Ray's barn Cut by Paul Haberman

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Taylor was sitting at the vanity in their room, when she said "your step mom will be up here in a few minutes to get you". JD was laying on their king size bed, when she said that. Before Taylor could say anything esle, JD said "I’m going to drive by myself into town". Taylor laughted, and then said "Megan may need you to help control Ray". Ray was JD’s half brother.

As JD laid there, he wondered why he may need to help control Ray. Ray was much younger and much stronger than JD. In an effort to figure out what was going on, JD said "what did I get volunteered to do". With out hast, Taylor said "you know that Megan has never been to happy about Ray’s hair". Currently, Ray worn his long mane in a man bun.

He knew that Megan was not to happy about having a step son with longer hair than hers. As Taylor finished putting on her make up, she said "your first stop will be the vintage beauty parlour". When JD heard that, he was ready to get dressed and leave the house. Before JD could get up from the bed, Taylor said "she is having them do a wedge perm on Ray, and bob style perm on Samantha".

With out even thinking about it, JD said "that boy isn’t going to sit for a perm". Before Taylor could respond, JD thought want 16 year old boy wants a perm. Taylor laughted, and then said "your dad isn’t going to let him have the truck, if he doesn’t". Ray’s birthday party was scheduled for that evening. This present from his dad was supposed to be a truck that worked on together.

The more JD thought about this, the more enraged he became. In a calm tone of voice, JD said "I will have no part in this. I’ll be going into town alone, today". He took a brief pause, and then said "that truck was an old beater when bought it up here. Ray put in the wrench time, and paid for the parts with his own money".

Just as JD got up from the pillow top mattress, Megan knocked on the door. Once she knocked on the door, she opened it with out warning. JD made eye to eye contact with Megan, and then said "I will not be sticking around for this". When Megan heard him say that, she said "why did you tell him, I wanted it to be a surprise for all parties involved". Before they lost, eye to eye contact, JD said "get out of my house, you sick bitch".

After he told Megan what she was, he began to put his Jeans on. When he had his Jeans on, he said "I would never tell Samantha she wasn’t getting her truck, Sunday, if she didn’t do exactly what I said". Their daughter Samantha was having her sweet 16 party on Sunday. Megan looked at Taylor thought the mirror, and then said "it isn’t good to keep secrets from your spouse".

Taylor wanted to knock Megan out, when she heard Megan say that. As Taylor got out of the chair she sitting in, she said "I told Samantha that if didn’t go to counseling, yesterday, she would not be getting the truck she was promised". Once JD heard that, he walked ou the room. He quickly walked down the hallway to Samantha’s room.

He removed the keys to the chevy truck from his key ring, and then said "Samantha". When he did not get a response, he said her name for a second time. This time he said her name much louder. Before JD could say her name for a 3rd time, Samantha said "what". After she said that, HD said "I’m going to leave the keys to the truck on your night stand".

That got Samantha attention. As she sat up in the full size bed, she said really". She took a brief pause, and then said "what is the catch". With out hast, JD said "I’m not like your mother or step grandmother. There is no catch". JD took a brief pause, and then said "if you don’t want to get your hair permed, today, you don’t have to".

Once Samantha heard that, she jumped out of bed. When her feet hit the carpet, she said "your letting me get my hair permed for the parties". JD made eye to eye contact with Samantha, and then said"yes". At this point, Samantha was very excited. She had never had her hair permed before. As they shared a wonderful hug, JD said "we got you an appointment at that vintage salon in town.

As they began to separate from the hug, JD said "you will be able to smoke cigarettes, and think those fancy mixed drinks that $12 each". Before JD could say anything, Taylor said "they don’t cost $12 each". Before Samantha left the room, she kissed her dad on his face. When Samantha got into the hallway, Samantha saw Taylor standing there.

Before Samantha went the stairs, she said "is this for real". Taylor shook her head, and then said "yes". With out even thinking about it, Samantha hugged her mother. As they enjoyed a wonderful hug, Taylor said "your grandmother is going to take you to her place in town". When they separated from the hug, Taylor said "go get ready, your leaving in 20 minutes".

Taylor took a brief pause, and then said "don’t waste all your time putting on make up". By this time, Samantha was about to walk down the steps". As she walked the steps, she said "there going to do my make up, too. How awesome is this". Taylor wanted to say "how expensive is this", but she didn’t. When Samantha was out of hearing range, Megan said "do you think that kind of stuff still goes on in beauty parlours".

She took a brief pause, and then said "it not the 1950’s, anymore". She took another brief pause, and then said "it’s 1999, JD". JD knew he had to say something, but he wasn’t sure what to say". Taylor quickly realized JD didn’t know what to say, so she said "the first I smoked a cigarette happened at the beauty parlour. I was 13 years ago. I was there getting my first perm. They left me unattended in the dryer room. I saw the lady that was sitting next to me, left her pack of Virginia Slims and a lighter. I felt so sexy sitting under that dryer smoking a Virginia Slim".

Once Taylor shared her story about the first time she smoked, JD said "if Samantha doesn’t get everything that she was promised, I’m not helping you with Ray". Megan knew that she needed JD’s help, so she said "fine". She took a brief pause, and then said "your going to needed to be her babysitter, when she is throwing up in a toliet".

After Megan said that, she walked down the stairs. When Megan was out of hearing range, Taylor said "did we just make a huge mistake". JD laughted, and then said "it will be fine". After JD said that, Taylor said "I was in back in the main salon, when the hair dresser told my foster mom that they caught me smoking. She didn’t make a big deal out of it. In fact, she handed me the cigarette she was smoking".

Taylor took a brief pause, and then said "I never forget what she said to the hair dresser. She told the hair dresser "my new foster daughter went thru so much at her other placement, if smoking helps her get thru it, I’m fine with that". After that moment, every time she smoked she wanted to smoke with her".

JD didn’t know how to respond to that, so he didn’t say anything. After a few moments of silence, Taylor said "I have to get to work". When Taylor got to the steps, she said "try not to be difficult, today". As walked down the steps, JD said "I only know how to be me". In an effort to be not difficult, JD began to get ready to go with them into town.

When JD to the bottom of the steps, be saw his step mother sitting on their sectional. Before JD could say anything, Megan said "you better go out and get some wood, before we go". JD looked over at the wood holder next to the fireplace, and saw that it was empty. As JD made his way to the exit door of the cabin, he wondered why Megan need a fire going. Temps where current in the high 60’s, and where expected to reach 73 degrees that day.

Just as JD was about to turn the door handle, Megan said "tell Ray it’s time to go". She took a brief pause, and then said "I send that boy out there 15 minutes ago to get wood". As JD made this way to the barn, he wondered what Ray had got into. Most of the stuff in the barn was stuff Taylor and JD where collecting. Most of of the stuff in the barn was stuff they got for free from local businesses.

When JD got in the barn, he saw Ray sitting in a stylist’s chair that came out of a uni salon. The new owners of that salon did a complete remold after they bought it. Taylor and JD hauled off all there old equipment. The owners of that salon where happy to give it to Taylor and JD, because it saved it from going to a landfill. JD was going to have to do some work on most of these items, before they could go into Taylor’s barbershop.

The chair Ray was sitting in was not in good shape at all. It spun, but it didn’t go up or down. The seat was tore, and there was rust on the chair’s base. It was probably the worst one out of the 5 that they got . As JD got closer to Ray, he said "are you ready for your birthday haircut". At this point, Ray had thought about getting a haircut, he thought the chair looked cool.

JD became enraged, as he saw his brother sitting that stylist’s chair with his hair down. He quickly grabbed a cape that was sitting on another chair, and then he began to cape this brother. As JD put the cape over him, he said "I’m tired of you wasting dad’s money". He was fastering the cape around Ray’s neck, when he said"dad don’t need to busting his ass 6 days a week down that at f***ing chicken factory, so you can have high end hair products, over the top birthday parties, and restored trucks".

Ray knew this was going to end well for him, but he knew it would only be worse, if he tried to fight it. JD made eye to eye contact with his brother, and then said "no more of dad’s money is going into that your hair. You need to get these ideas about going to town to get to expensive perm and colorings, out your head". At this point, Ray didn’t know about the beauty parlour trip that was scheduled.

Before Ray could comment on anything that his brother had just said "what are we doing with your hair, today". With out hast, Ray said "I would want it to be cut to cut just above my shoulders". JD laughted, and then said "are you sure, sweetie". In reality, Ray would be losing about 18 inches of hair, if JD cut it to a lenght just above his shoulders.

There was going to be alot of hair coming off of Ray’s head at that lenght, but JD knew that wouldn’t be enough hair gone to satisfy Megan. JD was determined to help his father save money, so he said "yes, I can do that for you".JD took a brief pause, and then said "Taylor can donate the hair".

At this point, Ray didn’t want any of his hair to go to waste. He knew that JD wasn’t going to let him leave this barn with much hair left on his head, so he said "just do number 2 tapered to a 1 on the sides and back". JD picked a few hair ties that where laying on the vanity that was in front of the chair, and then began sectioning off Ray’s hair. Normally, Ray worn his hair in a bun. This morning, his step mother rushed him out the house before he got it up.

As JD quickly worked at getting Ray’s hair ready to meet the clippers, he said "this cut is going to save dad alot of money on hair care products". He took a brief pause, and then said "I’m going to talk to dad about you start to work for me down at the tire shop. It is high time you start earning your own keep in this world".

Ray had no problem. He was friends with alot of the young ladies that worked in retail area of the shop. His niece, Samantha, had just been promoted to evening shop manager. He got along well with Samantha. He also got a long with a lot of the guys that actually worked on the cars.

The bulk of the under age workers at the shop, where students at the technical school that Samantha and Ray went attended. In their area, if you didn’t show that you where college or miltary bound, you got put into a technical training program at their high school. Ray was in the welding program, and Samantha was in the hair and nail program.

Before JD picked up the clippers, he said "alot of woman around here are sucker for a man with a really short cut". Ray thought about it, and then said "do want you think is best". As JD pick up the clippers, he said "I offer employment to alot of young woman thru my businesses". Once JD had the clippers in his hand, he popped them on.

When JD was ready to start the haircut, he said "head down, sweetie". JD goal was to remove 4 separate sections of hair. Ray did as he was told. JD clipped started the haircut by running the clippers with a number 2 guard up his nape. As JD clipped Ray’s nape, he said "I think once you get this haircut and show that you can be a positive member of JD tire and Wheel team, you got a shot at dating Sarah".

He took a brief pause, and then said "girls like Sarah don’t date guy with out jobs, and they certainly don’t date guys with longer hair than them". When Ray heard that he wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh, because Sarah had a very short buzzed pixie style cut. In an effort to bring JD back to reality, Ray said "I don’t think Sarah is my type".

As JD got that nape section of his hair off his head, JD said "trust me, Ray. She would be perfect for you". JD tossed the pony tail on the vanity, as Ray said "how do you know that". It was now time for JD to free the right section from Ray’s head. When clippers touched the right side of Ray’s head, JD said "we had a wonderful conversation about it". He took a brief pause, and then said "I was helping her stock shelves the other day, and we got to talking about all these over the top parties".

JD pushed his ear foward, and then began clipping behind it. Once JD released his ear, he said "she likes you, but your turns her off". With out hast, Ray said "so that what all this is about". He took a brief pause, and then said "you think you will get to see her more, if her and I start dating". JD laughted, as he freed another section of hair from Ray’s head.

When JD tossed the recently freed section of hair onto the vanity, he said "this is about you got getting your hair permed, today". In a confused tone of voice, Ray said "what". JD spun the chair, so that he could cut the left side of Ray’s head easier. When the clippers met the left side of Ray’s head, JD said "step mom was going to take you to the vintage salon to get your hair cut and permed into a wedge style cut".

At this point, Ray was in complete shock. Their where a few moments of silence, and then Ray said "would I have had to get a wedge". Before JD could respond, Megan said "no". She took a brief pause, and then said "you could have got what ever cut you wanted, as long as it was shorter than mine". Currently, Megan was sporting a chin length bob with clippered nape".

Megan made eye to eye contact with JD, and then said "did you think I wasn’t going to come out here, and look for you two". There where a few moments of silence, and then JD freed the left section of hair. As JD tossed it on the vanity, Megan said "I guess what ever cut you get now will have to extremely short sides and back".

As JD removed the cape, Samantha said "shave the both of them bald". Megan made eye to eye contact with Samantha, and the said "today, was supposed to about the four of us bonding as a family". Ray was getting out of the chair, when Megan said "my goal was not to punish Ray for having extremely long hair". She took a brief pause, and then said "I wanted Ray to have an appropriate haircut for a male of his age".

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