Canon

It had been days since the actor strike had begun, and the boredom was starting to wear on Ariana. With no rehearsals, no shoots, and nothing but free time stretching endlessly ahead of her, she was finding it harder and harder to shake the feeling that something was missing. The initial excitement of having a break had worn off, replaced by a deep, restless itch to do something.

And so, when she’d come across a TikTok video of someone giving themselves a "butterfly cut"—a trendy, layered hairstyle she’d seen all over social media—it felt like the perfect solution. It was easy. It was something she could control. It was a way to fill the silence, a way to break the monotony. A way to feel like herself again.

But what was supposed to be a simple, creative solution quickly spiraled into a mess she couldn’t escape.

Cynthia opened the front door and stepped inside, expecting to be greeted by Ariana’s usual bubbly energy or the faint hum of music playing from somewhere in the house. But tonight, it was unusually quiet.

“Babe?” she called, setting her bag down by the door and slipping off her shoes.

No response.

Her brow furrowed as she walked through the house, checking the living room, the kitchen—still no sign of Ariana. She climbed the stairs, her steps soft against the carpet. It wasn’t until she reached the bathroom that she heard it: quiet sniffles coming from inside.

Concern instantly flared in her chest. “Ari?” Cynthia knocked gently on the bathroom door. “Are you okay?”

There was a long pause before a muffled, shaky voice replied, “Go away.”

Cynthia’s heart dropped at the sound of Ariana’s voice—there was something fragile about it, and it made her worry even more. She gently tried the door handle, but it was locked. "Ari?" she called softly, her hand resting against the door. “What’s going on? Please let me in.”

“Go away!” Ariana’s voice cracked from the other side. It sounded small and distant, and it made Cynthia’s heart ache. She pressed her ear against the door, trying to hear better.

“Ari, talk to me, please,” Cynthia said, her voice pleading now. “I’m not going anywhere. Whatever’s going on, we can fix it together.”

A long silence stretched between them. Then, slowly, the sound of footsteps shuffled inside the bathroom. The lock clicked, but the door didn’t open.

“Ari?” Cynthia’s voice was softer this time. “Let me in.”

Finally, the door creaked open just a little, but Ariana’s hand stayed on the handle from the inside, as though she was still hesitant. When Cynthia stepped forward, Ariana’s voice came through, barely a whisper. “You’re going to think I’m ridiculous.”

“I promise I won’t,” Cynthia said, her heart in her throat. “Just let me in, baby. Please?”

The door opened just enough for Ariana to peer out, her face tear-streaked, her eyes red-rimmed. She looked vulnerable—more so than Cynthia had ever seen her. A deep pang of concern settled in her chest as she saw the state Ariana was in. Without a word, Cynthia gently pushed the door the rest of the way open.

Ariana stepped back into the bathroom, her head hanging low as she wiped her face. She turned away, but Cynthia could see the frustration and sadness on her face. "I—" Ariana choked out, but she didn’t finish the sentence.

Cynthia stepped inside, slowly and cautiously, her voice soft as she reached out. “Ari, baby, what happened?”

Ariana glanced over her shoulder, biting her lip as if she were debating whether to let the words out. She finally spoke, her voice quivering, “I—I tried to cut my hair. You know, the butterfly cut... from TikTok.”

Cynthia blinked, slightly taken aback by the confession. “Ari… you cut your hair? You didn’t tell me you were doing that.” Her voice softened even further as she stepped closer. “Why didn’t you ask for help?”

Ariana sighed shakily, running her hands through her messy hair. "I thought I could do it. But I messed up. I’m a mess, Cyn. I just... look at it,” she said, gesturing helplessly at her uneven, jagged hair. “It’s horrible. I look ridiculous.”

Cynthia’s heart dropped, but she quickly steadied herself, knowing she needed to be practical. “Okay. Let’s take a look.”

She gently reached out to touch the uneven strands, her fingers brushing lightly through the ends. “It’s not that bad, Ari. Just... let me fix it. We’ll get it right.”

Ariana stared at her in disbelief. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

Cynthia shook her head. “No, really. It’s not as bad as you think. We can clean it up, I promise.” She gave her a small, reassuring smile. “I’ll fix it, alright?”

Ariana bit her lip, wiping a stray tear away. “Okay... but just don’t laugh at me, alright?”

Cynthia smiled gently. “I won’t. I’m not laughing. Just... stay still. Let’s get this sorted.”

She stood and grabbed her phone, opening the TikTok tutorial as she set up. Ariana sat down on the closed toilet lid, still looking uneasy, but she relaxed a little, nodding. Cynthia grabbed the comb and scissors from the counter, checking the cut once more. “Alright,” Cynthia said, her tone light but focused. “You’ve got a lot of layers here. Let’s just even it out.”

Ariana looked at her through the mirror, still clearly self-conscious. “It looks... bad, right?”

“No,” Cynthia said firmly. “It’s fixable.” She worked slowly, carefully trimming the jagged edges. 

Ariana sighed. “I thought it would help. I just needed to do something. All this time off, it’s like I’m losing control over everything. And now my hair’s a mess.”

Cynthia glanced up, her expression soft but steady. “Ari, you’re not losing control. You’re just bored. The strike’s making everything feel uncertain, I get it. But you’re allowed to feel frustrated.”

Ariana didn’t answer right away, but the tension in her shoulders seemed to ease just a little as Cynthia continued to work. The room was quiet except for the snip of the scissors and the soft hum of the fan overhead.

“There,” Cynthia said after a while, stepping back to take a look. “Better.”

Ariana sat up slowly, turning to face the mirror. She ran her fingers through the layers, inspecting the work. Her expression shifted from uncertain to surprised. “Wow... you fixed it.”

Cynthia smiled. “Told you. You look great.”

Ariana turned to face her, a small but genuine smile tugging at her lips. “Thank you, Cyn. I didn’t think you’d actually pull it off.”

Cynthia grinned. “You should know better than to doubt me by now.”

Ariana laughed quietly, her mood lightening. “Yeah, yeah. Maybe next time I’ll leave the haircuts to the professionals.”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “I’m charging you for this one.”

Ariana rolled her eyes but smiled, leaning over to kiss Cynthia’s cheek. “Deal.”

Cynthia chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Ariana’s hair. “Consider it paid in full.”