HairApparent
Review
Less than a week after my barber had sharpened up my bowlcut, I had returned to Cutting Edge by Athena to have it refreshed. After lectures at college, Emily, my best friend, and I had endured the long bus journey to the barbershop. Athena, who was also my dad’s new girlfriend, was pleased to see us and, as always, she was upbeat and happy to be of assistance.
Each time I had visited Athena in the past, I had not seen her cut anyone else’ hair. However, on this occasion, another woman – one who had remarkably long hair – sat in Athena’s chair after she had finished tidying me up, and I was able to watch with eager fascination. To my amazement, that woman left with a masculine flattop hair style reminiscent of the short and severe haircut worn by Athena herself.
It was an intriguing series of events that led me to witness this astonishing occurrence. And it all started with Athena, once again, trimming my bowlcut.
Restoration
‘Ta-da!’ Athena announced in her customary fashion. She had turned off the foil shaver and, with a hand mirror, was showing me the smooth back and sides of my refreshed bowlcut. ‘There we are, Katie, as good as new.’
During my previous visit, my bristly regrowth had been readily apparent. Consequently, Athena had used a foil shaver for first time, taking the lower half of my bowlcut all the way down to the skin. Less than a week later, she had repeated the exercise, stripping away the fine pelt of itchy bristles and making it smooth and gleaming once more.
Although Emily, my best friend, remained in denial over the attraction of my drastic bowlcut, she accepted my desire to be different. Her perception was unsurprising as my hair was even longer than hers a month or so earlier. Like a good friend, she remained willing to accompany me to the barbershop. However, she still became extremely nervous if Athena got within ten metres of her remarkably long and thick hair with scissors in her hands!
By contrast to Emily’s viewpoint, I had grown to love the elegance of the glossy cap of hair bouncing on my crown as I moved. I revelled in the attractiveness of the short fringe framing my eyes, and the freshness of the shaved back and sides. Put simply, I adored how it felt. Furthermore, my loyal followers on social media loved how my hair looked, especially when Athena had just refreshed it.
Unfortunately, Cutting Edge by Athena was located the other side of town from college. In terms of practicalities, it was increasingly annoying that each visit involved a long and expensive bus journey. Although, from my perspective, a regular trim had become a necessity, the time and cost soon mounted when visiting Athena once or twice a week. At least with Emily accompanying me (provided, she quipped, Athena did not get too close with her scissors!) it ensured the journey passed quickly.
‘Thanks, Athena, that’s perfect,’ I said, admiring my refreshed bowlcut after she had finished shearing me.
As before, Emily had been filming my haircut on her phone. I was about to stand but I saw Emily making frantic circular gestures with the fingers of one hand. She had remained silent, so I had guessed the camera was still running, suggesting she wanted me to do something else before she turned it off. Finally, the penny dropped. ‘Oops,’ I whispered.
I formed a heart with my hands then, cupped my chin, and I smiled directly into the camera. ‘Bowlcut is My World,’ I declared, complying with my newly established tradition. Recollecting this important detail, resulted in a thumb’s up from my videographer friend.
‘It’s such a shame, Athena, you are located so far from college,’ I lamented, ‘otherwise I would be in your barbershop every morning for you to shave me!’
‘Katie, have you any idea how bizarre that sentence actually sounds coming from a young woman?’ Emily giggled, as she completed the filming.
‘I can’t disagree with that,’ I concurred, laughing also. I appreciated the irony of how it would have sounded when complaining about the absence of daily shaving when I had hair past my bottom less than two months earlier.
‘So, Katie, I’ve barely trimmed anything off the longer hair. That would easily last three or four weeks between trims,’ Athena explained. ‘But with the speed your hair grows, you will always have a shadow covering the shaved skin within days. Sorry, Katie, it’s just the way it is.’
‘I know, Athena,’ I grumbled, ‘but it just feels so good when it’s freshly done.’
‘Hang on, Katie, I have a suggestion,’ Athena piped up excitedly.
Revelation
After Athena announced she had had an idea, she began rummaging through a drawer by the mirror. ‘There!’ she announced proudly, grandly holding up a small black case before handing it to me. ‘For you.’
‘I like presents, don’t I!’ I said childishly, despite not knowing the contents. I flipped back the lid and peered inside. Initially, I was none the wiser, so I looked questioningly towards Athena. She took out a small electrical device, flicked a switch on the side, and I heard a familiar hum. ‘A foil shaver?’ I questioned, taking it from her and examining it more closely.
‘Yes, an old one. I always upgrade to the latest whenever I can, so this one is fully functional but surplus to my requirements,’ Athena explained.
‘Thanks, Athena, it’s very nice,’ I said truthfully, as it looked attractive in a brutal sort of way, ‘but what can I do with it? After all, I wouldn’t be able to see what I was doing, would I?’
‘I have a suggestion,’ Athena revealed, looking at my friend who was only half-listening as she was checking the video footage taken earlier. ‘Emily, are you happy to shave Katie from time to time?’
‘Shave Katie?’ she asked, surprised, not appreciating the context surrounding the question. ‘Are you serious?’ she questioned anxiously. She took the shaver from me and inspected it, jumping comically as she accidentally flicked the switch, and it bust into life.
‘Yes, Emily, shaver her. Then, you and Katie would only need to return here every few weeks for me to trim the rest,’ Athena elaborated.
‘So, you’re suggesting I shave Katie?’ Emily asked nervously. Athena nodded. ‘Shave my best friend?’ Emily pondered dubiously, looking worried. Athena nodded again. Emily flicked the switch, then beamed at me with a malicious grin. ‘Absolutely! I would love to!’
‘That’s brilliant,’ I squeaked, only slightly concerned about allowing my friend to keep me smooth. ‘Thanks so much, both of you.’
‘Now, you two, I appreciate it’s a long bus journey home. So, as I’ll be closing the shop soon why don’t I give you a life home when I’ve finished? I’m picking up your dad, Katie, as we’re going to see a film, so it won’t be out of my way.’
‘That would be lovely,’ I said, and Emily nodded her appreciation too, as she only lived in walking distance of me.
‘Right, I’ll tidy up the shop, then close in twenty minutes if there’s no more customers,’ Athena said. ‘So, why not pop into the kitchen and make yourself a hot drink or grab a can from the fridge.
‘Thanks, Athena,’ Emily and I chorused, as we filed through the door into the kitchen, hidden away at the back of the shop.
Recommendation
‘Good afternoon,’ rang out Athena’s strident voice, signalling the arrival of a late customer in the shop. ‘How can I help you?’
Emily and I looked at each other and groaned. It seemed we would need to wait a little longer for our lift home, but it was still preferable to another slow bus journey. So, Emily and I settled back down with our drinks, alternately chatting to each other and checking our socials.
‘Er, hi there,’ a tentative woman’s voice answered Athena’s greeting.
Hearing another female voice in the barbershop was unexpected as Athena’s clientele comprised mostly men and boys. Although the woman sounded vaguely familiar, I was unable to identify the originator.
‘I was wondering if I could get, er, a haircut here … please?’ the woman timidly enquired.
‘Well, yes, you could,’ Athena admitted, ‘but you are aware that this is a gentlemen’s barbershop, so I specialise in short haircuts. Usually for men and boys …’
‘Oh!’ the woman exclaimed, sounding momentarily flummoxed. ‘Yes, well … I know that, and that’s what I need. A short haircut, that is,’ the woman confirmed awkwardly. ‘And I had heard that you do cut women’s hair as well.’
‘Sometimes …’ Athena acknowledged vaguely.
Emily and I giggled conspiratorially in the kitchen, wondering if the Emily’s video of my haircut had brought the woman to Athena’s door.
‘The fact is … I need my hair sorting out,’ the woman explained. ‘I have a summer intern placement, working in an office …. so, I need to look smarter … my mum says so, anyway, even I think I look fine.’
‘Well, your current look does make a statement,’ Athena said diplomatically, leaving me intrigued to know what the woman looked like. ‘But your mum is probably correct when she suggests it is unsuitable for working in an office environment.’
‘Right, well I’m actually a student so, er, cash is a bit tight,’ she admitted, ‘and, the fact is, I heard you are cheap, so that’s why I came to you.’
‘Well,’ Athena huffed, ‘reasonably priced or excellent value would be my preferred description of how much I charge for my services,’ Athena pompously explained.
‘Sorry, I meant, cheap compared with proper ladies’ salons,’ the woman clarified, which I suspect did nothing to help Athena warm to her.
‘I am equally, if not more, skilled in comparison to a ladies’ hairdresser, especially when performing short haircuts,’ Athena clarified with a distinct lack of warmth.
‘Yes, sorry … no offence …’ the woman apologised half-heartedly, although had not given up her quest. ‘Well, er, can I …?’
I imagined Athena, quite rightly, had taken offence, so I had half-expected her to turn the woman away. I would have done!
‘Fine,’ Athena eventually conceded, sounding more like her relaxed and professional self. ‘Please take a seat and let’s see if there’s anything we can do with all that hair.’
I heard shuffling as the woman sat down, followed by the now familiar swish of the cape as Athena prepared the customer. ‘My mum believes this style would look good on me,’ the woman said with a shaky voice, as I pictured her holding up photos or displaying them on her phone.
Athena’s surprising reaction was to start giggling. Emily and I looked at each other mystified, wondering what had caused her reaction.
‘Er, I think you were the person who cut this style … for her in the pictures?’ the woman pressed, sounding perplexed by Athena’s amusement.
Emily and I looked at each other, both of us coming to same conclusion, at the same time. ‘No way!’ I exclaimed, as we rushed through the kitchen door, and stepped back into the shop
‘Hi, Clara,’ Emily and I chorused merrily.
The woman looked up from showing Athena images on her phone, staring at us in open-mouthed horror as she revealed herself to be none other than Clara, my tormentor from college.
Observation
Clara had settled herself on the barber’s chair. Athena had enveloped her with the familiar haircutting cape, that billowed out from her neck, all the way down to the floor. Only Clara’s head peeked above the cape, topped off with her goth-like multicoloured bird’s nest of a hairstyle. She looked uncharacteristically vulnerable.
‘It seems you have a fan, Katie,’ Athena smirked. ‘This young lady has been showing me photos of you that she found on the internet.’
‘Hi, Katie. And Emily,’ Clara timidly greeted us.
Smiling sheepishly, she was undoubtedly embarrassed that we had bumped into her in Athena’s barbershop, especially after giving me such a tough time with my short haircut.
‘Er, what are you doing here?’ she asked hesitantly, trying to establish her usual bossy voice, but failing miserably.
‘The “boy” has just had his regular trim, Clara’ I explained, echoing her derogatory comments about me from our past encounters. ‘And now we’re going to watch you have your hair cut,’ I added excitedly.
Emily and I marched over to the waiting area and sat attentively, excited for the show to begin.
‘No! What, really? I mean, do you have to watch,’ Clara squirmed uncomfortably, our presence undoubtedly making her challenging predicament even more unpalatable.
‘Yes,’ we chorused brightly, sitting back, arms folded, ready for showtime. ‘We want to watch!’
Clara flapped her arms under the cape, signalling that she wanted to jump off the chair and escape the shop. As I knew only too well, pumped up high in the chair under a heavy cape, prevented a hasty departure and left one feeling completely helpless.
Clara was having none of it. ‘Oh, well … I think I better come back another -’
‘So, your mum wants you to have a bowlcut like your friend Katie, does she?’ Athena interjected, trying to find a way into the tangled mess of hair on Clara’s head. ‘Good choice. That will look very professional in the office.’
‘No! I mean, yes, it will look professional, but my mum didn’t tell me to get it cut like Katie,’ she spluttered.
I imagine Athena’s reference to Clara’s mum riled her. Being at college, I was old enough to make my own decisions regarding my hair. Although, ironically, Dad did support when Athena had cut my long hair. But with Clara being a year or two older than me, the college’s style icon would have been embarrassed for us to hear it was her mum insisting she had her hair cut short. Emily and I grinned at each other. We were lapping up her awkwardness!
‘So, you don’t want a bowlcut like Katie?’ Athena asked, an exasperated edge colouring her tone, as she began brushing through Clara’s dismantled updo.
‘No! I mean, yes, I do want a bowlcut but not because I will look like Katie,’ she continued squirming, ‘but because of my intern job.’
At the back of my mind, I was a little disappointed that I would no longer be unique within the college if Clara got the same haircut as me. But with my haircut video having been online for a while, it would be obvious that she had copied me. Doubtless, the entire college viewing her as a follower rather than an influencer would be very upsetting for her.
Having finished brushing through Clara’s hair and then picking up her largest scissors, Athena stared menacingly into the mirror. ‘Right, Clara, it’s showtime!’
Showtime
It was peculiar seeing Clara’s colourful hair, centre-parted and brushed straight down her back. Having always seen it in a variation of an updo that gave her an exotic air, she looked surprisingly plain and vulnerable.
I saw the overhead lights glinting on the scissors as they surrounded Clara’s hair, gathered at her nape. I imagine Clara felt the cold steel of the scissors against her neck, causing her to instantly regret her decision. ‘I’m really not sure I -’
CrunnnCH!
Athena’s decisive snapping of her scissors was sufficient to abruptly silence Clara’s last-minute doubts. I marvelled at the sight of long tendrils of Clara’s hair – some approaching one metre in length, of varied hues – floating to the ground, and accumulating in huge colourful piles around her chair. I had not seen my own haircut from this perspective. It was as sobering as it was exciting to witness five years of hair growth extinguished in an instant.
CrunnnCH!
The sound echoed around the small shop several more times. Athena transformed Clara’s multicoloured long hair into a plain chin length bob of a uniform chestnut shade, the highlighted hair consigned to the floor.
Given the speed of Clara’s drastic transformation, I almost felt sorry for her. Well, almost sorry! ‘Looking good, Clara!’ I chirped, to Emily’s amusement, but eliciting no reaction from the woman in the chair.
I had been surprised when my followers professed to enjoying watching haircut videos, but I was starting to see the attraction. I felt Emily and I should be sharing a large tub of popcorn as we relaxed and waited to see what would happen next. We did not have to wait long to find out.
Athena pinned up half of Clara’s remaining hair on her crown, then combed the remainder evenly around her head. She reached over to take the Oster hairclippers from their hook by the mirror, made an adjustment and turned them on. A loud motorised whine sounded around the shop.
‘No,’ Clara quietly whimpered, but she obediently lowered her chin to her chest as Athena eased her head down. For all I knew she may have continued complaining, but her subservient position and the raucous noise of the clippers stifled any further words.
‘Yes!’ Emily and I sang, looking at each other gleefully as the hairclippers did their work. We enjoyed witnessing Clara’s suffering given all the students she had tormented in the past. She may have slightly mellowed towards me when I ran into her a week or so earlier, but I was not convinced that her unpleasant traits could disappear overnight.
The whine of the hairclippers became deeper as they dug hungrily into the hair at Clara’s nape, dispatching short snippets to join the huge piles on the floor. Athena expertly manoeuvred the blade along Clara’s neck, up the back of her head, and around her ears. It was fascinating to watch the hair fall and see the hairclippers reveal her pristine white skin.
Throughout, Clara stared straight ahead, silently, frozen to the spot, not moving her head. It was if she was afraid that movement might result in Athena shaving off more hair than she wished. However, it mattered little as the barber was shaving off all the hair not pinned up on her crown.
Athena exchanged the clippers for scissors. Then, after releasing the hair pinned on her crown, she expertly snipped it into a bowl shape reminiscent of my own. She created a blunt line around Clara’s head, above her ears, finishing with a straight line across her forehead to create a stark fringe.
After making final adjustments, Athena picked up a hand mirror to show Clara her transformation from every angle.
‘Ta-da!’ she announced proudly. She was justifiably pleased that she had tamed Clara’s colourful long locks into a neat glossy auburn cap of hair perched on her crown. It contrasted beautifully with the white skin on the clippered back and sides. ‘What do you think, Clara?’
There was an uncomfortable pause as Clara examined her new hairstyle from every angle. She quivered, wearing a look of dismay, as she examined her bare skin. ‘Thank you, it’s what I asked for,’ she mumbled unenthusiastically, causing a worried frown to appear on Athena’s forehead.
Athena had done a fantastic job, as always, and Clara’s hair looked as good as mine. Indeed, it was almost identical. And, yes, that did annoy me as it meant I had lost my uniqueness. Still, I could not but help but feel a sense of pride that I had directly and undeniably influenced the appearance of the college’s self-professed fashion guru.
‘Looks great!’ I chimed in, hoping to alleviate Athena’s concerns about her abilities, in the light of Clara’s half-hearted response. ‘I’m sure your mum will be very pleased,’ I smirked, unable to resist mocking her. ‘Bowlcut is our W -’
‘Do not say it!’ Clara warned, catching my eye in the mirror, firing daggers at me and interrupting my mocking flow. Her expression made it clear she did not appreciate my provocation. ‘Your world, is not my world!’
‘So, Clara,’ Athena said, oblivious to our skirmish, allowing the chair to sink down and preparing to undo the cape. ‘We’re all done here, so let’s get you on your way.’
‘No!’ Clara stated emphatically, the loudest she had spoken for a while.
Reiteration
‘What on earth’s wrong,’ Athena queried, looking genuinely concerned by Clara’s forceful rebuttal. ‘You look wonderful. Just like Katie.’
‘Exactly!’ Clara shrieked. ‘I’m looking at Katie in the mirror and I can see just how alike we both look. I can’t allow people to think I’ve copied her, as it will be terrible for my reputation as an influencer.’
‘Oh,’ Athena remarked, caught off-guard by Clara’s behaviour, and not knowing what to do. ‘So, what do you -’
‘What’s your style called?’ Clara rudely interrupted.
‘It has different names and several variations, but essentially it’s a flattop,’ Athena explained, ‘although it is adapted so the top is a bit longer than I would cut for men and -’
‘Give me that, please,’ Clara demanded.
‘Are you sure, Clara,’ Athena questioned, sounding as astonished as I was. ‘It is an incredibly short hairstyle. Between the bowlcut that you have now, and the flattop you are proposing, there’s an entire world of -’
‘Yes, I want my hair cut exactly the same as yours,’ Clara stated unwaveringly, ignoring the suggestion of any alternatives. ‘It will be better than being part of her World,’ she hissed dismissively, looking in my direction, ‘or anyone else’s come to that.’
I could have pointed out that it was Athena’s hairstyle that had influenced Clara, and that Clara was copying her. However, I was dubious whether anyone else from college would frequent Cutting Edge, so it was unlikely other students would have the knowledge to draw comparisons.
‘Well, if you’re sure,’ Athena sighed, retrieving her hairclippers and fitting a claw-like comb over the blades. ‘Initially, this guard will swiftly reduce all the longer hair to a uniform length, and then we will continue from there.’
Athena cupped the back of Clara’s head with one hand, turned on the clippers, then placed the guarded blade against the hairline at Clara’s forehead. Frozen in that position momentarily, it was a striking image!
‘How long?’ Athena asked tremulously, her eyes glancing upwards at the roaring hairclippers. ‘How long will it be?’
‘I’m using a number 6,’ Athena explained, inching the clippers through the Clara’s recently formed fringe and through the thick hair of the bowl. Noting Clara’s uncomprehending expression, Athena added, ‘Less than two centimetres.’
‘Oh!’ Clara exclaimed, her eyes widening in panic, but it was too late. Athena had carved a deep furrow through the hair covering the top of her head. And she had adjusted the position of the hairclippers to widen the path. ‘That short!’ Clara added breathlessly, appreciating that none of her completed hairstyle would be longer than that.
In less than a minute, Athena had done as she had promised. Clara had a fuzzy crewcut of less than two centimetres. There was an abrupt step on the back and sides where the hair had previously been clippered closely to enhance the bowlcut. The bristles on Clara’s crown were standing up vertically like a brush, while lower down the hair stuck out sideways, resulting in a rounded profile. At that stage it looked far less sharp than Athena’s haircut, but the barber was about to change all that.
Athena removed the guard from the hairclippers and picked up a large comb in her other hand. She pushed the comb through the hair on the crown and held it horizontally, perfectly level. She ran the blade of the hairclippers over the comb, creating a loud clattering noise. The action sliced off all the ends of the brush-like tufts that dared show themselves above the level comb.
Diligently, Athena continued to repeat the action over the whole surface of Clara’s head, until every hair stood erect. Then she squared off the rounded edges of the hair on the crown, so they faded abruptly into the previously clippered back and sides. By this time, Clara’s hair was well on its way to resembling Athena’s harsh and uncompromising look.
Using a smaller comb and the bare clipper blade, Athena gradually reduced the fine pelt left over from the bowlcut, graduating it from fine bristles down to baldness at the hairline. She followed up by using the foil shaver to ensure the expanse of skin around Clara’s ears, along her neck and up the back of her head was completely smooth.
Once again, Athena put down her equipment and hovered behind Clara with a hand mirror to allow her to see her haircut from every angle.
‘Ta-da!’ Athena announced proudly. ‘So, what do you think … this time?’
It was a stark sight! The hair covering Clara’s crown stood perfectly erect, and it formed an impeccably flat and level surface. The brush stopped abruptly at the back and sides of Clara’s head where the skull began to curve inwards, with the short bristles soon fading into pristine white skin. Her appearance tempted me to make a derogatory remark about the “new boy”, echoing the comments she had towards me in the past. But I was too dumbfounded to offer any snide remarks.
There was an uncomfortable pause as Clara examined her new hairstyle from every angle. ‘It’s perfect, thank you, Athena, the “boy” announced.
Clara caught my eye in the mirror and smirked provocatively. ‘Flattop is my World!’ she declared bravely, trying to make the words her own, although I felt they did not have the same ring as my traditional phrase.
I forced a smile, acknowledging Clara’s bravery more than her paraphrasing of my unique statement regarding my style. As Athena undid the cape and lowered the chair, I wondered how badly Clara’s military haircut would clash with one her customary goth outfits that Athena was about to uncover.
However, the sight that Athena revealed when Clara rose to her feet was as unexpected as it was astonishing.
Departure
Earlier, when we had first seen Clara in the barbershop, the cape had already enveloped her. After Athena released Clara from the chair, she stood in front of a full-length mirror, adjusting the collar of a demure blouse and checking the hem of a short pencil skirt. She eased a matching tailored blazer over her blouse, fastened the buttons, and admired her slim reflection from different angles.
Clara giggled as she turned to face Emily and I, noting our open-mouthed stares. ‘Mum lent me the outfit for my internship at the accountancy firm in the summer,’ she explained. ‘I suppose it is a bit of a change …’
A change? Clara was unrecognisable! Surprisingly, the feminine suit negated any “boy” connotations arising from her drastic haircut. And her severe flattop actually complemented her office attire far better than her youthful fashions ever could. Undoubtedly, she looked ready for business, although the worn trainers on her feet looked at odds with the rest of her smart and elegant appearance.
The door of the barbershop suddenly opened, and a similarly dressed woman at least twice Clara’s age breezed in. ‘My, what a very smart young lady,’ the older woman grinned, looking Clara up and down. ‘And such lovely smart hair,’ she added, patting her own exceedingly short and crisp permed locks. ‘Well, it has been lovely to meet you. Now, what have you done with my daughter, as I’m due to be meeting her here?’
‘It’s me, Mum!’ Clara excitedly claimed, twirling around on the spot, although I was sure she knew that her mum was joking. ‘Does my hair really look OK? It just feels so short!’
‘Well, some people might consider it a little short, but it suits you far better than anyone might have expected. The barber has excelled herself,’ Clara’s mother praised, paying her the indicated sum on the cash till, and handing back the change as a modest tip. ‘Now, let’s see about getting you appropriate footwear in town. It’s such a shame none of my plentiful shoes fit you.’
With that, the mother held out her hand and Clara obediently clasped it in hers. Walking towards the door they could have been sisters.
Remembering my recent conversation with Clara, the college troublemaker, and the thawing of our chilly relationship, I called out. ‘Respect, Clara, you look really cool.’
She looked back over her shoulder, and I anticipated her snapping back at me with a snide remark. ‘Thank you, Katie,’ she simpered as the door closed behind her.
We watched Clara and her mother walk off together, resembling a pair of office secretaries on their lunch break. As they disappeared, I contemplated what Clara might be wearing to college in the future and I wondered how the “boy” would explain the new haircut to her friends.
Athena smirked as I turned to face her. ‘Cool, huh? So, Katie, would you like me to induct you into the army as well, before I drive you home?’ she asked, waving a hand expansively towards her chair.
‘No!’ I shrieked in dismay. ‘Bowlcut is still my World … and it’s staying that way!’
To be continued
