Amy's spirits had never been higher. Over the next couple of days she became more confident when talking to people, and even introduced herself to some she had never spoken with but saw in class often. Many people complimented her hair, which by now was a gorgeous shiny copper that fell to her mid-thigh. She continued to wear it loose, enjoying the sensation of the way it draped down her back and swayed as she walked. The first time she accidentally sat on it, she had almost given herself whiplash. She leaned forward in the chair and her hair suddenly lurched backward. She laughed out loud when she realized what had happened.
Her family and friends didn't seem to find her change unusual, except for the words of encouragement. Nobody asked how she was able to grow it over two feet in four days, though she did get questions about what conditioner she was using.
Saturday morning found Amy standing in front of her mirror to examine the previous night's growth. Her hair was at her knees now, and it was getting thicker as well as longer. She had spread out the locks so that she was surrounded by a cloak of hair whose sweeping waves ran like a waterfall down her body. A week ago she would never have dreamed hair like this was possible.
After an eternity, she drew her gaze away from the mirror and grabbed a scunci from her dresser. She was going out with Lina to see a matineé, and at this point she was becoming worried about leaving it completely free. Amy didn't want a tight braid yet, not quite. Baby steps, she told herself. She still hadn't gotten used to the feeling the ends of each silky thread made along the backs of her bare legs. She fashioned a simple but elegant ponytail and went off to meet Lina.
They were waiting in line for tickets when Amy heard a timid voice from behind. "Uhm...excuse me?"
Amy turned around to see a boy, her age and height, with mousy blond-white hair and thin-rimmed glasses. He looked like a cross between a bookworm and a tennis player. From the arms she could tell he worked out a bit, but his casual, uncoordinated clothing and glasses instead of contact lenses made him somewhat hard to figure out. Amy, of course, knew that she could never judge a person based on looks, but the sight of him reminded her of how unremarkable she had been not too long ago.
She smiled sincerely. "Hi."
"Hi. My name is Percy. I've seen you around school. We had study hall together last year."
Amy was surprised. Someone had noticed and remembered her a year before her hair had changed?
"I just had to say," he said in a forcibly friendly tone. Amy could hear a slight hesitation in his voice, as if he had wished he could have stopped himself before calling her attention. "Your hair is beautiful."
Amy gave her standard thanks in reply, something she had gotten very adept at recently. "You remember me from a study hall?"
"Well," he said sheepishly. "I'm just very good with faces. I also have a lot of respect for girls and women who let their hair be as natural as possible."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean...uh, look around," he said. "How many people have hair as long as yours?"
Amy turned her head left and right, and her ponytail lightly flapped against her sides each time. She shivered, still not used to expecting that sort of thing. Percy was right. No one in the theater lobby seemed to have hair as long as hers, although one woman had it up in a bun so it was impossible to tell. The only two others with noticeably longer hair than average was a woman running concessions who had a tight braid down to her waist and a thirty-something man in line with a curly black ponytail the same length as the girl's braid.
"It takes a lot of courage, these days," Percy continued. "And even then so few of those look as gorgeous as yours."
Amy blushed bright red. She didn't know what to say.
"I'm--I'm sorry," he started backing away. "I talk too much when I get going. See you around." He disappeared into the crowd before Amy could call him back.
"You've always wanted admirers," Lina commented. "You've got 'em!" The ticket seller called to her, as she was next in line. Lina gave Amy a smile and then went to buy her ticket.