Sweet dreams never last, and neither do salon makeovers.
Brianna had never stared into a mirror with such focus. She pinched her ear, touched her eyelid, and gently tugged a strand of hair. Then she opened her mouth, inspecting her teeth and throat.
...Everything was so natural, so real. It was as if she had died looking just like this.
It was as if she'd accidentally stumbled into a kaleidoscope, a house of mirrors, where every reflection she had seen before was just an illusion. Then, amidst the dazzling confusion, she had turned and, completely unprepared, caught a glimpse of the real Brianna.
'This is how I'm supposed to look, isn't it?'
But the beautician said, "Now, don't you start crying again. You'll ruin the styling, and it won't last very long to begin with."
Brianna lifted her head in a daze. She heard the words, but for a moment, they didn't make sense.
