The Morning Alarm

Felix rolled out of bed and checked his phone. Three missed calls from Vic.

"Dude, emergency band meeting!" Vic's voice crackled through the speaker when Felix called back. "My mom's threatening the salon again."

Felix groaned. He pulled on his alien T-shirt and black fingerless gloves. The star hairpin caught the morning light as he clipped it into his blonde hair.

"Meet at the park in ten," Felix said.

Soon the whole band gathered under the eucalyptus trees. Vic pushed his blue hair from his glasses nervously. Nat covered his vitiligo patches with extra foundation. Adam just shrugged, his strawberry-blonde hair messy from sleep. Mason and Nathan, the twins, looked equally worried.

"She booked us all appointments," Vic announced. "Miss Lolly's salon. Tomorrow afternoon."

The boys exchanged horrified looks.

The Pink Problem

"We can't all get haircuts!" Felix said. "The band will look totally different."

Adam shrugged. "My mom said the same thing. Miss Lolly's the only salon in town that takes walk-ins."

Mason kicked a rock. "Why does everyone love that place? The Gyarus are always talking about it."

"Because Miss Lolly has magic scissors," said a voice behind them.

The boys turned around. A small elderly woman with a bright purple hat sat on a park bench, feeding breadcrumbs to a colorful parrot perched on her shoulder.

"Magic scissors?" Nat asked.

The woman nodded. "Makes everyone beautiful. But only if they want to be." The parrot squawked and repeated, "Beautiful! Beautiful!"

Vic adjusted his glasses nervously. "That sounds even worse."