They had silver threads in their hair. Or maybe gold. Their mother said it would happen eventually from playing in so much sun. That their ashy brown hair would get a speck of light in it. Temporary highlights, she said.
It doesn't necessarily make them feel better about having long hair. They pull at the sides of it as if an anxious tick while they deliberate in their head whether this silvery gold tint feels worse than having long hair already feels. Not to mention they just got made fun of at school for their hair color in the first place. In high school, many have colored hair and they've been begging their mom to help them dye it purple or a light blue.
"Our hairdresser doesn't do that", she said. Another excuse for not wanting to spend the money, they thought. They look at the rest of themself in the mirror and wince. Flattish nose, eyes too far apart, a 'butt' chin, and while their eyebrows were plucked out of a unibrow, they are still very busy. Kell Drummond, what a sight, you. As their grandmom would say.
Their grandmom never questioned their appearance. Never cared if they wore a dress. She said their mother was raised in a 'carefree' home where she wore overalls and played in mud. Kell wonders why then, is her mother so uptight now? Nevertheless, grandmom isn't here anymore. For at least a year almost. And Kell is stuck with their mother as their only caretaker.
They brush their hair once more, then again. Enough on both sides until the one awkward side with the random wave is straight. Until they're uniform.
"Come down, Kelly!" Their mom yells. Their eye twitches uncomfortably and they take a deep breath. Making sure there are no stains on their shirt, they turn from the bathroom, down the hall and down the stairs. Halfway down they decide. They're going to the convenience store after school and buying some purple hair dye.