andead99
It was just a game, nothing more than a game that ended unexpectedly, but for her the situation was anything but fun. Or at least she thought so.
Anna had never been particularly attached to things, but for the little she cared about, she really cared, and she had no difficulty fighting for them. She considered herself a simple girl but not for this reason dull in her tastes, and she proved it every day. The sportswear resembled the classic fashionable girl but aware of what she wants to have, and what she wanted was to be comfortable, but without losing that touch of femininity that distinguishes the young and fairer sex.
Let’s be clear, for special occasions she certainly wasn’t left behind in terms of fashion.
Her character, however, was a completely different matter. So much that it is impossible to explain how it was possible for her to decide to make such a decision.
The classic shyness typical of introverts was a strong point of hers, if we can say so. She never spoke at random, even when her mind or her heart were being put to the test.
Physically she presented herself as the most ordinary and happiest of girls: her always toothy smile never abandoned her, not even in her hardest moments. Her skin, very pale, also allowed her to stand out among all those fanatics who believe that a tan is a must, plus it gave her a nice contrast with what she had on her head. Her hair, which ended softly in the middle of her back, was a coppery red, and was always worn in a bun or tied in a braid or on the nape of her neck, precisely so that it would not bother her, especially when she practiced sports, especially volleyball.
It happened that one day, right before a difficult match (IMPOSSIBLE she and her teammates would say) it occurred to her to open her mouth inappropriately. She didn’t offend anyone, of course, but it was something that certainly touched her personally.
They were in her locker room. The team was already full, including reserves. The coach was already waiting for them on the court (you know, in lockers, male eyes were not welcome in some moments). The team was made up of girls, each one different from another, but all united, hungry for victory. However, at that moment, it would not have been said as the opponents were certainly not to be considered so equal. That day they clashed with the leading team. Not an easy task.
In addition to the clothes and a light murmur from the stands, only sighs of concentration could be heard in the locker room. The tension was already palpable.
Some cracked their knuckles, some chewed their upper lip, each was preparing to take the court.
‘Damn…did we have to play against them today? I thought this championship day was still far away…ugh…last match didn’t go well and today we have to lose again…’ was all Anna was thinking.
Now. How was it possible that such a reserved girl, so careful when speaking, said such a thing? Perhaps it was the tension of the moment, perhaps an act of lucid madness that she never, ever expected would actually happen in the future, and she made her decision accordingly. It may have been anything, but it didn’t matter. She said that.
In the team’s gathering moment (you know, right? When everyone’s hand’s in the center and shouts with a shout of encouragement) instead of shouting, she shouted a phrase.
“IF WE WIN, I SHAVE MY HEAD!!”
Maybe someone had heard it, maybe not. Maybe she had done it right at that moment because then no one would have heard it and she could have taken it back at any moment, without consequences, without commitment.
Who knows.
Then they took to the court.
…
‘Yes dammit!! We did it, dammit!’
The game was finally over. After losing the first set, the girls recovered strongly to win the next three, putting the end to the match.
The achievement had been done. Some even cried because of the now dissolved tension.
All in the shower, thinking how great they had been that day.
Anna was satisfied with how she had played. She slowly untied the braid and removed the hairpins from the nape of her neck, thus freeing her head from thoughts and tension. She was so tired that she decided to go home straight away and rest, finally. When she entered the house, she threw the bag in the hall and lay down on her stomach on her bed, and she didn’t wake up again until the next day.
The sun rose placidly, passing through the glimpses of the shutters, pinching the air and the eyelids of young Anna. She rubbed her eyes, wet her lips and went to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was a disaster, she had the face of someone who had slept really well. She then turned on the hot water in the shower, took off her clothes, remaining naked, and jumped into the shower. The drops of water incessantly crossed the path that took them from the shower to the drain, that is, Anna’s body. They started from her shiny hair, creeping strand by strand, from the top of her head to the nape of her neck, then falling over her shoulders and running down her back, behind her knees and between her toes.
Now completely wet, Anna began to reflect on the things that had happened the day before.
The last set, the winning point, the walk onto the court, the pre-match tension, the shout of encouragement… her words…
Anna opened her eyes. Her body froze and her breathing became shallow. The heartbeats accelerated.
‘It’s true… I said that if we won, I would shave my hair off,’ she thought.
She didn’t think about whether or not anyone had heard her say those words. She had heard it. And that was enough for her.
‘Dammit! I didn’t think we would actually win. And what do I do now?’
She stood there thinking for a long time what to do.
Meanwhile she came out of the shower.
Still naked, she looked at herself in the mirror. Why had she said such a thing? It wasn’t like her.
She took the bathrobe and sat on her stool. With her comb, she detangled her still damp hair. She hadn’t used either shampoo or conditioner, so she struggled a little but then she got the hang of it. She parted sideways, first to the left, then to the right, then to the center. She was sure she had removed every possible knot caused by match sweat. Then her mind returned to her words.
She looked at her thick hair for a long time. Then with her comb she took her hair in front of herself and pulled it all back, leaving her forehead exposed. She picked them up with her hands, made a very tight ponytail and hid them behind her head, leaving her ears uncovered.
She took a deep breath before getting up and getting dressed. She dried her hair very quickly and tied it in a bun, as she used to do.
She headed for the kitchen, she poured herself some milk and drank it in small sips.
She then took the keys and left the house, without locking the door. She wouldn’t be gone for long. She just had to go somewhere.
…
She decided to walk, since she didn’t live very far from the center. With her hands in the pockets of her sweatshirt, she looked around for a place that might suit her. Maybe it was better to change and not go to the usual place, she would have been too embarrassed.
Here you are. She had arrived.
The salon wasn’t that different from others you usually see around. The structure was simple but refined, very feminine. Once inside, she noticed about ten meters of corridor in front of her and on the walls of this corridor the workstations, with black leather chairs in front of medium-sized mirrors. Around and on the counters there were all the tools of the trade, necessary to manage the tastes of the customers: straighteners, combs, brushes, curlers and so on. However, there were no missing tools. There was everything that allowed you to cut hair.
Anna was welcomed by one of the hairdressers present. Some were taking care of customers, others were on break or washing towels.
“Hi! How can I help you!”
“Greetings. Do you have time to cut my hair?”
“Sure, just follow me.”
The lady took her to a shampoo basin to wash her hair.
She made herself relatively comfortable and waited for the water to cool. The hairdresser’s hands gently worked through her red locks, spreading shampoo all over them. She massaged the back of her neck and temples before rinsing it all away. She wrapped her head in one of the clean towels and carried it to her station. Always very kindly, the lady took the wet cloth away from her and took care of drying her locks. She took the hairdryer and brush and, taking her time, dried Anna’s hair. She also took care to straighten her hair between blow-drying and brushing. Once finished, she put it all down and stroked the girl’s head.
“So dear, what do we want to do?”
Anna’s cheeks reddened a little and her voice got caught in her throat, but then it came out.
“Actually, I wanted to cut them all off…”
“Really!? Are you sure? Look, there’s no going back after.”
“I know, but you see, let’s say I made a promise and therefore I have to do it.”
“Ah understood.”
The lady didn’t ask any further questions, as if she understood the seriousness of the girl’s intentions. She then took a comb and scissors and began cutting.
She combed her hair at the top, parting it in the middle. Then at her chin level, with quick and precise cuts, she went all the way around Anna’s head, giving her a nice bob.
‘I’m not that bad,’ thought Anna. But that cut didn’t last long.
The hairdresser immediately took an electric clipper from the station in front of the mirror and turned it on.
She started shaving the left side of her head. Anna saw that the sideburn slowly disappeared and so she followed it along the entire side, from the temple to behind the ear. With the comb, the hairdresser pushed all the hair on Anna’s top and put it to the side so as not to interfere with the clipper. There would be time for them later.
Anna was incredulous. To try to endure the moment she bit her upper lip. The skin revealed by the clippers was even paler than her complexion, which incredibly amazed the girl. Now the reddest thing she saw on her face were her lips and her cheeks.
It was strange to see so much scalp at once. She felt a strange pang in her stomach. She wasn’t in pain, but she was agitated, perhaps a certain sense of excitement mixed with the shame of the moment. As the tool continued its journey over her head, her gaze was turned towards her lap, partly out of embarrassment and partly to quantify what was happening above her gaze, right on her head, right between the locks passed under the vibrating blades.
She then moved behind her, on the nape, cleaning everything from that red mass which had already become shorter. It was the right side turn now, until only the top was left thick enough to comb. Immediately the lady took care of it too. From the forehead she proceeded to the top, leaving no trace of hair.
There was nothing left but stubble all over her head. Perhaps the current length did not even reach a millimeter. The hairdresser turned off the machine.
She brushed the hair off Anna’s lap, then what remained on her ears and nose. She took off her cape.
“Finished! What do you think?”
Anna didn’t answer. She simply looked at herself in the mirror and decided that the cut was okay.
“Thank you.”
The two headed towards the cash register, where Anna paid for the cut.
The colleagues turned to see how much hair was on the floor, and how much was left on Anna’s head.
Leaving the shop, she headed home as quickly as possible. She wasn’t used to that new cut yet, let alone if passers-by were, even if most of them would have said that that cut was made especially for her.
…
In the distance, two eyes peered at young Anna leaving the shop, and they recognized her, incredibly. They were those of Marco who, to himself, couldn’t help but say to himself: “Wow!”
