Brian made a face. " Are you sure Peter...I don't want to interupt anything" he said with a un-easy look.

*****

Andrew stuck his tongue out at her. "Yes I do" Amanda was beginning to see how fun Andrew was. "Are you girlies all done with the dress buying?"

Abigal nodded. "Pretty much" she said. "We were just looking for a craft store. That's all."

"Oh...well there is one on the far end of town. I know where it is. I could drive you there" he said suggesting it.

Peter nodded. "I'm sure. He is my cousin, Justin's borther and we hadn't seen him in six months. But, it's fine. Come on, let's play." He check the ball to Johnny, then ran down the court with it.

Johny leaned over his cousin. "Oooh, Peter," he noticed. "Nice..." Haircut? Hairdo?

"Blender accident?" he finally guessed. "Or a tragic incident involving the nail clippers, like when you were in third grade?"

Peter stopped in his tracks, droppping the ball from his hands. "Some girls in school cut it, so I had to get Maralyn to even it out." He put his hands over his shorn head, suddenly missing his hair again.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Amanda felt a sugre of excitement. "Yeah, but you can't go in. It's bad luck to see what the bride is wearing before her wedding." She smirked, putting her hand on her black car.

Brian looked at Johnny. He barely knew the boy, but he placed his hands on his hips. "Don't make fun of Peter's hair, it wasn't his fault!"

*******

Andrew sighed, and rubbed Abigal's hair, messing it up. "Oh..alright...how about I drive with my eyes closed then!?" He said to Amanda, with a boyish grin.

Peter was able to stop the tears at his eyes, when Brian finally stood up for him. He walked up to his friend. "Thanks."
~~
Amanda laughed. "Oh, no! Don't do that!"

Jen saw Peter with Brian and went up to him. "What happened? Are you all right?"

Peter sighed sadly. "Johnny is back from Ronia. Said my hair looked like it's been in a blender." He ran a hand over the practical stubs of hair. "I really miss my hair."

Jen looked sadly at Peter. When was his pain going to end?
"Don't worry about it, Peter. It'll grow back. You know it will!"

Glumly, Peter patted his head, not sure to be glad of the super short strands at the top or to cry becuase he was shorn. "Then, it will get taken away again."

"It's all a huge part of God's plan for you. It'll come out all right," Jen said. She wished she could say something more, but she couldn't think of anything else that would comfort him.

Lyneya, who had been standing away at a short distance, heard everything Johnny had said to Peter. Her temper flared up and before she thought about it clearly, she went up to him.
"I can't believe you, Johnny! You're worse than Miranda, and that's saying a lot!"
Instead of waiting for Johnny to answer, she pushed past him angrily and went over to Peter and Jen.

"Uh...," began Johny. "Uh... Pete? What'd I...?" He loked from his cousin to his brother, and back again. He sighed.

Justin shook his head, frustrated at his brother's cluelessness. "You made fun of his hair. He didn't cut it himself. Some girls at school cut it off, so Maralyn had to even it out. Glad she didn't hear you say that. She really didn't want to, but she had to even it from when the girls cut it."

Peter groaned, "I look so ugly."

"Haven't you heard the story of the Ugly Duckling?" Lyneya asked. She purposefully ignored Johnny and his cluelessness.

Peter tried to chuckle, after wiping a tear. "I think that story was read to only girls." He shook his head.