Trevor's new shoes by Manny

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When a severe knee injury ended Trevor's brilliant but short career as an aspiring pro-football player, it seemed like his world had come to an end. He moped about, hardly wanting to leave his bed. But his dorm room, which was decorated with all the trophies and framed front page articles that described his heroic quarterbacking in taking his alma mater to the title, was a constant reminder of the past.

One front page news photo showed his flowing tresses emerging from the helmet in their full glory, billowing like a golden sail propelling him forward to victory. It was an iconic shot that captured him at him prime. The golden boy, with copious locks -- the envy of all who watched his amazing talent.

Trevor instinctively ran his fingers through his tresses. As his fingers lingered in the silken softness, something snapped inside of him. It was time to move on from football, from his flirting moments with fame. As he pawed at his long locks, he became even more convinced that it was time to leave his brief glory days behind him. Trevor quickly arose from his bed and began taking down the photos, the collection of gold and silver medals, the cups and trophies.

As he moved about the room, his eyes locked on the image in the mirror. The long, blond hair cascading down past his shoulders. His legs suddenly felt wobbly as he contemplated their fate. Everything needed to change -- including his precious locks. His lush mane would undergo the big chop! Finally! He stood there, frozen, staring at the mirror....imaging his head shaved...BALD! And as the thought captivated his mind, he felt his groin stir to attention! BALD he told himself! Head shaved.

Trevor was technically a business major, so the obvious length for him would be a businessman's haircut. Just like his father's! A standard short-back-and-sides with a tidy side part. Yes, that would be a better start than bald, Trevor quickly told himself, as his woody lingered. The makeover would be a transforming moment...sitting in the barber's chair, watching his long hair that frequently got rave mentions in the news articles, falling to the cape. Sort of like a cleansing, like a catharsis. A pruning away of the old. The clippers moving up the side of his head, peeling off the length, would signal a new beginning and a focus on a new future. But, then, why not go all the way? BALD?!

A mental struggle ensued as he wavered between at clean shaven head -- clipped down to the wood all over, and a short standard businesscut. The only certainty was that the length would be history soon enough.

Just then his phone rang. It was his mother. As he talked to her, he watched himself in the mirror. His hand nervously pawed at this tresses, and he tossed them about with a tinge of wistful nostalgia.

"Hanging in there, Mom. Knee still hurts plenty. The doctors all say that my football career is over. Actually, I've starting to come out of my funk and think about what next. Hey, you'll like this....I'm cutting my hair. Short!" Trevor said with a tone of excitement. "Yep, no joke. You've complained for years about my hair....when you see me at Thanksgiving you won't recognize me...."

The interaction with his mother cemented his decision. He even felt excited about the big chop! He felt, like, well, like he was in control of something again.

As he was thinking about the upcoming haircut, his eye wandered to the sidewalk below his room. Two ROTC fellows were chatting as they walked by in uniform. Trevor's eye locked on the one fellow who sported an immaculate deep pile flattop! His blond hair shorn to absolute perfection with beveled edges.

Suddenly, a third option opened to Trevor. A flattop! And it was a compromise between the two options he'd first considered.

Trevor remembered an ad pinned to the bulletin board in the laundry room. A local barbershop -- special price for students. And, he was quite certain that it mentioned the barber specialized in flattops! As he hustled to the laundry room, Trevor felt his long mane. It would be good riddance! All of it strewn about the barber's chair. He'd walk out of the shop a transformed man.

As Trevor opened the door to the laundry room, he came face-to-face with a fellow struggling to manage an overloaded basked of clean clothes. And, to Trevor's astonished delight, this fellow also sported the most amazing flattop imaginable. A deep pile that jutted up from his head with military precision. His face was manly.

"Let me get the door for you," Trevor stammered, unable to take his eyes off the immaculate flattop.

"Oh, thanks," the fellow mumble. He noticed Trevor staring intently at him. "Have we met before? Your face looks familiar...or maybe it's the hair. Oh, wait, I know! The quarterback!"

Trevor blushed. "Yep, that's right. Or, more accurately, the ex-quarterback. I sustained a terrible injury in the last game -- doctors tell me that my sports career is over."

"Do you need help carrying your laundry?" the fellow asked. "Probably with your injury you need to take things easy."

"Oh, I didn't come down here to wash clothes. I just wanted to check out the bulletin board. I'm looking for a good barber to cut all this off." Trevor grasped his long mane and displayed it disdainfully. "In fact, your flattop is fantastic! Very minimalist, but makes a statement. Who cuts your hair?" Trevor asked.

"Do it myself," the fellow said, after a slight pause.

Trevor was taken aback. Someone could cut their own hair, so perfectly and precisely? The guy must have skill!

"No way! You cut your own hair and it comes out like that?! So perfect?" Trevor stammered.

"Perhaps unbelievable, but true," the fellow replied. "I'm Tony, by the way. If you want, I'll give you flattop just like this one, or shorter, if that's what you prefer. I can plow out a mean-looking landing strip. Or perhaps you'd like a shoe? Come, all the equipment is in my room...."

"Really, you'd give me a haircut right here in the dorm?" Trevor warmed quickly to the invitation and followed Tony like a loyal, shaggy dog. As they walked through the hall, Trevor admired the wonderful flattop in front of him, clipped tight up the back. No more locks streaming down his back. He wanted a flattop exactly like Tony's.

As they entered Tony's room, Trevor felt a tad nervous. Long hair had defined him for quite some time. He pulled it all back into an immensely thick tail. Just feeling the weight convinced him, though, that it was time to put an end to the long hair. As Tony leaned over to open the bottom desk drawer, Trevor got an amazing glimpse at the incredibly plush top. Every hair snipped to precisely the same length.

"Take a seat here by the desk," instructed Tony. I think we're ready to start your transformation.

"Do you have a cape, like a real barbershop?" Trevor asked.

Tony reached into the drawer and the response came with the sound of snapping cloth. Tony expertly cast the royal blue cape with white piping around Trevor's neck. "Cape and big metal clip to fasten it in place!" he announced.

Tony took a moment to brush out Trevor's locks. "You'll feel so relieved to get rid of all this," Tony commented.

"I'm sick and tired of hair care. Grooming, products....the like!" Trevor said, affirming the thought.

"Full disclosure, though," warned Tony. "A flattop requires all of that. Hair product, a lot of time in the morning and constant grooming. You'll want it tidied up weekly. If you prefer, we can just take it all off. Balding clippers and....presto, you're a cueball!" He fondled Trevor's silken hair momentarily. "Shaving cream, razor in the shower....and it's silken smooth skin all day. It's up to you. Or a butch, perhaps?! Buzzed down to stubble. You decide."

"No, I'm set on the flattop -- just like yours. Besides, the regular tidying sessions will be no problem since we live in the same dorm," smiled Trevor.

Tony gathered the copious forelock and held it up away from Trevor's face. "Ready? Last chance to chicken out," he said, taking the shears near the hairline. "Once I deliver the first chop, that's it. No more dreamy long hair...."

"Go for it!" Trevor instructed.

CRUNCH! The shears delivered a quick, definitive opening assault on the flowing locks. Tony dropped the severed shank of golden hair into Trevor's lap.

Trevor felt exhilarated. "Good riddance," he said as he stared at the mass of cut hair.

Moments later, Tony dropped another clump of hair onto Trevor's lap. Then another. He aggressively continued removing the length from the top of Trevor's head. Chop and drop, chop and drop. Very quickly the lap was overflowing with long chunks of Trevor's hair.

"Wow, I never though this is how the haircut would happen....you're going to use the clippers at some point, right?" asked Trevor with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Just taking off the bulk, to make it easier with the clippers," Tony assured him. "But, since you seem anxious for some clipper action, let's get to the fun part sooner, rather than later.

Tony set down the shears and picked up the clippers. He fiddled around with the guard and lever and switched the on button. Nothing. "Hmmmmm, what's wrong here?"

"Maybe, if you plugged them in," Trevor noted skeptically. "You do know what you're doing....?"

"I'd better, for your sake, Buddy," Tony replied quickly. Then he switched on the machine and in sprung to life. "Duh, step one. Plug in the machine. Momentary lapse!"

Tony thrust the metal teeth right down the top of Trevor's head. To his horror, a wide swath of exposed scalp emerged. Virgin white! He'd made a huge mess of Trevor's lush mane. "You did say you wanted a landing strip, right....?"

"No! A plush top, just like yours!" Trevor exclaimed. "What's going on here?!? Trevor jumped to his feet and tons of cut hair fell to the dorm room floor. Around the chair was an enormous pile of his hair. With the cape still on Trevor strode over to the mirror. He looked absolutely HIDEOUS! A shaved part on top, surrounded by jagged short tufts, and then remnants of his flowing mane covering his shoulders.

"YOU IDIOT!!!" Trevor gasped, lunging towards the frightened Tony.

"Please, I'm so sorry," Tony stammered. "I thought I could do it...."

Trevor grabbed Tony by the shirt and yanked him as he raised his huge, menacing fist to strike.

As he did so, the dorm room opened. Tony's roommate, Nick entered. "What's going on in here. Hey! Don't hit him!" Nick ordered.

"Look at what he did to my hair," Trevor fumed.

"What's this all about?" Nick demanded of his roommate.

"It's my fault, I got carried away. Told Trevor I could give him a flattop just like mine," he said with a cracking, faltering voice. "I mean, I've watched you carefully, so many times cut mine, I thought I could do it."

"That was plain stupid! You have NO skills at barbering. And, you had no permission to use my barber kit, Tony! Now look at him... Oh, my!" Nick exclaimed.

Nick studied the steaming Trevor. "Wow, you sure had some long hair. But the news is bleak. That patch on top is down to the skin. I mean, it's cut at a 00000 length. I can turn this into and extremely short flattop -- a high 'n tight. A shoe would be possible too."

"Oh, shoe him!" Tony exclaimed, suddenly revived from his withering remorse.

"I'll shoe you first, Buster. Teach you a lesson!" Nick spouted. "Sit there! NOW! You're getting your first shoe, Tony. That will teach you not to deceive your classmates or to use my equipment without permission! Your precious deep pile flat is as good as gone. And it's going to be severely skinned."

"Oh, please, no. Not a shoe," Tony implored. "I'm so fond of my top."

"Shoe him!" Trevor demanded. He grabbed Tony by the collar and dragged him to the chair. Then Trevor ripped the cape off and fastened it around his amateur barber's neck. "Barber in the chair!" he gloated.

Trevor stroked the deep pile in a mocking way. "Your first shoe...." he cooed into Tony's ear. "And, a very severe one, at that."

Nick piled on, "Lather shaved - a good 98% of his noggin, hairless!"

"Please, Nick," Tony pleaded.

But the punishment would not be softened. Nick snapped on the balding clippers and began peeling away Tony's amazing pelt. Soft, chestnut color hair with fiery auburn highlights rained down on the cape. A virgin white scalp began to emerge all over Tony's bowed head.

Tony fondled the snippets of hair that collected on the royal blue cape wistfully. He had been very vain about his amazing deep pile flattop that always attracted stares and compliments.

Trevor was amazing at Nick's skill and dexterity with the clippers. How quickly and effortlessly he moved them around Tony's head, transforming the plush top into a radically short shoe. Tony's boyish good looks morphed into manly handsomeness....

"The shoe is quite an amazing haircut," Trevor said, expressing aloud his thoughts about Tony's new look.

"You pull on off very well," Nick said, picking up on Trevor's thought process. "I'd love to create a pair of shoes in this session."

"Yes, shoe me!" exclaimed Trevor with nervous excitement.

Off came the cape. Tony ran to the mirror to see his new haircut.

"NEXT!" announced barber Nick.

Trevor slipped into the chair, all smiles. "I can't wait to see the new me."

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