding my gaze.

"If this is about the clothes, Rouge tricked me into it, I'll wash them before I bring them back!" I joke, but I get no reaction.

"I don't care about that." She responds, her hand raising to stroke the hair off of her forehead. "I need to say something." She continues.

"Okay..." Is all I can get out, somehow, I can feel where this is going.

"I'm straight. I don't like women." Elise states directly. "Last night was drunken stupidity. I didn't like it. I'm not implying you did, but I'm straight." She repeats. It doesn't hurt any less the second time. "I'm sorry. I just needed to say that to you. Out loud."

Is this what heartbreak feels like? Is this what betrayal feels like? Is this what **** feels like? It's hard to tell. How does she expect me to respond? Okay, cool? The first actual intimacy I've felt in my entire life, and it's meaningless. A straight girl testing me. Is this what it was always about? Seeing how far she could get me to go? I cared about her. I care about her.

"Fuck you." I whisper. No. More. "Fuck you!" I say louder. It's clear this wasn't what she expected from the shocked look in her eyes. I don't give a shit. I walk out of the room and I don't stop. I go through the front door. I go out of the front gate. I keep walking and I don't stop.

Seconds turn to minutes. Minutes turn to hours. I don't know where I'm going. But it can't be back there.