7-5-97, 6:01 AM

Kourtnee came into my room and woke me up. I looked at the clock. It was 6:01 AM. I looked at Kourtnee and asked, "Why are you waking me up this early?' She said, "We are going to the hair salon." I retorted, "At 6:00 in the morning?" She shook me and told me to get up. I rolled over and pulled the covers up over my head. She shook me again and told me to get up. I mumbled, "My hair doesn't look that bad."

7-5-97, 7:30 AM

I was sitting at Mary's Place half asleep. I was laying on Kourtnee's shoulder. She had moved her shoulders a couple of times, making it uncomfortable for me to sleep on her shoulder. I still wouldn't move my head. She told me to wake up, but I still wouldn't get up. She was waiting on her stylist, Terry, to some into the shop. Terry was supposed to do my hair, too, but I didn't want the same stylist as Terry. I wanted my own stylist.

There were two other stylists there, Monique and Octavia. They were doing two clients' hair. I overheard that Octavia's client, a lady named Mrs. Hamilton, hadn't gotten to the shop at 6:00 this morning. Who gets up that early to get their hair done? While we were waiting, a stylist named Michelle walked in. She didn't have any clients scheduled for that early in the morning. She always got to the shop early on Saturdays to accept any walk-ins. Michelle spoke to the other stylists. She recognized Kourtnee and said hello to her. She asked who I was. She looked at my hair and asked was I their to get my hair done also. Kourtnee told her yea. Michelle asked who was going to do my hair. Kourtnee told her that Terry was. I raised my head up off Kourtnee's shoulder. I shot Michelle a look. I was praying that Michelle could tell what I meant by the look. "Help a sister out. Ask can you do my hair." Michelle looked at me and smiled. She asked Kourtnee could she do my hair. Kourtnee looked at me and asked if it was okay if Michelle did my hair. I said I didn't care as nonchalantly as I could. Kourtnee asked me Michelle to give us a second. Michelle walked to her station. Kourtnee turned to me and said, "You think you're slick. I saw the look you gave her. I should make you wait on Terry." I frowned and responded, "As much hair as we both have, we will never get out of this shop." She looked at me and twisted the side of her mouth. I looked at the floor. Kourtnee called Michelle back over to where we were. Kourtnee took Michelle around the corner to talk to her.

Michelle came back around the corner and told me to come with her. I looked at Kourtnee. She looked at me. I went and sat down in Michelle's chair. She asked me a bunch of questions about my hair, what kinds of styles I wore, what kinds of styles I like, and a bunch of other hair related questions. I answered each one. While Michelle was asking me questions, Terry walked in. Terry walked by Michelle's station and stopped. Terry said, "So, you have stole one of my clients. I don't believe you." Terry walked off laughing. She said hello to everyone else and told Kourtnee that she would be with her in a moment.

I didn't need a perm so Michelle just washed and styled my hair. She didn't even wet my back when she washed my hair. I hated when my back got wet. I was sitting up under the dryer. I watched the people as they walked in and out of the shop. Women and girls came in the shop looking like they hadn't had their hair done in months, but they left the shop looking like beauty queens. A couple of ladies came in that looked like they didn't need a new hairstyle. Some women are like that; they get their hair done every week. I couldn't see doing that. Every three weeks was enough for me. The ladies were talking about all kinds of things, their friends, their families, their lovers, and their enemies. It was fun looking around the shop and witnessing the camaraderie that the beauty shop holds. It was a magical site.

Kourtnee sat down under the dryer next to me. I look at her from under the dryer. She bumped my elbow with her elbow and then told me to move my elbow. I didn't move my elbow. She pushed my elbow again. I pushed her elbow back. We went on like that for a few more seconds. In the end, she ended up with her elbow on the armrest.

Michelle finally finished my hair. I checked it out in the mirror. I looked nice. I figured Michelle might be all right. She told me to go ask Kourtnee what she thought. I looked at Michelle and made a face. She told me how much I owed her and I gave her the money. I walked back over to Terry's station. Terry was curling Kourtnee's hair. She stopped curling Kourtnee's hair to look at my hair. She inspected my hair thoroughly. In the process of checking out my hair, she messed it up. She got another comb from her countertop and combed my hair. She was about to spray my hair with some Shimmers spritz. I moved my head and she ended up spraying the spritz on the side of my face. I grabbed my face and wiped it off. Kourtnee asked me was I okay and told Terry to go wet a towel. Terry moved quickly. Kourtnee took my hand down from my face. She examined my face and asked was I going to be okay. I told her probably. I looked at my face in the mirror. It had turned red. I was hoping that Terry hadn't sprayed enough spritz to do much damage. I hoped my face wouldn't break out. Terry came back with the towel and Kourtnee carefully wiped my face with the towel. Neither Kourtnee nor I had noticed before, but everyone in the shop was looking at us. Terry told everyone to go back to what they were doing. Everyone slowly quit rubbernecking and continued with what they were doing before.

Terry apologized about fifty times before Kourtnee told her to stop apologizing. Terry stopped. Kourtnee told me to go sit down while Terry finished her hair. I did. Terry finished Kourtnee's hair. Kourtnee paid Terry and walked over to me. She examined my face. She told me that it was a little redder than it was before. I must have looked dejected because she asked was I ok. I said I was. We walked out of the shop.

When we reached the car and got in, I looked at my face in the mirror. It was redder than it was before. I didn't notice a rash or anything, so I felt a little better. Kourtnee asked what I normally did when my face was like this. I told her that I normally used an antibiotic ointment. She started driving. We drove to Mr. and Mrs. Adams' house.

7-5-97, 11:09 AM

We arrived at Mr. and Mrs. Adams' house at 11:09. We got out of the car and went into the house. Mrs. Adams met us at the door. She looked at my face and asked what was wrong. Kourtnee explained before I could open my mouth. Mrs. Adams told Kourtnee to go get Mr. Adams who was outside on the back porch. Kourtnee complied. Mrs. Adams inspected my face and then my hair. She told me that Michelle had done my hair. I asked her how she knew. She smiled at me and told me that she knew each of the stylists' work. Kourtnee and Mr. Adams walked back in. Mr. Adams looked at my hair and told me that it was cute. He looked at my face. He poked, prodded, and felt my face. He asked Mrs. Adams to go get some antibiotic ointment from the bathroom. I started laughing. Kourtnee made a face at me. Mr. Adams laughed, too. He said, "She just had an allergic reaction to the chemicals. She will be alright," as he spread the ointment on my face.