I know what’s best for you. by NoThanks

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The bell rings. I’m finally done with my final exam for the school year. That can only mean one thing, summer vacation. I walk out of the classroom as I talk to some of my friends. We talk about hanging out and then "We’ll text each other the exact dates and times, okay?" Says my best friend Julia. We all go our separate ways and with that I hop on my bike to ride home.

It’s relatively hot for Dutch weather, our years are filled with rain and wind but come summertime the weather starts getting nice in the Netherlands. The sweat on my forehead is making me feel like its even hotter out here. I have dirty blonde hair which covers my eyes, but I always push it to the side into a simple side part. That really helps with the heat and sweat but it can still be a hassle when it droops down again. I push my hair to the side and then wipe away my sweat.

I arrive home, my dad greets me and asks me about how the exam went "It actually went quite good" I reply. At last he reminds me "Don’t forget your barbers appointment at 9:00 tonight". I smile back at him "Don’t worry, I won’t". I head upstairs to my room, listen to some music, lay on my bed and watch some Grey’s Anatomy. The day passes by quick, quicker than I expected and before I know it it’s already time for me too leave for my barbers appointment.

The barbershop is walking distance from my house, about 10 minutes I would say. I step out the door, put my AirPods in and begin my journey. I think about what I’m gonna do with my hair, i think it’s time for a change.
My forehead is sweaty yet again, even though the weather has cooled down quite a bit. "I’m sick of pushing my hair out of my face every single time" I thought. I’ve always been scared of change, so I don’t know what came over me but i though to myself. "Change doesn’t hurt, I mean theoretically the worst case scenario is that you absolutely hate it. You don’t have to see anyone for 6 weeks, and by the time school starts again it’ll already have grown back and I’ll know to NEVER do it again". As I gather my thoughts I step into the barbershop.

I open the door to his house and then turn right where his barbershop is. I say hi to my usual barber Joost. He’s busy cutting an 8-year old boy, while the boy’s father sits impatiently on the couch. I give the father a quick nod before I sit down next to him. His right leg which is the closest to me bounces uncontrollably. He takes up more than half the couch ‘cause his legs are in the typical man-spread and basically gives me 1/4 of the couch to sit on. As a 15 year old gay boy I would lie if I said that I wasn’t intimidated, but I keep to myself like usual. The little boy’s hair is nice and on the shorter side with his brown curls trimmed and sides shaved. Joost uncapes the little boy and he happily hops out of the chair. The father quickly stands up, pays and before leaving gives me a quick nod. Joost turns the seating cushion around and pats it, motioning for me to sit down.

I walk over to the chair and sit down nervously, he massages my shoulders a little before caping me. He’s never done that before but it felt really nice. He’s finished clicking the cape up and asks me the question i’ve been dreading "What are we doing with your hair today, boy?" I nervously stutter that I have a picture ready and I show it to him "Okay, so like a textured fringe with a low taper fade?" He asks. "Yes, exactly, but I would like the top just a little shorter than the picture." I answer. He nods as he starts spraying water in my hair and combing it straight forward, which means I can’t see what’s happening around me.

The clippers jolt to life as he puts a guard where I just can’t see the number on it. He tilts my head forward and gently but firmly moves the clippers up the back of my head. "So you have any plans for summer vacation?" He asks, trying to start some small talk. I happily answer "yes actually, I’m going to Greece!" His eyebrows raise in surprise "You don’t hear that everyday, Greece" I ask him about his plans for the vacation and he finishes answering about his plans the same time he finishes the back and sides of my head.

He puts the clippers down and grabs a pair of scissors from his belt. He spins it around in his fingers before combing my bangs forward one last time.
He quickly snips about an inch off of my bangs and continues doing the same around the top of my head, i can see way better now without having my hair in front of my eyes, the feeling is so freeing. My hair is now about to the top of my eyebrows and the only word I can mumble is "I love it". Joost laughs and starts doing the finishing touches of my fade right as he starts the conversation up again "So, when are you leaving for Greece?" I think for a moment "Sunday actually, just with my dad. Just going to be us two for 2 weeks!" I reply. He nods and continues to ramble on about his children. He finally finishes the haircut, I can’t wait to go home! But then..

He looks at me in the mirror and grabs me firmly by the shoulders while I’m still in the chair. The action scares me a bit and I let out a nervous chuckle while he keeps staring at me. He finally opens his mouth to speak "We should go shorter." Joost says. "What do you mean..?" I slowly stutter. "Lets cut it shorter, it’ll suit you so much better, trust me" He replies whilst still having his hands firmly on my shoulders. "I don’t really know if I-" "You’re gonna be so hot in Greece boy, cutting it shorter won’t hurt." He interrups as he lifts my fringe up. "You’re gonna save yourself a lot of sweating trust me and besides your face suits short hair" he says while his other hand moves my head around a bit to really analyze the shape of it. "You know what let-" I mumble but as soon as the words leave my mouth I get interrupted by a loud "SNIP".

I was caught off guard by the action. Before I had time to process what had happened Joost had cut off another inch of my fringe. He holds the fringe tightly between his fingers and snips the scissors in a vertical motion quickly, but at the same time very calculated. Before I knew it my bangs were gone, it took 30 seconds AT MOST. Once he let whatever was left of my fringe go, my eyes widened. My dirty blonde locks were now to the top of my forehead, barely covering my hairline by just 1/2 an inch. As Joost continues snipping away at the top I look down. About 2 inches of my dirty blonde hair lays in a pile on my lap. Still in a state of shock I move my hand from under the cape and grab a lock of my shorn hair, rub it between my fingers and throw it back on my lap. Joost doesn’t bat an eye and starts up the clippers. Probably to make the fade a little higher and even the proportions out, but I was too distracted to care.

He pats my shoulder and I look up. For a second I don’t even recognize myself, its like I got way older in the span of 15 minutes. My eyes glow and I can’t help but smile. "You really knew what you were doing, weren’t ya?" I exclaim. He nods and smiles "only want what’s best for you kiddo." I raise my hand up to my head and twirl a piece of hair between my fingers, i think to myself "a little less than an inch left, I can work with that."
"Thank you Joost!" I excitedly blurt out, "I was unsure at first when you wanted to go shorter but now… it’s better than I imagined." Joost says "of course boy, I’m always happy to help… but as your barber I always know what’s best for you, you know?" I find the remark a little strange but I nod as he uncapes me. I stand up and walk towards the register, Joost surprisingly doesn’t walk to the register but the other way. I don’t really pay attention to it when I hear a loud "CLICK". I turn around to see that he’s locked the door. "Oh I’ll be out in a minute Joost just need to pay" I say.

Joost walks to me and leans against the register counter. "You know, you’re my last client of today.. and I always like to treat them special you know? As they say best for last." He grumbles. My eyebrows frown as if to say, what do you mean? "I want to go even shorter, trust me it’ll suit you way better. Get you lookin’ like a real man, besides the maintenance will be way easier for you." He utters. I lightly shake my head, "look Joost, I appreciate you trying to give me the best advice, but I really love it this way. Besides it’s getting late and just want to pay and go home. Can you ring me up please?" I answer.

Joost stares at me while he shakes his head at me "I’m not ringing you up until you get back in that chair." He tilts his head towards the chair, the hair still laying bare on the floor beside it. "Joost I’m sorry but we’re not cutting it shorter today." I say nervously "I’d like to pay now." I say determined to get out of there. "Oh come on boy, I KNOW what’s best for you, I know deep down you want it even shorter." He answers as we walks towards me. In a frenzy I walk towards the door, I mean surely he didn’t lock it right? "I’m leaving Joost, thanks for the haircut." I say as I lay my hand on the doorknob, but it doesn’t budge. I look back and Joost is standing right behind me. I raise my hands in an apologetic way. "I-im sorry" I stutter.

Joost isn’t having it, he looks me straight in the eyes, points to the chair and says "Get in that chair. Now." I don’t know what it is about his voice. He says it calmly but mad and strict. With no choice left, I do as he says. I slowly walk to the chair, I can feel his eyes burning on my back. I step on a lock of my hair knowing that in a matter of minutes there’s going to be even more on the floor. I slowly sit down in the chair, the soft cushion suddenly not feeling comfortable anymore to my trembling legs. He capes me up yet again, this time more tight than before. He sprays more water on my almost dry hair and the only thing I can do is watch in a hypnotic manner to my reflection.

I get snapped out of it. By the sound of a roaring razor, there’s a guard on there but I’m too scared to look. My bottom lip trembles and my whole body goes numb for just a second. Joost places his one free hand on my shoulder "try to relax bud" he mumbles in a calming matter.
I close my eyes out of fear. I can hear the razor coming closer and closer. I lean my head forward to make it easier for him, but the razor doesn’t touch the back of my neck. It attacks right through the middle of my hairline. I gasp a little and my lip trembles even more now. I can feel a slight breeze trough the strip he’s just shaven off. He’s moved on to the left and slowly shaves off strips from my dirty blonde hair. A small tear escapes my eye and rolls down my cheek, I haven’t opened my eyes, I can’t open them. "Oh cheer up boy, it’s looking great! Take a look" I hear Joost say. I slowly opens my eyes and it’s worse than I expected. The razor has the #3 guard on, but my pale scalp is luckily not visible through the 3 millimeters of hair I have left. Joost continues stripping my head of any long hair I have left, until he stops. He takes the guard off and I close my eyes again.

He starts shaving the back part of my head and he only stops when he’s about halfway up. He continues to do so all around the sides of my head. I raise my hand and just feel bare skin under my fingers "I’m not done fading just yet." Joost says. Whatever he’s doing I hope it ends quick, I still haven’t opened my eyes and I’d like to keep it that way. Some time passes and he says "sit very still." of course he gets out a small razor and slowly cuts the small hairs I have left at the bottom of my neck to give the fade a cleaner look. He unbuttons the cape and rubs his hands slowly over my shorn head. "You can open your eyes now." He says. I open them and my eyebrows raise. I think to myself. "It doesn’t look half bad, I could get used to this.." I rub my hand over my hand and only feel little prickly studs instead of my lucious locks. He grabs his handmirror and shows me the back of it. I see a sharp skin fade, I feel naked just looking at it. it’s so nicely done, but i’m too mad to admit it to Joost. I sigh and stand up out of the chair and face him. "You know kid, even if you don’t agree, I know what’s best for you." He walks back and unlocks the door, whilst I slowly walk over to the register. "Oh kid, you’re free to go, I said I wanted to treat you extra special, well this is my treat." He says whilst rubbing the back of my head. "Don’t forget kid, I know what’s best for you."

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