You've got to be a real confident person to sit in front of the hairdresser's mirror and still think you're a good looking person. Because it's not until then, after staring at your reflection for a prolonged amount of time that you begin to find faults, and boy am I finding a lot.. 

I have never looked like the girls in magazines (with photoshop these days, even those girls didn't look like themselves), I have never had long flowing blonde hair, blue eyes, slim figure, perfect teeth, long lashes and endless legs. 

No, I was born in the real world, where we put beauty aside in order to get jobs done. 

Growing up, you'd never find me testing nail polish swatches or curling my hair. You'd find me helping my parents gardening, mending and painting fences, washing the cars, cleaning the house, washing, ironing, climbing trees, trying to skateboard, playing football and street hockey.
I wasn't born with a silver spoon in between my teeth, I was raised to survive in this world and so far I have done pretty well. 

So as I am sitting in this cold leather seat, with an apron over my clothes and my hair pulled down around my face, I can conclude that: I've got tons of split ends, I look pale and tired, my brown eyes look dull and my mouth looks too small for my face. I don't even have to see my body to know that I am thicker than average, shorter than average and have an addiction to all the wrong foods, with my generous figure and thick thighs that often try to escape my jeans.

But I shouldn't complain, I shouldn't.. Because some people in this world have health issues that stop them gaining weight or muscle, ( which I like to think most of my weight is). I should be grateful, and I am... But this hairdressers mirror is taunting me.

"So my luscious lollipop! We cut the ends, tidy it up and dye it every colour!" My hairdresser Manuel announces, making my sister in the chair opposite giggle. 

"We can do split ends and a tidy up, but lets lay off the multicolours this time." I answer making him purse his lips at me playfully.

"Oh my darling, if you insist! But one day, you must let me show you my creativity!" He replies back with a wave of his hand.

"I will."

I have been coming to this hairdressers with my sister for a while now and couldn't fault the eccentric stylist who is in a floral shirt with silver pants. Yes, silver like the tin foil.

Manuel, I believe is Italian, can't be a 100% sure because I am terrible at placing accents, but a few words he pronounces sounds very much like the words off the videogame Assassins Creed and I know that is set in Rome. 

I could just ask? I guess. 

"How is Chad?" My sister asks making Manuel's face light up like a Christmas tree. 

"He is very, very well." He beams back.

"Put a ring on it yet?"

"Avery." I whisper- hiss.

My sister looks over at me. "What?"

"You ask every time. Is this because you're desperate to go to a wedding?" I ask her. 

She shrugs. "I haven't been to a wedding in a while and I've never been to a gay one."

Manuel, forever the good sport laughs "They are very much the same as normal weddings, it just depends on the people. As you know, I am eccentric, bold and diva whereas Chad is not. We both have very different ideas on weddings, but I will get my own way eventually, I always do." He answers with a wink. 

"So no wedding bells yet?" Avery confirms.

"Nothing yet my darling."

"Damn." She answers looking down to her phone. 

Manuel orders my head forward, which I do, whilst side eyeing my sister. "Everything okay?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah." She answers seeing me look between her and the phone in her hand. "The twins.. I had a phone call from their teacher yesterday, they got into a fight."

"Oh wow. Did they just let them scrap it out? We used to argue all the time."

"Not the twins on each other. They had a fight with three other girls in their class."

My eyes widen slightly. "Are they okay?"

"Oh they are perfect. It's the other three, I'm concerned about. I swear they will give my grey hairs before my time." She sighs looking at her reflection. "It started because someone pushed Olivia and you know how timid she is."

I nod.

"Well she pushed back, for the first time in her life and ended up trying to fight off two girls."

"Oh my god. Is she okay?" I ask getting alarmed at how gentle Olivia is.

"She is fine, because Grace arrived and you know what happened then."

"Oh damn."

"You know it girl. She took on both girls and a third jumped in. Pig tails getting pulled and scratch marks all around. I was told the principal will be ringing me later today."

"Grace is bad ass." Manuel answers.

"Like you wouldn't believe. She punched a boy in the nose last year for calling her ugly."

"Don't blame her." I murmur.

"Well we should because I don't need her being kicked out. She is too rough."

"She's perfect." I respond instantly.

"Riley-"

"Perfect." I sing back.

"Your problem is that you can't see any wrong in those little angels. I can tell you now, they aren't and its like I have children of Satan when I have to brush their hair in the mornings." Avery responds. 

"Would you have them any other way? Honestly?"

I watch my sister consider it for a few seconds before smiling. "No, I guess not."

"If the principal asks.... Those other kids started it. The twins were simply defending themselves." I finish making my sister sigh and mutter something quietly. 

I'm deep in conversation with Manuel about the latest celebrity gossip and if it is fabricated when my sister hits me. Not in the physical sense but the verbal..

"Excuse me?" I ask her, wondering if I was imagining the words that had just left her lips. 

"I've got you a date." She repeats.

"You have got to be kidding me. Avery I-"

"Ahh!" She interrupts, holding a finger up between us to silence me. "Don't even say that you're not over him. He was a total pig and quiet frankly you deserve better."

"I couldn't agree more. But does it have to be so soon?"

"It's been two weeks."

"And he is still blowing up my phone." I reply, turning my phone to show her the logged missed calls and messages. We were well into a 3 digit figure now and there was no end in sight. The texts keep rolling in and the calls have been at all hours. I've now learnt to turn my phone on silent to avoid slamming it against the wall. 

"It's one date, please? He's a really nice guy." She begs. 

"Why me? If he is so nice, you go on a date with him." I counter.

She sighs "I would... But he is into brunettes."

I look up to Manuel who is faking his disinterest in this entire conversation, you can practically see him vibrating, waiting for permission to join the conversation. "Manuel, dye her hair." 

"What? No!" Avery exclaims making me laugh quietly. "Come on Riley. You can't say no, you haven't even seen a photo of him yet." 

"I don't need to." I sigh and glance down at my phone to see another number calling, a number I have been dreading and for once it isn't he who shall not be named. "Oh god." 

"Is it him again?"

"No, someone worse.. It's my boss. Rachel." I answer watching the phone eventually ring off. 

"Why are ghosting your boss?"

Letting out a groan, I explain what happened at the house and my impromptu party of one. Despite this Zak guy being initially cool, I couldn't take his good nature for granted and I fully expected a phone call from Rachel, chewing my ear off for being unprofessional.

"Is he hot?"

I throw up my hands and use the mirror to look at Manuel for support but true to his nature he replies "Is he?"

"Oh come on. This guy can get me fired. I was seriously unprofessional. I was dancing my way across his kitchen with Lady Gaga blaring."

"The Countess herself." Manuel beams. 

I point up to him with a finger and an appreciative nod to his reference to American Horror Story. "Absolutely."

"But is he hot? Stop trying to change the conversation. Do you know his name? Give it to me and I'll find him on online." Avery demands beside me.

"His name is Zak, that is all I know and he is a good looking guy."

"Get his number and get on a date." Avery orders. 

I laugh "Yeah that is not happening. He is way out of my league."

"Only if you think he is.."

"He is, trust me sis. I clean his home, I know what he owns. He is high class and I'm a cleaner. His cleaner. This isn't some weird romance story where he is suddenly going to find someone who stinks of bleach, attractive."

She hums as she taps away on her phone screen "Well, I can't have you being a spinster now, can I? Which is why you now have a date with Mike and yes you are going."

I try to plea my case and reasons for not wanting to go, but when they are met on deaf ears, I give up and settle into my misery. In fact, I settle so well into it, that I don't realise I have answered my phone until I hear the voice on the other end...

"Hello?"

"Riley, it's Rachel. We need to speak about one of your clients, Zak..."

I face palm instantly. Oh god damn.