I picked up my scissors in the hopes that would shut her up, but the woman only rolled her eyes. My experience and expertise didn’t matter to her. All she cared about was complaining before I even started.
“I’m warning you, if you mess this up for me, I’m not paying,” she said, sitting back in the chair.
I caught Ruby’s eye in the mirror and she looked almost afraid. Ruby was a useless manager because she had no idea how to handle this. She definitely wasn’t looking out for her employees. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t look out for myself.
I brought the scissors close to her hair, standing over her menacingly. At that moment, I was the one who was in the more powerful position and I wanted her to understand that.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Bailey, I’ll make sure you pay exactly what you owe,” I replied with a sweet smile.
***
Growing up ‘in the system’ had taken care of two things for me in my adult life. Firstly, I knew how to take care of myself.
I was petite. Small. I looked younger than my age. Most people mistook me for a teenager even though I’d turned twenty-one a few months ago. But if anyone tried to use my looks or my age against me, they had another thing coming.
Moving around between foster homes all my life had hardened me up and made me suspicious of everyone. The only way for me to survive was by being selfish. I didn’t have anybody else in my life. I didn’t have a family or anyone I needed to think about.
I believed I was entitled to my selfishness.
The second thing the system took care of was preparing me for everything. I’d truly seen it all.
When I was eight, I had to sneak out of the house I lived in, in the middle of the night, in nothing but my pajamas and a kitchen knife I lay awake in bed with. I had been moved to that home only two days prior, and my new ‘Dad’ looked at me in a way I knew reeked of trouble.
I’d already caught him peeking through the keyhole in the bathroom while I was in the shower. I knew I couldn’t peacefully fall asleep at night because then I’d be completely vulnerable to him and his intentions.
I stole a knife from the kitchen and spent the nights awake in bed.
On the third night, when I heard the floorboards creak outside my door, I knew it was him. He was coming for me. Even though I expected him, I knew he’d easily overpower me. So I screamed at the top of my lungs, just to startle him and keep him away for a few extra minutes while I climbed out of the window in my room.
Then I ran through the cold night, through the darkness until I found a cop car.
Even though they sent me to a different home, at least I was able to escape that man.
That was what my childhood was like. Always at the mercy of someone else. Always looking over my shoulder. Sleeping with one eye open, and usually not sleeping at night if I could help it.
Mrs. Bailey didn’t know what was coming when she decided to walk into the salon today.
***
She’d complained and criticized the whole time she sat in the chair in front of me.
She had tried to give me detailed instructions on how she wanted her hair cut. Most of which didn’t make sense.
I should’ve just given her what she wanted, but I always took pride in my work. It was only hair. Not rocket science. I knew I wasn’t changing the world at my day job, but I didn’t believe in doing something badly.
Mrs. Bailey yelped and hissed as I chopped off parts of her hair she hadn’t instructed me to.
“What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?” she squealed as I continued with my work.
When she met my eyes in the mirror, I glared at her, holding the sharp scissors straight over her head.
“I’m going to make sure you lose your job over this,” she hissed in a low threatening voice. I narrowed my eyes at her, pulling a clump of her hair in my hand. She yelped in pain and I brought the scissors down on her.
There wasn’t anybody else in the salon. Ruby had joined Eliza and Marcie outside. They waited it out until I was done with Mrs. Bailey. None of them wanted to face her.
“I’m not losing my job because of you.”
“Haven’t you heard, the customer is always right?” she snapped.
By now she was too distracted to notice the work I was doing, so I focused on her hair.
I’d assisted other hairdressers for five years, but now I was on my own. Hair was the only thing I’d known. It was my whole life. It was the one thing I knew I was good at, and this woman wasn’t going to make me doubt it.
“I’m going to make a formal complaint against you,” she continued to threaten.
I stepped back to check out the back of her hair. It looked good.
The new cut was dramatically different from the one she’d asked for, but I knew the shape would suit her face and age.
“Sure, feel free to complain as loudly and to whomever you want,” I replied.
Mrs. Bailey’s face had turned a dark red, her nostrils were flared with anger, but she finally caught herself in the mirror. Her jaw nearly dropped open in surprise. She wasn’t expecting it to turn out this way.
“Oh…” she murmured under her breath and I knew she was at a loss for words.
I removed my gear, putting the instruments away. I was done. I was going on my break whether Ruby approved it or not. I wasn’t even going to wait to see Mrs Bailey out.
I saw her admiring her new look in the mirror. By now, she’d forgotten about my existence.
As I stepped outside, I caught
