Disclaimer: UPN owns. I do not.

New Hair Day

"It doesn't matter. I'm not that girl anymore."

—Veronica Mars

That woman was staring at me.

Of course, this was a common occurrence for me, now. Every living being in Neptune knew my name, my face, but mostly my father. This wasn't a complete shock, and I'd learned far too quickly to deal with the stares. It didn't make the pain any less worse, though.

She puts on one hell of a façade, but only because she knows she's getting paid for it. She has oversized, way too white teeth. An extreme beauty that makes her so ugly. But, of course, I keep reserved and return a smirk.

"How much do the haircuts cost?" I ask, not a hint of any emotion within my voice. It doesn't quake, which is a first.

"Er… um…" Hers really is unsure, it trembles as she tries to keep eye contact and look at the price at the same time. "Uh… $18.00."

Cheep, considering I live in a town completely occupied by socialites and rich kids. I hand over the dollar bills, crumbled and old and had seen way too many washing machines in their lifetimes. She nods, stuffing them in the cash register as I seat myself at an adjustable salon chair, awaiting the shy, nervous woman with her sharp tools.

"W-What would you like?" she inquires, her voice still shaky, as if she were in the presence of some greatness.

"I don't care." And I honestly don't. I just want this shitty hair off. I want this old me to be gone. It's like I'm trapped in my old self. And I want out. So the hair is the first to go.

And she begins to snip. Slowly at first, the scissors blades cutting away tiny chunks of hair that rained the floor around me with little blonde hairs. But then more locks of a golden mane fell, and with each one, a piece of my old life fell with it.

Duncan.

Mom.

Logan.

The rape.

Lilly…

I fell a great weight being lifted, not only from my scalp, but also from my mind. I am no longer the old Veronica Mars. I don't have the hair that once defined a girl. I don't have the personality that defined a popular girl. I'm still Veronica Mars. But I'm different. I'm new. I begin again with a clean slate.

And my hair looks damn good.