Orange Hair and the Art of Not Dying Inside

Chloe's hair was supposed to be sunset copper. Instead, it looked like a traffic cone exploded on her head. The box promised subtle warmth; it delivered aggressive ORANGE.

"You look like you're ready for construction duty," her brother laughed from the doorway.

Chloe buried her face in her hands. Great. First day of sophomore year was tomorrow, and she was going to look like a walking safety hazard.

The pool party was supposed to be her redemption arc. A chance to reinvent herself before school even started. Instead, she stood by the edge in a oversized t-shirt, watching everyone else float and laugh like they didn't have a care in the world. Meanwhile, Chloe felt like a ZOMBIE - three weeks of summer insomnia would do that to you. She was dead inside, shambling through social situations, faking smiles until her face hurt.

That's when she noticed the boy in the corner.

He was watching her. Not like a creep - well, maybe a little. He'd glance away whenever she caught him, then look back. She'd seen him around school last year. Leo something. Quiet. Cute, in an alternative kind of way, with smudged eyeliner and hair that fell over his eyes.

He was totally SPYING on her.

Chloe's heart did something weird and fluttery. No one ever noticed her enough to spy on her. Usually she was wallpaper, background scenery, the person everyone forgot was in the room.

She waded into the pool, letting the water cool her burning cheeks. When she surfaced, Leo was standing at the edge.

"Your hair," he said. "Did you do that yourself?"

Chloe touched the damp orange strands plastered to her forehead. "Yeah. Tragic, right?"

"No." Leo's eyes were serious. "It's brave. I wish I could do something that bold."

Chloe blinked. That was not the response she'd expected.

"You could," she said. "Anytime."

He smiled then, and it transformed his face from mysterious to disarming. "Maybe I will. If you help me pick the color."

They spent the rest of the party in the shallow end, knees touching under the water, talking about music and parents and how high school felt like one long performance. For the first time all summer, Chloe didn't feel dead inside.

Her hair was still orange. School started in two days. But somehow, none of that mattered anymore. Sometimes the worst disasters lead to the best beginnings - and Chloe was done hiding in the background.