“This is you." She pointed at the stick figure with enormous red curly marks and blue eyes.Did my hair really look like that? I ran a hand over my head, feeling a bit like Little Orphan Annie.”

“The Subject has really blue eyes that twinkle when he looks at someone like she's maybe a little bit insane.”

“I lifted my hand and pulled the blue paper cap back a little, until a piece of my red fell out, then I reached my hand back inside the case. I slid my finger under some tubes and into her tiny purple hand. And just like that, like she had known it was me all along, she squeezed it.”

“Hellooo.” I held out my arm. “An amethyst woman with blue hair is telling you this.”She reached out and scraped her short nails over my arm.I snatched my arm back. “Ow.”Not body makeup.” She frowned and peered at the roots of my hair. “A good die-job or you’ve really got blue hair.”For now,” I said. “I’m half Drow.”She raised an eyebrow. Dark Elves.”Uh-huhhhh.”During the day I look normal, like you.”With an amused look she held up her arm, showing her dark, golden skin. “You’re Kenyan and Puerto Rican?”

“Ah, crap. I forgot what my hands look like after drawing. You may have little gray marks...everywhere.”

“The streak of bleach in my hair is as obvious as ever. Am I really going out in public like this? I push my hair backward and forward a few times - but I can't hide it. Maybe I could walk along with my hand carelessly positioned at my head, as if I'm thinking hard. I attempt a few casual, pensive poses in the mirror."Is your head all right?"I swivel round in shock to see Nathaniel at the open door, wearing a plaid shirt and jeans."Er...fine," I say, my hand still glued to my head. "I was just..."Oh, there's no point. I bring my hand down from my hair and Nathaniel regards the streak for a moment."It looks nice," he says. "Like a badger.""A badger?" I say, affronted. "I don't look like a badger.""Badgers are beautiful creatures," says Nathaniel with a shrug. "I'd rather look like a badger than a stoat.”