Amber and Sabrina walked into Amber's bedroom and swapped outfits.
"I feel like a fucking Barbie doll," Sabrina said, looking at her reflection. Tanned skin, blond hair, a tight white T-shirt with the word BABE written across the front in big pink letters, a pink pleated miniskirt, and pink 3-inch heels. "And fucking heels?"
"Hey, watch the language," Amber said. "Cheerleaders don't have dirty mouths."
"This one does," Sabrina said.
"Not anymore. If you're gonna live my life, then the profanity needs to go. Permanently."
"Then if I have to give it up, then you have to use it."
"What? No way."
"That's no fucking way," Sabrina corrected her, with a grin.
"It's not funny. I don't cuss, okay?"
"You better start. And tell your friends too." She paused, then said "Well, go on. Try it."
"Right now?" She saw on Sabrina's face that she was serious. "Okay. Fine." She paused for a moment to think of something. "I can't believe I have to live in this fucking shithole."
"That's good. Except I would never say that about my own bedroom."
"I would." She turned to the mirror and looked at herself. Pale skin, pink-dyed hair, piercings, a spiked collar, a black leather corset, a black leather miniskirt, fishnet stockings, and black knee-high buckled boots with three-inch stacks. Now since she was wearing a corset, her tattoos on her chest, back, and arms were all clearly visible. "Ugh, I can't believe I have to wear stuff like this. I look like a hooker."
"You're not a hooker."
"Thanks for that."
Sabrina walked over to Amber's CD player (which used to be hers) and put in a disc.
"What are you doing?" Amber asked.
"Playing you some of your new favorite music." She pressed play and suddenly heavy metal music blasted out the speakers. Amber immediately held her hands up to her ears.
"What is that?!" she yelled. "It sounds so horrible."
Sabrina walked up close and pulled Amber's hands away from her ears. "It's your favorite music now. Get used to it."
"That's not music!" she yelled. "That's fucking noise!"
Sabrina smiled at the use of profanity, then the smile faded away. "It's not noise. It's music." Sabrina walked back over to the CD player and turned the sound down.
"It sounds like screeching metal," Amber said. "Why was it turned up so loud?"
"I always have it loud. It's the best way to keep the world out."
"Why would you want that?" Amber asked.
"Because I hate the world, that's why. And now since you're like me ..."
"No way. I'm not like you. I don't hate anyone."
"That'll have to change then."
Amber couldn't even imagine hating anyone. She loved the world and everything in it. Well, mostly, anyway. She was all about love, not hate.
"Then you'll have to be nice," Amber told Sabrina.
"Nice?"
"Yeah, nice. When everything was normal, I was a nice person who loved the world. I helped people when they needed help, even if it was out of my way. And I was generally a cheerful girl."
"Unicorns and rainbows," Sabrina said.
"That's right."
"Ugh, it makes me want to get sick."
"You'll have to learn to like it. People will expect it. Now, how about I give you those cheerleading tips?"
