Ginger Fox

"So?" The gum sticks to my lips as I pop it. I suck it back into my mouth, smiling at Jon, giving him my 'I told you so' look!
He stays silent, his gaze fixed on his reflection in the mirror, as if he's never seen the boy looking back at him. I place the pot of dye and the brush on the sink, ripping off the stained gloves from my fingers and tossing them into the trash. He turns to me, raising his fingers to touch his black hair, which is slicked back after I finished dyeing it. I give his hand a light slap, making him look at me.
"Keep your hands off it, you'll stain your fingers." I leave the bathroom, followed by him, with his shoulders hunched and timid steps.
"And yours, aren’t you going to dye it?" I glance over my shoulder at him, shaking my head.
"I’ll dye it another day. It takes more than two boxes of dye to cover this tangled mess of hair." I look at him admiringly. Jon is practically a reincarnation of Elvis, with his black hair standing out against his fair skin and striking eyes. Of course, the pompadour I gave him helps my vision of the king, which is imprinted on his face. "You look like a stud." I open the door leading to my room and sit on the floor, returning to the board game that’s been left where we stopped. "Do we really have to play this, Jon?"
"Monopoly is fun." He sits down, crossing his legs and getting ready to play.
"Depends. For me, who’s already financially deprived in real life, it’s humiliating to be poor in a board game too." I draw a laugh from him, which makes his cheeks flush pink. "How was the weekend at your grandma’s? You haven’t told me yet."
Jon shrugs, nonchalantly buying my bankrupt bakery, which is right next to the shoe store he already owns.
"Nothing much, just read. And you?" I look up at him, who’s holding the cards, staring at me.
Inappropriate for his age, my brain quickly responds in my mind, but I just give a faint smile, popping another bubble with the gum.
"Same as yours. I read the whole weekend." He nods in confirmation, turning his attention back to the game.
Jon arrived on Sunday, a little past eight in the evening. He was disheartened as he got out of the car, looking lost as he gazed at the mansion. I watched him from the bedroom balcony, walking with his head down. The woman inside the car waited for him to enter before she finally started the car and drove away. What surprised me wasn’t the fact that he went straight to his room without speaking to anyone, but instead of opening the door to his room, Jon opened mine, greeting me with a broad smile and dissipating his gloomy face. He preferred to have dinner in the room and was delighted when he saw I had brought him a sandwich.
I found my first gray hair in my curls on Monday morning, which made Jon get out of bed early to accompany me to the pharmacy to buy dye. We looked for Baby to invite her to come with us, but the fatal blonde had been missing since the day before and hadn’t returned to the mansion. I was a bit upset that I couldn’t find her. I had so many questions that needed answering, and only she could tell me exactly where my curiosity had led me with the game proposal I had accepted. When we reached the garage to grab a car, Robert had the jeep keys ready, but I asked for another vehicle. He was clear when he said the jeep was the car to be used by Jon and me, as per Mr. Roy’s orders. We stopped by the pharmacy, I bought the dyes for my hair, and we wandered around the small shopping center with a few stores, where Jon was captivated by the board game, which he intended to use to torture me for the rest of the afternoon. The candy store was a good stop, where we picked up a good amount of sweets to take back to the mansion. We had lunch at a restaurant facing the sea, drank milkshakes, and then returned to the mansion. Apart from Aunt Charlote, no one else from that family was present inside the house. Jon and I went straight up to the room, emptying our bag of sugary junk, and when I started preparing the dye, I saw the curious eyes of the boy looking at me with interest, and I couldn’t say no when he asked if he could dye his hair. I was happy with the result, no longer bothered by the gray hair; perhaps this summer would be one of first experiences.
The first time I kissed a woman, got cheated on, went to a promiscuous club, actively participated in an orgy, was masturbated outdoors by a dangerous man, and found a gray hair. I wonder what else is yet to come...

"I won again!" Jon shouts happily, bouncing his knees.
"You cheated," I growl, indignant at losing such a simple game.
"You're a sore loser, Gim." I stretch my fingers, pinching his cheek, and pulling a laugh out of him.
"You snob."
Jon is laughing from the tickles I’m giving him when the door opens, and a sleepy Baby, holding her sandals in her hand, with a face like she’d been run over and left for dead, glares at us.
"What happened to you?" I ask, concerned. She enters the room, closing the door with her foot and tossing her sandals to the floor.
"A terrible night’s sleep." Baby takes off her glasses, adjusting them on her head. I’d never seen Baby look so worn out.
I stay silent, watching her sit on the edge of the bed, taking a long moment to stare at Jon. Her sleepy face shifts, her eyes becoming red and dilated.
"Baby..." I get on my knees, move closer to her, and touch her fingers.
Baby's hand is cold, like a block of ice. Jon keeps his gaze down, putting the board game away in its box, oblivious to his aunt’s condition. I rub my hand against hers to warm it up, looking nervously at her.
"Baby, what happened to you?"
"Gim, I’ve put it away. Do you think I can wash my hair now?" Jon stands up, holding the box in his fingers, placing it on the bed next to Baby.
He looks from me to her. I nod at him, pointing to his room.
"Go! You can take a bath now, Jon."
Walking lazily, Jon leaves the room at a snail’s pace. I stand up, holding Baby’s face in my hands. There’s only a single tear, sliding down the corner of her left eye.
"Baby, tell me something." She blinks quickly, as if snapping out of her thoughts, focusing her eyes on mine.
And her expression suddenly changes, nervously laughing, tilting her head to the side, giving a kiss to my hand. Her messy blonde hair makes her look so fragile, like a lost child.
"I had a hellish night, an unexpected commitment off the island," she sighs. She raises her fingers, smooths her skirt, and smiles at me brightly. "He turned out so handsome."
She stands up quickly, moving away from me, and walks to the balcony. I glance toward the open door connecting the rooms, not seeing any sign of Jon, and join Baby on the balcony.
"Are you sure you’re okay? You seemed shaken." Baby stands with her back to me, her arms wrapped around her body, taking deep breaths with her eyes closed. "Tell me if I can help you, Baby. That’s what friends are for."
Her eyes open, and she turns her face to me, smiling warmly. She uncrosses her arms, her hand gently resting on my cheek, stroking it slowly.