She had always been envious of her older sister. Melanie had perfectly straight brunette hair that looked sleek no matter how much she washed it, and it always fell in perfect strands when she pulled it into her dancer’s bun. Barbara's unruly curls had been a torment since birth. She had pulled them into braids well into middle school until the girls on her bus had taken to calling her “Pippi” and yanking on her hair. But if she didn’t do something with it, her curls frizzed out in every direction. Classmates who sat behind her complained that they couldn’t see. She found herself smoothing down her hair throughout the day and glancing at her reflection as she passed the windows. She had always wished for Melanie’s hair.
Barbara sighed and carefully clipped Melanie’s torn photo on her stan
