Jemima St John Cartwright strode purposefully down the street. How dare Simon Jones tell her that she'd never make it as an investigative journalist. Well she'd show him!

"You'll never get close to them looking like little Miss It Girl!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well how many of them wear designer jeans and stuff, you are going to have to seriously grunge down"

"I can do that"

She'd stormed out of the office; her stilettos tapping an angry beat down the stairs.

What now? Well he didn't say she couldn't have a crack, just that she'd have to dress down a bit. She reached her battered old Metro and drove home to plan her 'campaign'. That's when she hit on the idea of getting Badg involved, good old Badg or Sarah Badger as she was christened. Good girl gone bad, not drugs and stuff but she spent two years living in an old bus doing the festivals and stuff. Along the way she'd picked up various unusual body adornments, dreadlocks and an insiders view of 'underground' culture. Just the person to help. A quick phone call and Badg agreed to meet her old schoolie after lunch.

"Sure Jem, I'll help"

"Any ideas Badg?"

"Let's see" Badg sat back and looked at her friend. Straight out of Vogue. Jem was the standard product of the private school system, all the taste and style, but as her car attested, not currently enjoying the best economic situation.

"Clothes obviously, make up and we'll have to do something with that hair"

Jem nervously fingered her shoulder length blonde locks that she took great pride in.

"What do you mean?"

"Well at the very least it has to change colour"

"I guess" Jem agreed, after all when was the last time you saw a natural blonde Goth?

"You want to be really convincing right?"

"Sure, why?"

"Well the current thing is for the girls to go bald"

"You can't be serious?"

"Course I am, I wouldn't have said"

"You mean like completely gone, not a grew cut or something I've seen a few girls like that lately"

"Either punks or lesbo's, not the set you're trying to get into at all"

"Oh right"

"I'll do it today if you like" Badg offered

"It's a bit drastic for a first step isn't it?"

"Well I guess it's the biggest one so if you get that out of the way the rest will be easier" Badg was warming to the prospect, weighing up the options for Jem as she spoke.

'Ah well in for a penny' Jem thought to herself after a bit of thought

"Go on then"

"Which?" Badg asked

"Shave it, now, before I change my mind"

"Okay, let me just get my clippers"

Jem winced as Badger started the clippers; the vibration through her head as she caused Jem's locks to fall to the floor didn't help either. The buzz of the clippers stopped and Badg started spreading something on her shaven scalp.

"What's that?"

"Well you don't want stubble do you?"

"I guess not, so you're shaving me now?"

"Don't be daft, it's Veet."

"Veet! it's only supposed to be temporary"

"Well if you want to shave every day? At least with this stuff you only have to do it about once a fortnight"

"I suppose" Jem sulked while Badg fussed around with something behind her.

"It itches"

"Must be nearly time then" Badg checked Jem's scalp, "yep, lets get it off"

Five minutes later and it was over.

"You wanna see?"

"Not really, but I suppose so"

"Here you go" Badg held a mirror up for her.

"My god!"

"I know, most people do that the first time"

Something caught Jem's attention.

"I thought you were cutting it all off?"

"I was going to but I thought you'd like some hair"

"Er yeah"

"And if we do something with it you'll still be cool"

"Great" Jem replied flatly

She moved her head to get a better view, on each side of her skull, Badg had left, what was essentially a bunch, just like she used to wear in junior school, difference now was that was the only hair on her head.

"You like?"

"Well it's different"

"Just wait until I've finished"

"I thought you had?"

"No. You'd look daft walking round with two blonde bunches like that wouldn't you?"

"I'll look daft anyway, its hardly Sassoon is it"

"Huh"

"Sorry Badg"

"Better get on, this bit won't take too long"

Jem decided to read her book while badge continued her ministrations.

"What you reading"

"Stephanie Plum"

"Looking for tips eh?"

"No. Well okay maybe"

"I'll be back in about ten minutes to wash this out"

"Okay"

Jem was lost in her book when her tormentor returned.

"Right, over to the sink" Badg instructed

It was a strange feeling, the water playing over her hairless scalp, it sort of tickled. The water stopped and Badg dried her off.

"That it?" Jem enquired

"No that was only the bleach"

"Bleach?"

"Well to get true colour you have to start with white right?"

"I guess, erm just what 'true' colour are we talking about here?"

"Oh don't worry so" Badg brushed over the question, "let's get on with it"

For the next half an hour Jem read while Badg tended what was left of her hair. She tried to ignore what was going on but it was difficult with the smells of chemicals all around her.

"Sink!" Badg ordered

Ten minutes later and the latest lot of chemicals were gone.

"Coo-ell. That has come out brilliant!"

"Can I see yet?"

"Couple of minutes, just need to do a bit of trimming"

The snip of scissors, then some tugging against her scalp punctuated the next few minutes. Was it only this morning that she had agreed to this potty idea? 'I'll have to wear a wig' she mused.

" Ta da!" Badg brandished the mirror again.

"Hold it still"

"Sorry"

Jem looked at the unfamiliar image in the glass, the pale and shiny expanse of her scalp and then 'waah!' the two 'bunches stood stiffly out from her head, she reached a hand up to explore.

"It's garden twine, I dyed it to match your hair"

"How come it's so stiff, it feels like it's attached to my head"

"Well it is dumbo. It wouldn't stay like that on it's own."

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's superglued" Badg stated matter of factly

"What!" Jem screamed

"Hey calm down"

"Calm down! Calm down! You superglue my head and tell me to calm down. I'm stuck like this forever!" Jem raged

"No you're not, it lasts about a month"

"I still have to walk round like this for a month"

"I thought that was the idea?"

"Well, er yes it is"

"So what's the problem? Anyway you haven't said how you like the colour?"

Jem looked in the mirror again.

"Er it's different"

"I used ten different shades to get that effect"

"I can see"

If Jem wanted to merge in with them this would certainly make her fit in. The superglued twine ran for maybe two inches up the shaft of hair then gave way to a spray of blue, mauve and pink about another three inches long.

"Well?"

"It's a bit, er"

"Pink!" Badg enthused

"I was going to say different, but pink too"

"No one will mistake you for a square now"

"That's for sure. Thanks Badg."

"'S alright"

"I'd best get home" Jem mentioned getting up

Badg started spluttering and pointing.

"What?"

"I'd forgotten what you're wearing"

Jem glanced down, silk blouse, tweed skirt, stockings and her favourite stiletto sandals.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It doesn't exactly go with your new haircut does it?"

"Shit! You got anything I can borrow Badg?"

"Yeah no worries, strip off and I'll get you something"

Five minutes later Badg returned with a bundle of stuff.

"This is as close to haute couture you're gonna get"

"Thanks" Jem accepted the pile of clothing.

"Oh you might want to put your pants on over those tights, they tend to sag a bit"

Jem slid her knickers off and started to put the pot hole fishnets on.

"Hang on a mo" Badg instructed

"What's up?"

"You need a shave"

"You're kidding right?"

"Nope, all the girls are clean down there"

"Go on then" Jem gave into the indignity of having Badg shave her patch.

"There, you can dress now"

"Thanks" in truth it felt rather nice being smooth. She finished dressing with what little there was, just a slightly torn net and velvet dress that barely reached mid thigh, fingerless fishnet elbow gloves, a black choker and 'my second best boots' according to Badg. They were huge clunky things that laced up to the knee, but they were surprisingly comfortable.

"Well?"

"That dress looks better on you than on me"

"Why thank you kind miss"

"Hmm"

"What now?"

"Well we might as well do a quick makeover and you'll be all done today"

"Okay"

"Sit over here. Just how much do you want to fit in?"

"I'm not gonna get far if I don't go all the way am I?"

"I guess not, hmm, what will suit?" Badg mused to herself, "won't be a minute"

Jem sat and appraised her new wardrobe. Although the shortness of the skirt made her feel a bit exposed, it was all, except maybe the gloves, pretty comfortable.

"Ready?" Badg asked as she returned.

"What's on the menu?" Jem asked eyeing the box Badg had returned with.

"You want to fit in right?"

"Yesss"

"Well you need some piercings then"

"I've got two holes in each ear" Jem stated with a little fear in her voice.

"That's hardly gonna fit in is it. Look you don't have to do this"

Jem thought a moment before answering.

"I've come this far, do your worst" that was a poor choice of words!

"Okay, I'll do them all now and they should be pretty well healed by the weekend. You really okay with this?"

"Just do it and get it over with, I hate needles"

Jem was starting to feel warm just at the idea and when Badg got the first needle out of the sterile packing she was a gonner!

'Just as well, it's easier if she's relaxed and I can do more' Badg mused.

Half an hour later Badg eased the last ball closure into place. 'She's gonna kill me when she see's this lot.'

"Jem, Jem, wake up, I've finished"

"Urgh?"

"I've finished"

"Faint"

"Yes you fainted, I thought I'd best do it while you were out"

"Done?"

"Yep, no one will ever think you're not well into the scene"

"Tung?"

"Sorry it'll be a bit swollen for a day or two and keep off hot drinks"

She nodded acceptance. It was probably a good job that it hurt a fair bit at the moment as it diverted her attention a bit. But not for long.

"Miwor pease"

Badg reluctantly handed Jem the looking glass

"Oh mi gowd! Oo itch!"

"You said all the way Jem"

"Yeth but, but it'th tho mutch" she waved her hand at her face.

'I did tell her to go for it, it's my own fault' Jem mused as she took in her new fixtures. Besides her tongue, her now swollen lower lip now sported a ring too. Her face had also gained a nose ring and a bar through the bridge of her nose, which she could see out of the corner of her eye. For some reason Badg had shaved her eyebrows too, way weird! A movement at her left ear drew her attention there, oh boy, the movement was from a heavy ring at the top of her ear but there was more. A stud or something was through the bit of cartilage in front of her ear hole and a long bar was pierced right across her ear. Looking to her right ear, the cartilage pierce was duplicated and another bar double pierced the ear, this time vertically.

"Fanks I fink" Jem told Badg, "ill ey come out?"

"Course they will, the rings need special tools though" 'and I've superglued the balls onto the bars' Badg said to herself. 'And she'll find the other holes soon enough'.

"Fine" Jem seemed to accept that ok.

"Well we just need to do your makeup and your done, you're gonna have a few bruises on your face I'm afraid. Can you do your nails?"

"Shure"

Another half-hour went by before Badg was satisfied. Looking in the mirror, Jem didn't recognise herself. All the usual landmarks of recognition were gone, hair, eyebrows even clothes and new landmarks now defined her appearance, the facial piercings, bald head with it's bizarre adornments, Badg had glued some small rhinestones on the back of her head now as well.

'Even my own mother won't recognise me like this' she mused.

"Anksth Badth"

"What are friends for"

"I'th beth be off"

"Remember what I told you"

"Shure thin Badth"

"Take care"

Jem grabbed the carrier bag with her own stuff in and left Badger's flat. She really was on her own now. Even on the short walk to her car she had to run the gamut of dirty looks and insults that would now be a constant in her life until she finished the job. 'I'm a freak now, I went to Badger's a normal human being and I've come out a freak.'

She'd given herself a week to get 'into' character and here on day one she was already there as far as appearance goes. More time to immerse herself in the culture she was now supposed to be part of. God these tights itch and this bra is chafing.

Maddy Bell 01.01.04 Updated with images 02.02.04 © 2004

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