The Summer I Went Short by MrHaircutter

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I have had a haircut fetish for as long as I can remember. Since I was a teenager, I had felt awkward getting my haircut. This lead to me letting it grow out until it was long and touching my shoulders. I always hated how I looked with long hair. The heat in the summer and the fact it constantly got in my face.

But despite this, I couldn't bring myself to get it cut short. The idea of having clippers rub against scalp excited me, but also made me nervous. I would feel awkward trying to hide my pleasure as the barberette made my hair fall to the ground. Watching the clipper glide down the middle of my head, disconnecting my long brown locks and leaving a very short, trim layer hair was my ultimate fantasy. But I was just too scared to do it. What if the barbrette noticed and it made her uncomfortable? I couldn't bear the idea of it.

But this all changed one lazy Monday afternoon. My mum had given me money to go and get my hair cut. She told me to get something short and sensible, but I knew I would end up chickening out and just getting a trim. I always did.

There was a barber shop not too far away from where I lived, but I had never been to it before. For year I had walked past and seen men getting their hair cut really short. I had noticed the barberette a lot. She had long dark hair that she often pulled back into a ponytail, revealing a shaved section on the back of her head. I would see her smiling while chatting to the clients, skillfully gliding the clippers on the backs and sides of their heads. I had made it a frequent pass time of mine to sit on the bench opposite the barbershop while I ate my lunch. I would watch her do full haircuts on these men. One time I saw a man with hair even longer than mine go into the shop and come out with a very short cropped haircut- probably a number 3 on the top and with a skin fade on the back and sides. I had never been more jealous in my life.

The barberette starred in my fantasies quite often. She was a very cute girl. She often wore tight vest tops in the summer that would collect the short clippings of men's hair on the front of it. Along with her short jean shorts, long dark hair and cheek dimples- she was everything I ever wanted in a woman. Quite often we would catch eyes as I walked past or had my lunch. There was one time that she even smiled at me, but I left quickly after this.

I spent hours thinking about her cutting my hair. About seeing my long, dark brown hair get mercilessly shaved off by this beautiful women. But despite this, I knew today wasn't going to be the day it happened.

I thought about this intently as I walked down the street towards my usual hairdressers. The women there was a family friend and knew I didn't like having my haircut. It was the safe option.

I was going to be early for my hair appointment. Despite how much I loved getting my haircut, I hated waiting for it to be done. The anticipation was too much. I would often wind myself into a frenzy before I even sat down- thinking about all the hair I could get cut off but never would.

Today I decided to sit on the bench outside the barbershop. It was just up the street from where I usually went anyway, so I might as well enjoy my wait. Watching her shave some lucky man's hair off would give me something to think about later too.

I sat down outside the barbershop but to my dismay, she didn't have any clients. The sun beat down upon me and I could myself overheating under my long hair. I could see her through the window- sitting idlly in the barber chair and spinning it with her foot. She tapped away on her phone as she did so.

It was disappointing that I couldn't watch someone get their haircut, but at least I could just look at her for a while.

This is when she looked up from her phone and straight across the street at me. She was wearing the tight black vest that she often did, and the same denim shorts cut half way up her thigh that she would bring out on hot days like this. She looked directly at me through the window and across the road.

I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. Or that she'd noticed I was lingering. I felt a sudden feeling of panic rise up in me, but also a feeling of excitement. Like I was about to punished for something.

Her mouth curled gently into a smile and exposed her perfect teeth. She was like a supermodel. I didn't think this could be real. Why would she be smiling at me? I felt excitement rush through my veins. Maybe she was just being polite? I smiled weakly back at her. To my surprise she stood up and made her way towards the door. Oh god, what was happening?

She stood in the door way and called out across the street at me.

'Hey you!'

I froze and didn't say anything back.

'You on the bench!'.

She was so beautiful. In the sun I noticed that her dark hair shone a gorgeous red colour, and that she had a fairly large amount of tattoos across her arms and legs. I had never noticed this about her before, but I was never going to forget it now.

'Me?' I said, weakly as panic began to rush through my veins.

'Come here!' She called across the street, beconing me across with one confident hand gesture.

This entire time the smile didn't leave her face. I stood up slowly and walked made my way across the street. This felt like it was forever. Her appearance sunk into my mind. Perfect white teeth, gorgeous tanned and tatted skin, her cute wrinkled nose as she smiled. I even noticed that she had a nose stud that sparkled slightly in the sun. I finally reached the door where she stood.

'Are you coming in?' She said to me.

'Errrrr...' I said back, unsure wether she was going to call me a creep or not.

'Because I see you looking in all the time and have noticed you sitting across from the shop. I just wanted you to know that you don't have to be scared to come in, I won't bite' she said, with a slight giggle.

I didn't know how to respond. I could feel my cheeks growing redder by the second.

'Barbershops can be quite intimidating,' she continued 'I was scared the first time I went into one to get this done' she said as she turned her head quickly to reveal her short nape shave that had a rose pattern cut into it. I could smell her hair as she whipped her ponytail in front of my face.

I just nodded and didn't know what to do. This was the first time I'd ever spoken to her and she was so beautiful that I couldn't get any words out. She took great pleasure in this, giggling at me some more which made me giggle a little too.

'Do you want a haircut? There no one booked for an hour or so, so you don't have to worry about what anyone else thinks' she reassured me.

I couldn't believe this was real. Part of me wanted to say no and to just run. But an even bigger part of me want to say yes but I couldn't get any words out. Years of fantasising and it was finally happening. I quickly decided I couldn't give this up. I would be thinking about it for years to come. I could just get a trim anyway. At least then I'd have had her touch my hair. I could think about that for years.

I mustered all my courage and nodded slightly.

'But you've got to promise to talk to me' she said, in a condescending but incredibly sexy way.

I let out a small voice. 'Okay'.

She beamed at me. 'Okay!' She said, as she grabbed my hand and led me into the barbershop.

It wasn't a traditional barbershop. It had quite modern, almost hipster decor. With a light brown wooden aesthetic and album covers on the walls. On the right hand side was a waiting area and on the left hand side was a row of barbershop chairs. They must have been antique or something. Cracked brown leather with bronze metal for the base. They span around and could be lowered/raised at will. In front of these were floor to ceiling mirrors and work stations with all of the implements she'd need to cut my hair.

I immediately noticed a golden pair of clippers and wondered what it would feel like to have them run down the centre of my head but I dismissed the thought.

'Sit in the chair closest to the window' she said, letting go of my hand and turning around to face me. 'I'll just go to the bathroom quickly and I'll be right with you. Okay?' she smiled as she waited for my answer.

'Okay' I said, heart pounding in my chest.

She walked off and went through a door in the back. I breathed a sigh and slowly walked towards the chair. There was still some hair on the floor from the last man who's hair she had cut. I sat down on the chair and looked in the mirror. I had dreamed about this for years and here I was. Staring back at myself in the mirror. A million scenarios flew through my brain of all the different haircuts I could get and all the conversations we could have. I tried to silence my brain but it was screaming at me to cut all my hair off.

Before I knew it she was walking out of the bathroom and straight towards me. She smiled brightly.

'I was worried you'd walk off!' She said with a cute giggle, scrunching up her nose as she did.

I laughed a little too and said 'no, I wouldn't do that'.

'Good' she said. 'What's your name by the way?'

'Liam' I said to her quietly.

'Well hi Liam, I'm Eve,' she said chipperly. She reached out her hand towards me. 'Nice to meet you!'

I took her hand and shook it. Her hands were still cold from washing them.

'You've got sweaty palms' she noticed. I quickly noticed too and wiped them on my pants.

'I'm sorry' I said quickly, my face filling with blood once more.

'It's okay, honey. You don't need to be nervous, we're the only too here' she reassured me.

I nodded slightly as she made her way towards me. She took a cape off the back of the chair next to me as she came over. I always loved the feeling of wearing a cape in the hairdressers.

She swung the cape around my body and secured it around my neck and then lowered the chair a bit. She smiled at me through the mirror and I smiled back at her. She lifted her hands up and started running them through my long brown hair slowly.

'So' she said, as she leaned down to be right beside my face. 'What are we doing today?'.

She looked at me through the mirror with deep concentration on her face. Her lips slightly pursed and her eyes narrowed.

I breathed a shaky breath as I looked back at her. 'Just a trim please' I snook out in a small voice.

'You just want a trim?' She said. I detected slight disgust in her voice.

She stood back up and sighed as she ran her hands through my hair again


'How old are you?' She said firmly.

'17' I said in the same mouse-like voice.

'And how often do you get mistaken for a girl?' She said in an even firmer voice. The looking of concentration persisted on her face, but I could tell there was also a bit of anger mixed in with it.

'Errr...' was all I managed to croak in response.

'So it has happened?' She said again, forcefully.

I nodded shamefully and felt my face go bright red. I looked down at the floor and avoided her eyes.

She grabbed my head and lifted it back up, staring directly into my eyes through the mirror.

'You need a real haircut' she demanded. Her face still beautiful in its seriousness.

My heartbeat doubled and my breath became shaky. This was everything I had ever wanted. All of my dreams, all of my fantasies coming true at once.

'Okay' I said quietly. I found this entire situation incredibly exciting. I wasn't about to refuse anything she said to me.

'Great!' She smiled perkily again, and took a comb out of her hairdresser's belt that balanced on her hips, combing away at my tangled hair.

'It will be so nice for you to get rid of all this hair. Especially during this heatwave' she chatted away as she combed.

I didn't know what type of haircut she intended to give me, but it sounded like it was going to be short. Frankly, I didn't care. I felt my blood vessels exploding all around my body, and that wonderful feeling of nerves and excitement you get just after you have your first kiss with someone. My body was sending out fireworks of excitement.

She stopped combing my hair and walked over to the shelf in front of the mirror. She picked up the golden clippers I spotted as I walked in and examined them. She then blew away some old hair that was trapped on them and picked up a guard. I couldn't make out what length it was just by looking at it. She examined the guard too, before putting it down and picking up a smaller one. She looked at that too and screwed up her face in disgust.

'I think they're both too long' she said, before putting the second guard back down on the shelf'.

She then walked back over to me and ran her hands through my hair one more time.

'Just do what you think will look good' I blurted out. What was I thinking?! Was she going to shave me bald? What what everyone think?!

She smiled slightly then said very clearly 'Oh, don't worry. I was always going to'.

With this, she turned on the gold clippers and grabbed a handful of my long, brown hair. She looked at me in the mirror. 'Are you ready?'

'Errrr...' I said but it was too late now.

She pushed the clippers through the handful of hair. The glorious noise of clippers going through hair sounded and I could feel myself getting more and more excited.

She held in her hand a large clump of my hair. Suddenly, it didn't touch my shoulders anymore. She smiled at me and I smiled back. She then dropped the hair on the ground, and I watched as it fell onto the floor.

'Oops' she said in a playful manner and grinned at me once more.

'Keep going' I said, now feeling a new feeling of bravery.

She lifted the clippers and put them in the middle of my head. Before I knew it, she had shaved straight down the middle. She turned the clippers off. My long, brown hair fell to the ground and left a patch of the shortest hair possible. I lifted my hand and felt where the clippers had been. The feeling of stubble felt absolutely incredible. I sighed deeply, and to my surprise she did too.

'Does it feel good?' She said to me as she too touched the bald patch.

'Yes' I said back to her in a stunned way.

She turned the clippers back on and smiled that wicked smile. She continued to shave the top of my head. Slowly, my identity began to change. The boy with the long hair quickly turned into the man with the buzzcut. The hair keep falling thick and fast. I could see the floor quickly getting covered by layer after layer of my hair. It felt incredible. I wanted to video it so I could watch it on repeat, but I knew I would always have the memory.

Eventually, she turned the clippers off and the man looking at me in the mirror was completely different to the one who came into the shop. My hair was as short as it could be. Mere stubble on my scalp. I reached my hand up and rubbed it, closing my eyes as I did so. I had never felt excitement like it before. It was the best feeling I've ever experienced.

'Thank you' I said, breathing heavily.

She rubbed my freshly shaved scalp and smiled at me.

'I knew you'd love it' she said.

She took the cape off me and the thick hair that had gathered on it fell onto the ground.

I stood up slowly and turned to face her. She looked past my eyes and at my shaven head.

'You're very handsome now' she said, as if in deep thought.

'Thank you' I said back to her.

For a moment I thought we were going to kiss, but the moment passed quickly. She turned away and walked towards the counter. I followed her and took my wallet out of my pocket.

'How much do I-' I said before she cut me off.

'Nothing' she said quickly.

'Nothing?' I said back to her, confused.

'Just come back here again' she said with a smile on her face. 'Once your hair grows back'.

I smiled at her, said thank you and turned around to exit. I felt like she'd enjoyed that just as much as I had. I wanted to go up to her and ask if she wanted me to do the same to her, or if she wanted to get a coffee or something. But I just walked away.

I turned back to her as I reached the door.

'Thank you' I said to her again.

'Thank you' she said back to me. There was a look of sadness on her hair. I felt we were both sad it was over.

I left the shop and slowly walked back home, stopping to look at myself in any reflective surface I could- car windows, shop windows- anything. I barely recognised myself but I felt more alive than ever. This is who I'd been all along. And she was who I was missing.

I knew I would be thinking about that haircut for the rest of my life.

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