The High and Tight Terrorists by Buzz

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A THRILLING SEVEN-CHAPTER HAIRCUTTING SERIAL


Chapter One: INDUCTION


Jared Black had always been a trouble maker. He had gotten into his share of hassles with the police, but they always chalked it up to the antics of a kid who didn`t know any better -- a typical high school football jock. And when they hadn`t, his father had paid off the victims of Jared`s pranks, and they dropped all charges. All Jared had to do was endure a litany of threats from his father. `I`m cutting you off! I`m sending you to military school! I`m disinheriting you!` But in the end, Jared got always gotten off easy -- until now. This time he had gone too far. Jared had gotten hold of a huge balloon and some white paint, filled the balloon until it was ready to burst, then took it to an overpass which rose far above a highway below. The fifteen-year-old thought he was totally alone -- in the darkness he didn`t notice the kid bicycling near the start of the overpass. Jared waited for a real expensive car to approach, then let the balloon fly. WHAM!

His makeshift bomb scored a direct hit on the hood of a dark blue Caddy. White paint exploded from the balloon, and went splashing across the wind shield. Jared started laughing hysterically -- but his laughter suddenly stopped when the car skidded into the overpass abutment with a deafening crash. It was totaled! Jared watched as the driver staggered out of the heap of twisted metal, then beat it as quick as he could. As he ran home, strands of his long black hair sliced across his face like a thousand tiny whips. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer.

The police showed up at his door two hours later. The kid on the bicycle, a highschool classmate named David Thompson, had ID`d him to the cops! David wasn`t exactly the perfect witness. He looked like a hippy -- a typical 15-year-old who, like Jared and alot of the younger kids in the area, had near-shoulder length hair. The police might not have believed David, but Jared`s previous record of trouble-making added credence to his claims. There was no getting out of this one. Jared was busted.

As usual, his father bought off the Caddy`s owner. Jared had no idea how just how much money his dad had spent to keep the driver from pressing charges, but he figured it was a small fortune. And he knew his dad was totally fed up with his antics. `I`ve had it with you, Jared Black!` Jared could tell he was in real trouble when his father used his last name. But beg as he might, Jared`s pleas fell on deaf ears. `I don`t want to hear it,` his father wailed. `There`s only one thing left to do with you, young man!` A month later, Jared was sitting on a bus bound for Patton Military Academy.

`My name`s Bobby,` said the long-haired young kid sitting next to Jared. The light brown hair covering his ears and spilling well over his collar was only slightly shorter than Jareds, but where Jared`s wild black hair had no part at all, this kid`s mop was parted sloppily in the center. The faintest beginnings of a mustache were forming on his upper lip, and his bangs nearly covered his eyes. He reminded Jared of himself. `I`m Jared,` he finally said sullenly.

`What`re you in for?` Bobby asked with a grin. Jared managed to smile. He wasn`t the only one being forced into military school! He told Bobby the balloon story, and how some asshole named David had ratted him out to the cops. Then Jared asked why Bobby was on the bus. `Well,` Bobby told him, `I flunked out of junior high school, and then my Dad caught me smokin` pot a few times -- so here I am.`

The bus pulled into camp, and Jared and Bobby were hurried out and into formation. `Welcome to Patton Military Academy,` a commanding voice boomed at them. Within minutes they were stripped of their clothes, issued t-shirts and immaculately pressed tan slacks, then ordered to wait on a line. `What`s this line for?` Jared whispered to Bobby, who was in front of him. `Haircuts,` Bobby said softly.

A hugely-musceled man in a uniform ran over to Jared, and roared in his face with the fury of a bomb blast. `YOU! NO TALKING! SHUT THE F*** UP, BEFORE I SHUT YOU UP!` Jared swallowed hard. He wasn`t ready for this. This s**t was scary! Since as far back as he could remember, he`d fought with his father about his long hair -- and when his father insisted he get a haircut, he`d always been able to satisfy him by allowing his mother to trim a half inch or so off his mane. He`d never even been inside a barber shop! He wondered what kind of haircut he was going to get. Whatever they did, he told himself, he was going to grow it back. As he neared the door of the camp barber shop, the sound of buzzing grew louder and louder. As they were ushered closer and closer, Bobby caught a glimpse inside. `S**t, he whispered, `They`ve got the chairs facing away from the mirror!` Jared was confused. `So?` Since he`d never had a real haircut, he didn`t know how unusual this was. `You idiot,` Bobby told him, `They do that so we can`t see what`s being done to us!`

`YOU THERE!` a man in a uniform screamed at Bobby, `KEEP QUIET! YOU`RE NEXT!`

Although Jared didn`t realize it, they were already beginning to change his behavior. He wanted to stick his head around Bobby to see what kind of haircut he was about to get -- but he was afraid they`d catch him and scream at him again, so he stood motionless. Bobby had an unobstructed view of the proceedings. He watched in horror as the fresh-faced young kid in front of him had his shoulder-length brown hair buzzed into a military high and tight in under two minutes. `NEXT!` the barber shouted at Bobby. It was his turn.


Bobby slid reluctantly into the chair, and instantly a white cloth was snapped tightly around his neck. Jared watched in growing terror. With a few quick passes of an electric buzzer, the hair on the top of Bobby`s head was shaved down to a quarter inch. His head was jerked roughly from side to side as the clippers made their rounds. Huge mounds of Bobby`s light brown hair began to pile up in his lap, and soon a wet, slick gel was being rubbed into his head. The short, bristly hair remaining on top of his head was brushed neatly into place. In minutes, Bobby had been transformed from a sloppy hippy into a neat military cadet with a fresh new high and tight haircut. Jared was paralyzed. He`d never seen such a short haircut! He was horrified at the change in Bobby, and couldn`t fathom that in seconds it would be HIM under those clippers, and he`d end up looking exactly the same. The barber whipped the white cloth off Bobby. He glared at Jared. `NEXT!`

Like a sleepwalker, Jared moved hesitantly to the chair, running his fingers through his long black hair for the last time. A clean white cloth was snapped tightly around his neck. His heart hadn`t pounded like this since the night of the balloon incident. Damn that f***ing David kid! This was all his fault. Jared was brought back to reality by the startling sensation of a cold, sharp electric clipper plowing through the hair on the top of his head. The barber wasn`t stopping to ask Jared to turn his head, either. When he was done with the top, he just grabbed Jared`s head and roughly jerked it to the right. `Hey!` Jared exclaimed, `Easy!` A response came immediately. `KEEP QUIET!` another uniformed mass of muscle screamed in his face, `TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!`

In instants, the clipper was attacking the right side of Jared`s head. Then the barber, who was now annoyed, pushed Jared`s head down so his chin touched his chest. He began to buzz the back of his head. Long clumps of black hair drifted lazily down to the tiled floor. Another jerk and he started in on the left side. Each pass of the clippers removed another clump of hair, and another piece of his identity. Jared thought it was finally over, when suddenly he felt a new pair of clippers biting into the right side of his head, shearing him even closer than before. Still more hair spilled down to his lap -- not clumps this time, but tiny bristles. `Oh my God,` Jared thought, `He`s buzzing the sides and back of my head clear down to the skin!` He had seen Bobby being given the same haircut, but it hadn`t really registered. Now it was being done to HIM!

With the sides and back of Jared`s head properly buzzed, the barber applied a dab of shaving cream on his sideburns, upper lip, and behind his ears. A few quick strokes with a straight razor erased all traces of Jared`s sideburns, obliterated the faint beginnings of a mustache that had started to sprout recently on his upper lip, and neatly squared off his hairline behind his ears. Next, Jared felt cold, wet gel being massaged into his head, and then a stiff brush was applied. He felt what was left of his hair being brushed to the right side, then straight back, completely off his forehead. It had been less than a minute, and his haircut was finished. As the barber whipped off his cape, huge mounds of Jared`s long black hair spilled down to the floor. Jared couldn`t believe what was being done to him -- what had BEEN done to him! He whirled around to look at himself in the mirror.

He didn`t recognize himself. The change in him was stupefying! The long black hair that only minutes ago had completely covered his ears was gone. Gone! His ears were totally exposed. All that was left on the sides of his head was a short, barely visible bristle. What little hair remained on top of his head -- about a quarter of an inch -- had been brushed to the right, forced into wet little ridges, and severely parted on the right side. The part was as straight as a ruler! His gelled hair was shining in the glare of the barbershop`s harsh florescent lights. His first traces of mustache had been shaved completely off, and his short bangs were glued straight back. He could see his white skin showing easily through the stubble on the sides of his head, and his short, neatly shaved, perfectly flat sideburns. The stubble above his ears had been evened off into twin, perfect round arcs which rose well above his ears. He reached to feel the back of his head.

The grainy sensation of his fingers rubbing like sandpaper against the stiff bristles on the back of his head sent him into a state of shock -- and when he moved his hand across the hair on the top of his head, he was dumb founded. The short, stiff ridges barely moved at all! There was no messing up THIS haircut. The reality of his situation hit him like a ton of bricks. He was no longer himself. He was a plebe! One of hundreds. He had been totally stripped of his individuality. He had the exact same haircut as Bobby -- and every other plebe! With his handsome face, white t-shirt, tan slacks, and freshly cut high and tight, Jared was the very picture of a clean-cut young military cadet -- an image he despised. But it was now HIM! Suddenly someone was barking orders at him with a deafening roar.

`YOU! PLEBE! Who told you could feel your head?`

`Well,` Jared answered tentatively, `No one ...`

`WHAT THE HELL? YOU ARE TO ADDRESS ME AS SIR AT ALL TIMES, PLEBE!`

`Yes sir.`

`WHAT?`

`YES SIR!` Jared shouted loudly.


Oh God, Jared thought, I can`t believe this. He glimpsed at the mirror again. There was a military cadet standing in a stiff, braced position of attention. His T-shirt was spotlessly white, his pants were perfectly creased, and his ultra-short haircut was perfectly groomed. But it wasn`t some stranger in a movie -- it was Jared! It was HIM! If they had made this huge a change in him in one short day, what would they do to him in a week ... or a month ... or a YEAR?

He vowed that some day he`d take his revenge on David, the mother f***er who had gotten him into this. He`d kill him! He`d strangle him! He`d ... his thoughts were abruptly cut off. `YOU! PLEBE! MOVE IT!` `Yes SIR!` he shouted reflexively. Oh my God, he thought, is this me? But as he was hurried along to the auditorium for a few hours of mind-numbing speeches, he ran his hand up the back of his bristly head, and along the short, rock-hard ridges of hair on top. No, he thought, this ISN`T me!

His room mate was a guy named Cody Miller. Cody`s identical twin brother, Jordan, had also joined the academy that day. `Nice haircut,` Cody said to Jared as he stowed his gear in the closet. `Can you believe this f***in haircut?` Jared replied. `No,` Cody answered, rubbing the back of his own head. `They call it a high and tight -- it`s HIGH on the sides and TIGHT on top. It`s the haircut Marines have! And you know what`s worse?` Cody asked. `Nothing could be worse,` Jared said with grim certainty.

`Oh yeah?` Cody countered, `Well, what about getting a haircut EVERY WEEK!` Jared`s mouth dropped to the floor. `You`re not serious.` `Dead serious,` Cody said. `I heard they make us get haircuts every damn week. By the time they`re finished with us, we`re gonna forget what we looked like with hair!` They`ll have us HATING long hair!

`Not me!` Jared said as he glanced at his reflection in the mirror in disgust. He noticed that on the dresser there was a jar of the same gel-glop they had put in his hair when he got his induction haircut. `God,` he asked Bobby, `they aren`t expecting us to keep putting that crap in our hair are they?` Bobby laughed. `Expecting? Hell no! They`re ORDERING us to use it. Every day! Take a look in that mirror, Jared buddy. That`s your new haircut -- for the next four years! You`d better get used to it.` Jared frowned. No matter what Cody said, he`d NEVER get used to his new high and tight haircut. Never! But he knew one thing -- that David kid, the one responsible for his being forced to go to military school, was going to pay. Oh, how he was going to pay. He`d beat the crap out of him! He`d strangle him! He`d kill him! He`d . . . he`d . . . TERRORIZE him!





A THRILLING SEVEN-CHAPTER HAIRCUTTING SERIAL


Chapter Two: CODY`S BLACK BAG


As Jared marched down the hallway of Polk Hall, the overhead fluorescent lights made the polished brass insignia on his grey uniform throw off sparkles of light. His stiff, perfect high and tight glistened in the reflected light. Jared was proud to wear a high and tight haircut -- a real man`s haircut. His closely cropped head was a public demonstration of the dedication he had to Patton Military Academy.
Three and a half years ago, he had arrived at Patton as a trouble-making high school football jock -- forced by his father to `enlist` after an asshole kid named David had turned him in to the cops for bombing a car with a paint-filled balloon. He was a stupid kid with long hair and a bad attitude back then, and he had vowed they wouldn`t change him -- but they had. He could remember clearly the moment when he had realized he was different. His induction haircut had been traumatic, but the trauma grew less and less as he was forced to visit the Academy barbershop each week. After a few months, his weekly military haircut became routine. His father had marveled at the change in him during his first vacation back home. After being home almost two weeks, Jared noticed that after missing his weekly high and tight haircut for the first time in four months, his hair had grown in a bit. He couldn`t see the skin on the sides of his head any more, and it just didn`t feel right. He decided he needed a haircut. The look on his father`s face when Jared told him he was going to the town barber was priceless!
He`d never forgotten that trip to the barber. It was the first haircut he`d ever gotten where the barber`s chair faced the mirror! For the first time, he could watch as his head was buzzed -- and as he did, he felt not like his identity was being removed, as it he had during induction, but restored! His high and tight haircut was now part of who he was. When the barber showed him the shaved back of his head in the mirror, he nodded his approval, and felt a strange new satisfaction -- and in that moment, Jared Black had discovered who he was. He wasn`t a kid anymore. He was a young man. Since that moment years ago, he had made it a point to NEVER go more than a week without a haircut. Sometimes he let his room-mate Cody, or his twin brother Jordan, or one of his other buddies, buzz his head -- they`d all gotten pretty good at giving haircuts in the last three and a half years. More than anything else -- even more than the uniforms -- their high and tight haircuts set the cadets apart from everyone outside the walls of Patton.
Underclass cadets, seeing Jared`s approach, slammed themselves against the wall in the stiff, braced position of attention. Jared didn`t permit the smile he felt to reach his face. He never failed to feel a sense of elation at the sight of underclassmen frozen stiff at his approach. Their manequin-like forms represented their respect for his power. The underclassmen knew that Jared`s word was law.
As cadet colonel, the senior ranking cadet at the academy, Jared Black had only slightly less official power than the cadre and administration. In fact, inside the barracks, Jared had even more power than the cadre officers. Everyone knew it -- the other cadets, the cadre officers, even the administration. As cadet colonel, Jared moved among the cadets all day, every day. He knew the cadets inside and out. Nothing escaped Jared Black`s gaze. Since arriving at Patton Military Academy -- against his will, Jared reminded himself -- he had worked hard to join the elite corps of senior cadet officers.
Despite the odds against him, Jared had practiced and worked until he had become team captain of the gymnastics squad. The bulky muscles he had arrived with first semester were quickly trimmed down until his uniforms no longer constrained his movements; rather, they flowed with them. He had spent years practicing `The Look` in front of a mirror. Every cadet quickly came to know `The Look,` that unnerving gaze focused upon underclassmen which took in everything and revealed nothing in return. Every upperclass cadet officer had their own variation of `The Look.` Some used half lowered eyelids to give the impression of sleepy menace, some went for the narrowed slit-eyed look -- but none could match Jared`s ice cold gaze.
Jared knew that `The Look` wasn`t a physical manifestation of narrowing one`s eyelids, or half dropping them. `The Look` was a reflection of the inner essence -- if one demanded perfection and nothing less, it came through in `The Look.` Jared`s bright blue eyes never wavered right or left as he strode down the hallway, yet they missed nothing. Ahead of him, a plebe tried vainly to find a place to hide before bracing to attention. Already he knew Jared had spotted him and the one flaw in his appearance. Jared stopped smartly in front of the plebe -- for a full thirty seconds he remained as motionless as the cadet. He watched with pleasure at the fear rounding out the younger boy`s eyes. It never failed -- they tried to remain impassive while bracing, but the fear always showed.
Jared`s right hand rose -- the index and middle fingers extended slightly, the other two fingers and thumb curled -- and brushed the side of the plebe`s head. The plebe had tried to dodge academy rules regarding military appearance by letting his mousy brown hair grow long, and was trying to hide this fact by brushing it straight back. That way, it didn`t touch his ears. The trick didn`t fool Jared -- his slightly curled fingers clawed the plebe`s hair down until it touched his ear. `You seem to have a problem with following the rules, maggot.` Jared`s voice was quiet, but commanding. He seldom raised his voice above a normal speaking tone.
`This is the second time you`ve been warned,` Jared`s extended index finger shot forward in front of the plebe`s nose, cutting off his protest before it reached his lips. `Sergeant Carmody gave you two demerits three weeks ago.` The plebe`s eyes grew rounder in defeat. `You have an appointment with Major Miller at nineteen hundred tonight, shower uniform. Tell him to show you the black bag.` Jared wheeled away without waiting for a response. None was needed. Back at the room he shared with Cody Miller, Jared finally permitted himself the luxury of a smile. He entered without knocking. Cadet Major Cody Miller was stripped to the waist, pumping ten pound dumbbells, his back to the door.
Jared closed the door with a loud click, causing Cody to turn in surprise. He lowered the dumbbells, grabbed a towel, and mopped the sweat from his closely-cropped blond crewcut. Except for that crewcut, it was impossible to tell Cody apart from his twin brother, Jordan, who wore his hair just slightly longer. `I saw Pettimore in the hall a moment ago,` Jared said, dropping onto the bed. Cody cocked an eyebrow. `He`s coming around for some `special counseling` at nineteen hundred. I told him you were going to show him the Black Bag.` `Matt warned him about his hair this morning,` Cody said. `Brushing it straight back to keep from visiting the barber as often as he should -- what bulls**t.` Cody opened his desk drawer and glanced at the small Black Bag inside.
`He`s in your company,` Jared said softly. `I`d hate to hold YOU responsible for HIS shortcomings.` Cody`s hand shot to his head, feeling the soft blonde hair and the tiny fringe of bangs that feathered across his forehead. He had just gotten out of the shower, and hadn`t gelled his hair yet -- he knew that annoyed Jared. How he had changed since first coming to Patton! `I`d hate to do it,` Jared continued wryly, `but, I don`t like the same infractions repeating themselves again and again.` Cody nodded in understanding. He knew Jared was his roommate and his buddy, but he also knew Jared was his superior -- and he WOULD shave Cody`s head if he didn`t fix the problem. Jared rose, automatically smoothing his uniform. `Catch you later.`
The chapel bells had barely finished tolling the hour when Henry Pettimore pounded on the open door and snapped back to attention. Even from across the room, Cody could see the trembling in the plebe`s limbs. He looked almost ridiculous standing at attention in his maroon bath robe and flip flops. `Enter, knob.` Cody growled. Pettimore stepped smartly into the room and took a breath to announce himself. `SIR! CADET PETTIMORE REPORTING AS ORDERED! SIR, COLONEL BLACK ASKED YOU TO SHOW ME THE BLACK BAG, SIR!`
Cody`s twin brother, Jordan, stalked across the room. Dressed in gym shorts and a tight grey academy tee shirt, Jordan looked almost as if he was on the wrestling mat about to take down an opponent. Circling behind Pettimore, Jordan reached out and grabbed a handful of hair on the top of his head. Jordan couldn`t believe it -- the knob had over two inches on top! Jordan pulled his hand away and sniffed his fingers -- the little prick had been greasing his hair down to fool his squad sergeants. Jordan crossed to his brother and whispered the information to him. Cody nodded curtly. He`d soon fix the problem in his company.
Without warning, Cody spun away from his brother and stood nose to nose with the frightened plebe. `Colonel Black made a special visit to me today, knob.` Cody said quietly. `You know why?` As Pettimore opened his mouth to answer, Cody slapped him lightly on the side of the head. `SHUT UP! I don`t to hear one f***ing word come out of you, knob!` Cody`s face turned bright red as the muscles stood out in his neck. `The ranking cadet on campus came to ream me out because YOU don`t like getting a haircut! He told me to make sure you get with the program -- or else he`d see to it that I learned a lesson. Do you want to see me get my head shaved, knob?`
`NO, SIR!` Pettimore replied instantly.
`You have a problem with keeping with the program in Alpha Company, knob?` Cody leaned forward until the tip of his nose actually touched Pettimore`s. `Answer me, asshole.`
`Sir, Alpha Company`s haircut regulations are stricter than the rest of the academy.` Pettimore said. `That`s because we`re the f***ing BEST!` Cody screamed. `You know why we`re the best?` Pettimore began to open his mouth to answer. `SHUT UP!` Cody broke in. `I`ll tell you why we`re the best -- it`s because we exceed all requirements. We have the best athletes, the best scholars, the best JROTC, the best appearance.` Cody stepped back, taking a deep breath. The color began to slowly drain from his face. He softened his voice again. `Are you content to be less than the best, Henry?`
The use of his first name confused the plebe. `Sir?` `You came to this school because it`s the best prep school in the state, right?` Jordan smiled to himself at his brother`s sudden change of strategy. Keep the enemy off balance, Jordan recalled from Tactics Class. `Well, my job is to make sure that you leave here the best you can be.` Cody pulled a chair from the desk, placed it in the middle of the room, then pulled the Black Bag out of his desk drawer. Pettimore stared at it in terror.
`Get the robe off and have a seat, knob. Let`s get that nasty s**t off your head. I`m going to give you a man`s haircut!` Pettimore swallowed and unknotted the sash to his robe. His gym shorts and tee shirt hung loosely on him. Cody made a mental note to make sure the knob got harder workouts during P.T. Pettimore sat stiffly in the chair as Jordan reached out and took his robe from him. Cody stepped in front of the plebe holding his Black Bag. He placed it on the desk, zipped it open, and produced a can of shaving cream, a jar of butch wax, a black-handled razor, and -- most ominously -- a pair of black electric hair clippers.
Cody had to force himself not to smile at the look of dejection on the plebe`s face. He plugged the clippers in and clicked them on. Buzzing filled the room as Cody took the Pettimore`s chin in his left hand, tilted the boy`s head back and held it firmly in place. Cody placed the clippers on Pettimore`s forehead and pushed them straight back towards the crown. Clumps of mousy brown hair piled up in front of the blades and rolled to the sides. With a flick of his wrist, Cody sent the clippings tumbling to Pettimore`s shoulder.
From the edge of his bunk, Jordan watched as his brother ran the clippers over the frightened knob`s head. Cody had started right in the middle of the plebe`s head, giving him a reverse mohawk. The single wide path of white skin under the remaining brown stubble gave the plebe a ridiculous look. Jordan grinned as he watched his twin reposition the clippers for the second pass -- in a way, it was almost like watching himself in a movie. Cody took his time setting the clippers on the plebe`s forehead and resting them for a second before slowly pushing them straight back. The strip of fuzz doubled as the clipped tufts of hair dropped away from the buzzing blades.
Two passes later, Cody stepped back to regard his handiwork. Jordan couldn`t help letting a chuckle escape his throat. The top of Pettimore`s head had been buzzed to stubble, leaving a fringe of mousy brown hair around the sides and back of his head. Pettimore took the opportunity during the pause in Cody`s clipping to reach up and feel the top of his head. Jordan almost fell off the bed laughing at the terrorized look in the plebe`s eyes. Obviously, the kid had gotten used to being able to get some hair between his fingers every time he ran his hand over his head. Now, the top was reduced to little more than stubble. Pettimore`s vision seemed to blur as his eyes filled with tears.
With perfect timing, Cody snapped the clippers back on and attacked the right side of Pettimore`s head. Now the tufts of hair dropped directly onto the plebe`s shoulder, piling up with each pass of the clippers. Cody worked smoothly, pushing the humming clippers up the side of Pettimore`s head in straight even rows. Each pass of the clippers took Cody farther and farther around Pettimore`s head. A tear rolled silently down the seated cadet`s face as Cody finished his work, then rubbed some butch wax on what was left of Pettimore`s hair. Jordan watched, and began to feel a growing disgust with the plebe.
Cody snapped the clippers off and casually brushed the clippings from Pettimore`s shoulders onto the floor. `That`s the last time you`ll ever see that much hair on the floor, maggot,` Cody growled. `From this day on, knob, you will report here every Saturday night at nineteen hundred hours for a haircut.` Cody snapped the clippers on and off to emphasize his statement. `Every Saturday, your head will look exactly like it does right now.` Cody lead Pettimore to the mirror over the sink in the corner and forced him to take a good look. The plebe choked back an involuntary sob at the sight of his newly-buzzed head. As Cody watched Pettimore fight back tears, a wild gleam filled his eyes. He couldn`t help but let out a demonic chuckle. A fantastic idea was forming in his mind -- a plan he couldn`t wait to put into action!

A THRILLING SEVEN-CHAPTER HAIRCUTTING SERIAL


Chapter Three: JORDAN`S SACRIFICE

`What are you bawling about, you baby?` Jordan demanded from his top bunk. `It`s only a haircut!` Pettimore turned, unsure of what to say. He stood teary-eyed, rubbing the stubble covering his head. He looked pathetic standing there, pouting because of the forced high and tight haircut he had just been given by Jordan`s twin brother, Cody. More than anything else, Pettimore`s stupid little boy look enraged Jordan. He suddenly leapt down off the bed and grabbed the clippers from his brother.
Snapping them on, Jordan snarled, then ran the clippers straight over the top of his own head! Wheat-colored tufts of hair fell past his face with each pass of the clippers and mingled with the mousy brown clumps of Pettimore`s hair on the floor. Jordan continued pass after pass with the clippers, quickly reducing his golden burr cut to fuzz. His eyes never left the pouty plebe`s face. When the last of his blonde hair was on the floor, Jordan straightened, ran his hand over the top of his head and smiled savagely.
Pettimore gulped and quickly wiped away his tears. This guy was a maniac! He glanced fearfully from one twin to the other -- both wrestlers just glared back at him, smiles playing across their faces. Involuntarily, Pettimore took a step back. Cody shot a pile of shaving creme into his outstretched palm and pretended to study it. Pettimore`s knees turned rubbery -- the upperclassman looked serious. Grinning wider, Cody spread the white foam on the right side of the plebe`s head, then the back, careful not to get any of the shaving creme onto the top of the plebe`s head. Finishing in front of the left ear, Cody stepped back and admired his handiwork.
Pettimore looked even more ridiculous -- his eyes round and frightened and the sides of his head covered in thick white foam. `Turn around.` Cody ordered. Pettimore spun on his heel and faced the mirror. He felt his bladder weaken slightly and almost wet his gym shorts. Bright red patches of humiliation colored his cheeks and ears -- making him look even more comical. He stood stiffly in front of the sink, biting the inside of his lip to keep the tears he felt forming in check. Cody rummaged in his black bag and came up with a fresh disposable razor. He laid the blue plastic razor on the sink, turned on the hot water tap and stepped back. `You got the guts to finish the job?` Cody asked quietly, sitting down next to his brother.
Pettimore swallowed and glanced down at the razor again. He could see the twins reflected behind him, watching him intently. He knew they both thought he was a wimp. Maybe he was. He had tried to hide his long hair by greasing it back, and Jared had discovered him and ordered him to the room Jared shared with Cody for a haircut. He hadn`t been able to keep from crying while his hair was being cut. Pettimore noticed Jordan leaning close to his brother, whispering in Cody`s ear. Pettimore glanced down at the blue plastic razor again. He was surprised to see his trembling fingers reaching for the razor. He plunged the razor into the stream of hot water, took a deep breath and raised it to his head. Pettimore placed the razor at the top of the white foam and let it rest there for a moment. He couldn`t believe he was doing this. He glanced back at the twins -- they expected him to drop the razor.
Pettimore could see the look of doubt on each of their faces. Screw you both, he thought. Pettimore pulled the razor straight down past his right ear. The fresh blade easily plowed through the foam and stubble, leaving a path of shining pink scalp in its wake. Pettimore rinsed the blade in the hot water and made another pass, suddenly amazed that he was actually shaving the side of his head. Making a third pass, Pettimore glanced at the reflection of the twins again. Neither showed any expression of interest -- they just sat side by side watching him. Pettimore continued moving the razor around the side of his head. Reaching the back, Pettimore paused. `Uh, I`m going to need some help with the back,` Pettimore said. `Finish the other side, plebe` Cody ordered him.
Pettimore nodded and quickly began shaving the left side of his head. Despite his actions, his knees were still rubbery and most of his body continued to tremble. Only the hand with the razor seemed to remain steady. Suddenly, Cody was behind him. Cody took the razor from Pettimore`s fingers. The plebe`s hand dropped limply to the sink. Cody scraped the razor around the back of Pettimore`s head, removing the white foam and remaining stubble. He carefully drew the razor around the edges of the patch of hair on the top of Pettimore`s head, leaving a sharp line of demarcation between the stubble on the top of his head and the smooth skin below. Cody dropped the razor into the waste can and tossed Pettimore a wash cloth. `Clean yourself up.` Pettimore rinsed the cloth in the water, wrung it out and swiped it across his scalp.
Setting the cloth down, Pettimore turned and faced the older cadets. `Is this better, sir?` Cody held back laughter. `How do you feel?` Jordan demanded. `Not nearly as terrible as you thought, was it?` Pettimore was surprised to find that he actually liked the attention and the feeling of acceptance from these two upperclassmen. `It wasn`t bad at all, sir.` Suddenly, Cody couldn`t hold back any longer -- he busted out laughing. Jordan and then Pettimore quickly joined him. Pettimore roared as he ran his hands ran over his freshly buzzed and shaved head. Jordan laughed so hard he was in tears!
Walking back to his room later, Pettimore was amused by the shocked glances of the other plebes. Several of them instinctively rubbed their own short hair as if wondering if the same fate awaited them. Pettimore was already looking forward to next Saturday, and his next haircut. He decided he`d keep the sides and back shaved smooth himself -- he`d let only the small patch of fuzz on top grow week to week. That would impress the twins, and Pettimore knew that he would do anything to maintain the respect of the two blonde cadets.
Back in the twins` room, Jordan handed Cody the clippers. `Hey bro,` he told his twin, `Clean me up.` Cody began buzzing his brothers head, evening up the wild strokes Jordan had used to shave his own head moments ago. Cody still couldn`t believe that Jordan had run the clippers over his beloved hair! Back before they were forced to come to Patton, both twins had been proud of their wavy blonde, nearly shoulder-length locks. Jordan, however, was the more vain of the two -- he had always been combing, brushing, or just running his fingers through his straw colored waves of hair. The first haircut at the Academy had been hard on both boys, but Cody knew better than anyone else how pained Jordan had been to have the clippers remove his prized mane. Jordan wouldn`t have submitted to that first shearing for anyone but Cody. As twins, they were even closer than most brothers.
In his sophomore year at high school, Jordan had been sick with the flu when Cody got caught vandalizing a rival high school just before homecoming . It had been a long-standing tradition -- students from each school marked the other school. In the past, activities were usually confined to tossing rolls of toilet paper in the trees and stupid s**t like that. Cody decided to really make a mark that no one would ever forget. He`d turn the biology lab into a swimming pool! It had taken him hours to make preparations -- quietly removing a small pane of glass in the door to the room, caulking the cracks around the door and letting the silicon caulk harden. Then, Cody snaked the emergency fire hose down the hall, slid it through the transom and tied it place.
Turning the valve on, Cody watched as water gushed into the room. Within minutes, a couple of inches spread evenly across the tile floor, and an empty waste basket began to float before capsizing. Cody decided to wait until the water depth was about three feet and then turn off the hose -- a big mistake. While he was sitting on the floor in the hallway, Cody had heard the sounds of someone moving furtively up the stairs. He quickly ducked into the girls room opposite the stairs and, keeping the door cracked, watched the staircase. A moment later Todd Bryant, a student at Cody`s rival high school appeared. He spotted Cody.
Todd had been hanging posters of the captain of the rival school`s football team throughout the building. The posters had the team captain`s head photocopied onto a ballerina`s body, making it look like the football player was wearing a tutu! Cody led Todd to the biology lab to show off his handiwork, and instead of being impressed, Todd was horrified. He insisted that Cody turn off the water immediately -- he even tried to pull the hose out of the room. In the struggle that followed as Cody tried to stop Todd, the hose fell free and began spraying water across the hallway, soaking both boys and setting off the fire alarm.
Every bell in the school immediately went off, filling the halls with an earsplitting ringing. Somehow, Todd managed to get to his feet on the slippery tiles and make his escape. Cody had more trouble keeping his balance and lost precious minutes slipping and sliding to the stairs. Once on the steps, Cody managed to jump three stairs at a time down to the main floor. Without bothering to look back, Cody burst through the front doors of the school and straight into the arms of a cop. In the end, Cody`s dad had paid for all the damages, which the old man was not too happy about, and Cody was kicked out of school.
Cody and Jordan`s dad had played football in high school himself, so even though he was furious, he wasn`t completely without understanding -- although he did ground Cody for 6 months. Cody thought he`d dodged a bullet -- but the following week his father walked in on him while he was smoking a joint. If not for the previous incident he might have been willing to forget about that too -- but combined it was just too much to take. Cody was turning into a `bad kid.` Within a week, Cody`s dad informed him to pack up for Patton Military Academy.
Jordan was horrified -- he didn`t want to be separated from his brother. Jordan lobbied their dad every day, begging him not to separate them. In the end, the old man agreed to keep them together -- at Patton. Jordan agreed to sacrifice his own plans to be with his twin. Cody remembered the first day at the academy -- the shouting, the marching, the uniform issue. But most of all he remembered the barbershop.
As Jordan slipped reluctantly into the barber`s chair, Cody could see the pain on his brother`s face. Jordan flinched when the barber snapped the clippers on. Not only could Cody see the pain and discomfort in his brother`s face, he could actually feel Jordan`s pain. Digging his strong fingers into the carefully brushed waves of blonde hair on Jordan`s head, the barber forced his head forward and plunged the clippers into the mass of wavy blonde hair curling over Jordan`s neck. Cody watched as the blonde locks fell onto his brother`s shoulders. The pile on Jordan`s shoulders grew with each pass of the buzzing clippers until it finally tumbled down into Jordan`s lap. The barber gave Jordan`s head a shake to keep him still as he plowed the clippers up the side of the boy`s head.
The straw colored waves kept raining down onto the cape covering Jordan`s lap as more and more white scalp was exposed. The barber moved at a fast, steady pace, grinning evilly. Finally, only the top of Jordan`s head had any hair left. The long waves of golden blonde hair spilled across his face as the barber shifted his left hand from the top of Jordan`s head to the back. Holding Jordan`s head steady, the barber forced his head forward even further, so that his face was pointed directly at the huge mound of shorn hair in his lap. Cody watched as the clippers moved from Jordan`s forehead back across the top of his head. He felt sick, knowing his twin was suffering because of something he did. With five athletic swipes of the clippers, the barber easily buzzed the top of Jordan`s head to stubble.
After what seemed like a very long time, it was over. Jordan`s long hair lay on the floor. Jordan got out of the barber`s chair, then turned towards the mirror. His face was a mask of shock as he stared at his new haircut. He rubbed a hand over his freshly buzzed head, and glanced over at Cody in disgust. Their eyes met. Jordan knew Cody felt for him, and Cody knew Jordan forgave him. Cody had promised that day that he would make it up to his brother somehow. He`d never figured out just how to do it -- until now.
Cody finished up the last few strokes on Jordan`s`s impromptu haircut. `All done,` he said as he rubbed his hand across his twins head. `Thanks man,` his brother told him. Cody smiled. Remembering how a kid named Todd had ruined his carefully laid plan -- and caused Jordan to suffer for his mistake, and watching Jordan roar with laughter at Pettimore`s forced high and tight, a fantastic plan clicked in Cody`s mind. At last, Cody knew exactly how he was going to atone for Jordan`s sacrifice!

A THRILLING SEVEN-CHAPTER HAIRCUTTING SERIAL


Chapter Four: THE HUMAN TARGET

For the third Saturday, Cadet Pettimore showed up at Cody`s room without being reminded. Since his first forced high and tight haircut three weeks ago, Pettimore`s attitude had changed drastically . His drill skills, his bearing, and most importantly, his personal appearance, had all improved dramatically. `Sir, cadet Pettimore reporting for haircut, sir.` `Shut up and assume the position,` Cody barked at him with a laugh. He could tell the plebe was enjoying the upperclassman`s attention. Jordan seemed lost in concentration as Cody navigated the clippers over the top of Pettimore`s head, buzzing away the minute growth of fuzz that covered the top of his skull. Pettimore had already shaved the sides and back of his head, so the run of the clippers was very brief. `Sir, thank you, sir!` Pettimore said when the haircut was done.
After Pettimore had left, Cody noticed that Jordan was distracted. `What`s the matter, little bro?` Cody asked. Cody was the older twin by seven minutes. Jordan didn`t answer, he just kept staring blankly across the room. Cody climbed onto the bunk and settled himself behind his brother. `Just thinking,` Jordan shrugged. `Our birthday`s coming up,` Jordan continued. `I was wondering what to do to celebrate. I want to do something special.` Like always, Jordan was more concerned with doing something for his slightly older twin than he was for himself. He needen`t have worried. Cody had a fantastic plan to celebrate their birthday.
The next morning, Cody woke up long before reveille. He walked over and kneeled by Jared`s bed, laying a hand on his chest. Jared`s eyes snapped open. Seeing Cody, he smiled and sighed. `You interrupted a great dream.` He whispered, trying to sound harsh. Cody smiled. `I`ve got a better one.` Cody whispered back.
Jared sat up, interested. `My and Jordy`s birthday is coming up soon,` Cody began, `and I`ve got the perfect gift for my brother.` `You woke me up to tell me that?` Jared snapped. `I thought this was going to be good!` `It is.` Cody assured him, his grin growing wider. `You know that Jordan didn`t have to come here to Patton, right?` Jared nodded impatiently. Like the others, he knew why the twins were at Patton. `Well, by coming here to stay with me, Jordan lost something very special to him.` Jared smiled. Random spikes of gelled hair shot up at attention as he rubbed a hand over his cropped head. `Right,` Cody went on, `Only we didn`t have a choice. Jordan did. He`s here because of me.` Jared frowned -- this was going somewhere, but his sleep-fogged mind had missed something. `We`re having fun terrorizing that plebe with high and tights -- why not take it one step further?`
Jared`s mind suddenly cleared. He grinned. Cody was awed by that grin, Jared`s lips were pulled back in a feral, hunter`s grin. It was the kind of grin Cody imagined a wolf gave to the rabbit it was about to snap in two. `The only thing is, we`ve got to keep it a secret from Jordan. It has to be a surprise.` Jared nodded. His mind already clicking through options. `I know,` he said, `Jordan`s taking French. The rest of us take Spanish.` Cody nodded, catching on. `We`ll get together during study period and set everything up then.`
That evening during study period, Jared met with Cody and the others in Bobby Dane`s room. Red-headed Bobby shared a room with John Hastings, the center for the Academy basketball team, so no outsiders would be bothering them. Thanks to Jared and Billy Young, cramming for the Spanish quiz was no real problem, so most of the study period could be devoted to discussing Cody`s idea. `I`ve got a search and destroy mission for us,` he told the group.
`A mission?` Bobby asked excitedly, `What do you mean? What kind of mission? What`s the target?` Cody and Jared smiled. `Not what,` Jared corrected him, `But WHO. It`s a human target!`
Bobby was intrigued. `What?!?!`
`We`re going to pay back the kid responsible for making my dad send me -- and Jordan -- to Patton! His name is Todd Bryant.` John stretched out his long legs. `So the target is going to be the kid who got you busted?` `No, Cody said, leaning forward. The rest of the group looked confused.
Jared had briefed them all on Cody`s background and how he wound up at Patton. Even Jared looked a little confused. He had assumed that Cody`s target would naturally be the guy who had been responsible for his being at the Academy. `There are several reasons for a different target.` Cody held up his fingers and began ticking the reasons off. `One -- Todd Bryant is attending Penn State. That`s over seven hundred miles away. Two -- Bryant joined the Marine ROTC, so he`s already buzzed.` The rest of the group nodded -- the mission would be more fun with someone who had long hair. Somehow, taking the hair of someone with a USMC high and tight just wouldn`t have the impact and shock value as taking the long, flowing locks of someone who loved his mane. `So, who`s the target?` Jared asked frowning. `You`re gonna love it.` Cody grinned, evilly. He looked around the group, letting the tension build.
From his notebook, Cody pulled a photograph clipped from his hometown newspaper and threw it on the desk. Billy Young grabbed it and studied the photograph. It showed a teen with long dark hair. The hair flowed down over the teen`s shoulders in cascades of loose curls. `That`s Scotty Bryant, Todd`s little brother! He`s a sophomore now and real big in the school arts. Hot s**t in the drama and music departments.` Cody looked around the group. Each of the other members looked pensive as they passed the picture around among themselves.
Eventually, each of them looked up and grinned, nodding their buzzed heads in approval. `You`re right, Cody.` Jared said, appreciatively. `This is true justice. His big brother is the reason Jordan lost his hair.` Bobby agreed. `It`ll be true revenge! His brother got your brother buzzed. Now his baby brother will get buzzed because of what HE did.` Bobby`s grin seemed to almost wrap around his head. `I like it!` `And reason number three,` Cody continued, `Is that I think this will be a great birthday present for Jordan.` Bobby studied the picture again, examining the curls -- they didn`t look natural. He wondered how much this Scotty Bryant helped his curls along with a perm. Bobby could imagine the little creep sitting in some beauty parlor with his hair wrapped in curlers or whatever the hell salons used to make those loose curls.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. `Hey!` Bobby looked around at the faces now turned his way. `The twins live seventy miles in the opposite direction of my uncle`s place. We won`t have any place to take him.` `I got that covered.` Cody said, his grin becoming more feral like Jared`s. He leaned forward and explained his idea. Billy`s face lit up with delight as he listened. Unconsciously, he reached up and smoothed his quarter inch auburn hair down. This was fantastic! Cody had really done some thinking since last night. John made a couple of suggestions that improved the plan, and three buzzed head nodded as he spoke. Jared finally stood up, signaling an end to the discussion. He looked around the room.
His gang had come together to formulate a search and destroy operation with military precision. `Everything sounds pretty good to me,` Jared said. `There`s just one problem as I see it.` The rest of the gang looked up suddenly. `How do we get Jordan over there without telling him before hand?` The others breathed a sigh of relief. `Easy! You`ll all come home with us for our birthday.` Cody said. `After everything`s over, we`ll pretend to come back here, and . . . on the way back we make a little detour,` Bobby said, laughing.
The following weekend, the gang joined the twins at home for their birthday celebration. None of the gang could believe the Miller house -- it looked like some giant had plucked a French chateau from the countryside and plunked it down thousands of miles away in the American suburbs. Mr. Miller greeted them at the door with lots of back slapping and hearty gruffness. Jared wasn`t sure which of the Millers embarrassed the twins more. Mr. Miller ran his hands over each twin`s heads, complimenting them on having real men`s haircuts for the first time in their lives. Mrs. Miller, on the other hand, lamented the fact that both of her little boys had lost their pretty curls. Bobby found it hard to suppress a grin as the twins blushed.
Over dinner Friday evening, Mrs. Miller unknowingly dropped a bombshell. She had gotten tickets for everybody to attend the community theaters musical gala -- where Scotty Todd was impressing everybody with his wonderful talents. At the theater that evening, Bobby and the other boys watched intently as Scotty danced and pranced across the stage in highlights from the musical `Cats,` his shoulder-length hair bouncing with each step. Jared was surprised at how small the guy was -- he couldn`t have been much over five and a half feet. The tight body suit he wore showed a very lithe, small boned body. Cody grinned in the darkness of the theater -- this guy was going to be easy.
Of the cadets, only Jordan wasn`t sitting on the edge of his seat in rapt attention to Scotty`s antics. During intermission, Mrs. Miller prattled on and on about how impressed she was that the cadets seemed to appreciate the evening. Each of the cadets replied politely about the importance of cultivating an appreciation of the arts. Jordan shot knowing glances at his brother and friends. The closest they came to appreciating the arts as far as he knew was when the newest Jean Claude Van Damme or Steven Segal movie came out.
Cody asked if his folks would mind if the cadets stayed behind after the show to see some old friends. After extracting assurances of good behavior, the Millers agreed. After all, Mr. Miller pointed out, what kind of trouble could they get into? After the show, Cody lead the others to the back of the theater where the cast and crew members were slowly filing out. Seeing an old friend from Little league days, Cody called out to him and lead the gang over to meet him. Cody made a point of calling a couple of other people he knew over to create a crowd of laughing teenagers around the cadets. Jared winked to Bobby, who slipped away from the crowd and wandered over to the theater.
Bobby couldn`t believe how easy it was to get in -- no one said a word to him as he slipped through the side door backstage. Following the plan, Bobby scouted around and easily found the dressing rooms next to the small shower room. The sound of a blow dryer caught his attention, going to the second dressing room door, Bobby peeked around the edge of the half open door. His heart skipped a beat as he sighted Scotty Todd blow drying his hair. Waving the blow dryer with one hand, Scotty raked his fingers through his curls, loosening them and fluffing them. From time to time, Scotty gave his head a quick shake, sending his curls flying around his head.
Bobby quietly slipped back and checked the other rooms. Just as Jared had figured, Scotty was the last actor in the dressing room area. Taking the stairs to the stage level, Bobby scouted around for other people and was surprised to find the theater empty. He quickly made his way back to the crowd outside, murmuring something about needing to find a bathroom in case he had been missed. To his surprise, no one had even noticed that he had been gone. Bobby flashed Jared a huge grin -- this was going to be so damn easy.
The next day, the Millers made a big deal out of having a few of their friends over to show off how good their boys had turned out. The birthday celebration was held in the afternoon so the boys could get an early start back to the Academy. Caterers tossed huge slabs of ribs and steaks onto a grill on the patio by the pool. Jared and Billy sighed with relief -- both of them had been afraid Mrs. Miller would have some cutsey party in mind. Obviously, Mr. Miller had been the one to plan the party for the twins. Only the giant cake showed signs of a feminine touch, with red and pink icing roses decorating the top and sides. But, hell, Jared figured -- not too much you can do to make a birthday cake seem macho.
After cutting the cake, the twins got to plow through their presents. The cadets laughed to watch the two boys opening presents. Cody ripped through the wrapping paper like a tornado in a trailer park. Jordan, on the other hand, carefully popped the tape free and unwrapped each present neatly, carefully setting the paper aside. So alike and yet so different, Billy whispered to Jared. Jared nodded. He`d noticed the minor differences in the twins before. Those minor personality differences were the only way to tell one twin from the other. Jared had seen plenty of twins before, and while most of them had looked almost exactly alike, there was always some physical trait that was just a little off. Not so with Cody and Jordan. Physically, they were identical carbon copies of each other. Even the Academy tailor had been astounded to find their measurements exactly the same, not even a quarter inch difference. They were so identical that the only way to tell one from another was the slight difference in hair length.
Until recently, Jordan`s hair had been a little longer -- about half an inch long, as opposed to Cody`s quarter inch buzz. Then Jordan had gone and buzzed his own head a couple of weeks ago, which made it harder to tell one from another. Jared excused himself from the tail end of the party and went to pack the van. He wanted to make sure the most important bag was put where he could easily reach it -- Cody`s black bag. Another scarlet Academy duffel bag held masks, surgical gloves, and black sweats. Jared lovingly patted the bag as he swung it into the back of the van.
Jared got back to the patio in time to witness Mrs. Miller`s tearful goodbyes to all of the boys. Christ, he thought, why do mothers always have to start blubbering every time someone leaves the house for more than a few hours. Jared checked his watch. The digital readout showed 8:27 -- almost exactly on schedule. Mr. Miller followed the boys out to the van and waved them off, after slipping each of the twins a palmful of cash. Jared drove steadily through town, past the community theater. As he passed the theater, he pretended to slow down to allow a car at the corner to make the turn, then pulled behind the theater. A dimly-lit window in the back of he theater showed Scotty Bryant`s silhouette. In the darkness, Billy glanced over at Jared and grinned at him. The human target was squarely in their sights!

A THRILLING SEVEN-CHAPTER HAIRCUTTING SERIAL


Chapter Five: SEARCH AND DESTROY

About two miles out of town, Jared pulled the van into the parking lot of a pizzeria. As the engine cooled, Cody slid the side hatch open. The other cadets piled out, leaving Jordan sitting in the van, wondering what was going on. `Well, are you just going to sit there like a lump, little brother?` Cody asked his twin. Confused, Jordan climbed out of the van and joined the others. `We`ve all got one more Birthday present for you,` Cody explained. `You and Billy wait here. When everything`s ready, we`ll come get you.` `What is it?` Jordan demanded. Cody just smiled as the others climbed back in the van.
He jumped into the front passenger seat and saluted goodbye. More confused than ever, Jordan watched the van disappear into the darkness. Finally, he turned to Billy. `C`mon -- let`s get us a pizza, I guess.` Billy nodded. `No little fishes, though. I hate anchovies!` Jordan grinned and ran his hand over Billy`s head, ruffling his bristly hair. `Sure thing -- extra cheese and pepperoni okay?` Billy smoothed his gelled hair back down, and followed Jordan into the pizza parlor.
At the theater, Scotty Bryant was lingering in his dressing room, waiting for his turn to jump in the shower. He wanted to wash the tons of hair spray he used every night to keep his hair in place out of his flowing curls. When the shower was finally free, Scotty quickly stripped out of his body suit, wrapped a towel around his waist and walked down the hall to the double stall showers, his shower bag of shampoo and conditioner dangling from his hand. In the fiberglass stall, Scotty carefully adjusted the showers to the right temperature before stepping under the pelting spray. He plunged his head under the water and his hair collapsed under the deluge of water. Although his hair was naturally curly, Scotty drove to the next town every other month or so for a body wave perm to add even more curls to his flowing hair. He shampooed his his splashed on some conditioner and rinsed it out. The water began to cool, so Scotty twisted the taps off and reached for his towel.
Jared`s timing was perfect. The van pulled up behind the theater just as the crowd began leaving the building. In the back, the others had already pulled out black sweats and masks. While Jared drove, the others, accompanied by a lot of laughing and playful cursing, stripped out of their jeans and changed into the black sweats. Pulling behind the dumpster, Jared killed the lights and engine. Bobby slipped out of the van and made his way into the theater. Jared changed quickly, and grabbed Cody`s black bag. Crouching beside the dumpster, Jared watched as the last of the cars pulled out of the parking lot. Just like he had noticed during the previous nights recon, he thought.
Beside him, Cody whispered to Jared. `Why is Scotty always so late?` Jared looked around and saw that Cody`s green eyes were troubled. `I mean,` Cody explained, `there`s gotta be something making him stay so late, right?` `Maybe washing all that makeup off and shampooing all those curls takes him longer than the others,` Jared suggested. `It doesn`t really matter, though, he`s all alone in there, just waiting to help us celebrate your brother`s birthday.` Cody smiled at Jared`s thought and nodded in agreement. Suddenly, the side stage door opened and Bobby`s black clad arm waved them into the building using the military signals they had all learned at Patton Academy.
Keeping to the shadows, the rest of the gang hurried across the open ground of the back parking lot and slipped in through the open door. Once in the building, Bobby quietly reconned the backstage area, looking for lingering stage hands or actors. Like the previous night, the theater was empty. Reaching the stairs to the downstairs dressing rooms, Bobby could hear the sound of the shower. Rising to his toes, Bobby took the steps one at a time and crept down the stairs. The sound of the water stopped, and Bobby heard the creak of a door opening. Peering around the corner, Bobby saw Scotty Bryant walking barefoot down the hall to the last dressing room, a towel wrapped loosely around him. Bobby waited a minute more, then heard the sound of a blow dryer. Smiling, he crept back up the stairs and signaled for Jared and the others to join him.
In the dressing room, Scotty Bryant used his fingers to lift his curls and let the warm air flow under the chestnut locks. Every once in a while, Scotty gave his head a toss and watched the curls fall into place. Another couple of minutes and his hair would be perfect. Scotty knew some of the jocks made remarks about his curly hair -- calling him `Shirley Temple` behind his back as he passed in the halls. It really didn`t bother Scotty -- it meant that they noticed him and that`s what he wanted more than anything else. Recognition.
Tossing his head again, Scotty paused to study his reflection in the mirror. Staring at his reflection, Scotty slowly became aware that something was wrong. There was a figure dressed all in black reflected in the mirror. Turning quickly, Scotty saw not one but FOUR figures -- all wearing black ski masks. Reflexively, Scotty held the blow dryer in front of him defensively. Jared barked a short, clipped laugh at the sight of Scotty Bryant holding the hair dryer like an oversized pistol. Without a word to the others, Jared rushed forward and slapped his right hand over Scotty`s mouth. The others followed, and easily overpowered the dancer.
They pulled Scotty back into the makeup chair, forcing his wrists down to its arms. One of his attackers pulled a roll of surgical tape from his pocket and quickly made several turns of the white tape over his wrists and the chairs arms. The tallest attacker took the tape and wrapped Scotty`s ankles to the footrest of the makeup chair. Finally the leader took the tape and put a large piece of it across Scotty`s mouth, making it impossible for him to scream. His heart was beating like a jackhammer!
Once they had Scotty securely bound to the makeup chair, Jared signaled for John to get Billy and Jordan. Bobby found a couple of leather belts from some costumes, and used one of them to secure Scotty`s torso to the back of the chair. `Looks like you need this trimmed down.` Cody said as he grabbed a hunk of Scotty`s curls. Scotty gently rocked his head back and forth, as if trying to signal `no, no, no!` Jared remembered when his own hair had been nearly this long and almost as curly. But Jared`s curls were totally natural and not helped along in any way. Jared raked his fingers through Scotty`s hair again, lifting the long locks and letting them spill through his hands. Each time Jared raked his fingers through Scotty`s hair, the curls gained more volume as more and more air was able to circulate through the still-damp locks.
Jared growled, his disguised voice deep and raspy. `Your hair is prettier than a girl`s.` Jared thrusted his masked face close to Scotty`s terrified eyes. `Are you a girlie boy?` Scotty`s hazel eyes blinked rapidly as he tried to shake his head negatively. `I think you ARE a girlie boy.` Jared growled again. `You love sitting in a beauty parlor with your hair up in curlers, don`t you?` Again, Scotty`s eyes blinked -- this time, he was trying to fight back the tears that were rapidly brimming up behind the long lashes. `You love those curlers in your hair, gossiping with the other girls, don`t you.`
Out in the alley, Cody told Jordan `Happy birthday, baby brother!` His voice barely carried through the mask. Jordan had to strain to catch each word. `Todd`s little brother`s hair is all yours tonight.` Jordan and Billy donned masks, and silently crept into Scotty`s dressing room. Jordan`s eyes sparkled as he stared in disbelief. Each of the other cadets crowded in close, patting Jordan on the back. Jordan couldn`t believe how cool his buddies were -- this revenge was the greatest birthday present ever! The `search` was over. Now he was ready to `destroy!`
Jordan approached Scotty and grabbed a handful of curls. `Real pretty.` He growled. `You like these curls a whole lot, I bet.` Scotty tried not to move. He felt his stomach suddenly churn and his bladder threatened to void itself. He suddenly knew what was going to happen to him and felt physically sick. Jordan picked up the scissors and snapped them open and shut experimentally a few times. `Maybe just a trim,` he

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