Chief's Kid, Part IV Cont. from "Chief" by Vegard

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Their reaction wasn't bad. Dad, obviously, wasn't very impressed, but he made a comment that at least he could see most of my ears now.
With the curls I have naturally, my hair wasn't the full seven inches hanging down, but maybe about four? It looked like an undercut bowlcut, and Mike surprised me by saying "Lookin' good bro!".
My hair hung down a bit over my eyes though, and my cool new bald fade didn't show at all.

Jane came with me upstairs when I asked her if I could have a word with her. Mike had turned his attention to something on his pad, but Dad looked at us a bit sceptically as we walked up the stairs together. Me carrying my Wallmarts bag.

Jane and I share one of the two bathrooms, and it was here I emptied my purchases for her to see.
"Wow!" she said, as she picked up the home-perm kit I had bought.
"Check this out," I told her, as I showed her the picture I had shown Pete and Josh at the barber shop.
She nodded, and said, "That's one cool haircut baby brother!" She calls me that sometimes. Not just because she was born about an hour before me, but mostly because it often feels like I am her baby brother. Mom gives us that feeling as well, as she dotes a lot more on me than on Mike or Jane.

"Can you help?" I asked.
"Sure," she said, "We'll have to read the procedure well first though. We don't want to get this wrong!"
I nodded eagerly.
"Maybe we should wait for Dad to leave the house?" Jane said.
"Is he going out?" I asked hopefully.
"Yeah. I heard him mention to Mike earlier that they would go check out used cars. That should take a while, right?"
Oh yes, that would take some time I guess. And what a relief it was to have them out of the house.

Reading the description on how to perm at home, we figured it would take us about two hours, allowing time to get the curlers in right. Jane said, if I wanted my curls to be like the guy in the picture, we would have to roll pretty tight. Listening raptly I nodded some more. I did want to look like the guy in the picture. Like with most kids with this haircut, his hair was darker than mine, but I had googled "curly hair bald fade blond" as well, and had seen that this haircut worked no matter what haircolor you had.

Jane went back downstairs, and I went to my room, and opened my laptop.
I quickly typed in, "Got the bald fade at barbershop today, and will get my curls here at home as soon as Dorky-Dad leaves the building. Super psyched!" and submitted it under my alias "TimidTim2016" with a screenshot of someone else with the haircut I would soon see if suited me as well.

As I was chatting with others who were all enthusiastic about my "make-over" I heard the door, and Dad's car drive off. Soon Jane was with me.
"Ready?" she asked, and grinned.
My legs were a bit gelatenous again, but yeah, I was ready.

Jane had been watching tutorials on YouTube on how to perm hair, even though she'd helped Mom out a few times. But she said this was kind of different, and she'd watched it done on guys getting the same cut as me.
First she told me to take my shirt off, and wash my hair, only drying it a little. "We want it damp as I roll it," she explained.
I washed my hair in the sink, aware as I always was that my stomach, and I, could loose a few pounds. 20 if I could manage. I had plans to work on that now that we would be living with Dad, maybe for months. It would be so cool to come home more toned, and with my new do.

Jane had me sit on a chair from the kitchen, and wrapped a cotton, bandage-like, cloth around my head, with only my long hair on top showing over it, and she began sectioning it off and rolling it, tight, on the curlers. I was impressed at how fast she did it.
"Wow! How'd you learn to do that so well?" I asked.
"Helped Mom, as you know. And although her perm was looser than yours will be, it's pretty much the same." she smiled at me through the mirror. I sat so low I couldn't see myself, only her. But I felt her hands moving nimbly, and forcefully, on my head.
She would comb out a section, fold one of the papers that came with the set, over it, and roll. Fastening it when it was nice and tight against my scalp.
"Plus, as you know Tobes, I'm just good!" She winked, and I looked at her with admiration. She really was.

We don't always get along. Like most siblings we have a "love/hate-relationship". I think she's often jealous of the way Mom treats me, and that she despices me a bit for the same reason.
Both Mike and Jane are stronger than me. Not physically. Well, Mike is, and Jane was when we were younger. At least she could beat me if we were in a fight. But that might just be bacause she's tougher.
They are both tougher than me about everything though. And more popular.
My two siblings are cool in a way I have never been, and probably never will be. They have loads of friends at home, and I have very few. Three, if I count Allan next door. He's a year below Jane and I though, and in my class I hang out with Melissa and Addison. Jane hangs out with the cool kids.

"Ok, that's the rollers all in!" Jane exclaimed, and stepped aside, so I could stand up and have a look.
It looked totally weird. With my forehead and ears covered in a bandage, and everything over that in tight curlers. We both laughed at the sight, but this was cool. I could hardly wait for the next step.
She had me sit with my back towards the sink, tilting my head back so the perm-solution wouldn't drip on the floor, and began adding it to the curlers.
"Wow! This stinks!" I exclaimed.
She nodded, "Yeah, it does," as the stink of rotten eggs filled the bathroom. Jane went to open the window, before she continued, and I soon sat shivering from cold as she kept adding the perm solution.

"Ok. Now this needs time to work before we rinse it out." Jane announced as she finished adding the reeking lotion, and we both set our timers.
Jane almost rushed out of the room to get away from the smell, and I went to my room to get a zipped hoodie on. Too full of anticipation I didn't go to my chat-group. In stead I played Pokemon on my cell, to pass the time, but I couldn't even concentrate on that, and in stead I stood looking at myself in the mirror. I felt a bit of tingling from my scalp as the solution worked, but that was probably normal. As I stood there I took a few snapshots of how I looked with curlers, and half my head wrapped in cotton.
It didn't take long though before the timer went off, and we met back in the bathroom.

"According to the videos on YouTube, if it makes a nice "S"-shape it's all good. And this looks perfect!" Jane said happily, as she loosened one of the curlers, and checked, before rolling it back up.
What a relief it was to have that stuff rinsed out. I thourougly enjoyed it as I held my head under the shower, and let it wash the solution away. Jane timed it so we would get it just right, not leaving any of it in there, before I again took the seat with my back to the sink. This time I kept my towel around me though so I wouldn't freeze.
Jane methodically applied the neutralizer, and we set our timers for ten minuttes. This smell was nice. It smelled sweet and pleasant, and we both stayed in the bathroom while we waited.
"I can't believe you're doing this baby-bro!" Jane said.
"Why?" I was a alarmed, "Do you think it will look bad?"
"No, duh!" she laughed, "It's just unexpected, you know?"

I knew. Smiling timidly at her, I again felt nervous about the reactions I would get. I had never liked drawing attention to myself. And this was probably not the right choice of hair-style for wanting to stay anonymous.
But, I just thought other guys with this style looked so incredibly hot, and I wanted to be attractive to. Maybe someone cute would think I looked good?
These thoughts were going through my head as the ten minuttes were up, and it was time for another three minuttes rinsing in the shower.
My hair, and the cotton wrapped around my head were all soaking wet as I rinsed, and I just dabbed it dry as I came out. Not wanting to mess anything up.

Standing in front of the mirror I unwrapped the cotton, and my bald fade came in full view again.
As Jane moved in to start removing the curlers, I asked her to wait while I took some pictures of myself with the fade showing, and my hair still set. I wanted to document this to keep.
"Can I take some pics to?" Jane said teasingly, and I told her "No way!" This was way too personal for me to have photos of of it "out there".

I sat down on the chair again, and Jane began removing the curlers. First unfastening the clasp, and unrolling them one by one. I felt my stomach churning in anticipation.
My legs were kind of wobbly again as she proclaimed me "All done!", and I got up.
Was that me? My head was chock full of wett curls. And not like the soft, curvy once I had before. These were much tighter. Maybe a half, to three quarter inch wide. I stood mesmerized, and Jane picked up my cell, asked me to unlock it, and snapped a few photos. I had taken my shirt back on by now, and willingly let her take pictures from all angles.

"Now what?" I asked, as I looked at the rather unruly mass of curls.
"Now you leave the perm to set. You shouldn't wash it for 48 hours," Jane explained.
"Can I touch it?" I asked, and she laughed in reply.
"Off course you can, silly!"
As I watched myself in the mirror, she began working her fingers in my curls, lifting some slightly, pushing and "fluffing" others, and rummaging at the roots, making my head look more uniform, as the hairs separated from their ringlets from the curlers. I could hardly believe how perfect she made it look.
Pulling gently at one, I pulled it out a bit, and released it. It sprang back, as tight as before.
"Uh, actually, you'd better not do that, ok? That might make it straighter," she said, adding, "Unless that's what you want?"
"Uhuh," I said "No, it's perfect!"

I just stood there, almost gawping at myself. My whole forehead was visible, as was my bald fade, running from my temples, slightly curved past the ears, and down a little bit lower in the back.
Jane took some more photos, and I posed from all sides, catching glimpses of myself in the mirror. It looked great!
If anything though, it did look a bit bulky on the sides, and back where the curls started, since the hair below that was so short.

"When do you think the barbershop closes?" I asked Jane.
"Dunno," she shrugged, "Probably closed now though, right? Why?"
"Just thinking Pete could give me that "finishing touch" he mentioned today, so I wouldn't have to wait 'till tomorrow."

Back in my room, I kept going over to the mirror by the door. As my hair dried I thought it looked even better. Gently I put my hand on it, and pushed it slightly. It was like a soft, fluffy and springy pillow. Occasionally I would have my fingers in it, correcting a curl that looked out of place, or just to feel it. I don't know what I loved more. My bald fade or the curls.
I checked P&J's opening hours on the web, and they were closed already. That wasn't a problem, since I would not have wanted to walk in there like this just now anyway. But I wondered whether it would be too forward of me to ask Pete to see me today.
Nervously I rang the number listed in their contact info, and it rang four times before it was answered.
"Josh speaking!"
"Uh, could I speak to Pete please?" I managed, feeling myself blush for some reason.
"Sure!", Josh called for his partner.
"Pete here!"
"Uh, hi. This is Toby," I began, adding, "From the shop earlier today. Do you remember, I showed you a picture, and you gave me a bald fade?"
He obviously remembered, and gave me an enthusiastic "Hi Toby! How'd it go with the perm?"
I relaxed a bit and said, "It went great! My sister did a fantastic job!"
"Great!" Pete exclaimed, and I heard him tell Josh, "It's Toby the kid from the shop who's got his perm done already!"
Back on the phone with me he said, "We're still at the shop, if you want to come in again today?"
"I would love that! But, I need to wait for Dad to come home first, so I can get a lift" I said, hoping they weren't in any hurry that day.
"Well, we're going out around seven, so any time before six will be ok I guess. Just give us a call before you come ok?"

Boy, did I have mixed feelings! Part of me dreaded showing Dad what we'd done, and at the same time I was dead eager for him to drive me to Pete and Josh's. It was now almost three, and I guessed he and Mike wouldn't be too long.


P.S. Hey guys!
As you can see, the story changed name, since it is now really more about Toby than about his Dad.
I hope you like it. I had to google, watch and learn about perms in order to write it, and I think I got it about right. ;-)
Also, thanks for the comments to the previous chapters. As always, the comments are a great part in making it fun to write here.
Vegard

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