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The Last Night: Chapter 2                                                                                                                     Denial

I walked into work early the next morning. I worked at a salon cutting men and women hair. I had applied for a job here two years ago after I had moved in with Ryan. I made good money there and I was pleased with this job almost as I had been with modeling.

For six years I had been a model in New York. I lived there the whole time I modeled. My best friends back in New York thought I was insane to quit modeling, but I told them that I wasn’t quitting, but I was simply taking a break from it and anyway I need to relax for awhile.

“Good morning, Alice,” said one of my coworkers as I walked into the small salon.

“Good morning to you too, Jewels,” I replied back smiling. Her name was really Julie, but Jewels was just a nickname.

“Did you watch Smackdown last night?” Julie asked as she cut a client’s hair. “It was a great episode!”

“No, I didn’t,” I replied. “I was busy. What happened?”

“Well, Jeff and Matt Hardy had a stretcher match,” Julie explained combing the woman’s bangs down her face, so she could cut them.
“Who won?” I asked interested in what happened.

“Well, it was a close one for Jeff, but Matt ended up winning,” Julie said as she cut the woman’s bangs. “Jeff put up a good fight. You should’ve seen it when he came down the ramp on a stretcher at his brother. It was awesome!”

“Sounded awesome to me!” I replied smiling.

Just because I used to be a model didn’t mean I couldn't watch wrestling. I’m sure there are some models out there that watch it. I loved seeing the fighting especially if it was my two favorite wrestlers Jeff and Matt Hardy fighting. I know I live in the same town as them both and I actually went to the same school as them, but I was the shy girl in school. You know Little Miss Unpopular who got made fun of, because she was so quiet and was really smart. I was what you call a nerd. I bet you would’ve never guessed that one looking at me now.

“So, how are things with Ryan?” She asking give me a look. I knew what it meant and swallowed hard. She knew about Ryan abusing me and she would always push me to break up with him or get rid of him. She didn’t understand it isn’t that easy.

“Things are going great,” I lied. She looked at me with green eyes filled with concern. She definitely did not believe me, but she did not say anything back just went back to cutting the clients hair.

I wish I could tell her, but she’d just tell me the same old things as before. I don’t know why I didn't just tell her and be honest with her. I guess I was afraid Ryan would find out and try and keep me away from Julie. I didn’t want that. Julie had become one of my best friends.

“How are things going with Neil?” I asked her changing the subject as I got ready to cut a client’s hair that just walked in. I put a cape around their neck to keep the hair from falling on their clothes.

“Well, we broke up last night,” Julie replied. I looked over at her sympathetically wishing there was something I could do.

“What happen?” I asked my turn to be concerned. “You don’t have to tell me, honey, but tell me when you think it’s the right time.” She nodded smiling up at me.

“I rather not talk about it now,” She replied finishing up with her client’s hair that look superior.

After the client thanked her and she left to go pay for her haircut at he front desk where our boss, Samantha Moss sat. Julie called out for another client to come over to where she was. One did and it got quiet after awhile as we cut and styled hair.

Then after hours of cutting hair it was lunch break and we both decided to go to a small café around the corner we always went too. We walked in found a seat and ordered drinks. I ordered a ice tea and she a cocoa.
“Look, Alice,” Julie began seriously crossing her arms as the waiter came back with our drinks. “You need to do something about Ryan. Your relationship isn’t healthy, honey.”

“Julie, I don’t want to talk about it,” I replied looking down at my hands as the waiter walked away with a concerned look on their face. They heard what Julie had said.

“Look, Alice,” She began uncrossing her arms and leaning over the table toward me. “I knew this morning you were lying about things going great between you two. I’m not a fool.”

“I know you’re not a fool, Julie,” I replied. “But I didn’t want you to be worried about me.”

“Alice, how I’m I suppose to feel about my best friend being in a abusive relationship?” She asked putting her hands up in the air for dramatics. “I’m I suppose to feel happy?!”

“Look. . . . I know you hate that I’m still with him and that you want me to break it off with him,” I said softly. “But I can’t, Julie! I just can’t do it. I love him.”

“You’re in denial!” exclaimed Julie as the waiter came back ready to take our orders. The waiter looked at us weirdly, but continued to ask us what we wanted.

“I’ll have the tossed salad with everything on it, but onions,” I said ordering my food.

“What kind of dressing?” She asked.

“Ranch,” I replied and she went to Julie, who ordered the same thing, but left off the tomatoes instead of the onions.

“I’m in denial?” I replied softly fuming that my best friend would consider that of me.

“You are, Alice,” Julie replied. “I’m not trying to be mean or anything, but you need to hear me out. He’s not going to change and you know it, but you stay thinking it will change. Honey, break it off with him before it’s too late.”

I could not believe I was hearing this from my own best friend. I stared at her in disbelief and speechless as the waiter came back with our orders placing them on the table in front of us. She left with a concerned look on her face.

“I can’t believe you!” I exclaimed. “You’re just jealous I have a boyfriend. All you do is run them off!” With that I got up with my purse taking my wallet out and paying for my part of the bill.

“Where are you going?” She called out behind me as I walked out the door fuming the whole way back to the salon. I knew the rest of the day would be Hell.




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