Chris's Revenge by Deke Cutter

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This is my attempt at a follow up to another old story called "Chris Haircut" by Ron. I’ve always wondered what happened after Chris’s haircut. The first story was told from the perspective of Chris’s friend Ron. This story is told by a narrator. You might want to read the original story first.

Once Chris got into his car, he wiped his face with a tissue and turned to his friend Ron. "Where were you man, if you would have been there, like you were supposed to be, I would still have my hair!" Ron who had secretly enjoyed his friend’s shearing tried to look abashed.

"I’m sorry Chris, I had to get out or I would have laughed and ruined the whole scam. I never expected that old bum to come in and take charge…"

"That was no old bum," that was my Great Uncle Fred, he hated my long spikes, once he heard my dad wanted me to cut them, he took charge. He’ll have called my dad and told him the whole story by now. I am well and truly screwed."

As Ron opened the passenger door to leave the car, he tried to make a joke. "Well at least we can still call you Flat Top Boy, its just a short high and tight flat top now." The speed with which Chris sped away let Ron know Chris was not laughing. Ron’s comment lit a desire for revenge in Chris. When he arrived at his home, he looked in his wide flip down vanity mirror. His high spiked hair was gone. He looked very different, somewhat younger, but less like a fashion boy. He decided, his revenge required that he keep this look and convince people that he was a changed person. He went into the house and faced his parents.

"Well, well, Uncle Fred wasn’t joking," said his dad.

Chris jumped in and said, "dad, Ron and I were goofing around, and this wasn’t supposed to happen, but after Uncle Fred’s intervention, I have to admit, I’m glad it happened. I love this short haircut!"

"Really sweety? Asked his mother. "I think it makes you look very smart. Do you think you will keep it like this?"

"I think so, mum, at least for a while. I may have to change up my wardrobe a bit. I think I’ll put aside these unconventional clothes too."

"Well son, let’s take care of that right now." And before Chris knew it, his father had him at his favorite clothing store kitting him out in traditional shirts, trousers, sweaters, shoes and socks, the works. When they returned home, Chris changed into the sweat pants and Nike tee shirt his dad had thrown in for him and went out to his car. He opened the glove box and started to fill a trash bag with all his hair products except for a thick wax that he thought he could use on his new haircut. He then went to work cleaning the ceiling of the driver’s side that was soiled from where his former spikes had left the residue of hair products. He threw away the bag of hair products and suddenly felt freed. He ran his hand across his head and thought about how he could never do that when he had his spikes. He went up to his room looked in the mirror at his pathetic arms and got down on the floor and managed to grind out five pushups. He vowed to do better.

The next day, dressed in normal jeans and a short sleeve shirt, Chris walked to Ron’s house, knowing it was too early for Ron to be awake. "Yes, young man, may I - Chris is that you?" Said Ron’s puzzled mother.
Reddening slightly and automatically rubbing his hand lightly across the short bristles and landing strip on top of his head, Chris replied, "Yes Ma’am, it’s me, the new improved me."
"Well Chris, I almost didn’t recognize you. That is quite a change. Do you mind me asking what brought it on?"

"Actually, Ma’am, Ron and I were sort of joking around and things went a little further than I expected, but once ‘the deed was done’ and I got over the shock, I decided to embrace my new look."
"I wish you could get my Ronnie to get rid of that shaggy mess of his. All he’ll ever do is get the hairline trimmed a bit."

"Ronnie really loves his hair, Ma’am. Maybe some day he will come around. Could you please tell Ron that I will be busy today running errands for my mom, so I won’t be able to see him until later."

"Of course, Chris. How thoughtful of you to stop by."

As Chris walked home, he thought that his plan was working, his new appearance and approach would soon have Ron’s parents thinking about changes for their son. Next, he did indeed, stop at the drug store and the 7/11 for his mother. Then he found himself doing something unthinkable, only a day ago. It was the last day to sign up for a summer fitness program at the local YMCA and Chris decided he needed to look a little more muscular if he were going to wearing this more-manly haircut. A couple of guys he recognized from school were also signing up. One played football and one soccer. "Hey flattop boy, what happened to you? You going to court?"

Chris laughed and replied, "just making some changes, man. What do you think?"

"Sweet cut", said Rob, the football player who sported a buzz cut.

"I’ll be happy to take shaggy Jake here to get one if he’ll teach me some soccer moves, I’m thinking of trying out this fall." (Where did that come from thought Chris, as it came out of his mouth).

Jake, the soccer player, whose overgrown wavy regular haircut had long bangs hanging into his eyes, broke into a big smile and said, "I’m up for it, this mop is pissing me off and I’m glad to help make a soccer man out of you bruh." The boys agreed to meet at the barber shop in two hours. This gave Chris time to get there first, apologize to the barber for his childish display of the day before and ask him not to say anything to his new friends. The barber was quite impressed with Chris’s new appearance, attitude and promise to be a regular customer, so, of course, agreed.

When Rob and Jake arrived, Chris introduced them to the barber. Jake hopped up in the chair and said: "a haircut just like Chris’s please."

After caping and taping him, the barber turned him to face the mirror and combed his bangs down (they reached past his nose) and said, "this will let you see what I’m doing" and proceeded to chop them off high on Jake’s forehead. The barber then quickly turned the chair around so his two friends could see the show. Chris who had been embarrassed at his own unexpected reaction to yesterday’s haircut, was relieved that he didn’t feel a tent pole growing as he watched Jake’s cut progress. Jakes sides and back were quickly stripped away, exposing two ears that stuck out just a bit. The barber then covered Jake’s neckline and former sideburns with shaving cream. Chris realized that this must have been done to him, but he was in such a state that he didn’t even remember it. Oh, how he would love seeing Ron get this treatment when the time came. Jake’s wavy hair took some brushing and product to get it to stand up straight, but once the barber was satisfied, he went to work. He carved out a landing strip rivaling Chris’s, right down to the scalp and spent a long time taking the hair down to a perfect length. When he was finished, all three boys complimented him, and Jake seemed thrilled. It turned out to be a real bonding experience for the three boys too.

That evening Ron and Chris met. Ron was shocked by Chris’s appearance and his new attitude. "Dude, I am really sorry. I had no idea your parents would do this to you."

"Ron, this had nothing to do with my parents. In fact, I want to thank you. Once I got over the shock of the haircut, I realized how childish my old look was. I decided that since the hair was gone, I had a chance to change and take charge of my life. I owe you." Chris had a strange smile when he said this, but he quickly hid it. "I’ve signed up for a fitness class at the "Y" and I’m thinking of trying out for the soccer team at school in the fall."

Ron was dumbfounded. This was not his weak-willed friend whose hair was his life. What had he done? "Um, that’s great Chrissy, I mean Chris. Um, do you still want to hang out? I mean are we still friends?"

"Of course, Ron. I’m already making new friends with my new interests, thanks to you. You know how we used to laugh at the jocks and kids that weren’t into hair and clothes like we wore? Well my two new friends are jocks and they’ve got haircuts a lot like mine. If you won’t feel uncomfortable hanging out with us, you’ll be welcome. In fact, why don’t we go to the "Y" right now, the class sign ups are until 10:00 pm." As they were in Chris’s car, Chris simply drove them in the direction of the YMCA without waiting for an answer. Before he knew it, Ron was signed up for the very last place in the class and Chris had him at local athletic supply store picking up work out clothes, including headbands and elastics for Ron’s hair. "You can use these for your hair, or you can just stick it up under your hat, like you did at the barber’s yesterday, Chris said. When he dropped Ron off, he said, I’ll pick you up at 7:45 AM."

Ron’s head was spinning. Fitness class, jock friends, up before 10:00, IN THE SUMMER? WTF? By the time he got to the front door, his mother was saying good bye to Chris on the land line and saying that she would make sure Ronnie was up plenty early and had a bowl of oatmeal before his class.

Chris knew that this class would be tough, but he was determined. The instructor was very good and started by testing everyone’s fitness level. As a bunch of teenagers, they were not too fit, even his two jock friends, but Ron was the worst off. By the end of the class he was bathed in sweat, his hair was matted, and he was panting. Rob was off to his part time job coaching a peewee football camp. Jake asked Chris if he had some time for his first soccer lesson. A couple of the guys from the team were around and offered to have a kickaround. "That hippy kid can join in too," Jake said indicating Ron.

"Hey Ron, want to learn some soccer skills? "Chris asked Ron. "If not, you can hang and wait for me or you’ll have to find your own way home."

"Who is this guy and what has he done to Chrissie the wimp" thought Ron. "I’ll just wait in the bleachers for a bit." Chris and the three soccer players, all of whom had, what seemed to Ron, brutally short haircuts, got on well. Chris who, like most kids, had played soccer as a very young child picked up well what the more experienced players were showing him and seemed to be enjoying himself. Ron looked on with some chagrin as the players rubbed one another’s stubbly heads when one made a particularly impressive move. After about 25 minutes, the boys took a short break to get some water and Chris urged Ron to join them.
Reluctantly, Ron agreed. He felt terribly clumsy at first but was pleasantly surprised by the support of the other players. As he relaxed, he found he was enjoying himself. Even when the soccer players teasingly said things like "nice one Hippy."

As the weeks went by, both Chris and Ron improved physically, but Ron held on to his old habits, ways of dress, etc. Chris and his new friends included Ron in their soccer practices and invited him to socialize but he often felt like a fish out of water. Ron’s parents started to pressure him about his lifestyle, dress and hair, as they saw more of Chris and Chris’s clean-cut friends.

Three weeks after the first haircut, Chris noticed that his hair was not looking quite as fresh as it had. Time for action. He called Rob and Jake and told them he was getting his first haircut since "the big one" and would treat them both to haircuts if they wanted. They readily agreed. He then went to Ron’s house. Making sure his father could hear, Chris told Ron that he was taking "the guys for haircuts at the High Street Barbers today at 2:00." He invited Ron to come along, just to watch, or get your usual outline, unless you want to make the big change. "I can tell the barber your dad wants it cut like mine, like you got that guy to do to me last month. Oh, I know, I’ll tell him to give you a Number 1 buzz cut and to cut that way from now on. Then we can be haircut buddies and you’ll be ready for soccer tryouts." Ron was dying inside, hoping his father wasn’t overhearing this!

That afternoon, 4 young men entered the barber shop at 2:00 PM. The first one received a number 2 buzz cut. Rob was thrilled since he usually had his older brother buzz him down and the full barbershop treatment with an outline shave was a treat. Next came Jake and Chris getting their flat tops tightened up. Both boys couldn’t help running their hands up and down their freshly shorn heads. As Chris climbed down from the chair, the barber shop door opened to reveal Ron’s father. "Your turn Ron" his father said. Ron’s face turned white. He slowly got up and walked to the chair. His father told the barber, "clipper shave him. I want those scraggly sideburns completely gone. He’s going to be a regular here and this is the haircut he gets as long as he’s under my roof." Chris sat there with a look of satisfaction on his face as the barber started at the front of Ron’s head and pushed the bare clippers straight back leaving a strip of white scalp that was soon two then three, then an entire bald head. He particularly enjoyed watching the outline shave and the removal of any sign of sideburns. Chris echoed the word’s Ron had said to him three week’s ago, "it will look o.k." Then he paid for the four haircuts and he and his two new friends left.

Is there more to this story?

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