Headmaster - Part 2 by buzztob

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Headmaster (Part 2)
by
buzztob

School was over for the day. I asked Simon if he was still on for the haircut, he said he was, but needed to collect his bike first. We walked together to the High Street, Simon was very quiet, he never asked where we were going, just followed along, pushing his bike. Towards the end of the High Street, I saw the familiar barber’s pole right above Mr Grey’s Barbershop. I told Simon that we were going in here. He said that he needed to lock his bike up as he didn’t want anyone stealing it. As he was finding somewhere to lock his bike, I pushed the door open and walked into a time warp. A red barber’s chair in the middle of the room, a large mirror above a wash basin and a counter filled with various barbers’ equipment. There was nobody in the shop except Mr Grey. He looked up from a book he was reading, saw me and said "don’t tell me you want another haircut Pattson?". I told him my name was Petterson and no I didn’t want another haircut. I was here with my friend, Simon, who was locking up his bike outside and told him that the Headmaster had sent him for a haircut. Wanting to get my revenge for Simon laughing at me, I mentioned that the Headmaster had told him to get it short, something like Mr Yards haircut. Mr Grey just nodded, and said he looked forward to getting his hands on Simon’s hair. Just then Simon walked in, unaware of what was about to happen to him. Mr Grey told him to hang his blazer on the coat rack to take a seat in the big red barber’s chair. I sat down in one of the waiting chairs, thinking should I own up and admit I had made it up regarding his haircut but then I thought no, serves him right for laughing at me. Mr Grey picked up a stripped cape, wrapped it around Simons body, pumped the chair up and turned it around so it faced into the shop. He told Simon that he preferred to have the chair this way when cutting children’s hair so they didn’t keep turning their head to look in the mirror. As Mr Grey was combing the hair, he said to Simon, "so the Headmaster has sent you and he wants it short?" Simon just nodded and looked across at me. Mr Grey picked up the normal clippers and placed a guard on them and started to cut the hair around the sides and back of Simons head. I thought, no! no! no! it’s supposed to be short. Just then, Mr Grey said to Simon, "I’m just removing the bulk so I can see what I’m working with, then we will start to get down to business". When he finished going all around the back and sides, he picked up the hairdryer and blew all the loose hair off his face and neck. Mr Grey, removed the guard and started in the front of his ear and proceeded to go all the way up to the top of his head, there was nothing left, apart from the longer hair on the top of his head. He carried on all around his head, removing everything in the way to the top. He dusted off the loose hair, put another guard on the clippers, lifted the hair at the front of his head, placed the clippers there and stripped the hair off, going from front to back all over the top of his head. I don’t know if Simon realised what was going on as he had not said a word all through this process. Mr Grey put the clippers down, picked up some smaller ones that gave out a high-pitched noise when he switched them on, and started to cut the hair on the side of his head to just below where he stopped last time. Satisfied, he carried on around the rest of Simons head stripping everything off down to the skin. Mr Grey dusted Simon off, then picked up the larger clippers again, put on a different guard and proceeded to blend the hair on the sides into the little remaining hair on the top of his head. Simon looked completely different; his long silky locks had been replaced by a severe looking haircut with hardly any hair left on his head. I didn’t know whether I was pleased or sorry for having inflicted this on Simon. I was brought out of my thoughts when Mr Grey asked Simon if he wanted the back and sides razored to give it a nice finished look. Simon said he would leave it up to Mr Grey as he was the professional. A towel was placed around the neck of Simon, lather was placed a fair way up around the sides and back of his head and Mr Grey swiftly removed all of the lather with the razor. He reapplied the lather and started to cut it from the bottom up. Using the towel, the excess lather was removed, powder placed on the duster and swished around the sides and back of Simons head. Then with the mini clippers, Mr Grey went around the hair again blending in from the shaved line to the hairline. When he was satisfied, he gave one more dusting off, turned the chair around to the mirror and Simon got the first look at his new haircut. His eyes nearly popped out of his head, I thought at one point he was going to cry, but he just said thank you and that the Headmaster should be happy with his cut.
The cape was removed, Simon got out of the chair and Mr Grey turned to me and asked if I wanted a similar haircut to Simon. He mentioned that Mr Yard had wanted mine to be shorter at lunchtime so I had the ideal opportunity to rectify his wishes and turning the knife, he said that he wouldn’t charge me for the second haircut. I was just about to say no when Simon joined in the conversation saying he thought it was a great idea and that there would be two of us with identical haircuts. He was right in front of me backing me up to the red leather chair, when my foot caught on the rest and I stumbled into the chair. In a flash Mr Grey was there wrapping the cape around me saying that it had been a while since he had the opportunity to cut the hair of lads our age so short. Mr Grey picked up the smaller clippers as the bulk of my hair had been removed at lunchtime and was just about to start my haircut, when Simon commented that as my hair was so thick, he thought Mr Yard would appreciate it if mine was cut a bit shorter than his with the top cut a bit shorter. Mr Grey agreed and said that I had the right shape of head for a really short haircut. He then proceeded to strip the hair around the sides and back all the way to the top of my head. Once finished he dusted me down then hit me with the larger clippers and removed the hair from the top of my head. He turned to Simon and asked if he thought it was short enough. To which Simon with a smirk on his face said he thought that it should be a little shorter. Mr Grey just laughed and said you kids of today, one minute your hair is down your back and the next it’s all shaved off. He changed the guard, and proceeded to run the clippers over my head. The sides and back were blended into the top, warm lather placed around my head and the razor started to remove the lather from top to bottom. I must admit it was a strange sensation and even more bizarre when he put the lather on for the second time and went from bottom up. Wiped off, dusted down, the cape was removed. I couldn’t believe that I had just had my second haircut of the day. My hand went up to my neck and I couldn’t believe how smooth it felt in a weird sort of way. Simon was just standing there doing the same with a big smile on his face.
Saying our farewells to Mr Grey and promising that we would be back, Simon and I went home. When I got home and walked into the kitchen both my parents were there, my mother just looked at me but my father said "Cool haircut son, better that that fluffy stuff you used to have!" My mother asked what had brought this on, I just said I fancied a change and could I have some money to pay my friend back as he lent me the money to get the haircut. There was no way I was going to tell them how or why this happened. Later that night I was in bed when I received a message off Simon asking what I was doing, I told him I was in my bedroom, rubbing my hand up and down my neck, I couldn’t get over the feeling this sent through my body. He said he was doing the same. We then thought about school tomorrow, what would everyone say. My reply was let’s see who we can get to join our little group, let the fun begin!

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