A Barbershop Job!? #4 (The Cashier) by Jonathan

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Hello, I'm Cue Ball Caleb. I'm 16 and I've stumbled upon the job of my dreams. I work in a barbershop and I love watching guys get their haircuts. Haircuts are one of my obsessions! I love mostly buzz cuts and head shaves. Two months ago I had long surfer hair. Now I'm as bald as a cue ball, hence my nickname Cue Ball Caleb. I'm about to get an added bonus at work!

"Caleb, how would you like a raise and a new responsibility?" asks my boss Mario.

"What is it,Mario?" I ask.

"Well we haven't had a cashier in a while and you'd be perfect!" Mario says.

"Oh wow! I could totally do that. I'm good with math," I say.

"Ok, you're here at our busiest business hours and I thought you could handle it. You'd still be sweeping up hair and all that too," Mario says.

"I'll do it, I'll do it!" I say.

Mario explains I have to be totally honest with the money. I can't make a mistake with the change or barber's tips. I need to be very careful. Then he shows me the register and explains how it works and all. I'm sure I can work this thing, it's old and simple. I realized that summer is nearly here and I will not have school. I can work here all summer!

It's Saturday morning around 9:00, a little before the shop opens. I head to the beach to see a couple of my buds. My head was just shaved shiny bald Friday night just before the shop closed. My surfer friends love watching the water repel off my dome h when I swim in the ocean. This was something I never thought much about until it happened in the water one day. They loved it!

"Hey, what's up Cue Ball Caleb?" Richie my friend asks.

"Oh hey, I didn't even notice you there Richie," I say.

"Caleb, guess what?" asks Richie.

"What?" I ask.

"I'm done with middle school! Our school is over. Next year I'm going to high school with you," Richie says.

"That's cool, we can hang out together then!" I say.

"You want to go surfing with me this morning Caleb?" asks Richie.

"No, I'm heading to my work," I say.

"Oh that's right you work at the barbershop now," he says.

"You want to come to the shop for a bit Richie?" I ask.

"Hey Caleb you know what? I kinda need a haircut. I'm broke though," Richie says.

"Well just come and watch things. Maybe you can get a free cut? I want you to meet my boss Mario," I say.

I have a plan that if I get Richie over to the Port Barbershop we can force him into some kind of haircut. His hair is light brown and long. It's always just been a sun bleached wild mop since I've known him. He's at the beach all the time and really tanned. He has this typical, surfer kid look to him. People say he's kind of a jerk. He just shows off too much, that's all. I really liked Richie once I got to know him.

"I'll come hang with you Caleb," Richie says.

"All right you can go surfing later," I say.

"Yeah, I wanna see your work," Richie say.

I lead the way and take Richie to the barbershop. I bet when they see him, it's going to be a chant, "haircut, haircut, haircut!" This kid could really use some kind of haircut. Richie is carrying his surfboard along with him. His shoulder length mop of surfer hair is blowing as we walk. What would Richie look like bald I wonder? I doubt he'd go through with a shaved head. He did mention something about a haircut though. I've got some money for that right here in my pocket! Or maybe Mario will give him a Cue Ball Caleb special on the house.

I'm thinking about my new responsibility of being the cashier now. I hope I can handle this. I guess they must really trust me now. I'm real good with money. This should be easy. We arrive and walk into the Port Barbershop.

"Caleb, are you ready to handle the cash register on the busy Saturday?" asks Mario.

"Oh yeah, I won't let you down!" I exclaim.

"Whose this guy?" asks Mario.

"Oh, this is my surfer friend Richie," I say.

"Alrighty Richie, nice to meat you. Hop up in the chair and I'll get you fixed up looking like your friend here," says Mario.

"Oh sir I don't have any money for a haircut. I don't want my head shaved sir," says Richie.

"Well this one's on the house. You're Caleb's friend and it's so early not many customers are here yet," says Mario.

"Oh gee I don't know. I mean are you talking shave my head?" asks Richie.

"Yeah, how bout just right quick with the clippers only. It's free," Mario tells him.

Richie hadn't thought this might happen to him. He was looking a little nervous and wanted an out. I realized it was too good to be true. Richie would chicken out no matter how much we twisted his arm to shave that head of his. I bet he'd grown too used to that long hair. He kinda had little Mickey Mouse ears that stuck out too. I'd seen them when his hair was wet in the ocean. Maybe those ears where the reason he never cut his mop much.

"Hey Richie, if you shave your head now school is over for you. The kids won't see it til summer's over. Shave it like mine and you'll love it!" I say.

"Shave it, shave it, shave it," the barbers chant.

There's only two customers in the shop. Five barbers have arrived. It's a perfect time for Mario to quickly shear off Richie's hair before the shop gets really busy this Saturday. All eyes are on Richie! Will he do it?

Suddenly Richie walks over and sits in the barber chair. Just like that, he's going to do it!

"Give the kid the Cue Ball Caleb special!" yells Carlos another barber.

"Remember Mario, you said free," I remind him.

"Oh this haircut will be free and fast," says Mario.

He applies the cape to Richie and clips the tissue around his neck. Richie is just kinda laughing with a sort of nervous laughter. I can tell he's trying to act cool like he's not scared or anything. Underneath that calm exterior he's terrified his hair's about to be all shorn off with those clippers.

Mario grabs the Oster 76 clippers and the fun's about to begin! I can't help but laugh a little. Poor Richie though. He hadn't expected this was going to happen. All he wanted to do was come check out my work.

Clackkk those Oster 76 clippers snap on. It gives Richie a bit of a jump! Mario is in a rush I can tell. He just wants to get the hair off this kid's head fast. It's free and all. He runs the clippers right across the front fringe and it exposes Richie's bare scalp. It's going to be to the bone. Mario is just shaving the hair off super fast! It's like one off those marine boot camp haircut videos. Hair is falling off his head fast. Before I have time to even take it all in Richie is half shorn! Mario has a tight grip on Richie's head. He's pushing it right and left. His large hand and fingers are pushing against Richie's bald scalp.

One side of his head is totally shaved bald, the other adorned with the long hair still. I can see one of Richie's little Mickey Mouse ears sticking out. Sooo fast Mario is finishing off what's left of my mate's hair. Now I see no hair on top or the sides. I've never seen any one of these barbers cut hair this fast. It's Richie and it's free, I guess that's why. It's gone, all gone. Oh my gosh! He's so cute looking without hair. Those little ears sticking out and all. He looks like a little boy. Mario zips over Richie's shorn head one final time with the smaller finishing clippers.

"Oh Richie, it's so cute," I laugh.

"Look at him Nancy!" I tell the lady barber.

"Yeah he's cuuute like that!" says Nancy.

I never dreamed Richie could pull off being bald so well. Even those little ears that stick out look good on him. The face is perfect, as well as his head shape. Now I have a bald mate. I'm going to have to make sure it stays bald now.

"Look in the mirror Richie!" I say.

Richie holds the hand mirror. He checks out his new bald dome. He rubs it over and over while he smiles. I think he likes it!

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