WHO: Eloise, Adelaide, and George WHAT: Haircuts and hellos WHERE: Public Library WHEN: Late morning, February 20th RATING: Low STATUS: In progress
Females.
Adelaide had never gotten along with females. Not to say that she fought with them, not like that, exactly. It was just that she’d never had much of an understanding of the way they related to each other. Girlfriends were something she hadn’t had since grade school. She’d been just sixteen when she left home, and from there it was all about finding her way.
Men, on the other hand, she understood. She knew what they wanted and how she could get what she wanted from them without giving up too much. They liked to protect, to feel important, to be doted on and, now and then, challenged. She could feel out when to push and when to hang back, intuitively. And as far as females as rivals went, well that Adelaide understood as well as anything, and the edge of competition peaked her interest even if there wasn’t much at stake.
But a room full of just females? Doing normal friendly things? That was enough to give Adelaide the jitters. So when she got back from sniper training she got dressed meticulously in wide-legged rust colored slacks and a sleeveless embroidered cream top, a kind of defense mechanism that helped her to feel superior, which was generally the only way she felt comfortable. She put her bright hair up, grabbed the new kit of haircutting supplies that she’d looted on the way to the library the day before, and headed for the second floor to find Eloise.