Emily
Chris was standing in front of a mirror and brushing his long shiny hair. It reached half of his back and was the part of his image for many years. He loved to feel it cascading down and never thought of cutting it. His friends hinted from time to time that maybe he should, but deep inside they knew that nothing was going to change his mind.
Now, he was looking at his reflection and running his fingers through his locks as usual. Something, however, made him feel different that day. He was the only guy in his bunch of friends with long hair, and… the only one who was single. Could his look be the reason for that?, he wondered sometimes. What if he cut it? No, he immediately dropped the idea. When he meets the right girl, she won’t mind it.
Another few weeks passed and he stopped thinking about it, but then, at a party, when he looked around, he saw all of his buddies with trendy short haircuts. This sight created a sense of unease again. A mischievous imp in his head was trying to sucker him into doing something silly. No, he rejected this ridiculous thought. He wouldn’t be himself if he did it. He touched his hair to convince himself he really wouldn’t bear losing it.
Seeing his confused expression and hands unconsciously wandering around his hair, Mike, his best friend, started laughing. “Man, you should find a girlfriend. You wouldn’t have to feel yourself up”, he said in a mocking voice. Chris felt stupid and was about to leave. “Come on”, Mike wanted to stop him. “Don’t sulk on me, but if you wanna know my opinion, I’d have cut it long ago”. “Shove such advice up your ass!”, Chris shouted and left.
But saying that didn’t make him feel any better. “I like my hair. What’s wrong with that?”, he was asking his own reflection. Although he had known Mike since they were kids and trusted him in many matters, he couldn’t stand his snarky comments this time.
Mike called him the next day. “Man, I’m sorry about what I said. But I really think you should change your style. You know, a new look and new chances”, he was trying to persusde Chris to consider this option. “Thanks for your advice but my hair is not your business”, Chris didn’t feel like talking about it again. “Ok, I just wanted to help you, but I won’t say a word about it if you’re so stubborn”, Mike gave up.
Chris looked at the mirror, as if he wanted to make sure his long hair was still in its place. “I’m not gonna cut it”, he said to his reflection looking back at him, “only because someone thinks I should”.
Days passed and Mike stopped, as Chris wished, to talk about his hair, although he still thought that a new short style could help him feel more confident. Maybe some girls would get interested in him at last. Chris was determined not to change anything but those niggling thoughts came back like a boomerang. What if he went for it, he wondered. Yet, giving everyone satisfaction and listening to – Didn’t I tell you?, was something he wanted to avoid. Anyway, he started to imagine himself with short hair from time to time. This vision seemed strange but as long as it wasn’t for real, didn’t hurt.
He felt uncomfortable at the thought that he could succumb to their persuation. Even if he looked much better with short hair, he wanted to stay himself. It started to be irritating to listen to all those pieces of advice.
“Hey Chris, when are you gonna to chop off your locks?” “Don’t you think it’s time for a haircut?” “Come on man, try something new. You’ll look more edgy”. Chris heard it so many times. Maybe they were right. Mike just wanted him to find his soulmate. He believed his love failures were caused by his long hair. Not modern enough to be taken seriously. Even if he stood out, it wasn’t positive in Mike’s eyes. But the more everyone pressed on him, the more Chris objected.
Either way, he started fantasising about having short hair. He didn’t understand his own feelings. Why did he want to have long hair and imagined himself with short hair at the same time? It didn’t make any sense.
On Saturday night Chris went to a club. He really needed some chillout. He was sitting alone with a mug of beer and looking around to find a nice girl to dance with. And he saw her. A beautiful one with long dark hair and a sweet smile. He didn’t see the colour of her eyes but later he found out they were green. She looked so lovely at the dancefloor. Christ felt it was a chance for him. He stood up and moved forward. “Hey, would you like to dance?”, he asked with a confident smile. A moment later he was holding her in his arms. Her name was Olivia and Chris was already smitten. While they were dancing, he felt her fingers running through his hair. He wasn’t sure what it could mean.
“Do you want something to drink?”, he asked her after a few songs. He was determined not to let her go. “Yes, sure”, she agreed with a smile. The conversation was really nice but then Olivia touched Chris’s hair again, scanning it carefully. “Don’t you like it?”, he asked, feeling anxious. He started to believe that his long hair was a curse. Seeing his confused expression, she started laughing. “I’m sorry. I’m a hairdresser and it’s my work-related bias to pay attention to prople’s hair”, she explained. Chris wasn’t sure what to say, but knew she’d be another one to tell him: “It’s time for a haircut, Chris”. He hoped it was just a bad dream.
He put on a silly grin, really confused. But she was too nice and pretty to forget her. He asked her for her number, deluding himself she won’t keep telling him the same thing as everyone else.
That night, in his dreams he saw Olivia chasing him with a pair of huge scissors. He woke up frightened. “Oh Jesus”, he sighed, “I’m going crazy”. And then another weird fantasy came to his mind. He saw himself in Olivia’s salon, sitting on a chair and letting her cut his hair off. It wasn’t something he wanted to experiernce in reality but imagining her gentle hands chopping his locks was kind of pleasant. He was trying to banish this thought.
In the afternoon he met Olivia. Now he was sure she was the sweetest girl in the world. But in the back of his mind, this recurring thought was still nestling. It was like an annoying fly, buzzing over his head. He plucked up the courage and asked her in a trembling voice, “Would you like to cut my hair?” She seemed to be amused with this question. “Why do you think so?”, she asked with a smile. “Everyone say I should”, Chris replied, waiting for her opinion. “No, I really like your hair”, she surprised him completely with her answer. “It’s thick and shiny, and you look fine”. Chris was taken aback. She told Olivia how his friends made fun of him because of his hair. “Well”, Olivia started, “short haircut would look great on you, but if you don’t feel like it, there’s no need to do it”. “This girl is an angel”, Chris thought. “She really understands how I feel”.
That night, standing in front of the mirror, he felt so happy. He found a wonderful girl who didn’t want to cut his hair. He ran his fingers through it with a smile. He imagined Mike’s face when he’d tell him the news.
Anyway, a few days later he was sitting on a chair in Olivia’s salon. She was just trimmimg his locks, cause even if they both agreed they should stay long, some refreshing was a good thing.
And then, Chris’s weird fantasy attacked him again. He saw Olivia grabbing his locks, chopping them passionately and throwing them on the floor. He felt uneasy. “Why I am thinking about it?”, he was wondering. “I’ve finished”, Olivia roused him from his meditation. He saw his long hair trimmed nicely and falling around his back and chest as usual.
When Mike and the rest of his bunch met Olivia, they were all charmed. Mike had to admit she was really nice. “You’re lucky, man”, he told Chris. After he found out, she didn’t want to cut Chris’s hair, he decided not to mention it again. She was a proffesional so her opinion should’ve been more important than his.
Chris was so in love. He really needed someone like Olivia. But his fantasies about getting a haircut became his obssession. Each night, before going to sleep, he evoked the image of himself with his hair cut short. Even if he liked it long, his imagination played tricks on him. And after a few weeks he realised it wasn’t only a fantasy. He secretly longed to get a haircut in reality. This realisation made him thrilled and scared at the same time. He objected when Mike and the others suggested it cause he didn’t want to admit they were right. He was unable to hand it to them now. They would tease him even more.
“You should’ve done it long ago”, “We knew it was a good idea”, in his mind he heard them mocking. It was easier to stay unbending. He almost regretted that Olivia wasn’t firmer and didn’t push on him. He could just ask her to cut his hair but was unable to confess it. He thought he would like her to tie him to a chair and chop his hair off without asking him which wasn’t possiblehe. He needed to find a different way to get a haircut without admitting thay he desired it. “But how”, he wondered.
Thankfully, the chance took place sooner that he could imagine. After another few weeks of suffering, he invited Olivia to a restaurant. Their relationship bloomed and except for his hair related worries, he was perfectly happy. The date was nice, only some bored kids were running around, not being looked after by their parents. Suddenly, Chris felt like one of them put his hands on his hair. “What are you doing”, he asked angrily, but when the kid ran away with a mischievous smile, Chris touched his hair and felt something sticky.
“Oh no!”, Olivia exclaimed. “It’s chewing gum!”. Chris was angry and stood up, ready to confront the kid’s parents, but then he realised that probably his hair would have to be cut. Only a few months ago he’d be devastated at the prospect of losing it, but now… He was almost grateful that some kids couldn’t behave properly. If he wasn’t there with Olivia, he’d give the boy a hug. Of course, he had to pretend he was angry and sad it had happened.
They left the restaurant and Chris was praying that Olivia wasn’t able to find a way to remove the chewing gum. “Oh please”, he thought, “let it be chopped off immediately”.
Olivia was really concerned and wanted to save Chris’s hair but the whole packet of chewing gum landed on his head and most of his hair was ruined. “I’m so sorry Chris but your hair must be cut off”, Olivia said with tears in her eyes. “It’s impossible to do anything with it”. Chris felt a big relief, as it was what he wanted to hear. He was still pretending to be angry and devastated, but deep inside he felt happiness.
They went to Olivia’s salon. When Chris sat on the chair again and looked in the mirror, realised that it was really happening. It was the last moment with long hair. He was a little nervous but his excitement took over him. He had to be careful not to start smiling so that Olivia wouldn’t guess anything. “Are you ready Chris?”, she asked. “I think so”, he answered, trying not to show his emotions. “If it can’t be helped, just cut it please”.
His fantasy became true. He saw Olivia grabbing the strand of his hair and chop it. He heard the sound of the scissors and then saw his hair falling to the floor. His heart was racing like crazy. He had been waiting for this moment for so long. Olivia was snipping through his locks with a sad face, but Chris was in extasy. He closed his eyes for a moment but quickly opened them again, as he didn’t want to miss a single moment. The sight of his very own hair scattered around was so thrilling. After a few minutes his hair was short.
Olivia took the clippers and started cutting the back of his head. Thinking he didn’t like it, she tried to comfort him. “You’ll look great, I promise”. But he didn’t mind it at all. The sound of the clippers was like the most beautiful music.
When Olivia finished, he couldn’t recognise the guy in the mirror. He looked so different, and… so good. Now he understood why everyone wanted him to cut his hair. He supposed that Olivia hadn’t pressed on him only because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, seeing his attachment to his hair.
Now, she was looking at him with a grin on her face. “Chris, you look faboulous. You’re the most attractive guy I’ve ever met. Short hair is your destiny”. Chris touched it and felt another wave of excitiment. It was so soft. He felt so light and…free. He flung his arms around Olivia’s neck and released his true emotions. “I think I should tell you something”, he started, touching his hair again. “I love it”.
He hesitated whether to tell her about his haircut fantasies too. He wasn’t sure what she’d think, but decided to be honest. “Olivia, there’s something more I want to tell you”, he said shakily. “Actually, I looked forward to this haircut”. Seeing her surprised look, he continued his explanations. “I believed I loved my long hair too much to lose it but in fact, I only deceived myself. I imagined this moment many times. I didn’t want to lie to you. I hope you’ll understand”, he felt a relief, getting it off his chest.
“I guessed it after I’d finished your haircut”, <span;>Olivia smiled and ruffled his hair.<span;> “You’re not a very good actor. I saw how happy you were. “If I knew that kid’s address, I’d buy him a whole carton of chewing gum”, Chris chuckled. “Mike will be astonished”, he added.
But it wasn’t important now. He was holding Olivia in his arms, grateful that he told her the truth. “I can’t wait for another haircut”, he whispered to her ear.
