The Beauty Parlor
Cassie was at the beauty parlor getting her hair done. She had her hair rolled up in big pink rollers and she was sitting under the dryer.
She was going out with Ennis tonight, she wanted to go the new place they opened, where people danced and they had a great big bull ride, right in the middle of the place. But, of course Ennis didn’t want to go to any fancy new place.
“Hey Alma, how are ya” said Tracy at the cash register.
“How ya doin girl, how’s Monroe and that baby?”
“Oh just fine” said Alma, sounding as though it hurt for her to talk and be friendly to people.
Cassie grabbed a magazine from the table and held it in front of her face. Damn, she thought. Not here.
Alma wore jeans that were way too tight, and a big red tee shirt. She still didn’t
lose the weight that she gained when she was pregnant.
“Hi Cassie,” Alma said, as cold and unfriendly as usual, as she sat down in the chair by the sink to wait for her hair to be washed.
Cassie didn’t say anything.
“How’s Ennis?” Alma asked.
“Oh, great" said Cassie, not looking up.
Alma took something out of her purse which looked like a small red backpack. It was a paperback book. Cassie couldn’t really make out the title cause Alma’s hand was over it, but it looked like se Range.
“Hey Alma, we ready for you”, the girl called.
Alma put the book down on the table with all the magazines. Cassie hurried to pick it up. She wanted to see if preachy Alma read books with dirty parts, and she wasn’t going to tell Alma she forgot the book, let her come back and get it, she thought.
There was an old electric company envelope stuck in the book. It was near the end. Cassie opened to that page. Something about someplace called Brokeback Mountain.
Cassie began to read.
(336 words)