Amy decided not to tempt fate, or squander her bank account. She had gotten what she wanted, and she just couldn't wait to show Lina. She skipped off down the aisles until she caught sight of the blonde checking out some old-looking books.
"Hey Lina, check this out!" she chirped.
Lina did a double-take and almost dropped the book. She shut it with a heavy thump, stirring the dust on the bookshelf. She coughed and fanned the air, chuckling awkwardly. "What are you doing in that silly wig?"
"It's not a wig," Amy replied. "Touch it!"
Lina came closer and Amy could tell from the change in her expression that it looked at real as it felt. Lina pinched the lock covering one of Amy's ears and tugged. Both girls gasped--Lina out of surprise that the wig was real, and Amy out of surprise at the sensitive tingle it caused in her scalp. She instinctively closed an eye and pressed her hand to the side of her head.
"Holy crap, how did this happen?!" Lina practically shouted.
"I found some magic hair spray. I didn't think it'd actually work, but it did!"
"Really? Wow... Why did you even try it, though?"
Amy dipped her head as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I wanted to look more like you."
Lina's eyes fluttered as she was taken aback by Amy's honesty. "Like...like me?"
"Yeah, I've always liked your hair. I wish mine were more like it. I hate my raggy hair."
Lina frowned and put a hand on Amy's shoulder. "Hey, don't say that. You already had great hair. Besides, I bet it's easier to take care of than mine. If your hair got thicker and longer, you might be singing a different tune after the next time you take a shower."
Amy smirked and put her hand on Lina's, pulling it off her shoulder. "I don't know about that. But thanks. I just really like how it looks on you. It's...well, it's attractive." She gave Lina a pout. "And I want to be attractive too."
"Aww, Amy." Lina blushed as she patted the new blonde's head. "You're attractive in your own cute Amy way, and people like you for it. Besides, I know all the awful things people say about blondes behind our backs. I'd hate to see people talk about you like you were some bimbo."
"Heh," Amy sighed. "If you say so. Maybe the grass is always going to be greener."
Lina gave her a reassuring smile before reopening the book she was carrying. Amy quirked an eyebrow and peered over the pages.
"What is that? I thought I was the bookworm."
Lina turned the tome sideways to show her. It was hardbound and the edges of the pages were yellowed, making it look at least 50 years old. "It's a collection of mythological stories." Amy nodded. That made sense. Lina was a big fan of fairy tales, even at an age where it wasn't that smart to talk about it among peers who were firmly pursuing mature interests. "What's interesting about this book is that it's got stories from cultures all over the world, and they're mixed up in different ways. I don't think I've seen anything quite like it..."
While Lina explained further, Amy became distracted as she realized she was twirling a lock of hair in her fingers. That's weird, she thought. She never did that sort of thing out of fear she'd crimp up the thin strands. But the lock seemed to be just fine. In fact, the more she turned her fingers upon themselves, the softer her golden filaments seemed to get.
She blinked and realized Lina was still talking. Shit, Amy had been really interested in that book. It sounded like a great resource for classic storytelling. Amy tried to see if she could remember some of what her ears had caught while she was preoccupied with her hair, but before anything tangible could emerge, Lina suddenly stopped talking and looked at Amy as if expecting her to say something.
Amy's hair-twirling hand froze. She was too embarrassed to ask Lina to repeat what was probably a whole minute of conversation. She opted to simply nod enthusiastically and mutter "Uh-huh."
"Okay, then."
Amy blinked. "Um, okay what?"
"Okay I'll get it," Lina said, shutting the book again. "If you don't think it's too much of an impulse buy."
Amy's head drooped again. She hadn't meant to talk her friend into buying something if Lina had doubts about it. She inwardly scolded herself for not paying more attention. "All right," she said meekly.
"Don't worry," Lina said with a smile as she started walking toward the front of the shop. "I'll let you borrow it whenever you want."
Amy stood there and stared blankly at her departing friend for a few seconds, then realized where Lina was headed and broke into a skip to catch up with her. "Oh! Great! That's, like, really kind of you, Lina!"
As they headed toward the register, Amy kept on peering at the items on the shelves, wondering if anything would pop out to her. Along the lines of Lina's old storybook, Amy hoped she might find some nice antique knick-knacks to decorate her room, or even wear as jewelry. Heck, any jewelry would be nice. Or a deluxe shampoo to keep her hair looking good. After being sprayed, it seemed to brush her shoulders with more weight and volume, and she definitely didn't want to lose that.