ALLURA'S NEW GROOVE - PART 2

“Boy, Allura’s in a really strange mood. Wonder what’s going on? What’cha think, Lance?” Hunk nudges me with an elbow and nearly knocks me out of the chair.

“I think you need to start remembering your own strength, you big lummox.” I glare at him and rub my ribs. He gives me a big, goofy grin.

“Sorry, ol’ buddy. I keep forgetting what a delicate flower you are.”

Pidge snickers. I nudge Hunk back and he barely moves. Pidge laughs even harder. Coran stares us down until we get quiet, then he continues with the welcoming speech. Keith comes back into the room looking confused and unhappy. He stops by Coran’s chair to whisper to him, then he rounds the table and plunks into the seat on my left.

“What’s going on, Cap’n?” I ask quietly. “What’s wrong with Allura?”

Keith gives his head a slight shake. “I have no idea, Lance. None at all.” He turns his attention back to the speech.

Immediately the gears start working. I do recall Allura aiming the green-eyed monster look in Tasia’s direction while she and Dexter were kidding around. Then she stared at Keith for a little bit and she smirked. I wonder what kind of thoughts were churning in that little blonde head of hers.

Coran concludes the meeting and dismisses everyone to the dining hall for refreshments and socializing. Right then Nanny comes barreling into the room with a look of absolute terror on her face. She rushes up to Coran, seizes him by his shirt and shakes him so hard I can hear his teeth rattle from where I’m standing.

“The Princess, the Princess!” She gasps and gives Coran another hearty shake. “She’s gone mad! You have to stop her!” She lets go and rushes back through the door without a word of explanation. Coran casts a concerned look our way and runs after her. The rest of us chase after Coran.

Nanny is alternately fussing and weeping aloud as she races through the halls. Never thought a woman that chubby could move so fast, but she does, running all the way to the castle salon. She stops just outside the open door and falls to her knees, sobbing into her apron. Coran goes to the doorway, looks into the room, startles and gasps. Keith breaks rank and shoves him aside to see what’s going on, and he freezes in shock. The rest of us crowd the doorway to see what’s happened.

“She cut her hair!” Nanny wails. “Oh, just look at it! Look at what she’s done!”

Allura is seated in a stylist’s chair, admiring herself in a large hand-held mirror. She has bangs, and her hair now falls only slightly past her shoulder blades. The remaining length is lying in loose golden tufts on the floor all around the chair.

For crying out loud. The way Nanny was carrying on I thought Allura attempted suicide and was lying in a pool of her own blood. I can’t believe they’re all freaking out over a haircut. I mean sure, it’s a big surprise, but come on now…

I shoulder my way through the crowd to stand beside Keith. “Aren’t we overreacting just a teensy-weensy little bit here?”

Keith turns to me, grips my arm and gives it a shake. “Lance...!”

“Yeah, Cap’n.”

He shakes my arm again, harder this time. “Lance! She - she...hair...cut...”

“Keith, you’re hyperventilating. Cut it out, man.”

It takes him a few moments to recover. Then he draws a slow, shuddering breath and points at her. “Allura...cut...her…hair…!”

I give an affirming nod. “She sure did. I think she looks kinda cute, myself.”

Allura smiles at me, clearly enjoying the moment. “Why, thank you, Lance.” She sets the mirror aside and slowly rises from the chair, a model of serenity as she faces her slack-jawed audience.

“I decided that I need a change. I’m sure you’ll get used to it eventually. I certainly have to. I didn’t realize how heavy long hair can be. Now if you’ll all excuse me, I’m going back to my room.”

She’s still smiling as she walks past us - not that fake expression she can call up on demand for appearances’ sake, but a really, sincerely happy smile. She walks down the hall and rounds the corner, never looking back, leaving some very shocked and confused people in her wake.

“What in the world went on here?” Coran blurts out finally. The hairdresser winces.

“I had no choice,” the hairdresser says softly. “She came in and told me she wanted her hair cut. I tried to coax her out of it, but when she realized that I didn’t want to do it she picked up a pair of scissors and began to snip away on her own. I was too startled to react at first, but I did manage to get the scissors away from her after a moment. Then I had to fix the mess she made of it.”

“I see,” Coran says flatly. Nanny snaps out of her blubbering and springs to her feet.

“What have you brutes done to my baby to make her want to do something like this?” She waves a fist in our direction. “Who’s been tormenting her this time?” She storms right up to Keith and gets in his face. Keith blanches. He probably doesn’t want to get the same shaking that Coran did. Not that I blame him.

“No one’s been teasing her, Nanny,” he blurts. “I’m just as surprised at what happened as you are, trust me.”

“Then what is this all about? I’ve never, ever seen her in a mood like this before.” She plants her hands on her hips and awaits an explanation. Then the silence is broken by Tasia’s laughter. Everyone turns to look at her.

“Y’all are too much,” she giggles. “Too much.”

Coran isn’t amused. “Young lady, this is no time for merriment. The princess is behaving very oddly, and we need to find out why as quickly as possible.”

Tasia shakes her head and makes tsk-tsk noises. “I can’t believe you don’t see it.”

“Don’t see what?” Coran asks.

“Don’t see that the princess is looking for a new groove.”

Nanny blinks at her. “A new...what?”

“A new groove. She’s tired of the same-old same-old, and she wants to do something different. So y’all better brace yourselves, ‘cause there’s gonna be a lot more goin’ down where this came from.”

Coran furrows his brow in thought. “A new...groove, you say. Is this going to be dangerous?”

Tasia shrugs. “Might be, might not be. It all depends on what she intends to do to get what she wants.”

I turn and give Keith a huge grin. He shrugs back, looking completely clueless. Dexter takes it in with quiet contemplation, as he has been all along.

“Well,” Coran concludes with a quiet sigh. “Since you appear to have a firm grasp on this, ahh…this ‘groove’ business, Tasia, perhaps you’d be so kind as to look in on Allura and let us know how it’s progressing.”

Tasia bites back a chuckle. “Sure Coran, no problem.”

“Good,” Nanny chimes in. “Please tend to it right away. I’d like to see her in a better mood by lunch time, if you could do that.” She smoothes down her apron and leaves, glancing back at the hair on the floor like it was a dead body.

“All right, then.” Coran still looks a bit dismayed. “Now that the matter is settled, I suppose you’re all dismissed. Keith, take over from here. Good day to you all.” He departs the same way Nanny went. Keith looks around at Tasia.

“Keep me updated on how she’s doing too, all right?”

Tasia snaps out a salute. “You got it, Cap’n Keithie. I’m outtie.” She looks at Dexter. “You need me for anything, Sir?”

Dexter shakes his head and shrugs. “Nope, not me. Go ahead.”

Tasia smiles to herself as she walks away. Keith turns to address the rest of us.

“Okay, so now it’s time to get back to business. After our little party, my team will take patrols today. Dexter, you and your people get next tour, and it’s up to you to decide who goes when. Keep my rotation in mind when you do - I don’t want the same Lion out twice in a row for the changeover from my shift to yours. Other than that, it’s whatever you decide. Nola, your team won’t get any real time this evening, but that’ll give you the opportunity to set up an arrangement for tomorrow. Shannon, Lynne, Caroline, you’re all free to go. And that’s pretty much it for now. Any questions? No? Then I’ll see most of you at our little get-together, I suppose. Group dismissed.”

I remain where I am and smile at him as everyone else heads down the hall. He gives me an irritated look. “What, Lance?”

“I bet I know exactly what she’s going to do to relieve her frustration. She’s gonna have you scrubbed down and sent to her teepee. You just watch and see.”

He frowns at me. “That’s not the least bit funny.”

“Who said anything about it being funny? I just want to be the first to extend my heartfelt congratulations.” I hold out a hand. He gives an indignant snort and walks away. I grin after him as he leaves.

To Allura's New Groove: Part 1

To Allura's New Groove: Part 3