The Shopkeeper
(It’s a long story, but there was no good place to split it)
It was a good rime for Shelby. Almost 15, she had blossomed from a skinny average looking girl into a tall, athletic bodied young lady. She was a multi sport athlete in middle school, with talent in each one of them to garner the attention of the coaches at the high school. The school year had barely begun when she was invited to try outs for the volleyball team. She amazed even herself, playing better almost all of the other girls there. It was a no brainer for the coaches who immediately after asked her to join the varsity team.
For Shelby this was finally going to be the year where she gets noticed. She had sacrificed several long friendships that she had in her quest to change what everyone thought of her. In her eyes, she needed to only look forward to all of the great things that were about to happen to her. After being given her team uniform, the team manager gave each member of the team a folder full of forms that would need to be completed before the would be allowed to play. With all the girls attention the woman told them…”These form must be filled out before our first game in 2 weeks. We have scheduled physicals for all of you at the medical clinic in town. Make sure your parents sign all of the forms.”
Two days layer Shelby and her mom walked in to the medical center in town. Shelby was extra happy, not because of the upcoming physical, but because as her first appointment was with an orthodontist. The one thing that still bothered Shelby was her teeth and her grandfather had promised, if she made the team he would pay for her to get invisible braces. The orthodontist office was on the floor above the medical clinic, and the week before, she was there for impressions to be taken of her teeth. Today Shelby and her mom were back for her to receive her first insert. Once the doctor put it in Shelby had a huge smile on her face as they made their way to the next floor.
The sports health doctor was next. She had nothing to worry about the routine physical exam as she was in the best shape of her life, certainly better than the other girls on the team. After a full battery of blood work and several x-rays were taken the doctor spent several minutes examining her, paying close attention to her back and neck areas.
The doctor turned her monitor to face Shelby and her mother…”I’m afraid there I’ve spotted a problem. If you look at the image of her spine and neck area compared to her last physical you can see a substantial curve starting to develop in her cervical spine.” Shelby’s mother was completely taken off guard…”What does that mean?” The doctor tried to explain it in simple terms for her…”Shelby has a moderate scoliosis. It means that her spine has a curvature, which could strongly increase as she grows older. I think we have caught it early enough to be able to correct it before it gets to severe.”
Shelby just stared at the screen. She felt fine and in her mind was not going to let anything get in the way of playing on the varsity teams. The doctor then informed them that he was sending them to a specialist who would create a plan that would hopefully reverse the curvature…”Dr Walker is on the 5th floor. I’ve already sent her your images and she can see you right away.”
Shelby’s mother was familiar with what the treatment was as her best friend from high school had the same problem 30 years ago, but she assumed that with today’s modern technology there had to be some new way of treating the problem. Shelby was in a bit of shock repeatedly saying…”There’s no way they’re going to keep me off the team.”
After a short wait, they were taken into an exam room. Several posters on the wall showed examples of spinal deformities which started to make Shelby even more nervous. A few minutes later a female doctor, about the same age as Shelby’s mother entered the room…”Hell, I’m Dr Walker. You must be Shelby. It’s nice to meet you.” After exchanging pleasantries Dr Walker got on with the reason they were there…”Dr Baker sent me the images he took of your spine and I have to agree with him that you have a moderate scoliosis. This isn’t something that can’t be reversed as long as we start treatment right away.”
Her mom knew what that probably meant, but Shelby had never heard of anything like this…”As long as it won’t get in the way of me being on the team, then I guess it’s all right.” It was then Dr Walker told Shelby the terrible news…”Shelby, I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to be on the volleyball team, or any other sport teams until we get this resolved.” Shelby started to get upset…”I’m going to be on the team this year and no one is going to stop me.”
Her mother was very stoic about the news. Already assuming what her answer would be…”Doctor Walker, what is the treatment for this.” At that point the doctor showed Shelby and her mother a brochure for the brace she was going to make Shelby wear…”This is a new, state of the art, Milwaukee style brace which should do exactly what we need it to.” Shelby could believe what she saw. A large hunk of plastic that the doctor thought she was going to make her wear.
Shelby’s mother was actually relieved at what she saw. It was much smaller that the ones she remembered seeing when she was younger. When she questioned the doctor about it, she told her…”This is a new style that they have come up with. It should work for the severity of Shelby’s scoliosis, but if we let it get it get more severe then we will have to use the old style that you were thinking of. I’m sure that Shelby will be a lot more comfortable in the lightweight version.”
“The nurse is setting up for us to get a 3-D scan of Shelby’s torso, so let’s head down the hall to the treatment room.” As they all made their way down the hall, Shelby dragged behind, still insistent that she wasn’t going to miss out on the volleyball season…”Mom, can’t this wait until after the season?” Before her mother could answer the were in the room and the nurse was directing Shelby go behind the curtain and change out of her clothes…”Everything off, except for your panties.” Minutes later she opened the curtain, holding her arms over her chest.
The nurse then told her to stand with her arms held away from her sides. She then started to use a strange looking device and slowly moved it up and down while also moving around Shelby’s body. While this was happening the doctor went over a few things with Shelby’s mother…”I see she has invisible braces. Luckily, with the newer brace she can still have those, unlike the older brace, where full metal banded braces are necessary. She will still need to wear a headgear, but the new ones are barely noticeable. I’ll send a message to her orthodontist to have it ready when you come in next week to have her brace put on.” The scan finished, Shelby was allowed to get dressed and they headed toward the reception desk. “Okay, we will see you back next Wednesday at 2:30. Don’t forget to stop at the orthodontist first.”
Shelby looked at her mom…”Why do I have to go to the orthodontist first?” Her mother always told her the truth…”He is going to fit you with a headgear. One of the main side effect of wearing the brace is causing an overbite. Don’t worry, she said the one you will need is barely noticeable.” This didn’t make Shelby feel any better as she immediately began to figure out how she was going to get out of having to been seen with any of this on her body…”Come on mom, I’m going to look like a complete dork when they put all this stuff on me. Can’t we wait until after the season is over?” Her mother didn’t want to argue with her, so she just kept walking to the car.
I was an unsettling week for Shelby, she hadn’t broke the news to any of her friends about the brace and still hoped that she could figure out how she could avoid wearing it in front of everyone. Once Tuesday rolled around her nerves were well shot, and as they parked at the medical center Shelby’s mom had to wake her out of her daydream and walk her into the building.
The first stop was the orthodontist. As Shelby laid back in the long chair the doctor began to adjust the fit on the new low-profile headgear. While still visible up close, the new version became almost invisible from just a few feet away. In a quick 20 minutes, Shelby walked back to the waiting room, giving her mother an angry look. Her mom, remembering her days wearing the old style one, smiled and told Shelby she looks just fine. As the pair were getting ready to leave, the doctor gave Shelby’s mother a last reminder…”She needs to wear this at all times, so she doesn’t have any problems due to the brace.” Shelby’s mom insisted that she will make sure her daughter complies.
As they rode up the elevator to the next appointment, Shelby was already messing with her new addition…”I can’t believe how ugly this will make me look.” Her mom laughed at her…”You don’t know how easy you have it. The headgear I had to wear as a kid had straps that went around my head, and the metal parts were a lot bigger than the tiny one you get to wear” Shelby just couldn’t imagine how bad that must have been.
The next part was what Shelby dreaded the most. The doctor and her nurse had her disrobe again, then a tight shirt was placed over her chest, before they began fitting the brace. The new style brace was both light weight and fairy easy to conceal, with only a small part showing at the back of Shelby’s neck. They showed Shelby and her mom the proper steps so she could get it secured all by herself in the morning. As Shelby put her street clothes back on, the one thing that she saw that bothered her the most was that the brace now made her breasts disappear, making her look totally flat chested…”Mom, I look like a boy.” As they headed for the front desk, the Doctor reminded Shelby of the importance of wearing the brace at all times. Shelby’s mom was quick to guarantee that Shelby would comply. They made the next appointment for 1 month from now, before heading home.
The following month seemed to go over to easy for Shelby, her mother was surprised that she was still in high spirits and that she still wanted to support the volleyball team by going to every match. The truth was that every day Shelby would wait for her mom to leave for work, then she would remove the brace before heading to school. She had even manged to forge her medical release forms, hence, she was still on the volleyball team.
The morning of her follow-up appointment saw Shelby still in a great mood. She had successfully managed to hide the truth from everyone at school and even her mom had no idea of what she had been doing. All she wanted was to keep this up for another 8 weeks when the season was over. She was still smiling as her mom and her walked into the building. The first stop was supposed to be the orthodontist, but the Doctors office had called and pushed her appointment back a week. So they went to the x-ray department so the doctor would have a new image to compare to the one 5 weeks ago. When they finished they went to the Doctors office and while they sat in the waiting room, Shelby noticed some of the staff giving her strange looks as she waited her turn.
Minutes later, the nurse was at the door…”Shelby, the Doctor is ready for you.” It was then Shelby started to get a little concerned, but she figured that there was no way anybody could know what she had been doing. As the Doctor walked into the room she too had an unhappy look on her face…”Well Shelby how did your first month with the brace go? Did you wear it every day?” Shelby smiled as she looked first at her mom, then the Doctor…”It was okay, I guess.” Then the expression on the Doctors face changed as she turned her monitor towards Shelby and her mother. A video began playing that showed Shelby, in uniform, leading her tam to victory…”Well I’m still trying to understand how you wore your brace while you were playing on the volleyball team.” Shelby’s mom was dumbstruck…”What do you mean? She said she was just there to support the team” The Doctor then told them that her daughter played for the other team and her husband took the video of the last game. Shelby could only close her eyes, knowing that her time on the team was over.
The Doctor then put the current image on the monitor with the image taken just 5 weeks before….”This is not what I wanted to see. If you look here there is a definite change in just 5 weeks. I think we need to take some drastic steps to insure we don’t have any more set backs. I am recommending that we try the original style brace on her ” Shelby didn’t know what to say, but her mother, still incensed about being lied to for the past month, was in complete agreement with the doctor…”Whatever you think is necessary to help her progress thru this, I’m all for it.”
The doctor stared right at Shelby…”Unfortunately, I think she has left us no other choice but to switch her to the old style brace. This will be a lot more restrictive for her, but we can’t take a chance of her getting worse.” Shelby started to say that she would wear the brace she already had, but her mother was so upset with her she just told her…”You’ve proven you can’t be trusted to wear that one when you are supposed to so you’ve ruined your one chance to take the easy route.” She looked at the doctor and without hesitation told her…”She will do just fine with the larger brace.”
The Doctor handed Shelby’s mother a folder…”There are several things you will need to take care of before her new brace comes in next week. Everything is listed in the folder, and I’ll have my nurse get in touch with you to help make sure Shelby is ready to go next week.” As they walked towards the car Shelby was a bit worried about what else was going to happen to her…”What does it say in the folder mom?” Her mother, still fuming over the lies that had been told to her for the past month, was in no mood to have a conversation…”Just get in the car.” Once they got home Shelby was sent to her room for the rest of the night.
The next morning the nurse from the Doctors office called Shelby’s mother…”Hello, this is Nicole from the Doctor Walker’s office. Have you had a chance to look over what needs to happen before we fit the new brace on Shelby.” Shelby’s mother had only briefly looked at the folder, but she opened it with the nurse on the phone…”I see she will need her hair cut short.” The nurse then explained…”It’s better if it stays out of the area of the brace. You can take her to “Carol’s Beauty Parlor. We send all of our brace patients to her, and she knows exactly what to do.” Shelby’s mother then told the nurse…”Shelby was suspended from school for the week, so we have plenty of time to get everything done.”
The nurse went on to the next item on the list…”As you probably figured out, Shelby won’t be able to keep using the invisible braces. When you take her to her appointment this Wednesday they will be putting on a full set of metal banded braces and she will be getting a double headgear that will strap around her head. The small packet in the folder has a few sedative capsules inside. Have her take those the morning going of her orthodontist appointment .” This surprised Shelby’s mom…”Oh, I thought they would use the glued on style of brackets.” The nurse went on to explain…”They were having some problems with failures when he uses the bigger headgear, so they switched to the old style. They will be permanently placing the headgear, so Shelby won’t be able to take it off, so make sure she goes for her haircut beforehand.” Her mom thought about it for a minute, then figured she would take her for the haircut just before the Orthodontist
Shelby’s mom then looked at the last page in the folder…”Why does it list diaper brands?” The nurse then told her something that she wasn’t expecting…”With the tight fit of the heavy brace a lot of girls have issues with bladder control and without knowing it they wet themselves. It will be a lot easier for you and her if you just have her wear some protection. So we gave you a contact at the medical supply company. They stock every size. made” Shelby’s mom knew that this would just devastate her, but also knew it was the best thing for her daughters future. The final thing on the page was a name and phone number for a beauty spa that Shelby’s mom recognized…”What is this number here for?” The nurse went on to tell her…”It’s just a suggestion that you take Shelby to an Aesthetician. you will find that it’s easier for everyone to keep her clean, and there will be less odor if you don’t have to fight with a bunch of hair down there.” Shelby’s mother understood the reason, but actually felt a little sorry for Shelby…”She’s barely known what it’s like to have hair down there and now it will be gone forever.”
Two days later Shelby came down to breakfast, excited as she had her orthodontist appointment today to get her next insert. There on the table next to her plate were 2 capsules…”Mom, what are these for.” Her mother had expected the question, and was ready with a logical answer…”Those are supplements that the Doctor wants you to start taking.” Shelby didn’t give her another thought as she swallowed them with her juice. Shortly after finishing her food, her mother told her to get ready to head out for the day…”My appointment isn’t for another 4 hours mom. Her mother was planning on taking advantage of her daughters soon to be state to complete the list in one day…”We have several stops to make before your appointment., so get moving”
Sitting in the car, Shelby was starting to feel the sedatives starting to hit her, although she just assumed she was just tired from being up so early. Unable to shake the cobwebs out of her head, she asked her mom if she could sit in the car at their first stop. Knowing her size she told Shelby to stay in the car, her mom walked into the medical supply business only to return about 10 minutes later with 2 big packages of adolescent sized diapers. Shelby saw them in her arms as she came near the car, but assumed that her mother must be picking them up for someone else, as she was always doing charity work. As her mom got in the car Shelby asked…”Did you get what you needed?” Her mom, once again getting upset about Shelby lying to her…”They should hold us for a couple weeks.” Shelby just sat, unable to figure out what she could have meant.
They then pulled in to a shopping plaza, parking right in front of ‘Carol’s Beauty Parlor’. Shelby always went to the local chain as she only ever had her hair trimmed to keep it looking beautiful. She was kind of surprised that her mother came to such an out of date place because she always looked great as well. As they walked in, Carol, the owner, looked up from putting the finishing touches on her client. Still feeling out of sorts, Shelby was quick to find a seat. Her mother and Carol made eye contact and the stylist said to her…”I’ll be able to take her in a few minutes.” Shelby was just paying enough attention that she heard what the stylist said. Looking quickly to her mother…”Mom, does she mean me?” Her mother just sat silently and waited.
Five minutes later Carol was walking back to her station, after taking her clients payment and scheduling her next appointment…”Okay young lady, I’m ready for you now.” Shelby sat looking forward. There was just no way that she was having her hair cut in this place. Her mother stood and rook Shelby by the arm, escorting her towards the chair…”She’s a little out of sorts today.” Now seated, but not yet understanding why she was there, a cape was put over Shelby’s shoulders. As she stared at the odd reflection of herself Carol turned back to her mother…”Do you want me to take it all off, or should I leave a little bit?” Shelby, although very drugged up, had a look of terror on her face. She looked at her moms reflection in the mirror, hoping her mother wouldn’t let this happen to her…”Mom, please. Not my hair.”
Shelby’s mom, for the first time in several days, felt bad for her daughter…”I’d like her to still look feminine.” Carol, combing out Shelby’s hair after just wetting it down thought for a few seconds…”Well, I could give her a buzzed pixiecut, or I could give her a nice tight perm.” Shelby’s mom asked if that was all she could do. Carol, thought again…”The most feminine cut I could do would be a bowlcut.” Shelby’s eyes opened wide at what she heard….”Please not a bowlcut. I’ll look like a total dork.” But when her mom heard bowlcut, she knew that was it. She had one for years when she was a teen and two things she remembered most was how easy it was to take care of and that all of the boys went for the girls with the long pretty hair….”She’ll look good with a bowlcut.” Shelby closed her eyes hoping when she opened them she would be somewhere else.
Carol used several spring clamps to hold up the hair on the top and a small amount on the sides of Shelby’s head. Shelby looked intently at her reflection in the mirror, knowing that in just minutes all of her long hair would be gone. As Carol turned on the clippers, Shelby bit her lip. Starting at her left side Carol ran the clippers up the side of her head. As Shelby watched in horror as the first clump slide down the cape, a second one instantly followed. As Carol worked towards the back the hair started falling on the floor, slowly piling up at her feet. Making her way to the other side the hair again started to slide down the front of the cape. Shelby started to tear up as Carol made the last pass up the side of her head.
Slowly turning her head to see what she looked like, the tears really started to flow, there was only stubble where there used to be beautiful hair. Carol now stood with a different clipper in her hand, this one much smaller and letting out a high pitched whine. As she ran these up the side of her head only a slight shade of color was still on the side of her head. As Carol finished with the newer clippers Shelby again looked at the damage, and was horrified at the shadow of hair that was left. Just when she thought it couldn’t get worse, she saw Carol starting to squeeze some cream out of a tube. She then proceeded to smear the back and sides of Shelby’s head. Speaking to Shelby’s mother…”I’ll give you this brand new tube. Just apply it like I did when Shelby takes her weekly shower and it will keep this area smooth and hair free.”
Once she was done coating Shelby’s head she handed the tube to her mother…”They also make a permanent remover if you wanted to keep it this way.” Shelby’s eyes looked nervously towards her mom as she answered…”This will be fine for now.” Ten minutes later and Carol was rubbing the sides of Shelby’s head with a damp towel. Shelby, eager to see what had been done to her, kept turning her head trying to get s glimpse of the damage done. She couldn’t believe what she saw as a pale, white scalp came into view. It looked alien to her as if there wasn’t long hair there just 15 minutes ago. Carol, now wiping her head with a dry towel, was pleased with the results…”Nothing works as good as that stuff. She won’t have to worry about bad hair days for years to come.”
Shelby felt like she was getting sick to her stomach, but surprising to her, she just sat there quietly as Carol now combed what was left of her hair straight down her head. Now Carol, scissors in hand, moved to the front of Shelby’s head. A couple final strokes with the comb and she inserted her scissors high on Shelby’s forehead. Before Shelby could even realize what was going to happen Carol started to cut. As she made her way across, the view became clear to Shelby. The line was half way up he forehead, a full inch and a half above her brow line. Tears again began to flow as more and more of her forehead came in to view. Carol set her scissors down and grabbed the towel off the counter. She wiped Shelby’s forehead and the tears off her cheeks…”I’ll take her bangs a little higher once I’ve finished the sides,” Shelby couldn’t believe not only how short her bangs were, but that they would soon be even shorter.
Combing thru the back and sides again, Carol picked her scissors up again and moved to Shelby’s right side. Shelby sat in horror as she waited for Carol to make the first cut. She could see her moms reflection in the mirror and she actually looked happy with what she was seeing. Just a second later the scissors were held in a horizontal position. Her view blocked by Carols hand she waited, and then she saw her hair sliding down the cape again. Several more cuts were made before Shelby saw just how much she had cut off and she sat in disbelief as a line was being formed high up on her head. There was a full inch of bare scalp between the bottom of her hairline and the top of her ears. Shelby just sat as the scissors made there way around her head. Reaching up to touch the last of her long hair, almost as a last goodbye, it was that moment she realized it would all be gone for years to come. Carol just eased Shelby’s hand back down…”I know it’s a big day for you, but you’ll learn to love your new look.” Shelby’s eyes closed as she saw the last strands of long hair hitting the cape.
Carol then went back over Shelby’s head again. Another 1/4″ of her bangs was taken off and Carol worked on the bottom of her hair, making sure everything was perfect. Shelby sat, hoping it was over but Carol had grabbed a blow dryer and a small round brush. As the air was hitting Shelby’s head, she watched as Carol rolled the bottom of her hair with the brush explaining to Shelby and her mom…”This will give her more finished look, but this is the most wash and go cut you can have.” Shelby couldn’t believe what she was looking at. With the bottom dried like this the sides were even shorter than before and even sat a little away from her head. Her mother got up from her seat…”Carol, I can’t thank you enough. I think this cut will be the start of a whole new chapter in my daughters life.” Shelby, looking at her new reflection in the mirror…”Mom, I look like I’m a little girl again. I hate this haircut.” Her mother wasn’t going to let up on her daughter anymore…”You can keep this cut and learn to like it, or next time I’ll have Carol give you a nice, tight perm.” Shelby knew not to argue with her mom because she knew her mom wouldn’t hesitate to do exactly what she said.
They all walked towards the front counter. Shelby, still unsure over what had just happened, stood there as her mother paid for Carol’s services. Then her mom said something Shelby didn’t want to hear…”How often should I bring her back in?” Carol, knowing that a cut like this needs regular maintenance to look its best replied…”I can put her in as a standing 4 week appointment. How does Thursday’s after school sound to you?” Shelby’s mom didn’t hesitate…That would be great. We will see you in 4 weeks.”
Shelby sat in silence as the car pulled away from the shop. She looked up at the sign, not believing that she was now one of Carol’s ‘regulars’. How was she going to explain this to all her friends? They all went to the same places to get their hair and nails done and it certainly wasn’t Carol’s Beauty Parlor. As they made their way towards the Orthodontist’s office, Shelby started to get in a slightly better mood. She couldn’t wait to get her new insert, hoping that the doctor told her that she already saw improvement.
Shelby sat in the waiting room, still feeling the full effects of the sedatives, but excited for her turn. When the nurse appeared at the door…”Shelby, we’re ready for you now”, her mom held onto her hand as she got up. Shelby didn’t think anything was strange about it, but her mom knew that her daughter was in for another rude awakening.
The nurse led Shelby past the small room where she had gotten her first insert and in to one of the regular treatment rooms. Shelby assumed that the doctor was just going to do an x-ray or a quick check on her progress, so there was no reason to worry. As she laid back and put her feet onto the seat, the nurse put the standard paper bib under her chin, then moved the attached worktable closer to her face. The nurse then stepped out of Shelby’s view, but she could hear her just behind the chair. Then the nurse brought some tubing into her view and fastened something against her nose. Shelby, unable to first put together what the nurse was doing, then figured out it was the gas they used to put the patients into a more relaxed state, but before she could question why she was having it done, she was already breathing it deeply into her lungs.
The nurse came back around to the side of her…”Just breath that in deep and the doctor can get started.” Shelby sat, taking in the gas as she was told. The nurse then started to make sure everything was ready to go for the doctor. She first took the sterile cloth off the table, and as Shelby saw that there was a lot more than the standard instruments on the table she started to wonder what was going to happen to her. The nurse turned towards the counter against the wall and Shelby got a better look at what she had uncovered on the table. Trays of shiny metal bands and several wires sat on the tray. This meant nothing to her at first, but then she saw what the nurse was unboxing and it she knew right away what it was. It was a headgear, much bigger than the one she had been wearing. This one had two bright pink straps on it that made it look even bigger. Shelby tried to protest but the combination of the sedatives and the gas she had been given had now left her in a state where she was sitting there with drool starting to escape from the corners of her mouth.
The nurse turned back to Shelby, and with a slight chuckle at the line of drool hanging down from her chin, she used the bib to wipe her clean…”Looks like you’re about ready to go. There’s not much fight left in you.” As she walked out of the room she told Shelby…”I’ll let the doctor know you’re all ready to get your new braces put on.” Shelby couldn’t put a complete thought together in her head. ‘What did she mean new braces?’, but then her mind moved on to thinking about something else.
The doctor came in the room and sat on the stool…”Too bad the inserts just won’t work with your new headgear, but this will be the best long term for you.” The doctor then began placing the metal bands on each of her teeth. Shelby sat, just aware of what was happening as the doctor continued her assault on her mouth, but was to out of it to react or put up any kind of fight about it. After a couple of hours of work the nurse took off the hose that had been pumping gas into her. Shelby sat and took in some fresh air while the doctor was at the counter making some adjustments to the headgear.
As she turned towards her, Shelby got her first up close look at the device that was going to be used. There were many more heavy wires than had been on her first one, but the worst part was the bright pink straps that were attached to it The doctor had the nurse hold it in position while she worked on securing it to Shelby’s new braces. As she pulled away the nurse fastened the straps to the back of Shelby’s head…”That’s not going anywhere.” As she laid there, now able to see some of the wires on her face, her mother was brought into the room. As she came into Shelby’s view she smiled at her new appearance. The doctor started to talk with her…”Shelby did so great. She will be quite sore for the rest of the day, but that is normal for the amount of work we had to do. I’ll give you instructions on how you remove and attach the headgear, but I would keep it on at all times except when she takes a shower. ” Shelby couldn’t believe what the doctor said and she had no intention of keeping this thing on all the time.
Shelby slowly started to get up from the chair, still somewhat shaky from the gas. The doctor started tell her mother that they were going to need to make some very big adjustments every two weeks to get her back on track. As her mother looked towards Shelby, she saw a line of drool from the corner of her mouth down to her shirt. The doctor, noticing this, handed her mother a paper towel…”That’s one of the worst parts about the heavier braces and headgear. Hopefully she will get used to the extra hardware in her mouth in a month or two.” Shelby couldn’t believe what has happened to her. In just one day she has gone from one of the cutest girls in school to a drooling mess.
Shelby avoided looking at herself the whole way out of the medical building. As she sat down in the car she folded down the visor and got her first look at her new look…”Oh God I look hideous.” Her mom felt somewhat sorry for her, but didn’t miss an opportunity to remind her…”You do know this could have all been avoided.” Shelby continued to stare at herself, not even noticing the trickle of drool escaping her mouth again. Her mother handed her a tissue…”You’re going to need to keep a tissue in your pocket from now on.”
By the time they got home Shelby was starting to feel quire a bit sore, so her mother gave her some pain reliever and told her to go lay down. Getting comfortable proved to be nearly impossible for Shelby, but she eventually fell asleep. A couple hours later her mother called her for dinner. A she sat up she felt something weird on her shirt. When she walked into the bathroom she saw in the mirror that she must have drooled the entire time she was asleep because her shirt was soaked. She sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering how she was going to make it thru this.
The next morning Shelby’s mom came into her room before 8:00…”Come on young lady. It’s a big day today.” When Shelby sat up in her bed her mother saw that there was a large wet spot on the pillow. Not trying to embarrass her daughter she waited until Shelby had started her shower before changing the sheets on her bed. Once she heard that Shelby was finished she poked her head back in her door…”You need to wear some really loose clothes for your appointment.” Shelby looked in her closet at all of her favorite outfits…”Ugh. I can’t believe I won’t be able to wear any of this stuff anymore.” She worked her way thru all of her best stuff and was now going thru some of the clothes she really didn’t like.She hadn’t heard her mom come in her room behind her…”That shirt your grandmother bought you for Christmas will look good.” Shelby rolled her eyes as her mom lifted the hanger of the rod…”Put this on so we can get going.”
A feeling of dread fell over Shelby as she walked towards the medical building. She knew it would be the last walk she would be taking without a brace on for at least the next 3 years, possibly much more. As her mother checked her in, Shelby sat in the waiting area, her eyes already red and watery, as she waited to be called. Her mother sat down next to her, handing her a tissue…”Here, you need this.” Shelby wiped her eyes and thanked her mother for the tissue. Then, to her dismay, her mother pointed to her chin…”I meant for your chin.” This made Shelby’s eyes start to water all over again.
The nurse appeared in the door…”Okay Shelby, we’re ready for you.” Shelby slowly got up and headed towards the nurse, followed by her mother. Once they got to the room the nurse was all business…”Okay young lady time to take everything off.” Shelby looked at her mother before starting to take off her clothes. Stopping at her panties she sat back down on the chair, but the nurse quickly told her she wasn’t done, handing her a gown…”Panties too, then put the gown on, open in back.” She reluctantly finished getting undressed and then put her arms thru the sleeves of the gown.
The doctor entered the room with the new braces in her hands. Shelby’s eyes widened as she saw how much bigger it was than the original one…”Mom, that’s so big.” The doctor started to take the brace apart into it’s parts, placing the back section on the exam table…”Okay Shelby, you can sit on the end of the bed.” The doctor then started to pull a tight fitting shirt over Shelby’s head…”This will keep the brace from rubbing too had against your skin.” Now looking at her mother…”Were you able to get her new undergarments?” Shelby didn’t know what they were talking about, but before she could question it, the doctor started to lay her back onto the brace.
As she moved Shelby into position, the doctor looked over at her mom, now holding the diaper in her hand. The doctor told her to go ahead and put them on her daughter. As she lifted Shelby’s butt off the table and pulled the diaper tight around her waist, her daughter was trying to see what was happening…”Mom, what is that?” As she fastened the tapes to hold it in place, she looked towards her daughter…”We don’t want you to have any problems.” Her answer just confused her even more and she tried to see what her mother had done to her, but the doctor had begun to place the front half of the brace, blocking her view.
As the doctor began to fasten the pieces of the brace together Shelby felt it squeeze tightly against her…”It’s too tight. I can’t breathe.” The doctor had heard this every time she had to use the more restrictive brace and just continued her work…As Shelby continued to lay there she became completely embarrassed when the nurse wiped the drool flowing from her mouth…”Poor little thing can’t help herself.” Shelby closed her eyes as she felt them starting to water.
The doctor worked up towards Shelby’s neck, finishing her initial fitting by bringing a padded bar up and under her chin, making impossible for Shelby to look down at all. Shelby was then stood up with the help of the doctor, and she instantly felt the heavy weight of all the hardware on her body…”I can’t wear this it’s too heavy.” As the doctor made some small adjustments to the brace, Shelby caught her first glimpse of her new look…”Oh my god, this is horrible.”
She was turned around for the doctor to get a final look at the adjustment…”Well Shelby, there’s no way for you to take this off without help, so I’m looking for a big improvement when you come in next month.” Shelby looked at her mom standing by the exam table with her sweat pants in her hands…Mom, I’m sure I can dress myself.”
Shelby tried several times to lift her foot up to get in the leg of her pants, but she couldn’t even get them close. Her mother took them from her hands and held them low enough for her to step in to. She followed with the shirt next telling Shelby to lift her hands up like she was a little girl again. once her shoes and socks were put on, Shelby was helped up again. As she turned to leave she caught another look of her new silhouette. What stood out most was the way her pants looked bigger around her waist…”Mom, why are my pants laying so funny?” Her mother started out the door…”We’ll discuss that once we leave.”
Shelby went to get in to the front of the mini van, but her mother stopped her…”I want you to ride in the back from now on.” Shelby was getting upset at being treated like a child again…”Mom, I can still get in the front seat.” Her mom had spoken and stood by the side door to help her in…”It will be safer for you to ride back here.” Shelby needed some help to pull herself onto the seat, then her mother reached for the seat belt again Shelby wanted to help herself, but struggled to pull the belt across herself. Her mother knew that having to help her made Shelby feel like a child again, but she was not going to let up in trying to teach her a lesson about what she had done.
On the ride home Shelby thought about having to go back to school, and how her team mates would welcome her support as they finished the season. When they reached their home Shelby was helped out of the mini van and walked towards the house. As she walked she heard an odd sounding noise coming from her waist…”Mom, you never told me why my pants fit so funny and why they are making noise when I walk.” Once inside Shelby saw the open package of diapers on the table. Her hand went to her waist first, then to her mouth…”Mom, please don’t tell me that I’m wearing one of those.” The truth was out and her mother wasn’t going to lie about it…”They said you might have some bladder control problems, so you will have to wear them until we see if you do.”
Shelby could hardly catch her breath…”What more can happen to me? First you have them cut all my hair off, then I get all this metal put in my mouth and on my face so I drool like a baby. I get strapped into this plastic cocoon and then you tell me I have to wear a diaper.” Her mom tells her to calm down…”It’s better than wetting your pants when you’re at school.” Shelby’s thoughts go to the ridicule she will face if anyone finds out…”I can’t go back to school. I want to be home schooled.” Her mother shakes her head…”There’s nobody at home during the day to work with you, so you are absolutely going back to school this Monday.”
Her first night home found Shelby unable to get comfortable in bed. After several hours of rolling around she finally passed out. Waking up Saturday morning she got up and out of habit she headed for the bathroom. Once inside she tried to pull her diaper off to do her morning routine, but as hard as she tried she couldn’t do it herself…”Mom, an you come up here please?” Her mother appeared in the doorway…Already knowing the answer…”What do you need?” Shelby couldn’t believe her mom was going to make her ask…”Can you help with this thing so I can use the toilet please?” Her mother pointed to the colored stripe that shows up when wetness is detected…”It looks like I’m too late, so lets get you out of your brace and in to the bath.”
Shelby, still horrified about wetting her pants like a baby was more than happy that she would at least get a little time out of the brace while she showered. Just as she entered her room, she heard the sound of her mother turning on the water in the bathroom. While her mother began to unfasten the straps holding her brace on she told Shelby…”A good soak in the tub will be good for you.” Shelby hadn’t taken a bath in years and certainly had no plans on starting again…”Mom, I’d rather just shower please.” Her mother quickly shut that down…”Sitting in the bubbles will make sure you’re good and clean, plus I don’t want you to put extra stress on your back, so you can just sit there while I get you all cleaned up.”
Shelby lowered herself into the tub full of bubbles. She wasn’t happy that her mother was standing right beside the tub with plans to wash her like she was a little baby. As she waited for her mother to begin she was taken by surprise as her mom poured a cup of water over her head…”Lets get this hair washed while we let those bubbles work for a minute.” She poured the shampoo in her hand before rubbing it onto her head. Shelby loved the smell of the herbal shampoo she always used, but this smell, although somewhat familiar, was different. “Mom what are you using on my hair?” Her mother poured another cup of water over her head…”Seeing as you be taking baths from now on I wanted something that was good and gentle so I picked up a big bottle of baby shampoo.” Shelby knew that everyone would be able to smell its familiar scent on her hair.
Waiting for her mother to start washing her skin she was surprised as her mother instead began putting something cold on the back and sides of her head. Shelby knew what it was, but hadn’t expected her to use it so soon…”Mom, there’s no hair so why do you have to do that?” Wiping off her hands, her mother checked the time…”Carol said we should use it whenever you take your bath so you don’t get any regrowth.” 5 minutes later her head was wiped clean guaranteeing a smooth head for another week. Shelby felt like a little child again as her mother washed her body. Even as they finished, her mom held the towel for her to wrap herself in before eventually drying her off. Shelby could believe when her mother even started combing thru her hair. Again, almost speaking to her like a child as the bowl cut quickly returned to its position…”Don’t want you to have any tangles.”
Shelby sat nervously as the minivan pulled up to the school. Her mother getting out to help her out only added to her embarrassment she already felt. As she walked towards the door she could already see the other kids stare at her, some of them laughing among themselves. Taking longer to navigate the halls then she was used to, she headed for her first class, again hearing the whispers among her classmates. The rest of the morning dragged on for her, several times feeling herself start to tear up as she realized just how mean kids could be. She even noticed that none of her team mates would even come up and talk with her, still blaming her for their 4 match losing streak since she was off the team. Fourth period, just 15 minutes before lunch, the nurse appears at the door of her class…”Shelby, come with me so I can help you go to the bathroom.” Laughter erupts as Shelby tries to gather her material and get out of the room.
Shelby assumed the nurse would just help her with her pants, but once inside the nurses office its was not what she expected. Speaking to her like a small child…”Okay honey, let me lay you down so I can get that messy diaper changed.” Shelby was even more embarrassed when the nurse commented about how wet she was…”Don’t worry, you’ll feel better with a dry diaper on.” When the nurse said that Shelby heard one of the aides laughing in the other room. Shelby wanted to be out of there, but now laying there fully exposed, there was nothing she could do.
As she continued to change her the nurse just added to her embarrassment…”You’re already getting really stinky down there. Your mother should taken you to have something about this hair so it doesn’t get all stinky so fast.” Between the nurses comment and the giggles coming from outside the exam room, Shelby wanted to climb into a hole and hide. The nurse then began to run something on Shelby with her gloved fingers…”It looks like you’re starting to get diaper rash, so this will keep you comfortable.” Finished, the nurse told Shelby to head to the cafeteria for lunch, but just before she was out the door she made Shelby feel even smaller…”Make sure your mom uses that cream on your diaper rash.”
News travels fast in high school, and if her new appearance wasn’t tough enough for Shelby it seemed as if everyone in the school knew about the undergarments she was forced to wear. Shelby’s walk of shame seemed to be never ending as her team mates suddenly had no place for her to sit. Moving to the table of her best friends from last year, she found that she wasn’t welcomed there either. They still hadn’t forgiven her from totally ignoring them once she made the team. As she looked for a welcoming spot, one of her best friends from elementary school passed by…”Come on Shelby, nobody sits with me.”
His name was James, or Jimmy as she always called him when they were younger. Jimmy was Shelby’s first boyfriend when they were just 12 years old. Nothing more than holding hands while he would walk her home from school everyday ever happened between the two of them, but Shelby always remembered being happy when she thought of Jimmy. Puberty had different effects on the two of them, with Shelby blossoming into a beautiful young lady while James got a little overweight, and dealt with his face hit hard with acne. This and just meeting a whole new group of friends in their new school saw the two of them just go their own direction.
Shelby sat quietly at the table with him as she struggled to eat with the hardware coming out of her mouth. James never said a word to her about the headgear, or her brace, instead he helped her with her food and when they were done helped her to get up from her seat. Without asking he carried Shelby’s books for her until they got to her class. He smiled at her as he started to walk away…”I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow Shelby.”
When the day ended, Shelby walked towards the family minivan. As she got inside she saw James waving to her as he passed by. As bad as her day had been, she got a big smile on her face as he walked by. Her mom, not missing anything…”Did you make a new friend today?” Shelby, still smiling…”Mom, that’s Jimmy who used to walk me home from school.” “Oh Jimmy, I always liked him.”
When they pulled out of the driveway, Shelby’s mom went the opposite way they would have normally gone to get home…”Mom, where are we going?” Her mom had spoken with the nurse that afternoon. She had originally decided to not have Shelby have all her hair removed, but after speaking with the nurse she knew it needed to be done….”I’m taking you to get you all cleaned up down there so it’s more comfortable for you.” Shelby knew right away what she meant and tried to change her mother’s mind…”Mom, I’m going to look like a little girl again.” Her mom didn’t stop until they were at the place that had been recommended by the doctor, then helped Shelby out of the van.
Over the next few months school was still a burden, but there for her everyday was James. Shelby got to the point where she could tell him everything, and being there for her also helped James turn himself around as well. No longer did Shelby hear anybody making fun of her as James wouldn’t let them get away with it. The pair of them began to do things together outside of school as well, usually a movie and some fast food, and eventually seeing the two of them together was a normal sight.
James made it a point to tell Shelby how pretty she was when she had her bowlcut trimmed every month. It was the same haircut she had when her used to walk her home years ago and her always joked with her that she cut it like that for him…”You always look so beautiful with your hair like that.” Their relationship remained strong for the rest of their time in school. Shelby had hoped to be finished having to wear the brace by graduation, but it wasn’t to be. The best thing was that the doctor and her parents allowed her to go without her brace the day of commencement. Her bowlcut freshly trimmed high above her ears and her neck still kept hairless looked beautiful to her as she looked in the mirror. A brand new dress and no signs of her brace or headgear made Shelby feel on top of the world.
When she told James that she was going to have to wear the brace for her first year of college, James knew exactly how to make her feel better…”I guess your lucky we’re going to the same school again.” Although things had become easier for Shelby after wearing the brace for years, some things had stayed the same. This was the biggest worry for her when it came to leaving for college, but again James was there for her…”You know I’ll be there no matter what it takes.”
Wearing the brace meant that Shelby didn’t have to stay in the dorm her first year of college, and her parents got her an apartment. The only issue was that it was far away from where James would have to stay as a freshman. The only exception was for married couples, and like he had promised Shelby, James was there for her. Shelby was in tears as James pulled his grandmothers ring out of his pocket. He only ever asked one thing from her. James asked that she keep her hair like it was as long as they were together. She didn’t have to think twice when she hit the “Purchase Now” button to order the permanent hair removal cream. She knew that she never wanted to let James down again by being tempted to grow her hair out. She was happy that the bowlcut would be her only hairstyle for the rest of their lives together.
