"Well it will grow back. But he's not handling it well....he's crying alot...upset" Justin said quietly

******

Peter nodded. "I know....I don't want it all out...I'll be bald. Then you won't want me as a boyfriend. No one will even want me as a friend" he said with a emotional voice.

Jen gave him a comforting smile a light in her eyes. "Hey, even if you did go bald, I will still love you. I could rub your head, draw on it, kiss it. like this." She kisssed his forehead, wrapping her arms around him, then pulled away, but I still hope your hair stays."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chrissa swallowed. How could her parents do this? His hair was very special to him.

Peter only nodded to her and got up from his chair, snatching a piece of cheese. "I'm going to go to bed..." he said staring at Miley. "It's church in the morning and if I want to get up I'd better get sleep." he stumbled up the stairs to his room, hearing Miley converse with Jen and Brian. He sighed going into his room and kicked off his socks. Then he changed into his night clothes and laid down on his sheets which were cool to touch. "Good night..." he whispered and fell asleep.

************

It was in the morning, when he woke up, he knew something was wrong. His head was cold, and touching his head, he could feel that less of his hair was there. His heart began thumping fast, and swallowing he opened his eyes and gazed down at his pillow, which was covered in dark curls from his head. He cried, and jumped back from it running his hands through the remainder of his hair. "I'm going to be bald!! I'm going to be bald!!" he croaked shaking. "MILEY!!!"

Miley had just finished her breakfast. When she heard Peter's panicked cries, she rushed to his room to see him sobbing and masses of hair on his pillow. She rushed to his side, as she saw him rubbing his hands through his thin hair. "Oh, Peter!" She thrust her arms around him and stroked his fine hair. "This can't be happening. This isn't forever, Peter I promise." She got a blanket, wrapping it around her cousin, who was still sobbing and shaking and she held him close to her. He was pretty much bald around the temples except for one fine layer on each side. most of his dark bangs were gone and the back and sides were so flat and thin, but not yet showing his scalp.
~~~~~~~~~
Chrissa was getting ready for church, when she told her mother, "Mom, Peter is going bald now, because he's stressed out. Please can I be with him, Miley and Jen. All this reminder of his past has brought up soem of the stress. It will grow back but I really need you to see he's changed.
~~~~~~~~~
Miley tried arranging Peter's hair in a way to make it less visable, but she could tell he could not stop crying at the sight of his reflection. In fact, seeing himself in the mirror only made him cry harder. "You still feel like going to church?"

"I'm sorry Chrissa" her Mother said, fitting on a hat. "But no. I won't have that boy influncing you. I believe he's changed but you never know what may happen. After you graduate, maybe, but not now." she said smoothed down her dress. "Are you ready? I don't want to be late"

****

Peter looked at himself in the long mirror. "I-I...." he stuttered looking at what was left of his hair. His cheeks were so red, he wondered if his whole face would ever be the same. "I guess..." he croaked knowing it was what God wanted. He whimpered and turned away falling to his knees and the bed-side, and praying pleading to he Lord for Help.

*****

A half an hour later, Miley, Peter, and his aunt and uncle sat in the back rows of the church. Peter sat low in the pew not wishing to be seen and made fun of. Everyone else had a lot of hair....thick lush hair. But he didn't...he whimpered and looked down putting his head in his hands. "Everyone has hair and I don't...not like I used to.."

Miley could see her dear cousin shaking and rubbed his back. "I love you, sweetie." When it was time to stand up, she stayed seated, holding her cousin's torso and prayed for him, begging God to give him strength and let his hair come back. The preacher was saying our hardhips were not forever, that God would see them through. She wondered if Peter was listening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jen was sitting in the pew with most their friends, wondering if MIley and Peter were there. She saw that Chrissa was with her parents. She cast Chrissa a sad, apologetic glance then tried focusing on the sermon.

Peter tried to listen to God's word, and what the preacher was saying. But it was hard because his mind was caught up in the sadness and stress currently occuring in his life. He felt Miley's arms around his body and whispered over to her, "Miley....I want this all to stop...I've prayed so many times. I keep praying. God will answer this some time. I know he will" but he said it more of as a question then a confident statement.

*******

Justin was seated in the fronts rows listening carefully to the pastor. His arm was firmly placed around his wifes shoulder. He leaned over and kissed her cheek before whispering "Have you seen where Peter is sitting?"

Maralyn looked around, seeing him sitting in the back leaned against Miley. "Poor boy. He's so weak. What can we do for him?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miley could hear the question in his voice. "Baby, you know He will. It doens't seem like it now and everything just seems crazy and like it doesn't make sense but trust me one day it will amke sense." She stroked the rest of his limp hair, glad more was not falling out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the service someone spotted Peter and walked up to him. "Looks like you're losing your hair. God is finally punishing you for your pride over your hair."

Miley gasped at what the person said. She quickly put her arms around her cousin. "You don't even know him."

Peter tried hard not to cry. He turned away from the person and stared up at Miley. "Can we please...go home..." he whimpered running his fingers through what was left of his big soft curls.

"Of course..." Miley said leading him away from the person. She took him far away and kissed the top of his head, hugging him. "Oh Peter, we'll go back home if you like. I'm sorry if you didn't enjoy being here...maybe I shouldn't have taken you.."

******

As the sermon finished, and the music was playing for them all to leave Maralyn and Justin got up. "Justin.." Maralyn quietly said, getting his attention. "This is only a suggestion...but what if Peter did get his hair cut? Maybe if he did it would make it more even and be less noticable that it is falling out. I know it means alot to him, but maybe he should seriously think about it"

Justin thought for a minute. "It does make sense. It is pretty obvious it is falling out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter was about to step out the door, when Maralyn and Justin caught up to them. He wanted to cry inot his cousin's shirt, but decided it would not be best for in public.
~~~~~~~~
Not knowing how to say it, Justin repeated what his wife said. HIs heart sunk when he saw tears form his cousin's eyes, but to his suprise, his cousin agreed, "Yeah, we might as well."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter agreed to this because the words that person said about being prideful over his hair were stuck in his head. Also, he did want it less visable.

Miley gasped when she heard Peter agree. "Oh Peter your not serious are you? Your hair means so much..." she knelt in front of him and twirled a curl around her finger. "Don't be upset about what that person told you. God doesn't punish people, He allows things to happen so you can grow closer to Him. If you just doing this because your feeling bad don't! I know you care about your hair"

Maralyn nodded. "Peter if you don't want to you don't have to have it cut. It was just a suggestion...we won't force you"

*****

As the small group talked, Mileys father over heard thier conversation. "Peter.." he said coming to his nephew and motioning for Miley to move away. "I have to agree. Though like Maralyn said, if you really don't want to. We won't force you. We won't even mention it again"

*****

Miley shook her head. She knew that Peter didn't truly want it cut....he was just feeling guilty for caring about it so much. "Peter no...I know you don't really want it cut"

Peter thought about this, running his hand through what was left of his hair. He really didn't want it cut. He wanted the back of it mid neck again.
Justin said, "It is up to you. You probably won't like it if you cut it."
Peter knew they were right. He didn't want it cut and it didn't have to be. "I don't want it cut."

Miley smiled and hugged him. "I knew you didn't reallly want it cut. It WILL grow back Peter and it will be the perfect length and it will never fall out again"

Maralyn looked down, feeling upset for even suggestioning it. "I'm sorry Peter....I didn't want it cut I just thought it may help"

********

His uncle shrugged. "It's your descision Peter, not ours"

Peter wiped his wet eyes, kicking himself mentally for not holding in the tears and crying in a public place...again. "That's okay Maralyn." He shook his head. "I'm such a crybaby." He stormed over to the car.

Justin called after him. "Peter, wait!" He ran to catch up with his cousin and found him crying against the car. "Peter, we don't want you to cut your hair. It was just a suggestion."

"I know....that's not it...I don't want my hair cut....but I just can't help it!" he sobbed. "I just can't stop it. My hair is falling out, people are sneering at me....everyone can see me crying" he sunk down to his knees and pounded a heavy fist into the car. Tears just poured down his cheeks and his feeble attempts to wipe them away were in vain. "I don't understand.....I don't understand....why!? I want it all to stop, I want to stop it but I can't." he wept and hit his head against the metal. He shook, the stress beginning to take it's toll again. He squeezed Justin's arm weakly.