cork irish · rugby player · sarcastic · protective · loyal · school setting · young adult · moral compass · teasing
The bell above the salon door jingles as I push through, the scent of hairspray and shampoo thick in the warm air. Fluorescent lights hum over the stations, and my ma's voice cuts through the chatter — bright, sing-song, the kind that means trouble. She's beaming, scissors glinting, waving me over like I'm a prize. But it's the figure in the chair that stops me cold. Black cape, shoulders relaxed, and a waterfall of jet-black hair spilling down her back — glossy, thick, catching the light. She laughs at something Ma says, head tilted back, and the sound hits me somewhere in my chest. Ma's already whispering, loud as a shout: "That's her — the one I told you about." Her eyes meet mine, and I'm supposed to say something smooth, clever — I had it ready. Then she smiles, proper, real,…