Now I'm in For It! Part 2 by Jonathan

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My heart was pounding as I walked home. I kept looking into the car windows as I walked. I could make out the white hairless scalp as the street lights came on. I saw what I knew was me, but somehow I didn't even recognize myself. Gone was my longer hair with bangs and a frame around my face. I could see my ears sticking out now completely exposed. This is what I wanted and this is what I got!
My friend's brother dared me to shave my head and now I was bald. It was the early 80s and I had so badly desired to be a part of the punk movement. I had always secretly desired to have my head shaved like this. I knew my mom was going to kill me when I got home! She loved my sandy colored straight hair over my ears. I asked her if I could at least get a crew cut. The answer was a flat out no! This was even worse, I was bald. Deep down I loved it. I'd go to school tomorrow with my bald head and just trip out everyone at school. I planned to wear my Doc Martins, a white t-shirt, and old worn utility pants I had. All I had to do was get my mom over the shock. I was so sneaky getting Randy to shave my head. He never intended to do it, but my temptings were something he couldn't resist.

"Come on, go ahead, shave it!" I kept saying.

He had never shaved anyone's head before, let alone given a haircut. I could tell he got a thrill out of it. I could tell he had no idea how to shave a head with those clippers. After what seemed like forever he'd succeeded in shaving me nearly bald, just a slight stubble left.

As I approached my front door I could feel my throat dry. My mom's car was parked in the driveway and I figured my little brother was likely inside with her. My father was away on business. I planned to just walk in and face it. Inside I thought the whole thing was funny. I planned to blame the entire thing on my friend's brother. It was his idea afterall. He'd shaved it minutes earlier that evening down the street in his garage. I'd tell her he zipped the hair clippers jokingly and we just had no other choice but to finish me off clean bald!

I walked into the entry hall of our 3 bedroom one story house. I heard the kitchen sink running and knew she was in there. I walked bravely into the kitchen and stood waiting for her to see my bald head. She turned to look, saw it and her jaw dropped.

"Sean what did you do that for!" she yelled.

"Oh my gosh, you're bald!" she screamed.

"Mom my friend's brother did it by mistake, we had to shave the rest off," I told her.

By now my little brother came into the room. He stood laughing and pointing at me.

"Mom, is Sean in big trouble for that?" he asked.

"Oh Sean, your beautiful hear is gone!" she wailed.

"Oh mom it's ok," I said.

I knew that now the worst was over. I'd eat a little dinner and go check out my new look in the mirror. My brother kept trying to rub my shorn head and I hit his hands away from it. My mom just kept starring at me while I quickly scarfed down some spaghetti and salad. Surprisingly I wasn't in any big trouble. I'd pulled off getting my head shaved like I'd seen those boy's do weeks earlier in that punk rock documentary on tv.

Soon I was done eating and headed to the bathroom mirror. The first look in the mirror took me by surprise. I could now see my bald head far better and clearer than in the reflection in the car windows while walking home. I will admit it was a shock. I had absolutely no hair! I wanted to cry for sa split second, but stopped. I couldn't believe how bare and white my scalp was. I'd never seen my ears sticking out like this with no hair touching them at all. Well I'd have to get used to it now. I'd plan to get my friend's brother to shave it again when it started to grow out. If he wouldn't do it I'd go to a real barber and have him shave it bald. I was determined now that I'd pulled this off to keep it like this.

That night I tossed and turned in bed. I couldn't stop rubbing my shaved head. It felt so wonderful and tingly on the pillow. It felt so weird to have my ears exposed and no hair falling into my face now. I was nervous, but so excited about walking into my first period class bald. The whole school would be talking about me tomorrow! I soon drifted off to sleep.

Beep, beep, beep, I was suddenly awoken by my alarm clock and saw the 7:00 in red numbers starring at me. I jumped outta bed and got dressed. I decided to just wear jeans, a faded white Coka Cola shirt and my Doc Martin boots. I figured the shaved head would be enough of a punk look for now.

I walked with my annoying little brother to the bus stop. Sure enough I got stares and comments.

"Sean, your hair is gone!" "Why did you shave your head," "Are you playing pool today, you brought your own cue ball," people said. Inside I was a little nervous, but put on a cool front. On the bus that chilly morning I sat in the back seat with my brother feeling the cool morning air hit my shorn scalp and exposed ears. The window in front of me was open slightly letting cool air wisp across my head. It felt strange but nice.

That day at school was what I thought. Stares, bald jokes, and why did you do that questions?? I played it cool and realized after today I was set. After this they'd all get used to seeing me bald. I was determined now to keep it bald!

Nearly four weeks passed and my head was covered with a thick one inch long stubble. I was disappointed at how quickly it had grown in. I'd somehow managed to round up about 15 bucks. That day after school I was heading to the barbershop and getting this stubble shaved off. My friend's parents had said they wouldn't let them shave my head in the garage anymore.

I road my bike to a place called "The Barbershop". I locked my bike up and headed in. One middle age barber was finishing up a longer haircut on some guy in his twenties. They both eyed me suspiciously when I walked in and sat down.

"Haircut son?" asked the barber.

"Yeap," I said.

"He hardly has any hair now," said the guy in the chair.

"You want another crewcut or something kid?" asked the barber.

"Shaved bald," I responded.

Both men looked and chucked at what I'd said. Soon the barber was done with the guy in the chair. I eagerly hopped up in it. The barber put the cape on. Then he examined my buzz cut about one inch long.

"Leave the top and blend the sides," he said.

"No I'd like it all off,bald all around," I said.

"Why kid, why do you want to be bald?" he asked.

"I just do," I replied.

"Well are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Do your parents know you're doing this?" he asked.

"Yeah," I lied.

"Well I haven't shaved a youngster head bald in years," he replied.

He readied some clippers and took a brush to them and looked them over. A loud claaack gave me a start. They were on and ready. I felt them wisp around my temple and smoothly run up my head. They ran around my ear and up the back of my head next. In no time at all they were running across. The top of my head. Just then the door opened and a kid with long curly black hair sat down waiting for a haircut. I saw his eyes studying the barber shave my head. I could see him starring at my head nearly shorn bald now. I wondered what he was thinking.

It felt so cool and nice to have the barbers fingers touch my bare skin on my head. I could tell it was shaven way down zero. He had much better clippers than my friend's brother who'd shaved my head the first time a month ago. This was going to be really bald!

I could see bits of my hair on the white barber's cape. It was just short little stubble this time. Not the long pieces like before. It tingled as the barber finished up. He buzzed around each ear while holding them down. Next I felt warm shaving cream on my neck and around my ears. I held super still as the barber bladed around my ears and on my neck. The kid sat starring but tried not to look me in the eye.

"Do you want the bald special today?" the barber asked.

"Oh no, just a trim," he replied.

Soon a nice smelling liquid was splashed across my head. It stung just for a second, then soothed my bald scalp. I was given the mirror and examined my head. This time it really had a shine to it. The clippers had shorn me basically bald. Balder than before. The other kid gave me a strange look and wrinkled his nose at my bald head as I paid. I rubbed it once or twice then walked out to my bike to go home. I'd told no one about this. I figured it would be easier to pull off being bald now that people were kind of used to it. I knew my mom wouldn't be happy though.

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