Olivia Rodrigo’s makeunder

in the small, conservative town of Cedar Creek, Wisconsin, Olivia Rodrigo found herself in an unusual predicament. She was driving her car, its engine purring smoothly as the wind played with her hair. Olivia, caught up in the peaceful Midwestern scenery, was lost in her thoughts. Usually having a large van for her whole entourage she decided to instead drive herself, and meet her crew at her next location.

As fate would have it, just as Olivia was about to reach her destination, probably 4-5 hours drive from her next concert, her car suddenly sputtered and came to an abrupt halt. Panicked, she glanced around, realizing she was surrounded by sprawling fields and a few quaint houses.

Elsewhere in town Constance scowled. Her daughter was watching that Rodrigo girl again. She’d even copied the girls “style” if you could call those revealing outfits clothes. And that hair! Her daughter had copied it, growing out her nice neat bob into something akin to a harlot. The girl was in her late teens! She needs a nice short perm like mine Constance thought. Not silly rats tails hanging halfway down her back!

Imagine her surprise when that Rodrigo girls car broke down just outside her house. A scheme quickly took over Constance’s mind. Quickly phoning all the other mothers in the area they devised what to do.

“Hello dear!” Constance said, walking over smiling brightly whilst fluffing her short tight perm. “Having some car trouble?”. “Umm yes…” Olivia replied, shivering when she saw the old woman’s shaved nape shining in the sunlight. “I don’t know the problem”

“How about I call for the mechanic and you can wait in my friends shop?…” Constance tried, still giving her welcoming smile, a calculated smile to get Olivia’s trust, at least for now.

Feeling no reason not to trust this woman, Olivia followed. “Do you know who I am?” She asked, silently giggling.

“No, should I?” Constance replied, smiling sweetly. The lie should keep miss Rodrigo busy for a little while longer. “Oh, here we are!”

The shop was a small place, boasting a small but simple sign. “The hair place” with a small scissor, comb and roller symbol below it. As the pair entered it revealed a small stylists, a single chair with the mirror covered by a black sheet, a large retro helmet hair drier and a single sink, looking like you’d lean forward, not back, to wash your hair.

“You take the comfy stylists chair deary, the phones next to the waiting chair” Constance said smiling. “Audrey! We have a visitor!”

A small older woman appeared from the back door, still smoking her cigarette. Her hair was identical to Constance’s, albeit with a blue tint. And her clothes of the same style, but in different colours. “I see that I see that, take a seat you two.” She said with slight annoyance in her voice.

Olivia sat down, grabbing her hair defensively.

“Come sit down dear, my daughter would love to meet you” Audrey said, smiling sadistically. As Olivia sat Audrey approached her right side as Constance approached her left. “You have very long hair don’t you?…” Audrey smiled.

“Umm… yes… I guess I do…”. Just then Olivia’s arms were held down to the chairs armrests, and zip ties tightened around her wrists.

“I’m so sorry about that, must’ve been so long since you had a trim, never mind a perm look at those straight rats tails!” Audrey said with a giggle. “Don’t worry, we’ll make you into a good role model for our daughters, Constance, be a lamb and go get miss Rodrigo some nice new clothes, I think she’s only brought her bedclothes!”

Olivia was reeling, struggling against the tie raps, her head flying about wildly until she felt a sharp tug of her hair and she let out a pained squeal.

“Sit still, and try not to talk, and I promise you won’t leave here needing a wig” Audrey said in a calm but terrifying tone. Olivia sat still, tears welling as her hair was collected into 2 pigtails.

The scissors flashed in front of Olivia’s face, the silver reflecting into her eyes. “We’re just going to give you a nice, simple, mature, and most of all, plain look” and with that the scissors dug into the first  pigtail.

Soon after the cutting finished and 2 pigtails were collected in Audrey’s hands. “These will go for a hefty price! So long and thick!”

She held one of the pigtails up to her shaved bald nape. “I haven’t had a ponytail in years, don’t I look pretty?” She mocked, pretending to dance like the pop star. Laying down the pigtails in front of Olivia the cutting started again.

In record time Olivia’s hair was reduced to a shaggy layered cut of about 3 inches in length. Audrey had done this cut many times before and knew that precision wasn’t important. Olivia’s teary eyes darted back towards Audrey, her cut hair, and the covered reflection.

Deftly sectioning a horizontal strip of hair, Audrey starting rolling Olivia’s hair in tight perm rods. Working as quickly and efficiently as humanly possible.

“Ouch!”

“Miss Rodrigo what is the matter!”

“That’s too tight you’re pulling my hair out!!!”

Audrey sighed and rolled her eyes. “I have been doing this for years, don’t speak up again.”

Save for a few yelps of pain, Olivia sat quiet as a church mouse as her hair became a carapace of perm rods, with just her nape left untouched.

*pop!* *bzzzzz*

Olivia jumped, her eyes popping nearly out of their sockets as the clippers touched her nape. “A nice clean look dear, not seen many your age get this done however…”

As Olivia’s gape was clipped away, stubble still showed. But a creamy cool thing was spread on it, soon tingling unpleasantly.

“Just some nair my dear, should keep that silly nape of yours hair free for a few days.” Audrey said smiling that sadistic smile.

Olivia was reeling, unable to focus or get words out of her mouth as the cream was wiped off. A small squeak was let off from the tensioned skin.

Cotton wool was wrapped around Olivia’s new hairline and a foul smelling liquid was applied to every rod. “J-just wondering… what is that…” Olivia said, not quite sure if she wanted to know the answer.

“Perm solution” Audrey said rolling her eyes. “Because you’re a woman now” the solution covering Olivia’s carapace.

“P-please don’t…” Olivia said meekly.

“A bit late hun!” Audrey said laughing. She rolled over the large helmet drier plopping it on Olivia’s head and turning it to full as Constance returned to the store.

“Oh yay! All those silly rats tails are already on the floor!” In her hand was a suit carry bag, clearly full even with shoes. “I got her something new for the occasion but for the rest she can have my old dress and apron… something tells me you’ll be doing a lot more housework soon sweetie!” The elderly housewife chuckled.

“Oh her makeup is ruined let me help.” Constance said, walking to the girl and wiping her face clear of the tear marked makeup.

“No more worrying about makeup, or your hair, or boys…” she said as she wiped. “Someday you might even make a good housewife” she added with a chuckle.

Soon Olivia’s face was makeup free and she was released from the helmet prison. As soon as that happened her head was yanked forward into the sink to be rinsed off and then brought back up.

The 2 older women worked with gusto, stripping Olivia of her previous clothes as Audrey did some final touches to Olivia’s hair, some small cuts as she fired up the clippers again, skimming them across the circumference of the new hair.

The new clothes were put on but Olivia couldn’t see them yet, the mirror still covered and the pair having worked under the cape.

Then they both stood, one ready to lift the cape and the other the curtain on the mirror. Olivia filled with dread.

“3…2…1!” The lift was sudden, and Olivia stared in horror. Gone were her silky long locks, and in its place stood a plebeian middle aged perm. Length wasn’t a good word to describe it anymore, depth however was. It was a perfect circle, not one hair out of place and shining in the overhead lights with the amount of hairspray used. The nape was clear she saw as a small mirror was brought up by the beaming Audrey. Not one hair remained there and it looked like there was never any there in the first place.

Her face was makeup free, her premature wrinkles (touring was a great strain on anyone, especially one so young) were apparent without makeup to hide them and her forehead without hair or makeup to cover it shone brightly in the reflection.

Her clothes were also replaced. No more short skirts for her, “they wont suit you anymore!” Constance said with a grin. In its place was a pink pleated midi-skirt covering her knees, little flat shoes like an old ladies and a blue blouse paired with a yellow cardigan.

Overall it looked like she had aged to her late 30’s, not a young girl of 20 anymore.

“Usually I’d give you a set but since this is your first time I’ll let you go with what you’ll be wearing for the foreseeable future” Audrey said giggling as they released Olivia’s hands.

Immediately they went up to her hair, testing. It felt rock solid, crunching as she tried to move it.

“That’s right deary! No more time consuming hair styling for you!” Constance said giddily. “Just a nice plain short perm!”

“A good example for my daughter now! Maybe she’ll even follow in your footsteps…”

Audrey picked up her camera. “Come here, smile for the camera.”

In shock, olivia entered autopilot. She struck her pose and smile as if she was on the red carpet, immediately regretting it afterwards.

“This is going on my window and I’ll ask someone to send it to the news people! Olivia Rodrigo gets her perm done here!”