Bob's Brat by Oopsie

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This is a sequel to my story, Jason's Plight! If you haven't read it already, I'd highly advise you do so, or this story may not make 100% sense. The title is Jason's Plight (Rewritten).

I read the comments from last time and hopefully everyone enjoys the sequel!

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Bob Oswald had gotten 3 whole days of peace. Sure, Octavia had complained about Jason's haircut, but the kid wasn't causing any trouble apparently. After another long day of work, Bob sat in his home office, idly browsing the Internet, when his phone rang. A slight huff escaped the man's lips, as he checked the time. Telemarketers at 4 PM on a Saturday? Upon glancing at the screen, the man realized it was Octavia? The man immediately picked up.

"I cannot believe it... Jason put Nair in Leon's shampoo!" Octavia exclaimed angrily.

"Christ... You're saying, the kid put a hair remover in Leon's shampoo?" Bob asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just... can't deal with this! You know how to deal with boys apparently! You started it, you fix it." Octavia hung up.

A few minutes later, Bob Oswald found himself at her house, ringing the doorbell. He heard the sound of footsteps and funnily enough, it was the brat. Hood thrown on his head, scowl on his face, amber eyes already scrutinizing him.

"Octavia wants you to *fix* it," Jason drawled, his fingers making little air quotes. Bob Oswald pushed him aside, ignoring him.

---

Hell, the old man was here again. The man who had taken his shining glory. His lovely brown hair, the one the girls loved to ruffle so much. Now, the kids at school called him a baldy, not even wanting to get close to him. Jason hated him for this.

"Why are you here?" the boy barked, slamming the door and trailing behind the man. Jason fully knew why the man was here; everyone in the house knew what happened. Nair, a shampoo bottle, Leon's incessant crying. The boy followed the man into the living room, where Octavia and Leon were. Leon looked like he had seen something. Eyes red, lip quivering, his hair missing in some places... A bottle of shampoo in the younger boy's trembling hand.

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Bob was baffled to see all of this. From Leon's traumatized expression to Jason's nonchalant face...

"Bob Oswald. I already told you how you shouldn't have done that!" Octavia yanked off Jason's hood, revealing the incredibly short bristles that dotted his head.

"Listen, I didn't know he'd do this. I thought he'd... get his grades up, focus on the more important things of life..." Bob trailed off. He walked over to Leon.

"Hey bud, I'm gonna see how bad it is, alright?" Bob asked. Leon meekly nodded and Bob lifted a chunk of his curly blond hair. Jeez, Bob forgot he was a boy sometimes, with those locks descending to his shoulders. As he flipped through the locks, he saw more and more bald patches, slowly expanding, growing bigger and bigger.

There was no way to lie to the kid.

"You don't have to talk to him like he's 5," Jason drawled, crossing his arms. His hood had already been shoved back onto his head and he was now merely spectating the scene before him.

"He's 13. 8th grade. Gonna be in high school next year." Jason seemed a bit annoyed at the fact he had to state this.

"Alright, I'll take care of this, Octavia," Bob said slowly, giving Leon a gentle pat on the head. The kid was so soft... Crying over this? Right, even Jason had sobbed when the barber shaved his head.

"Leon, hop in my car. It's parked outside. You can sit in the front. I'm gonna talk to your mom, then we're gonna fix your hair, alright?" Bob said. Leon quickly nodded and scurried out of the room.

Jason still stood there, arms crossed.

"Jason. I am so disappointed in you," Octavia began, her face turning bright red.

"He's not going to listen, Octavia. You tell him off, he's gonna zone out or something," Bob began.

"We can't just let him off without anything! You're grounded Jason, for the rest of the year!" Octavia exclaimed.

Bob shook his head. Grounding the kid wouldn't do anything... Not with the way he acted. If Octavia didn't have the time to go his basketball game, she wouldn't have the time to properly discipline him.

"I'll do you a favor, Octavia. Since I made this mess, I'll clean it up," Bob offered. Octavia blankly stared at him.

"Clean it up? How?" Octavia asked, almost skeptical, hands on her hips.

"He needs a male figure in his life, Octavia. When a boy is around this age... He needs discipline," Bob began.

Jason scowled.

"I don't need you. I don't need anyone," the boy scoffed.

"When I was his age, I started acting out too. I know what it's like. Here's my proposal: I'll take him for a few weeks, straighten him out. Make him a man, he'll never cause trouble again. Gives you more time to focus on Leon, Gabe and Shale. He lives with me, he follows my rules. You can see him anytime you want. Just give me a call and I'll bring him to you. Or you can send him to military school," Bob said, looking at Jason. The look in boy's eyes was oddly satisfying... It was one of absolute fear.

"No! You can't do that! Its illegal! I'm not going to live with him! No military school!" Jason immediately protested.

Was that a smile on Octavia's face? A mere flash, but that was definitely it.

"Jason. You will live with Bob Oswald until we believe you're ready to come back. Pack a bag with your clothes and belongings. If you misbehave, we'll send you to military school." Octavia almost seemed happy to punish him.

"You can't do that! You can't just pawn me off to your boyfriend! That's stupid!" Jason shrieked.

"He doesn't need to pack his clothes," Bob said, completely ignoring the boy's petulant cries.

"Alright, so he just needs to pack his belongings in the next two minutes," Octavia said.

Jason sprinted up the stairs.

---

The car ride was rather silent, Bob eventually taking the liberty to turn on the radio. Leon sat in the front seat, an occasional sob filling the silence. Jason sat in the back,a burning look of anger in his eyes, as he sat there, his backpack on his lap.

The car slowly pulled into a strip mall, where a few stores sat. The only store open was a barbershop, the red and blue pole swirling. Bob parked the car.

"Alright, get out." Bob led the two into the barbershop. He felt Leon grab his hand, so he reluctantly took it. This kid was 13? It was almost impossible to believe. Jason trailed behind them, his hood still on. At least he was compliant. As the three of them entered the barbershop, the bell rang and a familiar face appeared from behind the store, giving the three of them a big wave. The store was entirely empty and it seemed like Eddie was the only one working today. The floor was impeccably clean as usual, the leather chairs sparkling.

"Bob! I thought I said to come back in 2 weeks!" Eddie chuckled, looking at the three of them.

"So you have a son, a daughter too? Damn, how many kids you adopting?" Eddie asked. Bob sighed.

"This is Leon. He's thirteen." Bob gently pushed the boy forwards and the blond boy stumbled forwards.

"H... hi."

"I thought he was a girl!" Eddie exclaimed, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Don't worry, we'll get ya fixed real good!" Eddie gestured for the boy to sit down in a leather seat. The younger boy obliged.

"Long story short, he put some Nair in Leon's shampoo. Its time for a change, Leon needs to look like a man," Bob explained, lifting a blond lock as the barber quickly wrapped the tissue paper around the boy's neck, before draping the cape over his shoulders.

"Alright. We'll make him a man." Picking up the clippers, the old man fired them up, then plunged them into Leon's forehead.

---

Jason had slowly retreated to the waiting area, as Bob and Eddie chatted. To say he felt uncomfortable here, was an understatement. The last time he had been here, people had made fun of him, as his hair was shaved down to mere bristles. The boy shoved his hood even more, attempting to hide more of his forehead.

It wasn't only that. The time before, had been years ago. 2 years ago. Jason still remembered it, like it was crystal clear. It was the first day of summer. He was 12. He had walked in with his dad, Eddie had caped him up. Usually, his dad would've told Eddie to give him the same thing. Except this time, his father had a smug smile on his face.

"Jace, how do ya feel about a #3 all over today?"

Jason had eagerly agreed.

"Alright, a #3 for the boy today. I'll get it too."

A few days later, his father was gone.

Jason watched, as the clipped plowed through his younger brother's forehead, the gold locks falling to the ground, a path of pale gold left in the destructive clipper's wake. The clippers soared over Leon's head over and over, the boy's lip trembling as he saw how much hair he was losing. It was at least 10 inches of hair, Jace figured. Lock after lock fell onto the floor and eventually, Leon's chin was forced to his chest, the clippers still being run all over his head.

Jason went back to staring out the window. Why had Oswald parked in the exact same spot again?

"I'm going to wait outside in the car," Jason muttered under his breath, beginning to trudge out of the store. Bob Oswald placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"You're staying here."

A feeling of dread overcame Jason Thrasher.

---

Leon finally looked like a man. A number two on top, a number one on the sides. He looked older. At least nobody would mistake him for a girl now. Patting the boy's head, Bob Oswald rubbed it a bit, letting his hands feel the short bristles on top of the boy's head.

"Leon, you were a champ for handling that. Good job." Bob gestured for Leon to sit down in the waiting area, before tightening his grip on Jason's shoulder.

"Stealing beer, trying cigarettes, disrespecting the coach, putting Nair in his brother's shampoo..." Bob said, looking at Eddie. Eddie just seemed to know what to do. Bob gave Jason a push into the chair. The boy wasn't bolting this time.

That was good.

---

The barber roughly shoved his hood off, yanking it so it tugged on his throat for a bit. Jason stared at his reflection in the mirror. Stubble had grown back, but it was almost faint. A number one all over couldn't really grow too much within a few days.

Bob Oswald had gone to sit down, picking up a magazine to read, while Leon was on his phone.

It was just Jason and the barber now.

The tissue was tied tightly around his neck, the barber making slight noises of disapproval. Jason would've said something, but Eddie was considered a family friend of some sort, because Jason had knew him before the incident. The cape was draped over his shoulders and tightened around the neck even more.

Jason watched as the clippers were fired on once more. Interestingly enough, Eddie popped off the guard, placing it on a tray. Staring blankly, Jason then realized what the old man was going to do.

"Bob! You can't let him shave me bald! Octavia's gonna flip!" Jason exclaimed, trying to get Bob's attention. Bob continued reading his magazine, as if Jason had said nothing. Jason turned to Eddie next, who placed the clippers on his forehead.

"The customer gets to choose the cut! The cust-" Jason fell silent as the clippers moved through his hairline, tiny bristles showering down onto the cape. The clippers strangely stopped halfway, not making it all the way down to his neck. The vibrating sensation continued, as Eddie moved onto the next part, plowing through another line of hair, leaving a pale white trail of skin in the clipper's trace. It continued for a bit, until the entire top part of the boy's head was a pale white, the sides and back of his head filled with stubble.

"What... What are you doing?" Jason stammered, as he realized the barber had given him a male pattern baldness cut. A large bald oval sat at the top of his head, surrounded by bristles of hair.

"Dude! I look like an old man!" Jason exclaimed angrily, attempting to get up from the seat. Eddie's firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Your kid is being fussy today. You have a good belt?" Eddie asked, picking up the clippers once more. Bob shrugged, looking up from his magazine.

"It looks like a Norwood 6. Probably should give him a Norwood 7," the man said, before looking down at his magazine once more.

"Alright." Eddie fired up the clippers once more, plunging the clippers into the boy's forehead once more, sliding them even further back this time. Jason felt his lip tremble. No... He couldn't be like Leon, crying over hair. This was so stupid... Why were the tears coming?

"Your little one handled it better... Actually, who's younger?" Eddie asked, continuing to run the clippers up and down the top of the boy's head. Bob laughed.

"The boy on the chair is 14 and the man sitting next to me is 13," Bob replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Now Leon was considered older than him?!? Jason bit his lip to prevent a whimper from escaping his lips. The buzzing of the clippers stopped and Eddie ran a hand over the bald part, rubbing his scalp a bit. The boy's face turned bright red. It was humiliating!

The barber then turned around, walking into the back. The boy's hand quickly slipped out from under the cape, to feel his head. Bending his neck a bit, his jaw dropped open in horror, as he realized how far back the barber had cut.

Eddie appeared once more, holding a razor and a few bottles. Setting a few bottles onto the counter, the man picked up one of them. Shaking it a bit, he then began to dispense foam onto the boy's head. The old man's hand began to expert spread out the shaving cream, until the top part of the boy's head was covered with white foam. Turning to walk to the back once more, the man then returned, placing a warm towel on his head.

It felt good. Jason couldn't deny it. The warmth was nice, compared to the rush of cold air that struck his head whenever the clippers mowed through a new row of hair. It didn't last for long though, Eddie removing the towel and picking up a razor. Small, careful scratches, across his head. Eddie really wanted to get every bristle at the top. Cleaning up the foam and the bristles, the barber sprayed the shaving foam again, expertly spreading it out with his hands, before placing another warm towel on top. Another round of expert scratching and the barber decided he was done.

Jason stared at the top of his head, a sense of misery in his stomach. The kids at school... They were going to bully him forever. The boy himself had made fun of the boys who had gotten MPB at an early age, but now, it seemed like it was coming full circle, at the ripe age of 14.

"Can you... Can you please just shave it all off?" Jason asked, after Eddie returned. Eddie said nothing, pouring some liquid into his hand. Rubbing his hands a bit, he then began to rub the liquid into the boy's scalp. The boy let out a yelp as a burning sensation spread throughout the top of his head, the man still rubbing the liquid into his head. It was brief though.

Finally, Bob looked up from his magazine, glancing at Jason, a smirk on his lips.

"Eddie, have you used the final product yet?"

Eddie laughed.

"Not quite!" The man grabbed another bottle from the counter, squirting some liquid into his hand, before rubbing it all over the boy's head. This time, it hurt even more, the boy's eyes watering as he felt the burning sensation persist, even as the barber took off his cape, unwrapping the tissue around his neck.

---

Eddie's magical solution. It wasn't really magical, but its temporary baldness feature was effective. Bob couldn't help but smile as the brat had the liquid smeared all over the bald part of his head, completely unaware of what it was. The kid was going to learn his lesson the hard way.

Getting up from his seat, Bob handed the barber a $20 bill.

"For your troubles."

"It's alright, Bob. I saw that you have a lot to deal with. I'll see him back in a few days," Eddie said, gesturing towards Jason. The boy was touching his head anxiously, looking around for a pair of clippers to shave off the rest of his head.

"Shave it off and your eyebrows come off too!" Eddie chortled, before turning back to Bob.

"He's a brat. I'll fix him up in a week. If not, we'll ship him off to military school." Bob winked. Jason looked even more distressed.

"If my son had done all of that, he would've already been at military school and I'd make them give him a chrome dome," Eddie replied, shaking his head.

"Thank you Eddie. Hopefully we won't visit you in awhile. If we do, I'll show you how the sides have grown out," Bob said, chuckling a bit. Gesturing for the two boys to follow him outside, the man bid the barber farewell.

---

None of this felt real. Jason was in denial. Rubbing the top of his head, the tender, soft skin... Then the bristles at the back and sides of his head... It was all real. Even if he didn't want it to be real. Staring at his reflection in the car window, the boy shoved on his hood once more. How long would it take for everything to grow back?

The car slowed to a stop outside Octavia's house and Leon departed, still a bit dejected about his own loss of locks. Octavia didn't seem too happy, but alas, she had no choice. She didn't even bother stepping outside, Bob needing to leave the car to speak with her.

Soon enough, they were off.

---

The car ride was awkwardly silent. Bob Oswald could feel Jason's anger in the backseat.

"Alright, kid. We'll grab dinner, head to my place, figure out where you're sleeping," Bob began.

"I'm not eating tonight," Jason muttered under his breath.

"You need to learn the consequences of your actions, Jason," Bob began.

"All of the things you did, almost every single one of them could've put you in prison."

Jason laughed. It was a bitter laugh.

"Dude, I look like an old man. Like one of those perverted old men. I'd rather pick prison over this," The boy snook a hand into his hood, just to feel the smoothness of his scalp.

---

There were so many things wrong with this kid... Bob Oswald knew he'd need to do a lot of work. If his step-father had done this much for him, then he could do the same for the kid, right? Letting out a sigh, Bob Oswald continued driving.

It was just one kid... He could do this.

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