Page 37 of For All My Effort
“Academy?”
“Braker Academy. It’s where I met Jen and the others.”
I felt my jaw drop. She said it so casually as if Braker Academy wasn’t one of the top prestigious schools. If I remembered correctly, it had literally just opened its doors to betas.
“Obviously I submitted it. I’d hoped that whatever had stopped me from perfuming would also hide me from being diagnosed as an omega. Not forever. Just long enough to go to school. And it did. At the end of the day, when it came to picking my major, I just chose one.”
She shrugged like it was no big deal. “I don’t love physics, I just don’t hate it either. What was important to me was that I was getting the opportunity before I decided to settle down. I wanted shit on my own timeline. I wanted everything to be my own decision.”
I was nodding my head along with her words, agreeing and even feeling that need that always came right before I went to a protest, needing to feel the relief of demanding change, of doing something.
“I just hope you’ll get the same possibility through your online classes,” Koda finished.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know how you’re going to school right now, but I really don’t know how you’ll be able to get a job without some major social adjustments. Education has found a way to block the symptoms of designations, but workplaces are more blatant with their bigotry.”
Her words doused all the fire inside me. The freeing feeling where it felt like if I could just get my voice heard, everyone would believe me. That I could just make a speech, march down the street, sit-in at a diner and the world would understand the need for change. My need for things to change.
The feeling of dye being applied stopped, and Koda washed her hands again before moving to crouch in front of me. “Don’t lose hope, Hannah. I didn’t mean to upset you. Omegas can’t give up. No one else is fighting for us.”
Tears burned my eyes, but I fought them back. She was right. I was Hannah motherfucking Zeal. Even if I was a little confused as to what that name meant right now, I knew it would always be a person who demanded better for omegas.
I lifted my chin. “You’re right.” That didn’t help me make a decision on which major I would choose, only now I was determined that I was going to pick one.
We continued to talk, moving the conversation to lighter things like getting to know one another superficially. Our likes and styles and vague plans.
When it came time to wash my hair again, I was absolutely in love with the color. It was such a dramatic change from the dark purple that I almost wanted to keep my hair long. If it wasn’t for that missing patch of hair over my scar, I probably would’ve.
“Ready?” Koda asked. She looked excited, the inspirational photo I’d sent her already on her phone that I was holding up for her to see.
“Let’s do it.”
“Just a reminder, I’ve literally never cut anyone’s hair before.”
I shrugged. “How hard could it be?”
****
Very hard. Cutting hair was a skill that could not be learned through osmosis visuals.
I was staring at my hair, now only a few inches long, wondering how it got this bad, this quickly.
Koda was a puddle on the floor, simultaneously laughing and crying, completely hysterical at the results. Honestly, I was starting to worry that I’d broken her.
Outside the bathroom door, I knew both my mates and Koda’s were waiting patiently to see what all the ruckus was about.
“You totally should have waited for the hair appointment,” Koda admitted as she tried to get herself under control.
“No way, we can totally save this.”
“How?” Koda wasn’t laughing anymore, genuinely wondering how I was going to save this hair. It wasn’t the color, just the cut that made me realize simply cutting the hair wasn’t enough.
“I have an idea. It might be crazy.”
“Crazier than the initial idea that we could do this after watching a few videos?”
“Good point. I need you to ask my mates for shears.”