“Sounds great, Gerard. Did you hear that, girls? The men are getting done first. There’s a Starbucks down the street. You can go there for coffee and we’ll come and get you if you haven't returned in time.”
Rick was the first to volunteer and sat in the makeover seat. Gerard circled him, looking at his hair and touching it.
“What do you think?”Dhalia asked.
“He has a good cut. I think we’ll keep the style and take it down an inch. Add some gold highlights to lighten the brown. He's going to look sharp,” Gerard commented.
“Sounds good,” Dhalia agreed.
They started working on Rick right away. An hour later, and he looked almost the same. Dhalia didn’t let on that he did, though. They reacted like it was a big change and he looked great. If she hadn’t seen him getting his haircut and highlighted herself, she wouldn’t have believed a transformation took place.
Gerard looked up. “Who would like to go next?”
Brett jumped into the chair. “Here goes nothing!” he said with a hint of hesitation.
Gerard assessed his long blond hair that kissed his shoulders. Gerard looked at Dhalia. She told him what we had discussed in the meetings. “Our plan for him is to bulk him up a bit. He comes off on the ice as sloppy. We want to improve his image, increase his sex appeal and masculinity.”
Gerard shrugged. “Let’s shave it then.”
“Not bald, that doesn’t look good on the ice,” she added quickly.
Ryan was close so she was hoping he didn’t hear.
“I heard that!” Ryan teased.
“Heard what?” Dhalia played dumb. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
Brett’s change was dramatic. His new cut was spiky on top and the back and sides were very short. It made him look exceptionally masculine and handsome. He was definitely going to give Scott a run for his money in the looks department. His color was left alone. His blond hair looked good on him.
“Fantastic!” Dhalia commented.
Someone came to sweep up and then Gerard called, “Next!”
Scott jumped in the chair. Gerard shrugged. Scott braced himself. Dhalia tossed back her head and laughed.
“How can you improve perfection?” she asked. He absolutely was God’s gift to all womankind. “You’re dismissed,” she ordered.
Scott sighed with relief. His shaggy brown hair was going to be left as is. It complemented his facial features and never seemed to bother him when he was on the ice.
Gerard called out, “Next.” The females came back into the salon just then. They all flocked to Brett. The words oh my and holy shit were being whispered from the girls. There was an element of seriousness to the girls right after they realized that dramatic changes could also happen to them. Cautious optimism permeated the room.
Liam was the last of the men to go to the chair. Gerard had a smile on his face. “This one is easy. We’ll darken his color to a sandy brown and clip it close on the sides and back. The front we’ll cut making it look all chunky and rough. He has to have six o’clock shadow with this look to work."
They started dying his hair and followed Gerard’s instructions. Dhalia didn’t give any input on this one because she trusted Gerard when he was so confident.
The result was no less than trendsetting. All the men were literally being transformed into heartthrobs before their eyes, except for Scott who already had the honor. The girls were flirtatious while the cameras rolled. They were running their fingers through the men’s hair and hugging them for absolutely no reason. This could mean trouble. Dhalia passed it off though, as it made for good television.
“Gerard, can we break for a while? I want to go pick up some food. It looks like we are going to be here at least another four hours.”
“Sure.” Gerard smiled at her. “Did you want a complimentary set to your hair while you’re here? It’s the least I could do for you with all the publicity you’re generating for me.”
“Sure," Dhalia said, "after the girls are done. I insist on paying you though. Let me get going. Did you want me to get you something?”
“No, thanks,” Gerard answered.
“I’ll go,” Ryan offered.
“It’s all right,” Dhalia responded. She was afraid if they were alone he would ask her about the bald comment she made.
“Can I come?” he asked politely.
“You sure can.”
Ryan led her out the door. “Where do you want to get food?”
“There’s a pizza place around the block I saw when the limousines circled.”
Ryan took her hand. She led him to the restaurant and they chose what they thought everyone would want to eat. They came back with several pizzas and Gatorade. Lunch only took about thirty minutes before all the pizza and drinks were consumed.
Now it was the girls' turns.
Gerard said, “Who’s first?” Sheena got in the chair. She shrugged. Gerald shrugged. “You’ve been dismissed, Sheena. I can’t fix excellence.” She glowed with the compliment and quickly got off the hot seat.
Gerard called out, “Next!” It was quickly becoming his trademark. Petite five foot four Diane was in the spotlight next. Gerard raised his eyebrow and commented, “This young, beautiful woman needs a ponytail!” Her hair was black and the longest of all the girls. It cascaded to her waist. Oh my God, Dhalia thought. He’s going to cut off all her hair!
Gerard took her hair and tied it in a ponytail as he had once done to Dhalia, and to add to the dramatic effect, he held up the scissors and said, “Who would like the honors?” Diane gasped in shock. Her eyes filled with tears.
The girls shrieked and tried to commandeer the scissors but Scott, being the gentleman he was, said, “Please allow me.”
Gerard instructed, “Cut just above the elastic.”
Tears welled in Diane's eyes and Scott leaned down to whisper in her ear something nobody could hear. Dhalia went over to hold her hand for support. Diane closed her eyes and Scott slowly cut off her hair as instructed. He wiped her tears away before he stepped back to allow the stylists to complete her new look. Gerard took the ponytail and said, “Locks of Love will be happy to have this one!”
Diane kept her eyes closed as they gave her a Cleopatra cut, short fringed bangs with a bob that was slightly longer in the front. The change was dramatic but suited her face nicely. She was gorgeous! It was obvious when she opened her eyes that she hated it. Dhalia gave her a hug and told her how beautiful she looked.
“Next!”
Brandy sat in the chair. She was Sheena’s biggest competitor. Dhalia recalled what Bradley said. He advised styling her hair like Sheena's so they looked the same. She liked the idea of having the two top females look alike because they would have to skate really well to stand out. They would fight harder than they already did against each other.
Gerard looked at Dhalia and said, “I’d like to keep the length.”
“I agree. Let’s keep it Sheena’s length, and as a matter-of-fact, let’s dye it the same color, too.” Brandy’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “You can’t be serious!” she complained.
Ryan spoke up, “If you look like your biggest competitor, then you are forced to stand out on your merits of skating ... and skating alone.”
Dhalia called for the limousines to await the skaters in front of the salon. Gerard got to work on taking a few inches off from Brandy's ends and then stripped the color from her hair so that the blond would take and be as light as Sheena’s. When he was done, one had to look twice to confirm who was whom.
Gerard bellowed, “Next!”
Sally took a seat. Sally dated Liam. They were the only couple left at the camp since Paris was sent home. Dhalia remembered they all liked her appearance. Gerard shrugged. She shrugged. The girls were catching on to the gestures.
“How can you fix such flawlessness?” Dhalia questioned. “You’ve been released.” After a long day, all the skaters were beautified and allowed to return to the Village for
the night.
Ryan hung back with Dhalia so she could receive her complimentary style. Gerard went out of his way to pamper her. He had his receptionist go to Starbucks to get her favorite tea and styled away until he was satisfied. He kept going on about how pretty her face was. If she was to be honest with herself, no matter what he did with her hair, she was still feeling ugly, and the best hairstyle in the world wouldn’t fix that mindset.
They said their good-byes to Gerard, and then Dhalia asked Ryan if he wanted to take a walk before they went back to the Village. He happily agreed. When they went around the first corner, Ryan stopped her and said exactly what she expected him to say.
“I heard your comment about shaved heads and I can’t say that it didn’t disappoint me. If you liked my hair longer you should have just said something! I would have stopped shaving it.” She looked into his puppy dog eyes and thought about what she wanted him to hear. It was touching he cared so much about her opinion.
Ryan waited for her to speak. She answered honestly, even though it was embarrassing for her to say what she was thinking. “It’s erotic to me. I love it, it’s part of who you are now.”
“You don’t know how much I wish I could take away your pain. I would do anything for that not to have happened to you. I want to love you so badly,” he confessed.
“Too scared,” she said backing away.
Breakdown
Ryan didn’t listen to her or let go of her hand. He came closer and pulled her body to his.
Shaken up by his proximity, Dhalia cowered from him. She heard herself whimper. It was the same noise she made when Bradley finished assaulting her. It came back to her like a burst floodgate. She sobbed uncontrollably like it was happening again. Her heart was pounding. She felt her body breaking out into a sweat. She was in fight or flight mode.
Ryan looked distressed, like he didn’t know what to do or how to calm her. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.” He kept repeating the sentiment, like he had just hurt her. Dhalia's legs gave out from beneath her. Ryan caught her just before she went down. She fought his embrace and tried to free herself from his grip. She heard herself getting hysterical. Tears blinded her. Her devastation broke her.
She thought she was getting better, but she was crumbling. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart raced. This time she was going to get away from Ryan before he could do it to her again. This time she was definitely going to get away. She struggled, kicking, clawing, screaming. She broke free; it was like she had superhuman strength. Dhalia ran like hell.
She was certain she could hear Bradley chasing after her. She screamed and tried to run faster. She felt her damp-from-sweat clothing being pulled back away from her. He caught her. Then next thing she felt was his arm grabbing hers. Damn it, she was captured. She heard Ryan’s voice yell, “Call an ambulance,” as he was trying to catch his breath. Dhalia didn’t remember anything else.
She didn’t remember Ryan holding her until the ambulance arrived. She didn’t remember getting the needle of some sort of sedative as they held her down. She didn’t remember being strapped on to the stretcher so she couldn’t move. Was Ryan with her? Where was he? Who grabbed her arm? Bradley, or was it Ryan?
Dhalia was taken back to the hospital where she was admitted before. Betty wasn’t working, though. It was another nurse. This one looked friendly too. Dhalia couldn’t talk to her nurse because she was too heavily sedated. She slept for what felt like a month.
When she woke up, she asked for Ryan, then for water. They told her that Ryan wasn’t allowed to come and that she had to be more alert to have water. Dhalia remembered being at the salon but nothing thereafter. She kept trying to go over what happened in her head but nothing was making sense. Did she see Bradley? Why was she so afraid? She had to have seen him. Dhalia recalled the people with her at the salon. She only remember Gerard, Justin, Ryan, and the skaters. She must be losing it. She couldn’t let them know or they wouldn’t allow her to leave. She fell asleep again. The drugs kept her drifting in and out.
When Dhalia woke up the next time, she saw the nurse and asked for water again. She refused her saying that she could have it when the sedation wore off. The nurse asked Dhalia if she remembered what happened. She shook her head, letting her know she was unsure. Then Dhalia asked, “Can I call someone from the Village to come pick me up?”
“I’m sorry, but you can’t go anywhere, you’ve been formed.”
“Formed?”
“Yes, the doctor signed a Form One due to your history and the events that led you here today. Our staff psychiatrist deemed you weren't getting the help you needed after the physical assault you suffered a few weeks back.”
“How long do I have to stay here?”
“Seventy-two hours.”
“Can I have visitors?”
“It’s not advised.
“Get some sleep now, dear. There's nothing you can do but let the doctors help you.”
Another needle of Haldol was plunged into her arm.
The Psych Ward
After the last needle, Dhalia's doctors let the sedatives wear off. The nurse came to see how she was doing. Her affect was flat, devoid of any emotion. The nurse told her they were starting her on a medication called Paxil. She gave Dhalia the first pill with a bit of water. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton, it was so dry. She had hospital breath and was in desperate need of a shower. Her hair felt matted and like it was sticking up in places.
“Can I take a shower?”
“Sure, it’s down the hall. Towels are on a cart right next to the shower room. Are you hungry, dear?” the nurse asked out of concern.
“No, not yet.” She hadn’t even thought of food.
“Okay, dinner will be served at 6:00,” her nurse informed.
Dhalia trudged down the tiled hallway that reeked of antiseptic. Aligning the corridor were rooms with fresh beds and others that were messy. All the rooms seemed empty at the current moment. She passed a clock. It was 1:00 p.m.
There was a receptionist with "Psychiatry" in bold letters on the wall behind her head. Dhalia stopped and looked; she was stunned. A psych ward? The receptionist looked back at her but that was as far as her acknowledgment went. She was enclosed in a glass partition, no doubt for her own safety. She guessed it protected her from the likes of Dhalia. The empty rooms and the time of day led her to the assumption that people must be having lunch, together.
Dhalia found the shower. She could only imagine the germs and bacteria floating around this place. She went inside and stripped down. There was an emergency button in case she needed a nurse. There was also a soap dispenser. It felt liberating to shower. It was nice to feel human again. Dhalia closed her eyes hoping she was dreaming. She reopened them and she was still there.
When her shower was done she put on a clean hospital gown and then another one the opposite way so it was like a housecoat. When she walked back to her room she saw people leaving what she assumed must be a lunchroom. Some of the people she saw looked normal, yet others didn’t. They were different ages; some sadly enough were very young, like teenagers. The most notable ones spoke to themselves, wore headphones, or looked unkempt.
The nurse was in her room waiting. “The doctor wants to see you in his office now.”
“Where’s that?”
“Follow me.”
Dhalia shadowed her nurse down the same hallway she came from but turned down a different one. She tapped on the door to the doctor’s office. She continued to open the door and introduce Dhalia, “Dhalia Kennedy.” Then the nurse turned to leave. Dhalia looked around at his windowless, square office. The desk was cluttered with papers. He had a bookshelf with psychiatric tomes jammed every which way. There was a clock that looked like it was there from the seventies. It was all very disorganized.
The doctor had short brown hair and beady eyes that you had to get really close to to decipher the color. He wore a white dress shirt and dark pants. His glasses could
easily be categorized in her fashion sense as one of the nerdiest pair Dhalia had ever seen. He truly looked kind, though, and trustworthy. She liked him immediately because he looked more pathetic than how she felt.
“Hi, Dhalia. My name is Dr. Bill Carson.”
“Hi,” she said. “No couch?”
“Do you need one?”
“Not really.”
“Why do you feel you’re here?”
She noticed his open question. It was the kind of question designed to open a can of worms. “Where do you want me to start?”
“Why not from the beginning?”
“My God, that will take longer than seventy-two hours! You have that long?”
“I’m not going anywhere, so yes, for you, I do have the time.”
He looked at her as though he were thinking. “How about you tell me about your childhood. Was it a happy one?”
“I would say it was an abnormal childhood more so than a happy or sad one.”
“How so?”
“I didn’t get to hang out with the kids in the neighborhood, because I never had the time. I was either at school or in the arena.”
“Did you like that?”
“I didn’t know anything else.” She honestly had nothing to which to compare her experiences.
She studied him for a minute and then said, “Tell me about your mom and dad.”
“My mom took care of me all the time. My father wasn’t around much. They got along when they were together but he was never home, always working. Mom helped me with my homework, bathed me, took me to the arena, coached me in everything I did. She spent every last dollar we had on my figure skating career. I think she just loved the sport. I was in my teens when I wanted to quit skating.”
“Did you quit?” he asked.
“My mother wouldn’t let me. I think the idea was more upsetting to her than to me.”
Kiss & Cry, Where Passion Awaits Page 14