The Hairdresser Diaries

by Jessica Miller

  “Ooohh, I love this song, you guys wanna dance?” Alex asked.

  “Yeah let’s go,” I said jumping up off Landon’s lap. I asked Peyton if she wanted to come. She said no, she was going to stay and sit with everyone else. I shrugged my shoulders, grabbed Alex’s hand, and headed inside to the dance floor.

  The dance area wasn’t very big, but it didn’t matter. At the moment I didn’t care about anything. Proof the tequila was doing its job.

  Alex and I were on the dance floor having a good time busting a move, laughing at all the people who thought they could dance and the oddly matched up couples. There were guys trying to impress girls with what they thought were their best moves. Most of them just looked like they were convulsing trying to stay in rhythm.

  There were girls in groups dancing together doing their own thing and girls and guys grinding up against each other oblivious that other people were around.

  I started to giggle when I saw some small, Asian guy trying to dance with a girl twice his size and I turned to point them out to Alex but I stopped. Not far off to my right I saw Logan all over some chick. I froze and just stood there watching them. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his hands were moving from her hips to her butt as they danced. I stared, wondering if she was the reason he decided to go back on his word.

  Alex caught on to my blank stare and shook me out of it. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Hold on, I’ll be right back,” I said and marched right over to Logan. There was no way was he going to make a fool out of me with this girl.

  When I got closer I was able to get a better look at her. She had short, brown, curly hair that looked like a bad 80’s perm. Her color was so drab and dull I could only assume it came from a box. She was short and had round pudgy cheeks and tiny eyes. She was wearing a bright orange tank top that was too short and jeans that were so tight they gave her a muffin top. She looked like the type of girl who would say yes to anyone.

  I walked right up to them and tapped Logan on the shoulder. I don’t even know why I was doing it or what I was going to say. I believe the tequila was playing a little part in this. They both turned to look at me. Logan had a blank look on his face.

  The skanky girl gave me a once over and said, “Can I help you?”

  I ignored her and stared straight at Logan. “Are you fucking kidding me? So this is why you don’t want to be with me, so you can fuck this whore!” I shouted at him without thinking.

  “Excuse me, who you calling a whore?” said the skank with a ghetto attitude.

  Before I could say anything else Logan pulled me over to the side of the dance floor. “What the hell are you doing?” he asked.

  “Me, what are you doing? One minute you say you want to be with me and the next you don’t and then I see you all over her. You know she probably has herpes!” I yelled that last part in her direction.

  “See, this is why I don’t want to be with you, you cause unnecessary drama,” Logan said in harsh voice.

  I looked at him. I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes. But there was no way was I going to let him see me cry and think it was because of him. I wanted to cry because of the idiot I was to even bother with him; to bring myself down to his level.

  I broke free from his tight grip on my wrist and stormed out of the bar, leaving Alex in the middle of the dance floor totally unaware of what just happened.

  I didn’t notice that Logan had followed me out of the bar until he grabbed my arm once we were outside. “Don’t touch me!” I yelled so loud everyone on the patio turned to look and see what the commotion was about.

  Logan pulled me closer to him and got in my face whispering in a low voice, “Don’t embarrass me.”

  “You embarrass yourself!” I couldn’t stop the tears this time as they started streaming down my face.

  “Tay, you okay?” I heard Peyton call from over the wall of the patio.

  I couldn’t look at her because she would know I was crying. I wasn’t even sure if I could control my voice enough to keep it from cracking when I spoke. I took a deep breath and without turning I glared right at Logan and yelled to Peyton I was fine.

  While I was still able to speak, I told Logan to let go of me, accentuating each word.

  “Not until you stop acting like a child,” he scolded.

  My mouth opened, but I no longer had the courage to speak, so Logan just continued talking. “C’mon Tatum, you really are over reacting. You didn’t really expect me to not sleep with other girls. Our thing is special, but not exclusive. You can’t tell me you actually thought I was only going to be with you. I can’t help it I’m a wanted guy.”

  I choked a laugh and he gave me a dirty look.

  “This is why I can’t possibly be with someone like you.”

  I had enough of this and I finally said, “What do you mean someone like me?”

  “A little bitch who‘s fucked up in the head. It’s too bad your mom’s not alive to see how her daughter turned out to be a pathetic, little, slut.”

  I jerked back, as if he slapped me in the face. I never had anyone say something as heartless as he just did. My whole body went numb. I didn’t even realize I was clenching my fist so tight until my nails started digging into my skin.

  I took one look at Logan and with everything I had, I swung as hard as I could. I hit him right in face knocking him off his feet and onto the ground. My eyes opened wide in surprise. I can’t believe I actually knocked him out.

  I smiled at him lying on the ground. “Who’s the bitch now?” I mumbled as I held my hand with the other. I never hit anyone before and wow did that hurt. My hand was throbbing.

  I had forgotten we had an audience until I heard “ooh” and “damn” come from the people watching over the patio wall.

  As I started to become more aware of my surroundings and what just happened, I walked over to the wall to tell Peyton to grab my purse I wanted to leave. I was ready for this nightmare to end.

  I turned around to see Logan was being helped up by someone. I couldn’t tell who it was at first, my eyes were still blurry from crying and my head was spinning from the alcohol and adrenaline.

  The figure helping him up turned around and faced me yelling, “What did you do?”

  It was the girl he was dancing with inside the club. I started laughing. I think I was just delirious at this point.

  Once again I opened my mouth when I should have kept it shut. “Look, skank, you and your little bitch boyfriend over there can have a wonderful life together. So why don’t you take your skank ass and my pathetic leftovers and scram,” I said slurring my words a little.

  I don’t think she liked being called a “skank”. She walked over to me, and shoved me so hard I tripped over my own feet. Pretty sure the drinking might have helped with my lack of good balance.

  I fell back sideways and slammed the right side of my face into the wall.

  What. The. Fuck.

  I started to push myself off the wall but I stumbled and landed on my butt. She was standing over me with her hands on her hips and a smug smile on her face.

  Now I was really pissed off.

  I knew I had to act quickly to catch her off guard. Seeming satisfied by what she had done, she turned to walk away. I knew this was my chance, if I didn’t act now it would be too late.

  While I was still on the ground I lifted my leg and kicked her in the back of her knee. Her knee buckled and she fell backwards enough that I was able to grab her by the shirt. I pulled her the rest of the way down to the ground. I tried to steady myself to make my next move, but before I had the chance the crazy bitch tackled me. By this point she had my arms pinned above my head.

  We struggled for a minute until I got an arm free and cracked her good across the face. She fell onto her side. I got up, grabbed the back of her head and smashed her face into the dirt. She threw her head back bashing it right on my lip. I stumbled backwards, falling on my butt. I touched my lip, it was blee
ding.

  We both managed to get to our feet, but I didn’t hesitate, I swung. Then all hell broke loose. Everything happened so fast. I heard Alex yell at Landon to break us up. He hopped the wall and wrapped his arm around my waist trying to pull me off as the sirens came blaring in. Landon called for one of the other bouncers to come help as the cops pulled up.

  Landon was having a hard time keeping us apart until the bouncer got there to help. I think he was more or less trying not to get hit himself.

  Landon had a tight grip on me, but I was still kicking and swinging, which made it harder for him to hold on. “Tatum, you need to calm down,” Landon said.

  “Let me go!” I yelled.

  “Not until you calm down. I don’t want to have to hurt you, but I will,” he said as he tried to adjust himself so he could get a better hold on me, but I managed to slip free and I lunged for the girl.

  Landon caught me just in time. He picked me up and flung me over his shoulder carrying me towards the entrance to the club.

  “Landon, put me down!” I screamed.

  “What the hell just happened?” Peyton said as she came out of the bar and saw me dangling over Landon’s shoulder.

  “Tay just beat up some girl,” Landon told her.

  “Wait…WHAT!? And I missed it?”

  “Yeah, where the hell were you?” I scoffed.

  “I was saying goodbye to everyone. It’s ridiculous in there it took me forever to just get through the crowd.”

  She was right. Sometimes it took a while to get out with all those people. I shot her an, ‘I’m sorry for snapping at you’ look.

  “Okay Landon, can you please put me down now,” I pleaded.

  He reluctantly did so just as Alex, Kelly, and Nate walked out of the club to see if I was okay.

  “Oh my god, you’re bleeding!” Alex squealed.

  Until then I had forgotten I fell into the wall and cut my face.

  “I’m fine,” I said waving it off like it was nothing.

  “Why don’t you guys take her in to the bathroom and help her get cleaned up,” Nate said looking at me like I was a lot worse then I felt.

  The girls pulled me into the bathroom pushing everyone out of the way. I took one look in the mirror and wow, I did look rough. I had blood dripping down my face and lip. My arms and legs were covered in dirt, scratches, and they were already showing bruises.

  Alex handed me some wet paper towels and I started wiping the dirt off my arms and legs.

  “Who would have thought you of all people would be the one to get into a fight,” Peyton said laughing.

  “You should have seen her. If I ever get into a fight I definitely want you to have my back,” Kelly said smiling as she handed me more paper towels.

  I smiled back at her and winced from the pain it caused my cheek and lip. I turned back to the mirror checking out the cut and hoping it doesn’t leave a scar. I wiped gently at the cut and saw it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It was a small cut with some bruising and swelling that would go away eventually. My lip was the same. Apparently I’m a bleeder.

  Just as I was finishing up, there was a knock on the bathroom door. Alex opened it up and I peeked over Kelly to see it was Nate and Landon. Landon handed me a pack of ice that I instantly put on my lip. The boys just stood there for a moment and I could tell by the looks on their faces they had to tell me something I did not want to hear.

  “Um, Tatum, the cops need you to come outside and talk to them,” Nate said.

  “Talk to me or arrest me? I more or less asked myself. I took a deep breath and walked outside to talk to one of the officers.

  “Tatum?” I heard a familiar voice say. I knew who it was before I even looked up. It was Officer Chris O’Neil, whom I’ve known since I was little. He was one of my brother’s good friends.

  “Hi Chris,” I said a little embarrassed and switching the ice pack to my cheek so I could talk.

  “Well, well, well. You would be the last person I’d expect to cause such a ruckus,” he said trying not to laugh. I gave him a look and he cleared his throat going back into cop mode. “I’m sorry Tatum, but I’m going to have to take you in.”

  “What! That’s not fair!” Alex and Peyton protested. “It was the other chick who started it.”

  “According to her statement you started it,” Officer O’Neil said looking up from his notebook.

  “No she pushed me,” I said.

  “She claims, you hit her boyfriend and she was defending him.”

  Now I was laughing. “Uh, whatever.”

  “Did you really hit him?” Officer O’Neil asked me.

  I straightened up and cleared my throat. “Yes I Did,” I said proudly.

  Officer O’Neil looked around to make sure no one was watching closely and put his hand out for me to hit it. I gave his hand a tap and he quickly did it back me and then turned all serious again. I just smiled to myself.

  Another officer walked over and pulled Officer O’Neil aside. They talked briefly before heading back over to me. “Ms. Carver, you’re going to have to come with me,” the other officer said. “Please put your hands behind your back.” Everyone was about to protest again, but I shook my head to let it go.

  “Are handcuffs really necessary?” I asked now realizing the embarrassment of being cuffed in front of everyone. The officer didn’t say anything. He just walked me over to the cop cruiser and put me in the back seat of the car. He let me keep the ice pack though. A lot of good it did, I couldn’t hold it to my face.

  Once inside the police station, the officer walked me back to one of the holding cells that already had two occupants. He took the cuffs off and signaled for the guard to open the cell. He had handed me my ice pack and I mumbled a thanks.

  Before I stepped into the cell Officer O’Neil walked up and said, “Don’t worry Tatum, I already called Tyler and he’s on his way. I’ll try to get you out of here and quick as I can.” I nodded at him, walked over to the bench by the wall, sat down, put my hands in my lap, and stared up at the ceiling.

  “Awe what’s the matter princess, somebody mess up your precious Tommy Chung’s?” said the girl on my right. I just ignored her.

  “It’s Jimmy Cho you moron,” said the other girl who was standing on my left. I chuckled a little at her comment.

  “Oh you think that’s funny princess?”

  “Why don’t you shut the fuck up and leave her alone,” the one on the left said again.

  “I wasn’t talking to you bitch.”

  The two of them started arguing with each other in Spanish which I didn’t understand and could care less. The one on my right stood up and started waving her hand in the air at the other girl. Her long, black hair was so greasy it looked like she hadn’t washed it in days. Her giant hoop earrings swung back and forth as she swayed her head. She had on six inch heels and a hot pink mini dress that barely covered anything.

  The girl on the left just leaned back against the bars as she argued with the other. She had about four inches of black roots with copper ends. Her hair was pulled back so tight into a ponytail it looked like it would give anyone a headache. She had on thigh high boots with a tacky gold skirt and a black halter top that looked like a bra. I felt like I was stuck in the middle of a Jerry Springer episode.

  One of the guards came over and slammed a nightstick on the cell making me jump. “Enough Ladies!” said the guard.

  Thankfully they shut up.

  I sat there rotating the half melted ice pack from my lip to my cheek. With my head down I stared at the floor, hoping Tyler would get here soon.

  I heard some commotion coming from down the hall. I looked up and saw it was the girl I fought coming towards us with Officer O’Neil. “Oh my god! You’re not going to put me in there with those people?” she whined.

  I got her better than I thought. She had bruises on her arms, the right side of her face was swollen and cut, and her nose was bleeding. I laughed to myself, looked at her, and waved with a
smug smile on my face. She looked petrified.

  Officer O’Neil handed her off to one of the other guards and told them to take her to a cell down at the end. Once she was gone, I sighed, and leaned back against the wall.

  I was staring off into space until I heard a click and looked over to see my brother take a picture of me with his phone. “Now I have a Christmas card, thanks,” he said.

  I was too tired to yell at him. “Just get me out of here,” I said.

  “You know, I always pictured this would be the other way around. Who would have thought I’d have to bail you out of jail.” I rolled my eyes at him.

  The girl on my right started walking towards Tyler trying to be sexy. She pushed up her boobs and puckered her lips, “Hey Papi, wanna take my picture?” she said to Tyler.

  “Sit down, no one wants a picture of your ugly ass,” said the girl on the left. They started arguing again. I was glad to be leaving.

  Officer O’Neil came up and unlocked the cell. “Ladies, keep it up and you’ll be spending another night in here,” he told them.

  They muttered a few more words under their breaths and then got quiet. I stood up and quickly made my way out. “Tatum, I just need you and Tyler to fill out some paper work before you go and you can collect your stuff at the front desk.”

  As we walked down the hall I hesitantly asked Tyler, “So what’s the damage? How much do I owe you?”

  “Oh, you do owe me, but don’t worry about the money.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Don’t thank me, thank the guy who paid.”

  Tyler didn’t bail me out? “Wait, who did?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, they told me when I got here someone already bailed you out.”

  “Then why did I have to wait for you?”

  “I don’t know. Stop asking questions I don’t know the answers to.”

  “Then what do you know?” I said, but he didn’t answer me.

  I tried to think who else would have bailed me out. Tyler knew all my friends and he would have told me if it was one of them. I tried not to think too hard my head already hurt. I signed the paper work and then realized, “Shit, Peyton has my purse.”