Alex by Bald K

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Alex was a young boy sixteen-year-old boy with collar-length blond hair which just covered his ears. At school, Alex was a loner who kept himself to himself just doing enough to maintain his grades, so at the end of summer, he would be able to attend college before getting a job. Alex did not have much if a home life, his mother had died suddenly when he was twelve, and his father had not worked since then. He was living off the state benefits only leaving the house to stock up on lager and cigarettes, leaving Alex to fend for himself doing the cooking and other household chores. After his sixteenth birthday, Alex had found himself staying out after school just hanging about town so he could avoid his father and the smell of stale lager and cigarettes that lingered in the house, this turned into getting out of the house at weekends and aimlessly wandering around the shops looking at clothes he could not have the money for and standing reading magazines in the newsagents before being moved on by the manager. Alex had noticed over the last few weeks that a few hard-looking young guys had started hanging about the town with their hair shaved close to the scalp, and some had no hair at all. For some strange reason, Alex found himself starting to be drawn to the skinheads with the boots and braces for some reason and when at home was thinking about how hard they looked and how he looked like a typical teenager and started to think how he would look with the haircut and boots. The next week, after another monotonous week at school preparing for his final exams Alex, wandered into town on Saturday and saw a boy from his class at school talking to the skinheads and was laughing with them as one ruffled his black hair as he handed him a cigarette. Alex kept a distance from the skinheads and the boy from his class, turning to look in a shop if they glanced a look over towards him. Alex for some reason started to follow the skinheads and the boy from his class at school keeping a safe distance from them and stopped when the skinheads stopped, and one of them pointed in a direction to the boy from his class who walked off as the skinheads went in another direction. Alex decided to follow the boy from his class and saw him walk into a barber’s shop and sit in a waiting chair. Alex walked into the card shop that was opposite the barbers and found a position he could see what haircut the boy was going to get. After a few minutes, Alex saw the boy walk over to the barber's chair next to the window and get caped up and told the barber what haircut he wanted. Alex watched as the barber picked up a pair of clippers and removed the guard off them. Alex saw the barber comb through the boy’s black hair before placing the clippers at the boy’s hairline the back of his head." S**t he is joining the skinheads," Alex thought to himself as the clippers start to peel off the boy's black curly hair. Alex watched mesmerised as the barber shaved of the boy's curly black hair off staring as it fell into the cape or onto the floor and finishing off by peeling the hair off the top of the boy’s head.
" Looks good on him does not its friend," a voice whispered in Alex’s ear." Want to join him in the chair next?"
Alex jumped slightly
as he turned round to see a pair of the skinheads that the boy had been speaking to had come into the shop without Alex noticing as he was too engrossed in watching the boy getting his haircut.
" l only came in here to get a birthday card." Alex spluttered.
" Come off it kid we have caught sight of you watching us for a few weeks now," one of the skinheads said to Alex." Do not deny it."
" Patrick looks good with his zero shaved hair; don’t you agree with the kid?" One of the skinheads said to Alex." Why not join him?"
"Yeah, kid go and settle in that chair and get your hair shaved off and we will do the rest for you with the gear," the other skinhead said to Alex.
"No, you are ok. I was just interested in your look," Alex replied nervously. "Maybe another time, perhaps."
Alex made his way to the exit of the shop and ran down the street as Patrick walked out of the barbershop and over to the skinheads. After a couple of minutes, Alex stopped running and checked behind him that the skinheads had not followed him. Alex cursed to himself for not having the courage to accept the skinhead's offer of a free haircut and for some reason backtracked to the barbershop to see if Patrick and the skinheads were still about and saw them walking over to a couple of cars and getting in before driving off. Alex sighed and shrugged his shoulders as he turned back and decided to make his way home.
"Looking good Patrick, ready for the clothes?" One of the skinheads asked Patrick as they got into a car and drove off.
"You bet I am Tommy, I love this look," Patrick replied as he rubbed his head. "That boy is in my class at school, did he want a skinhead?"
"Think he does mate but was too scared to admit it," Tommy told Patrick as they drove down the street. "Maybe you can persuade him?"
"I can have a go, Tommy, and I am pretty good at that," Patrick replied.
"Invite him to our place on Friday after school so we can work on him a bit," Tommy told Patrick.
"Yeah, ok Tommy, I will do that," Patrick replied as he rubbed his bald head.

Alex threw his newspaper bag into the cupboard and made himself some toast and a coffee and sat in the lounge and ate his toast and drunk his coffee before changing into his school uniform and brushed his hair thinking it needed a cut as he looked in the mirror. Picking up his rucksack, Alex made his way to school, knowing that after this week, he would only be returning on exam days.
"Maybe I can get a part-time job for the holidays and while I am at college," Alex thought to himself as he pushed his blond hair out of his eyes. "I see the skinhead is in," Alex thought as he saw Patrick walking up the path into the school.
Alex heard the bell and made his way to the classroom for registration and sat at his desk and saw Patrick walk-in hearing the gasps from other students as they saw Patrick with his skinhead haircut.
"Never seen a skinhead before?" Patrick said to a boy with brown curly hair. "Mind if I sit with you, Alex?" Patrick asked Alex.
"Er yeah sure mate," Alex replied.
"Saw you were watching me get the hair sheared off on Saturday mate, Tommy tried to get you in the chair as well didn’t he, but you chickened," Patrick said to Alex.
"Yeah, I did, and I sort of regret it, but I did not have the money to get it cut," Alex replied.
"Look you and me are both like loners in this s**thole so maybe we could get to know each other a bit better at lunch and after school?" Patrick suggested.
"Yeah, I would like that mate," Alex replied as Mr Butcher walked in.
"Have a fight with a lawnmower did we, Patrick?" Mr Butcher said as he saw Patrick’s skinhead haircut.
"Lost a bet sir, and before I could say anything, I was pinned down and my hair was being shaved off," Patrick replied with a smile on his face.
"You should also know it is against school rules to have such an extreme haircut, Patrick so off you go to see the headmaster," Mr Butcher told Patrick.
"School rules suck, I am in my last week before exams and you treat me like a little kid," Patrick said as he picked up his rucksack and made his way to the headmaster’s office and sat on a chair waiting to see the headmaster.
"Come in Patrick," The headmaster said as he opened the door.
Patrick walked into the headmaster’s room and shut the door and stood in front of the headmaster’s desk.
"Now Patrick why have you gone about breaking the school regulations on extreme haircuts?" The headmaster asked Patrick.
"I am sorry sir, but I lost a bet and before I knew it, I was being held down and my hair was being shaved off," Patrick lied.
"That is no excuse Patrick, but as it is your last week before you leave and come back for your exams, I am willing to let you off, now get to class," The headmaster told Patrick.
"Yes sir," Patrick replied and walked out of the office and made his way to his first class.

Lunchtime arrived and Alex saw Patrick sitting at a table with his lunchbox in front of him and walked over.
"Alright skinhead? How did it go with Dracula?" Alex asked Patrick as he sat down opposite him.
"Said as it was only one week left at school, he would let me off," Patrick replied. "So, are you interested in becoming a skinhead?"
"I don’t know mate, and I think it makes you look a lot harder than when you had the black curly hair," Alex replied.
"Come on, mate get it done," Patrick said to Alex. "I am going over to where the skinheads hang out on Friday so why not tag along with me?" Patrick suggested.
"Got nothing else on so guess I could tag along with you if that is ok," Alex replied, shrugging his shoulders as he bit into his sandwich.
"Great, get you the haircut, so you are one of us," Patrick grinned.
"Hang on mate, I did not say I would be getting the haircut," Alex told Patrick but knowing deep inside that he wanted to get his hair shaved off.
"Come on, Alex, you did not take a lot of persuasion about coming over to the skinhead's place," Patrick told Alex.
"True mate so what time shall we meet up on Friday?" Alex sighed.
"Tommy said he would pick me up at seven-thirty outside the shops," Patrick told Alex.
"Yeah, ok then, I will be there," Alex told Patrick. "So, what made you get a skinhead crop?"
"Not been getting on with my stepdad who has been on at me I should be doing better at school and was always going on about for my hair," Patrick told Alex. "I started spending more time out of the house and met Tommy and a few other skinheads a couple of weeks ago and it just sort of clicked, what about you?"
"Live with my dad who just sits in the house all day drinking lager and smoking fags," Alex replied. "I spend most of my time out of the house and saw the skinheads a few weeks back but never dared to get to know them," Alex admitted.
"Looks like we are both trying to get out of our homes and get a new life," Patrick said to Alex. "My mum just does what my stepdad tells."
"Yeah, it does mate," Alex sighed. "Still not sure if I have got the guts to lose the hair though."
"We will see on Friday mate, to be honest, I was not sure either until I finally sat in the chair and got the haircut," Patrick admitted.
"How did you feel as you watched your hair getting shaved off?" Alex asked Patrick.
"Felt like I was finally being liberated, starting a new life with Tommy and the skinheads," Patrick replied. "I could have been shaved on Friday, but I said I wanted to get it done at a barbershop so I could watch the new me being born, like a phoenix rising from the ashes."
"Nice one mate, see you later," Alex said as the bell went for the end of the lunch break.

Patrick pulled his freshly bleached jeans on and secured a pair of inch full red braces on them before pulling on his fourteen eyelet ranger boots and tied them as Tommy had shown him the week before when he first tried on the skinhead clothing.
"Looking good Patrick, my boy." Patrick thought as he looked in the full-length mirror in his bedroom.
"What the hell do you think you look like?" Patrick’s dad said as Patrick walked down the stairs.
"I look like I want to, and you cannot do a thing about it," Patrick replied as he opened the front door and walked out.
"I could always kick you out as you are sixteen and do not think I would not kick you out, Patrick!" Patrick’s dad shouted down the path at Patrick.
"F*** you!" Patrick shouted back.
Arriving at the shops, Patrick saw Alex looking out for him and saw Alex smile as he saw Patrick walking towards him.
"Wow mate, you look, well you look formidable with that outfit on," Alex said to Patrick.
"Thanks, mate, you could be looking the same in a few hours," Patrick replied. "Tommy said he was running a bit late but should be here in about ten minutes."
"Yeah, I guess so," Alex replied, nervously realising that he could be about to lose his blond hair.
After about ten minutes, a car pulled up next to Alex and Patrick, and Tommy got out of the vehicle.
" So, you have decided to come over to the manor then mate," Tommy said to Alex." Soon have that blond hair on the floor, let us get going."
" Maybe." Alex replied with a nervous grin on his face as he got in the car.
" Young Patrick is going smooth dome tonight a proper skinhead," Tommy laughed as he got back in the car and started the engine.
" Yeah, that is right going razor boy smooth," Patrick grinned as he got in the car.
Tommy drove off and Alex looked nervously out of the car window as Tommy drove over to the manor. After a while, Tommy pulled up outside a small warehouse and switched the engine off and got out of the car. Alex and Patrick got out of the car and followed Tommy into the small warehouse where a few young skinheads and a couple of punks were lounging about.
" Hey Patrick, how did it go with your olds when you turned up with the skinhead?" Scott inquired.
" Mum hates it and my stepdad are well at least you got a haircut," Patrick replied. "But he hates the skinhead clothes."
" You come to join us then mate?" Scott asked Alex.
" Maybe, I just came as Patrick suggested I came over," Alex replied. "I don’t know if a skinhead crop would look good on me."
" Well, let us give you the guided tour of the manor," Scott said to Alex and Patrick." This is the main communal area, and this is the barber and ink shop as we call it, that is where the hair is cut and tattoos are done," Patrick said as he showed them a room where a young boy with a jet black mohawk was having a spider’s web inked on one side of his scalp." Looking good spider," Tommy said to spider.
" Thanks boss," spider replied as the tattooist inked more of the web onto his scalp.
"Upstairs we have a kitchen and a sleeping area for teenagers and a few older residents which all we ask for is that they contribute towards the food and drink," Tommy told Alex and Patrick. "Ready to shave the head the Pat?"
"Sure, am mate," Patrick replied as he walked into the area where the punk called spider was getting inked and sat on a stool.
While I am doing Pat’s shave take young Alex upstairs and kit him out," Tommy said to Scott.
"This way mate," Scott said to Alex he walked over to the stairs.
Alex followed Scott up the stairs and into a room where there were a few mattresses and a couple of wardrobes. Scott went over to a wardrobe and opened it and selected a black polo shirt with red trim.
"What size waist are you, Alex?" Scott inquired.
"Twenty-six mate and inside leg is thirty-one," Alex replied, "Boot size is nine."
Scott selected a pair of bleached jeans, and some oxblood ranger boots along with a pair of inch wide red braces and handed them to Alex. Alex stripped down to his boxer shorts and pulled on the polo shirt before pulling on the jeans and allowing Scott to lace up the boots and secure the braces. Alex and Scott walked over to where a full-length mirror was in the corner of the room and Alex looked at his new clothes.
"You look good in those Alex, just think how much better you will look with the hair shaved off," Scott said to Alex.
"Yeah, I guess so," Alex replied nervously. "But I don’t know if I am ready to lose all of my hair just yet maybe try like a grade four crewcut?"
"Nah mate a skinhead is a zero, not a girly grade four crewcut," Scott told Alex. "Think about it no more shampoo or even go bald like your mate Pat is having now."
"Let me think about it mate, I am not ready to sacrifice the hair at this moment in time, let’s go and see Pat and I will think about it." Alex pleaded with Scott.
"Maybe Pat can convince you to lose the hair mate, let’s go back downstairs," Scott sighed.
Alex and Scott made their way down to the main area where the skinheads and punks were drinking beer and smoking. Alex made his way over to the room where Pat was having a layer of shaving gel spread over his head by Tommy.
"You next for the haircut then Alex?" Tommy asked Alex. "You look decent in the gear."
"I don’t know Tommy, I sort of like the clothing and boots, but I am not sure if I am ready to sacrifice the hair," Alex replied.
"Come on mate join me as a skinhead," Patrick said to Alex as Tommy picked up the razor and started to shave Patrick’s head. "Tell you mate the feeling of going razor bald feels formidable."
Alex stood at the doorway and watched as Tommy carefully shaved Patrick’s head smooth. "Alex could feel the butterflies in his stomach with part of him craving to sit on the stool and go skinhead and the part of him advising him to get changed and go home.
"There you go skinhead, you are looking good Patrick," Tommy said as he put the razor down and wiped the excess gel off his head and removed the cape.
"Cheers Tommy, I love the feeling," Patrick replied as he got up off the stool and patted his bald head. "Wow! I love the look!" Patrick cried out as he saw his bald head in the mirror. "Go on mate join me you will not regret it," Patrick said to Alex as he walked over.
"It does look good on you mate, but I just don’t feel ready to do it yet," Alex answered back. "I am going to get changed and go home, sorry mate."
"Go and get changed then Alex and I will give you a lift home," Tommy told Alex.
"I thought he was going to join us, Tommy he seemed so eager on getting it done," Patrick said to Tommy.
"I think nerves just got him probably mate, I know he will be one of us soon," Tommy told Patrick as Alex walked back in with his ordinary clothes on.
"Let’s get you home then Alex," Tommy said as he got his car keys out of his pocket. "You remember where we are if you change your mind."
"Thanks, I will know where to come if I change my mind," Alex replied. "Sorry mate, I will see you for the maths exam on Tuesday."
"Yeah, see you, Tuesday Alex," Patrick said as Alex followed Tommy out of the warehouse.
"You were close to joining Patrick as a skinhead tonight, Alex, pity nerves got the better of you," Tommy said to Alex as they drove off towards Alex’s home.
"I just don’t know what to do Tommy, maybe I just need to get my exams out of the way," Alex replied.


Alex arrived home from his exam on Tuesday and saw a large white van outside the flats where he lived. Alex walked through the open door and made his way up the stairs and looked in disbelief as he saw his television being taken out of his room by some men.
"Hey! What the f*** are you doing with my stuff!" Alex screamed at the man.
"Did your father not tell you that the flat was being repossessed by the landlord for six months of non-payment of the rent young man?" The man asked Alex.
"No, he f***ing well didn’t!" Alex shouted. "Where the f*** am I supposed to stay!"
" Not our problem son, your dad should have contacted the local housing office," the man told Alex. "You better get in your room and get anything that belongs to you out of there including your clothes."
"When were you going to tell me that I have nowhere to live dad!" Alex shouted at his dad as his dad appeared. "What the f*** have you done about it?"
"F*** off to one of your mates I am sure they will put you up," Alex’s dad replied as he took a swig of lager from a can.
"F*** you dad!" Alex shouted as he went into his room and threw his clothes into a bag along with his laptop and PlayStation.
Alex seethed as he walked out of the house and wandered down the road without looking back at his dad and started to make his way into the town centre where he withdrew his savings out his bank account and put the money in his wallet before starting to walk to the manor where Patrick had got his head shaved. Arriving at the manor Alex let out a small sigh as he saw that Tommy’s car was not there and the building looked to be in darkness.
"Hey, you are that dude that chickened out of getting the haircut on Friday," A voice said to Alex.
"Oh hi, you are the one they call spider," Alex replied as he swivelled round to see spider standing behind him.
"Yeah, that is me I am the spider boy," spider laughed as he opened the door. "You are coming in?"
"Yeah, I reckon so as I am now homeless," Alex replied as he followed spider in.
"How did that come about, mate?" Spider asked Alex.
"My drunken lazy fat c*** called my dad has not paid the rent for six months and we got ejected today," Alex told spider. "So here I am homeless, and I guess that I will be a skinhead," Alex sighed.
"Look mate I have been here six months after Tommy and Scott took me in," spider told Alex. "My mum and dad split and my stepdad and me did not get on and practically made my life hell."
"How did they find you spider?" Alex inquired.
"I was sleeping rough in the town centre, and they do weekly patrols and found me," Spider answered back.
"They turned you into the punk?" Alex asked spider.
"I was already a punk but with a s**t haircut, I arrived here, and they assisted me in getting my desire of having a Mohawk haircut," spider told Alex. "Tattoos are my choice as well."
"Do you see your mum?" Alex asked spider.
"Nah mate she is to busy with her job and did not even realise I had moved out until the Sunday when she went into my room and saw my clothes had gone," spider sighed as he handed Alex a can of beer. "Do your hair after this if you want me to mate."
"Yeah thanks, spider I would like that if you could shave my head," Alex replied as he took a mouthful of his beer. "Maybe try a mohawk like yours first?"
"Ok mate I can do that for you no problem," Spider said as he drank his beer.
Alex and spider finished the beer and walked into the shaving and ink room as spider called it. Alex stripped his shirt off and sat in the chair and spider caped him up.
"So, a Mohawk first then a skinhead?" Spider asked Alex. "Want it dyed black like mine first?"
"Yeah, go on then," Alex replied with a nervous smile on his face." I guess that this is my home for the near future."
" You will fit in with no problem, Alex," spider said as he got a box out of a cupboard and prepared the black dye.
Alex observed spider mix the black hair colouring and felt the dampness as spider administered the black hair dye on Alex’s blond hair before securing a plastic cap over Alex’s head.
" It will take about an hour to establish the colour into your hair mate so let us get another beer," spider said to Alex.
" Are you trying to get me drunk spider? I do not usually drink alcohol," Alex said to spider.
" You are going to be one of us now Alex so gets used go drinking and smoking," spider told Alex as he got a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and offered Alex one.
Alex took a cigarette and lit it with the lighter that spider gave him and took a drag on it before blowing out the smoke.
" You a smoker then mate?" Spider asked Alex.
" Yeah, I am spider, I nicked my dads all the time as he was always too pissed to notice," Alex answered back." Never really a drinker though."
" You soon will be mate and not that crap they call lager," spider told Alex.

" Right mates go upstairs to the shower room and wash the dye out of your hair, and I will do the mohawk for you," spider told Alex.
" Where about is the shower room spider?" Alex inquired as he stood up.
" Next to the sleep room, mate," spider replied.
Alex stood up and made his way upstairs and found the shower room and turned the shower on and removed the plastic cap from his head and put his head under the shower and washed out the dye before shampooing his hair and rinsed that out. Alex grabbed the towel off the rail and rubbed his hair with it before looking in the mirror." S**t, I look different with the jet-black hair," Alex thought to himself as he made his way back downstairs and into the shave and ink room where spider was waiting for him.
" I must admit mate that black hair looks f***ing good on you," spider told Alex." Take a seat and I will sort the Mohawk out for you."
Alex sat down and spider wrapped the cape around Alex and picked a comb up and then the clippers. spider combed through Alex’s hair before he started to shave the side of Alex’s head.
" No going back now then spider," Alex said to spider as he watched some black hair fall into the cape.
" No going back mate and I think you will rock the mohawk look," spider told Alex as he continued to shave the sides of Alex’ head.
Spider put the clippers down as he completed shaving Alex’s hair leaving a strip of dyed black hair about an inch wide. Spider lathered up the stubble left on Alex’s head and expertly shaved the stubble off. Spider got a tube of hair glue out and squeezed a good amount out onto his hand before working it into the remaining hair on Alex’s head and worked it into spikes about three inches long and let it set.
" I must confess mate that the Mohawk looks f***ing incredible on you!" Spider told Alex." Be even better with some metal and ink on you."
" Let me have a look then spider," Alex said as he felt the shaved part of his head.
" This way then mate, there are toilets just through that door," spider told Alex as he removed the cape.
" Holy s**t mate I see what you mean about the Mohawk looking f***ing formidable on me I am going to keep it!" Alex shouted as he saw his reflection in the mirror." And I agree that I would look better with some piercings and tattoos."
"We can book in a few sessions with Rocky who does them for us, I think he is here tonight for some piercing work," spider told Alex as they walked back into the main living area and spider fetched another beer for them.
"Scott and Tommy will need you to get a job to help pay for food and other stuff while you live here mate," spider told Alex, "And I would forget any thoughts on going to sixth form college or university."
"Was only going to college as it is compulsory if you don’t have a job," Alex replied.
"Tommy will sort a job out for you no problem, "Spider told Alex as he handed over another beer.

"Who is the new guy with a hard as f*** Mohawk?" Scott said as he saw Alex.
"The boy who wimped out on Friday," Alex replied with a massive grin on his face. "Spider done it for me."
"I knew you would be back," Scott told Alex. "Rocky is going to have some fun with you on Friday."
"I thought Rocky was here tonight," Spider said to Scott.
"Family commitment he cannot get out of," Scott replied. "Has your mate Patrick seen the new Alex?"
"Not yet, I tried to call him, but his phone was switched off," Alex told Scott. "Do you think I should keep the Mohawk."
"That is your choice, but I think you suit a bit of hair," Scott grinned. "Hey Tommy, look who had a makeover by Spider," Scott said as Tommy walked in.
"Holy f***!" Tommy exclaimed as he saw Alex. "The Mohawk twins!"
"I guess you like it then," Alex said to Tommy. "I was thinking of going shaved like Patrick."
"Keep the Mohawk," Tommy told Alex. "You look a hard-as-nails boy now."
"We just need to get some muscle on him now," Scott said to Tommy. "Tubs will sort him."
"Intensive muscle building then get him inked up along with some metal," Tommy grinned. "I will contact Tubs."

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