Jeff Gets a Haircut
By a Recruit
It was already close to 90 degrees on the first day of summer vacation. Jeff had just stepped out of the shower and was drying his long blonde hair. He had the longest hair of any of the guys at Riverside High School, and he usually wore it in a pony-tail which reached below the middle of his back. It had been years since Jeff had allowed scissors anywhere near his long golden locks, and he vowed to keep his hair long forever. All the girls at school were after him because of his gorgeous hair and equally great body (though Jeff really didn't care much about girls). Jeff's dad had finally just about given up trying to get Jeff to cut his hair, and Jeff was now 18 and determined to keep it the way he liked.
Finally Jeff managed to get his hair dried, untangled, and tied in a pony-tail. He glanced in the mirror and thought about how much he liked the look of long-haired guys. Soon his close friend Ken arrived. Ken's brown hair was almost as long as Jeff's. Sometimes Jeff and Ken were regarded as "long-haired hippies," but a lot of the guys at school had fairly long hair, and to most people it didn't matter.
Jeff and Ken decided to grab their bicycles and take a long bike ride in the country. Some three hours later, after a 50-mile ride in the 90 degree heat, both were hot, tired, and dripping with sweat. They decided to take a shower in order to cool off before heading out to get something to eat. Once again, Jeff spent a half an hour washing, drying, and combing his long hair. "Hurry up, quit playing with your long hair. Let's go eat, I'm strarved," Ken yelled to Jeff.
"You know, sure is hot today. Sometimes I think it would be cooler without all this hair," said Jeff. Ken agreed, and then Jeff added, "and I wouldn't have to spent hours everyday washing, drying, and combing it."
"Well, why don't you cut it off?" Ken said."Yeah, I might just do that," said Jeff.
"I've never seen you with short hair. That would sure freak out everybody," said Ken. "But you're just joking. I bet 10 bucks you won't really do it."
"Okay, it's a bet," Jeff said. "But if I get mine you have to get yours cut too."
"It's a deal," Ken agreed......................
Later that afternoon Jeff ran into two of his other long-haired buddies, Tom and Bill. Jeff mentioned that he was thinking about getting a short hair-cut.
"I thought you said you were never gonna cut your hair," Tom said."Well, I bet you 10 bucks that I'm gonna get it cut," Jeff said.
"You'll never do it. If you cut your hair, I'll cut mine too," said Tom. And soon Jeff had made a 10 dollar bet with Tom and another with Bill.
.....................
The next morning Jeff was walking past the town barber shop. "Maybe I really should get a haircut," he thought. "I'll be 30 dollars richer and a lot cooler. But I really like my long hair." With his heart pounding, he started to cross the street toward the barber shop. But he kept on going, thinking, "no I don't want to cut it."
But on his way home he was passing the barber shop again. There was no one waiting, and the barber was sitting in the chair reading the newspaper. A sudden impulse caused Jeff to walk into the shop. He thought to himself, "I don't want to do this." But in a flash he found himself in the barber chair.
"Ready for a little trim? You'll feel a lot cooler in this heat," the barber said. Now there was no turning back. But for some strange reason Jeff was suddenly overcome with the desire to have his long hair cut off.
"I want a short buzz-cut -- real, real short," said Jeff.
"Are you sure you want it that short?" said the barber. "How 'bout I leave it a little longer, long enough to comb. Then if you want it shorter, I can do that."
"No, cut it all off -- very, very short, Marine style."
"You'll look like a bowling ball!"
"That's okay. I want it extra, extra short."
"Okay. You're the boss," said the barber. "About a quarter-inch okay?"
With Jeff's nod, the barber quickly brought out the scissors. With a few swift cuts with the sharp blades, the remnants of Jeff's pony-tail were scattered on the floor.
Then came the clippers. Quickly Jeff's beautiful long locks were buzzed off. Jeff felt cool air against the back of his head, now reduced to stubble. Next the sides were shorn down to the merest stubble. Then the top was buzzed to a quarter-inch all over. Next came the lather and razor, and the back and sides were shaved completely bald.
Finally the barber turned the chair around so Jeff could see himself in the mirror. He was astounded. Who was that Marine recruit staring at him from the mirror? Jeff brushed his hand across the top of his head. "Wow, that feels sensational," he thought.
"Is that short enough for you?" asked the barber.
"It's great!" Jeff exclaimed. "I don't think there's enough left to make it any shorter."
"Well, I can make it a little shorter if you want," said the barber. With Jeff's okay, the barber went back to work with the clippers and reduced the top to a mere eighth of an inch. Then Jeff thanked the barber and said how great it felt to have all that long hair cut off.
....................
Later that day, Jeff saw his fiend Ken. Ken was shocked. "My god, what happened to your hair?" Ken said. "I never though you'd get it cut at all. Wow, that sure looks different! I guess I owe you ten bucks, too."
"Yeah, a don't forget that you promised to get yours cut just like mine," said Jeff.
"No way that short. Maybe a bit of a trim, but I don't want to look like a Marine."
Just then Bill and Tom drove up. Both were astonished by Jeff's haircut. "Hey, that actually looks great," Tom said.
"Feels great, too," Jeff said as he rubbed his hand over the tiny bristles on the top of his head. "And don't forget you owe me ten bucks. And now you three guys need to get rid of all that ugly long hair."
Soon all four were at the barber shop. Ken was reluctantly following. "I'm not getting it cut," he said.
"Hey, you made a deal. You better let the barber cut your hair, or else the rest of us will tie you down and shave you bald," Tom said.
Tom was the first in the barber chair. "Give me a real short haircut, just like Jeff's," he said. The barber did just that. In a few minutes Tom's long hair had been cut off and lay scattered over the floor. Then it was Bill's turn. Soon there were three newly shorn guys and long-haired Ken in the shop.
"Okay, Ken it's your turn now," said Jeff. Ken made a mild protest, but with the other three pulling him into the barber chair he finally agreed.
"Give him the same," Tom said to the barber.
"Are you sure?" the barber asked Ken.
"Yeah, do it!" said Ken.
Now all four guys were buzzed. Ken was a bit pissed off. But, it'll grow back, he figured.
.....................
As the summer passed, all four (even Ken) gradually came to like their short haircuts more and more. Jeff loved his new hair style. It was a lot easier to wash and dry, and no combing needed. It was cooler during the hot summer. It looked great -- even the girls were admiring his shorn head (although Jeff didn't care much about girls). And it felt good, too. Jeff decided that he'd keep his hair short from now on.
So every two weeks all four guys went back to the barber shop to get a new high and tight haircut.
Soon it was September and the start of their senior year in high school. Many of Jeff's long-haired friends he hadn't seen all summer were startled by Jeff's short hair. But they all agreed that it looked great, and several of them said that they were going to get their hair cut short too.
Meanwhile, everyone on the football team had shaved their heads in a show of team solidarity. And lots of other guys also decided to go for the short hair look.
In fact, within a month every guy in school was sporting a flat-top orbuzz-cut or high and tight or even completely shaved bald. In fact, Jeff now once again had the longest hair of any of the guys at Riverside High School.
THE END