Now I'm in For It! by Jonathan

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It was years ago now, I was 16 at the time. My name is Sean. It was 1980 and the punk rock seen was taking off. I had that surfer look at the time and was pretty popular with all the girls. My sandy brown hair was over my ears and slightly feathered in front. I'd had this look since I was around 8 years old.

One evening I was watching this program on the new punk scene taking youth in America and Europe by storm. I was fascinated by this program. The part I couldn't get enough of was the haircuts. They showed these pretty boy long haired teenagers taking clippers to their nice long hair. I'd never seen anything like it. Some had Mohawks, and some shaven down to the skin. Even girls had dyed and cut their nice straight long hair. It was dyed bright colors ad well.

Kids looking just like me were shearing off the long 70's hair with clippers all by themselves. The hair just fell from their heads so fast and hit the floor. I'd never seen people shaving off hair like that in my life! In minutes a kid my age with brown, straight surfer hair was shorn bald! All that was left was some stubble, a white scalp, and ears.

I couldn't emagine doing this to my hair. What would that feel like to have no hair? What would people think? It sent a strange shill down my spine.

Days later I was still obsessed with this punk rock news feature I'd watched that evening. There was this little curiosity building and building in my teenage mind. I kept trying to image myself bald like those kids. They had the boots and clothes to match the new punk look. I wanted it, but how?

I don't think I was really a mama's boy or anything. My mom was proud that I was a good looking kid. I think she liked to show me off to her friends because of this. My father was gone traveling for work so basically my mom was in charge of my younger brother Eric and I. I absolutely knew she'd so no to me shaving my hair all off. I had no money for the barbers anyway. Unfortunately after a search through our house I found no hair clippers.

Nearly a week passed since the program. I started to notice people's hair. I realized nearly no one was bald. I was at a drug store and some marines came in. I couldn't stop starring at their high and tight haircuts. The sides were nearly completely shaved exposing their ears. Why couldn't I just let this whole thing go? It would be crazy to shave my head!

One evening after dinner I got the courage up to ask my mom if I could get a crewcut. I nervously enter the kitchen while she was cleaning up. I got the words out.

"Mom, do you think maybe I could get a crewcut?" I asked.

"Why in the world would you do that Sean!" she yelled.

"Well can I?" I asked.

"Oh absolutely not, your hair is so beautiful, no!" she yelled.

"Well ok," I said.

I walked out of the kitchen shocked and dismayed by her response. I realized I wouldn't be shaving my head any time soon.

A few days after that episode about me cutting my hair it happened to be down the street in our neighbor's garage with my buddy Tim. We were just hanging out no big deal. Then his older brother Randy comes out to the garage and started digging through some old boxes stored away. I was looking for something or other.

"Hey like at these!" Randy yells.

He was holding a dirty set of home hair clippers he'd found in one of the boxes. Tim and I were sitting on some old chairs just chilling.

"Hey I dare one of you two with these things, I'll shave your head!" exclaimed Randy.

My heart started to race. Could this be happening? I couldn't believe it. Images of that punk rock program flashed into my mind. All that long beautiful hair falling off those boy's heads while they sheared off each other's hair.

"No way, put those things back," Tim said.

"Hey how about you Sean, want to be bald?" asked Randy.

I starred and just shrugged my shoulders. I was in a daze somehow.

"Yes or no!" yelled Randy.

"Ok, go ahead," I said.

I knew Randy was just joking and he likely figured I was also joking. He came close to us with the clippers and waved them at my head.

"Dare ya," he said.

"Go ahead if you want," I said again.

"Are you crazy Sean don't let him," said Tim.

At that moment Randy plugged those things into the nearby electric outlet on the work table. The clippers popped on with a loud clack! Randy moved in real close to my head and lifted the long hair covering my right ear. In what seemed like the longest time he stood with the clippers aimed ready to shave a chunk of my straight sandy sun bleached hair off.

"Stop man!" Tim yelled.

"Here it goes!" Randy yelled.

I stood frozen unable to move or speak. Zzzitt the clippers hit a tiny piece of my hair and it fell on the floor.

"Stop, I'm telling dad!" yelled Tim.

"He said I could shave it," Randy said.

I realized this was my chance. I'd tell my mom Tim's brother Randy did this and it wasn't my fault. This was how I'd pull off shaving my head.

"Do it, I dare you," I said.

Randy moved in and then I heard another zzitt.I felt my body shaking and for the first time I realized he might go through with this and shave my head right here!

"I'm getting dad!" yelled Tim again.

"Oh come on, he said I could," Randy pleaded.

I looked at Randy and gave him a look like I don't care, go ahead. Then it came zzitt, zzitt and then a longer zzitt. I felt the cold metal blades of the clippers dig into my scalp near my right ear.

"Oh oops!" Randy said.

It was too late. I reached up and felt my hair. There was a huge bald patch by my ear. Randy stood laughing with a guilty look on his face. He knew he'd be in for it now. Now what was his next move?

"You're in big trouble now," said Tim.

"What will we do with that?" said Randy.

He'd been joking around but now my hair was damaged beyond not being able to notice.

"Just finish it," I said.

I looked at Randy and realized he really didn't want anything to do with this all now.

"Oh man, I didn't mean it," said Randy.

"Yeah, yeah, well you started it," I said.

Randy flicked on the clippers again and aimed them at the place he'd shave a chuck outta my hair. He then took another and another swipe with those things. I watched my long sun bleach hair start to hit the garage floor. It was happening like on the TV program.
Randy shaved nervously away at my head with those things. Tim stood watching in horror. It was really happening! I was going to become bald after all!

I sat so still as Randy continued to shave my head. I felt cold air for the first time on my half shorn scalp. I reached up and felt subble like sand paper on half my head. The other half my long soft hair. Randy ran the clippers pushing them down hard across the rest of the top of my head. Next he started in on the left side. I felt the clipper's blade dig into my left temple. Randy continued around my left ear. Hair continued to fall on the floor. I was delighted, yet extremely scared at the same time. This was no dream. I thought about what would happen at school tomorrow when I walked in bald. My mom was going to have a fit!

Randy's finger was holding down my left ear as the clippers buzzed loudly in my ear. Then he place his big hand on the top of my scalp. I could fell his cold fingers on it. It hit me then, I had no hair now! He continued to twist and turn my head with his hand placed firmly on top of my head. There was a bunch of zzit, zzit sounds as he went over my head to get any traces of hair he missed. Finally he ran the clippers up the base of my neck getting all or any leftover hairs.

Finally it was over. I looked down shocked at the giant pile of my hair on their garage floor. Now it was done. My head had gotten shaved one way or another. I was no a punk rocker I thought to myself.

"Hey man we gotta get going Sean," Randy said.

"Yeah we're going to clean this up now. Our parents will be mad if they see this Sean," Tim said.

"Yeah I gotta go," I said.

"Don't be mad, you said I could shave your head," Randy said.

I walked out of their garage bald headed that evening not knowing what to think. I had to face this all now. I'd gotten what I'd wish for, but what now? I felt my bald head over and over as I walked home down the street. It felt so strange and foreign to me. I felt my ears as they were now completely exposed. I couldn't believe this!

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