wozziewoo
It’s a new year and the Football Season is over. Time for the team to start focusing on their competition. The barbershop is starting to leave its mark, and Heather has a new promotion she’s testing out.
As always, if you’ve missed the previous chapter, you can find it here:
The current chapter begins here:
PASSIONATE EXPLOSION
Despite how it may seem, Heather’s job wasn’t always magical. However, she loved it anyway. She still had fond memories of her first day working with Evan. That day Nikki walked into his back room, and everything changed. At that time, she went by Nicole, and her hair was nearly to her waist. It was far from the multi-colored liberty spikes that she now sported for the past 8ish months. Now, Nikki had become her best friend, and they did a lot together, but she got spoiled with the transformations.
There was Chloe, on the most recent weekend getaway… Not to mention her old cheer coach Beth, even though the whole team was involved in that one… Candice was mainly Jenny’s doing, with Heather only assisting… She had the pleasure of taking Jacqueline extremely short, but that was done in stages over time, and she didn’t have the pleasure of the initial chop.
All of them have stayed short and relish their new looks, but that also means that they typically only have maintenance cuts going forward. Heather inherited a lot of clients from Evan, but their hair was already short. Heather was more than happy to offer whatever services to whoever requested them, but there was still something about those long-to-short transformative makeovers that really got her juices flowing. Those were few and far between, though.
The idea of doing hair at all was exciting. It was a new endeavor for her, and she enjoyed all aspects of it. Now, while that is still true, she sought new adventures and ways to keep her barbering interesting and fresh.
So, during the semester break, Heather was able to focus on her passion, where even the most boring day was better than any day from her old life. She made time for all of her regular clients and had plenty of time to work out. The cheer house was empty, so she spent some time staying over with Nikki. Heather and Nikki had spent a lot of time together, since they first became friends: at the salon, the barbershop, not to mention anywhere and everywhere else. Nikki would accompany Heather to the gym for her workouts, but they would also go out to eat and just enjoy spending time together. However, this was the first time they’d spent the night together.
One of the highlights for Heather also happened to be her newest regular client, Jacqueline. She was so enthusiastic and jovial. Her energy was infectious. Heather couldn’t help but be inspired, and she really got to know Jacqueline well.
A NEW (OUT)LOOK, A NEW ATTITUDE AND A NEW ENDEVOR
It turns out cutting her hair was the best decision Jacqueline ever made. Her life had never been better, and it was all thanks to Heather. It all started innocently enough and not entirely by choice.
Jackie was a typical cheerleader in every way. Her long silken raven colored hair used to hang down to the small of her back, with little variance. It was in excellent condition and very well cared for. There was never a thought to cut it or change it in any way. Sure, some of her teammates got “creative” and started to cut and change up their hair during the last semester of her senior year of college, but that was never something she’d consider.
Until it was. After she graduated, she entered the business world. Suddenly, it was business suits and power lunches. While it was never explicitly said, her long hair felt very out of place. So, reluctantly, it was off to the salon, and Jacqueline got the first major hair change of her life. The “businesswoman’s lob” was not ideal. She still felt out of place, but it was about all she could handle at the time. Her long hair days seemed to be over, and this was only the beginning. It’s likely she’d still have that lob, if she hadn’t gone back to visit her old cheer team for Homecoming.
The energy among the team was infectious. The team had cut their hair, and they were embracing short and shaved haircuts. Well, almost the entire team. While her old flyer partner, Melissa, had cut her hair some, it was not nearly as short as everyone else and she was miserable. Jacqueline tried to talk with her and used her own situation as an example. Jacqueline left with her hair intact, but she was envious. She realized it was her own lack of experimentation in college that put her in that situation.
Still, that could have been the end of it, but she kept getting drawn back to the team. She happened to be away on a business trip in the same place as the cheer team had their competition. Unable to stay away, she stopped by for a visit. This time she was shocked to find the entire team bald, including Melissa, who seemed to be the most enthusiastic of all. This was shocking and yet oddly inspiring. She knew her lob wasn’t cutting it anymore. The young cheerleader, Heather, was responsible for the hair, or lack thereof, of the entire team. Although it wasn’t planned, Jacqueline sat down and got her shortest haircut yet, a chin length bob.
Jacqueline never saw herself with a bob. Granted, she never really saw herself with short hair period, but definitely not a bob. Yet here she was and that could have been the end of it, until the next homecoming. At this point, could she really visit the team and not expect a haircut? She hadn’t had one since that day of the competition. She was due, and she was ready. This time it was a lip length bob and bangs. She had never had bangs, but she immediately fell in love with them. At that point she was committed and knew it would only be a matter of time, as her hair continued to inch shorter.
It was the beginning of this past December, though, when things were really cemented. Fully committed to short hair and ready for the next step, Jacqueline ended up with a pixie cut. It wasn’t just any cut though. It was THE CUT and a fresh color as well. Jacqueline hadn’t really experimented or done any major changes to her hair before. But now, she was making up for lost time. First, her hair was dyed a fiery red. Then she received her shortest haircut yet, by a wide margin. It was also her favorite. Ever. That even included all the previous years of her life when it was long. She wished she was a few years younger and got to have all the fun that the current team was. If she was still on the team, she wouldn’t hesitate to participate in the haircuts.
Now she sported a short spiky pixie cut. It stood up on top of her head between about half an inch to an inch in length. Below that, her hair was buzzed close to her scalp no longer than half an inch and faded to the skin for much of her lower neck and around her ears. It was quite an adjustment, but one she was happy to make. She absolutely loved her hair and knew it would be her go-to-style for a long time to come. What she hadn’t counted on was how life changing it would become.
Jacqueline took the day and had no plans post-haircut. She knew she didn’t want to go home though. She needed to be out. This was cause for a celebration. She needed to show off. Emma to the rescue. They spent some time chatting afterwards, while Emma finished up her duties behind the desk at the barbershop. As soon as she was done, off they went. The smile plastered across Jacqueline’s face hadn’t left or diminished since she emerged from Heather’s back room. Every reflective surface caused Jacqueline to do a double take, and the smile only brightened every time she realized it was her own reflection.
As if things weren’t great enough, after her shower the next morning when Jacqueline went to deal with her hair, she discovered it was already dry and barely needed to be styled at all. A quick finger fluff and a bit of product and she was good to go. This was the easiest time she’d ever had with her hair. Even when she used to put it back into a ponytail, it took longer than what she just did.
Things only got better when she got to the office. Her co-workers threw heaps of praise about her new look, and many noticed an extra bounce in her step. Her only major concern about it being too short or “unprofessional” were quickly squashed a few days later when she had a meeting with her boss. Fearing the worst, she had spent some time preparing a statement. The truth was in the days that had passed, Jacqueline had only grown to love her hair more. She was determined to keep her hair and would do whatever needed to be done to keep it.
It turns out she needn’t have worried. Her hair never had any bearing on her job, and even if she had never cut it to begin with it wouldn’t have made a difference. While this revelation might have depressed her a few weeks ago, it no longer mattered and might have even benefited her, because it led her to the current look that she sported.
It turned out that the meeting was for a totally different reason. She was getting promoted. The company was impressed with her work ethic and her dedication to the job. It was the quickest anyone in her position had ever been promoted, but her talent was recognized and she was rewarded. The promotion came with a hefty raise, an expense account, more time off, and more freedom. Basically, it was too good to turn down, which she wouldn’t have dreamed of doing anyway.
Jacqueline was never one to keep a regular hair appointment. She’d stretch her salon visits as much as she was able. Besides the team’s old salon “makeover” fundraiser, if she went more than two or three times a year it was a lot. However, the barbershop was her new favorite place to be. Heather said that she shouldn’t go more than three to four weeks between visits, if she wanted to keep her hair looking sharp. Jacqueline promised it wouldn’t be more than two. She even asked if going every week was too much, even if it was just for color touch ups. She knew how short her hair was and didn’t want her natural color to show through at all. She was a redhead now and never wanted a hint of anything else.
Finding time to get to the barbershop wouldn’t be a problem soon. She was about to spend a lot more time on campus and around the team, as she finally responded to Emma’s offer on the day of her big haircut. She was thrilled to be the new assistant coach of the team. The best part was she was able to work her schedule around team events and because of the popularity and reputability of the team, her company wanted to help fund or sponsor the team in any way they were able.
WELCOME BACK
Soon the semester break was over, and one by one the cheerleaders returned to the house. They were hyped to start practicing for their competition. Since they had won it all the previous year, they earned an automatic bye to the National finals. The team gathered in the living room for their first official meeting of the new semester. The living room had previously been the popular gathering place for team meetings, but most of their meetings had recently relocated to the barbershop so Heather could work on everyone’s hair. Since Heather had already dealt with whoever needed attention and with no event imminent, Heather would just get to relax and enjoy the time with the rest of her teammates.
In fact, she was the first one to show up, and one of the few who was privy to the big announcement. Heather was lounging on the couch in a sports bra and booty shorts. She enjoyed wearing as little as possible and relished showing off her chiseled abs and overall toned body. She worked hard to look good.
Her hair was a bit longer than usual. The top was close to a half inch in length, which was about as long as she was able to tolerate it. While Heather was occasionally open to a little growth on top, it was rare that the back and sides of her head sprouted anything more than stubble. What little hair she did have was dyed a frosty sky blue. When Heather did sport hair, it was usually dyed some unnatural color, and she greatly preferred bright shades.
Heather wasn’t alone for long, as one by one the rest of the team started to trickle in. It was a rare showcase of everyone’s individual style, while their hair was still in various stages of growth. Melissa’s head was as smooth and shiny as it had ever been, it had been almost a year since she first shaved her head and at this point, if she had even the faintest growth on her head, it would be just about the biggest surprise of anyone on the team. She expected that she would never desire to have hair again. She briefly wondered about more permanent solutions; except she currently still enjoyed the process of having her head shaved too much. She wore a college sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. It was still odd to see Melissa all covered up, even though it had been almost as long since she was seen walking around in the minimal clothing that she had previously preferred.
Jessie was also still bald, but she wouldn’t be for long. Thanks to her sister, she had kept her head shaved during the break but was anxious to return to her platinum blonde skin fade that had become her go to style. The short crop top and jean shorts that she wore reflected her casual, yet slightly punk style. She tended to be a bit edgier compared to her sister Jenny, who currently sported a buzzcut. That was far from her preferred style, though it was currently growing out until she could return to her familiar bowl cut. Always a bit more conservative but still slightly adventurous, Jenny had on a sleeved crop top that was a bit longer and ended just above her belly button.
Janie also had yet to grow her hair out. She hadn’t necessarily intended to stay bald as long as she did but found it easier than anything else. Janie had become a bit of a Guinea pig on the team. While most of the team had settled into a signature style, hers was that she had no set style. When she first cut her long hair, she had copied Miley Cyrus from her Wrecking Ball era. However, since she shaved it off the first time, Janie tended to prefer the shorter styles. While she wanted some hair, she also never seemed in a hurry to grow it back. She spent much of the first half of the fall semester with designs carved into her head and looked forward to letting Heather do whatever she wished once there was enough hair for her to do so.
Betty was also embracing her bald head. She had been miserable when she first cut her hair and was determined to grow it long again. She found that to be untenable but still struggled with her image. While she was never fat or even slightly overweight, compared to the rest of the team, she felt she was a bit bigger than her teammates. It never bothered her, until she cut off all her hair and started to feel more self-conscious about it. However, after she spent the summer on a strict self-improvement regime, she felt like a new person. She got Lasik and got fit, while losing a ton of weight. She was still adjusting to her svelte frame but now embraced her bald head, as she felt her previous long hair would now overpower her. Her style was definitely changing as well.
Of those on the grow, Anna had reached her end goal, but a #1 platinum buzzcut doesn’t take long to grow. Easily the longest tenured style on the team, the Junior was closing in on two years since her initial haircut and had barely let her hair get longer since. The captain felt refreshed and excited about what was to come. She was the only member of the team, besides Heather who knew about the announcement. She wore a team-branded tank top and athletic shorts.
Shandra, clad in a sports bra and bike shorts, was in an interesting spot. Over the summer she had committed to short hair. After attempting to grow her hair out, she determined that short hair was just more practical, so off she went to a local barbershop and had it buzzed off with a #3 guard. She had maintained this length until the team’s headshave fundraiser. Now, as she grew it back out, she knew it wouldn’t be long again, but it also didn’t have to be AS long. She could stop at any length she chose, and currently she wasn’t sure where that would end up, but she doubted it would be longer than it was.
It was fair to say that Tabitha had two teammates that she looked up to. Shandra and Heather. Heather, she looked at as more of a friend. She would forever be indebted to her for finally solving her hair issue. They were also running partners. Shandra was more of a mentor and her partner for team aerials. Tabitha was in a T-shirt and capris. She was definitely a bit more modest than some of the others. This was in response to sister, Tanya, who tended to flaunt her body to an annoying degree. Tabitha loved her sister but was the opposite of her in many ways. However, she didn’t want her distaste for her sister to impact her negatively. Maybe she’d let Heather and Shandra influence her a bit more.
As for her hair, so far, she had modeled it after Shandra’s, and it was growing back. She knew she never wanted it to be long again, but she did admit her curls were special. As long as they were under control, she’d learn to appreciate them. Her plan was to keep the bottom of her hair short, probably buzzed as it was before, but allow for some more length on top. Not too much growth, but enough for her curls to reappear, and with Heather’s help, she felt she could learn to love them.
Everyone knew how much Kathy missed her long hair. They all knew how jealous she was of Madison and her hair. Most of the team expected her to return from the semester break with a full head of extensions. She wanted so badly to return to the former luscious locks she had previously cherished. Instead, it was a surprise to everyone when Kathy showed up in a simple bob, which hung halfway between her chin and her shoulders. She wore clips on each side of her head that made her look like a little schoolgirl. But with the addition of the bandeau top and short shorts she wore, there was no question she was a mature woman.
Madison returned to school with renewed vigor and clear goals. Previously, Madison’s desire for longer hair had no clear end goal or direction, just that she wanted to grow it as long as possible. This proved to be a challenge as she hated her hair long, and she was surrounded by teammates with short and shaved hair. But they fully supported her and that helped tremendously.
The trip home changed everything. Her mom was actually disappointed she still had any hair at all, let alone that it was still growing longer. Her mother loved and fully supported Madison, and nothing would change that, but she was also familiar with the team and had learned of their “unique” style when she dropped Madison off. She just didn’t want Madison to miss out and thought it was important to participate in “harmless” team events like the fundraisers. No matter. Madison got angry and spent the majority of her break ignoring her mother. Her father did the best he could to appease them both and keep the peace, but it was a losing battle.
Madison was determined. Her goal was that her hair would reach at least her waist, though it might end up quite a bit longer. There would be no cut of any kind, outside of the occasional slightest of maintenance trims until at least her senior year, and even then, she found it unlikely. Her teal streak would no longer be just a streak. Eventually, it would cover her entire head. She wanted long, glorious teal hair, and nothing would prevent that from happening. She would study how to care for it and learn to style it herself. She was a long-haired girl now and needed to fully embrace it.
So, when Madison showed up to the meeting in a T-shirt and pajama bottoms, no one was phased. However, her hair caused a bit of a stir. It was almost always in a ponytail or whatever style Melissa had created for her, so many of her teammates had never even seen her hair worn down. Until now. She did have a headband, but otherwise her hair was straight and in immaculate condition.
Finally, there was Jazmine. She was still bald and not entirely thrilled by it, but she had accepted it. Jazmine was a bit of a mystery. She was a good teammate and cheerleader and could always be counted on to help with whatever needed to be done but otherwise kept to herself and did not interact with her teammates much. She seemed reluctant to share with them and was always just sort of there but easily blended in.
Once the team was gathered, Anna got ready to start the meeting. Coach Emma arrived, clad in her cheer jacket over a sports bra and athletic shorts, and sat down on the couch closest to the entryway.
“Hey everyone. Welcome back. I’m going to keep this brief.” Anna had a smile plastered across her face. “The first and most important thing, is um…” Anna turned back towards Coach Emma.
“I’ll take this, Anna.” Coach Emma replied as she stood up and headed to the middle of the room. “Well, I guess the easiest way to say this is, we have a new member to welcome to the team. Well, she’s actually an old member. Someone many of you are familiar with.” Emma paused. “I’m taking on an assistant. As you all know, our popularity has grown immensely. Our program is expanding and we’re creating a greater presence on campus and around the community. I’m still your coach and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. Anna is your captain, and she’s been doing a great job, and I look forward to her continued leadership through the rest of this semester and beyond.”
The team looked on, hanging on to every word. They sensed something huge was coming but had no clue what was about to be said.
“So, with that mind…” Emma continued, “I’d like to introduce the newest member to our staff, Coach Jacqueline!” Emma turned toward the entryway and flared her arms, as Jacqueline walked into the room.
Jacqueline was glowing. She entered the room with a huge smile, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, and waving both her hands in front of her. Her short spiky pixie cut, which she had now had for about a month, was freshy dyed its fiery red color and styled to perfection.
“Hey everyone! I’m super excited to rejoin the team – officially.” She laughed, “But please let’s go with ‘Coach Jackie.’ Jacqueline feels way too formal.” She brushed her hand across her hair, which she was totally used to and felt completely natural. “I’ve always gone by Jackie my entire life all through college and cheering. It seems only right that I keep that up. Save ‘Jacqueline’ for my day job.” Jackie giggled. “Emma’s right though, I’m not here to step on toes and I will always cede judgment to Emma and Anna, or whoever the captain is. I’m just here for extra support and guidance. I’ll be at most of your practices, all of your games and competitions, and I’ll be spearheading some other extra circular activities. I’ve got all the fun stuff and Emma will continue with all the boring administrative stuff.” Jackie chuckled as she looked over at Emma.
“Yeah,” Emma laughed uncomfortably.
Emma and Jackie had a rocky history. Emma had beat out Jackie for the captaincy going into Jackie’s Senior year. Jackie was friendly and popular with the upperclassmen, but Emma had become friends with the freshmen and those are who got to vote. Jackie had to admit though, that Emma made for a great captain and the team improved a lot under her leadership. For all Jackie could tell, Emma made a seamless transition to coach and was now excelling at that as well. Jackie was very excited about this new phase and looked forward to being part of the team again.
Melissa squealed in delight. “That’s so great!” She bounced out of her seat and ran over to hug Jackie. “I still can’t believe how amazing your hair looks!”
“And I still can’t believe you have none!” Jackie replied, as she reached up and rubbed her friend’s bald head. The two laughed before Melissa returned to her seat.
“Anyway…” Anna tried to take back control of the meeting. “We’ll start back up early tomorrow morning. We’ll go easy and just walk through the routine a few times. After that though, expect the intensity to pick up. As you all know, we have a bye for the first round of the competition this year, but that only means more time to practice and get it perfect.” Anna smiled as her words sunk in. This was a real test of her leadership. She had done well enough so far, but she never saw herself as a taskmaster. However, that was exactly the kind of role she’d have to take on, if the team was to succeed.
There were a few more quick announcements before the meeting wrapped up, though the team was slow to disperse as there were many side conversations and a lot of catching up with each other. Heather was as popular as ever, as many of the girls needed to discuss their hair plans with her and decide on the best course of action.
THE LIFE OF A POOR COLLEGE STUDENT
Helen had screwed up and she knew it. She had planned to get a haircut over the break, she just never bothered to fit it in. Now, she was back on campus, and her hair desperately needed some care. The shy freshman’s wavy brunette hair fell halfway down her back. It had always been long her entire life. She always looked after it but wasn’t always the best at fitting in haircuts. She was also dirt poor and stuck on campus. Her hair wasn’t in bad shape, but it was overdue for a trim. She had heard there was a new barbershop on campus. While the very idea terrified her, she had heard they served all. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, besides she was getting desperate.
Helen’s plan was to scope it out, see if she could get a consultation, and find out a price point. If she felt good about it, then she’d let them cut her hair. If not, she’d just leave and figure something else out. But she knew her options were limited, so she planned to go through with it. As she approached the shop, she noticed a sign out front that advertised a new promotion. “ROLL THE DICE, GET A FREE HAIRCUT!” She wasn’t exactly sure what that entailed, but it was hard to argue with FREE. She combed her fingers through her hair. How bad could it be? This was her best opportunity to deal with her hair, and she could barely afford a regular haircut anyway. She took a deep breath. Okay, she’d give it a try. She pushed open the door and walked inside.
The bell rang as the door opened. Nikki looked up from her desk. Jessie and Janie, both sitting in their chairs awaiting customers, turned towards the door. Helen slowly walked through the threshold and examined her surroundings. After she saw Nikki’s liberty spikes and Jessie and Janie’s bald heads, she almost turned right around and walked out. A moment later, she let the door close behind her as she headed towards the desk.
“Um, hi, I’m here for a, um, ah, a -” Helen struggled to get the word out, as she nervously played with her hair.
“A haircut, dear?” Nikki helped finish her sentence.
“Um, yeah,” Helen whispered, nodding her head slowly. “I have an appointment with Heather.”
Nikki took a quick glance at the appointment book. “Helen? Sure do. You can have a seat over there. Heather will be with you shortly. You’ll be in the back room.”
“Oh, okay…” Helen gulped, as she slowly turned toward the bank of chairs against the wall. She took two steps and then quickly turned back towards Nikki. “Um, I noticed the sign about the free haircut –”
“Roll the dice, get a free haircut?” Nikki confirmed, “That’s actually a new promo Heather came up with. It just started today. You’d actually be the first to take advantage. Is that what you want?”
“I – I – I, um, I don’t know. Maybe? What’s involved?” Helen nervously looked between Nikki and the two other girls, as she continued to play with her hair. “I’ve really never done much with my hair before, but I don’t want to be bald.” She turned towards Jessie and Janie. “Um, no offense. You both look great, but it’s not for me.”
Jessie and Janie both looked at each other and laughed. “None taken.” Janie giggled. “Ya know, my hair used to be longer than yours.”
“Oh, wow.” Helen’s nerves were showing, and she was starting to have serious doubts about sticking around… yet she found herself slowly heading back to the chairs. “Do you miss it?” she asked as she sat down.
“Nope.” Janie smiled as she hopped out of her chair and headed towards Helen. “Not at all. I’ll never grow it long again.” She rubbed her head as she sat down next to Helen. “To be clear, it’s not always like this, but even when I do grow it, it stays nice and short.”
“Me too, I usually have a nice short platinum, pixie fade. It can give the illusion of a bald head, but it’s not.” Jessie echoed as she, too, got out of her chair and sat on Helen’s other side.
“Don’t worry, though. Heather is amazing. She’ll never do anything that you don’t want.” Janie consoled.
“Wha – What’s the – the dice roll, though?” Helen was still incredibly nervous, but she was willing to do what was needed for a free haircut.
“You’ll have to discuss the specifics with Heather… but essentially you roll a die, and each number represents something different. You get whatever style you roll.” Nikki explained. “That’s the best description I can give you, but Heather will give you more details.”
“Oh, okay.” Helen realized that she would possibly lose a bit more length than she was used to, but looking at the others in the shop, she seriously questioned if she could even get any kind of cut at all.
After a few more minutes, Madison emerged from the back room with a huge smile on her face. She was in a simple T-shirt and leggings. Her hair had been freshly trimmed, and she wore it down in a voluminous blowout. Her teal streak now ran from her upper temple to the middle of her ear and would probably not be a “streak” much longer. Janie and Jessie both got up and walked over to Madison, complementing her. Suddenly, Helen felt a bit better. There was someone with such long hair, almost as long as hers. She breathed in and out a few times, before she got up and headed over to the trio.
“Hi, I’m Helen. I’m –” Helen had reached her hand out to Madison.
“Helen, this is Madison. She’s one of our teammates.” Janie chuckled. “Heather’s in the back. I’m sure you can go back any time you’re ready.”
“Oh, okay.” Helen said softly as she lowered her hand. She started towards the back room. She had butterflies in her stomach, and her heart was racing. Just before she entered the room, she turned back towards Madison. “I love your hair by the way.” Then she took one deep breath and disappeared into the room.
“Thanks, I do too!” Madison shouted back. The statement was true. It was the first time in her life she actually liked her long hair.
NOT A BREAKUP, JUST A BREAK
Melissa was prepared for the worst. She genuinely loved Franklin. Her life had changed so much since they got together, and it was all positive. She would do anything for him, and he spoiled her so much. However, she remembered back to last year during the competition and all the practices when he basically ignored her and didn’t pay any attention to her. At the time, he explained that he didn’t mix business and pleasure. Cheering was the business, and she was the pleasure. She didn’t like the answer but respected it. He was worth the wait, and her patience was rewarded. It had been the best 10ish months of her life, but now that the competition practice had started up again… Surely, things will be different this time. After all, they were together and loved each other… He couldn’t just ignore her, could he?
“You know my terms. Why would you think things would be any different now?” Franklin informed Melissa moments after he presented her with her latest present.
“Because we’re DATING! You’re my boyfriend. I’m your girlfriend. Are you really going to ignore me for the next two months?” Melissa couldn’t believe what she was hearing, as she began to undress.
Franklin shrugged. “And we still will be… AFTER the competition is over.” Franklin jumped into bed and patted next to him, indicating that Melissa should drop the subject and join him. Melissa reluctantly agreed and went down on him. Franklin had a satisfied smile on his face. “Although I suppose I WILL miss this.” Franklin thought for a moment. “Maybe the occasional booty call might be okay…”
Melissa stopped and smiled, looking straight into Franklin’s eyes. “Whatever you want babe. I’m yours to please.”
AGREEABLE GAMBLE
Helen sat silently in the chair. There was a lot to take in. It was a very spacious room. The mirror in front of her was slightly off center, with a curtain hanging next to it. Off in the back corner appeared to be a mini gym. Next to her on the side was a counter with all the usual haircutting supplies, and there was a sink next to that in the back corner. Behind her stood Heather, a short and stunningly beautiful woman. She was dressed the same as the ones in the other room. The uniform was basically a teal bikini top with the shop name and logo branded across the left breast and a white miniskirt. Her hair, what little she had, was a very light blue. Helen shuddered. These girls looked amazing, but she could never part with all her hair. Still, she remained open and listened carefully as Heather explained.
“I have a bowl over there with a bunch of different style options.” Heather began, as she pointed to the bowl on the counter. “I think there’s at least 25 or 30 with every conceivable idea you can think of and more can be added. I also have a die, or dice, depending on the situation, which you’ll roll. Then I do what comes up on the die. So, specifically, the way it works is that you reach into the bowl and pull out a card. Whatever is written on that card gets marked down as an option. Then you pull the next card and so on. You get two rejections, but you have to decide before you pull the next card.” Heather had just finalized the concept earlier that day, so this was her first time fully explaining it to someone.
“You could pull up to eight different cards, so you’ll know the options, but not what number they are assigned. Once you roll, I check the corresponding style, and that’s what you get. Sometimes, additional rolls of the die are needed. But once you roll the die, there’s no backing out or changing your mind.”
Helen listened to every word trying to process all of the information. “And it’s totally free?”
“It is.” Heather replied, “but you’ll be leaving the result to chance.”
“What kind of options are there? Are they all short? I don’t want to be bald.” Helen wanted to try this but still had a ton of questions.
“Most of them are, but not all. It really comes down to how you define short.” Heather played with Helen’s hair. “Your hair is long. I would prepare for it to be significantly shorter, but there are a wide range of options, including a trim. So, it is possible to pull that.”
“I think anything above my shoulders would be short… Maybe too short for me.” Helen revealed. “But I really want to give this a try.”
“Well, I can almost guarantee you that there will be options shorter than that, but there are some longer ones as well, so you could get lucky.”
“Can I see what I pull and change my mind if I don’t like what comes up?” Helen bit her lower lip as she carefully weighed her options.
“Yes. As long as you don’t roll the dice. If you do, you’re committed. Otherwise, if you really don’t like your options, you can back out, and I’ll just give you a regular haircut or whatever else you want.” Heather informed.
“But I have to pay for that, right?” Helen asked and Heather nodded. “But if I roll the dice, it’s totally free?” Heather confirmed. Helen sat still and stared at herself for a minute. Money was really tight, but she also really needed her hair done. She knew what she had to do. She was fairly certain she’d have to go through with it no matter what she pulled. “Okay, I’m in.” Helen tried to smile through the nerves.
Heather walked over to the counter and grabbed the bowl and a pad. She headed back over to Helen and handed her the bowl. Helen took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and reached into the bowl and pulled out a card. She slowly opened it.
“Pixie.” Helen sighed, as she handed the card to Heather. She had already decided she’d keep the first card no matter what. Unless it was bald. That was the one style she definitely couldn’t stomach. She knew there would be some styles she wouldn’t like, but she only got two passes, and she didn’t want to waste them. “Not a great start, but I only have so many rejections.”
Heather nodded as she took the card and quickly jotted its contents on the pad. Helen reached into the bowl and pulled out the next card.
“Lip length bob.” Helen inhaled deeply. This was not off to a great start. She started to doubt her decision and wondered if she could just bolt and forget the whole thing. “Reject,” she finally said, without further hesitation. She handed the card to Heather, who placed it on the counter.
Helen needed a change in fortune fast. She only had one more rejection left and already didn’t like the one style she had okayed. She reached into the bowl and shook it with her hand before pulling out the next card.
“Shattered Lob.” Helen breathed a sigh of relief. Still not ideal, but better than everything else so far. A lob would be a big change, but she thought she could handle it. “Keep!” She said quickly, a little too excited as she handed the card to Heather.
Helen continued to pull cards. The next one said, ‘Cut eight inches.’ That seemed like a lot, and normally it would have sent her running, but she figured her hair was long enough that it would still fall below her shoulders. She never thought she would be happy with the idea, but here she was. She handed the card to Heather.
The next card was ‘Chin length bob.’ Back to the short styles, but at least it was a bit longer than the lip length bob. She knew there would be some short ones in the mix. She sighed as she handed it off to Heather. So far, she had pulled five cards, four she accepted and one she rejected. She reached into the bowl again.
“Bowl Cut…” Helen read softly, as her voice trailed off. She wanted to cry, this was too difficult. This was definitely not something she wanted, but she only had one more rejection left and two more pulls. She sat and stared at the card in silence.
“Tell you what…” Heather could tell Helen was struggling. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give you one more rejection, so three in total. But you have to commit to go through with it, no matter what.”
Helen looked up at Heather. “So, I can reject this and still get another one? But I can’t back out if I do?”
“Yes. So, it’s essentially six out of nine, instead of six out of eight.” Heather confirmed, “but committed to go through with it regardless of what the next cards say. No backing out.”
“And I have to decide now?”
“Yes.” Heather nodded. “If you reject that card and tell me you want another, you’re committed to follow through. But you can also stick with the original plan.”
Helen understood the arrangement. It was definitely a risk. But no matter what she did, it would be a risk. She was not a risk taker. She was starting to second guess rejecting the lip length bob, but she couldn’t go back. She nervously combed her fingers through her hair. Her beloved hair. But it was just hair, there were worse things. She sighed, as she handed the card to Heather. “Okay, I’ll agree. This one’s out, but I’m in.” For better or for worse she was committed. She was not a risk taker… Until now. Her hair would pay the ultimate price. So be it. Let the adventure begin.
Helen reached into the bowl and pulled the next card. She opened it. “Buzzcut.” Without hesitation she quickly handed it to Heather for the rejection pile. She was thankful she had the extra pass but also knew she was stuck with whatever the last two cards were. No point postponing the inevitable. The next card caused her to smile. “One inch trim.” This was the best card yet. Under normal circumstances, a one inch would have been a lot. In this case, she would have given anything to only lose an inch. She gleefully handed the card to Heather. She took a deep breath. This was the last card. The bonus card. Helen opened the card and gasped. She couldn’t believe the word on the card.
“Bald.” Heather remarked as she looked over Helen’s shoulder.
Helen reluctantly handed the card to Heather as she buried her head in her hand and tried not to sob. It had to be that one. She had almost made it. Worse, it was the ‘extra’ card. She wouldn’t have even drawn the card if she stuck with the original plan. As her hair fell in front of her, she did the thing she wished she had done earlier. She grabbed at her hair and tucked it up. She tried to see how she might look if her hair ended at her lips. It didn’t matter, that was no longer an option for her.
“I almost made it.” Helen replied, dejected. “Please, please, please don’t shave me head.”
“It’s out of my control…” Heather replied sympathetically. “It depends on how you roll the die. Each option has a one in six chance.”
“So, it’s all on me.” Helen tried to recover and accept her fate, whatever it may be.
“You’re going to roll two dice. The first one will determine which haircut you end up with. The second one will decide your bangs.”
“Bangs!” Helen exclaimed in surprise. “You never mentioned anything about bangs.”
“Not directly, I suppose.” Heather admitted, “but it was one of the additional options I said could come into play depending on what styles you picked. We’ll hold off on the third roll, though.”
“Third? What would that have been for?” Helen asked as she looked in the mirror, trying to picture herself with bangs. It proved nearly impossible, since she had no idea what the rest of her hair would look like.
“Color.” Heather stated. “We could change it, but I think you have enough to process already.”
“Oh, yes.” Helen exhaled. “Please I’d like to keep my color the same.”
“Ready?” Heather reached out to Helen and handed her two dice.
“I suppose.” Helen reached for the dice and shook them in her hands, as she exhaled. Then she dropped them and watched them roll before they came to a stop on a six and a four. She had no clue what that meant though. If Heather had listed the options in order, she would either leave with a chin length bob or bald. She had never prayed so hard to end up with a chin-length bob, but there was a decent chance they weren’t in order. That meant any of her picks were still in play. She sat back in the chair. There was nothing she could do now. So, she might as well try to enjoy the experience.
INQUIRING MIND
“Seems we’re headed in opposite directions.” Tabitha declared. Tabitha was sitting at the kitchen table having a snack. Madison had just entered the room.
“How so?”
“Our hair.” Tabitha clarified. “When I got here, it was this long wild lion’s mane that went halfway down my back… But only because it was so curly. If I ever bothered to straighten it, it would have fallen past my waist. Then I chopped it all off, then shaved it. I was bald. Actually BALD.” Tabitha giggled. “It was fun and definitely something I never imagined, but even now it’s still fairly short.” Tabitha reached up and rubbed her buzzed head. “You on the other hand -”
“My hair has only gotten longer.” Madison finished Tabitha’s thought, nodding. “Opposite directions.”
“Yeah, and your hair was always up. A ponytail or whatever style Melissa gave you.” Tabitha continued. “It’s nice to see it down. You have gorgeous hair. Until the other day, I’m not sure I’d ever seen it down.”
“Thanks. Most people haven’t. Outside of Melissa and Heather, I don’t know if anyone else has. I guess that’s changed now.” Madison ran her fingers through the entire length of her hair. “My hair has never been this long. I never liked it long before, but now…”
“You look amazing, Madison. I can understand your feelings. If I had hair like yours, I might have been reluctant to cut it as well.”
“Thanks, Tabitha. I really, really like it, and I think I’m past the hard part now. I always hated my hair long, so I wore it short. When I decided to grow it out, I had no real purpose or direction. It was kind of shocking when I first got here. I saw this entire team with short or even no hair. Then when you and Jazmine cut yours… I almost caved. I almost decided it wasn’t worth it. Almost. That’s when I added this teal streak.” Madison pointed to the shock of teal hair that ran down her mane.
“It looks great. You’re really beautiful. I hope you continue to wear it this way,” Tabitha encouraged.
“Oh, I will. Like I said I had no goal, but I do now. I want my hair past my waist. Like really, really long. And eventually I want all my hair to be teal. Through at least my Senior year.” Madison informed Tabitha as she sat down across from her.
“Wow, then what?” Tabitha inquired.
“I don’t know. I have to see where things are at. There’s a chance I may cut it or do something before I graduate. But there’s also a strong possibility that I won’t.” Madison admitted. “I haven’t gotten quite that far yet. It’s three years from now. So, until then at least I’m 100% a long hair gal.” She smiled at the thought.
SHOCKING RELEIF
Helen still had no idea what kind of haircut she would have when she left, and Heather had pulled the curtain over to cover the mirror. As much as the idea initially terrified her, now that it was happening it was actually kind of thrilling. After her hair was washed, she sat back down, and Heather combed her hair out. When Heather grabbed her scissors, Helen breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed unlikely she would end up bald.
As Heather snipped off Helen’s hair somewhere around her shoulders, Helen had mixed feelings. The one-inch trim was out, but she was well prepared for that. However, she also ruled out the pixie. If that was the choice, Heather would have cut her hair much shorter. She also used a similar logic on the chin length bob. She wasn’t totally confident but felt it unlikely. So, there were two options left: cut eight inches or the shattered lob. She was okay with either one. She reasoned that Heather probably started with the eight inches, so if she lost much more, she’d be getting a lob. She still had no idea about the bangs, though.
Heather continued to work her magic. She sectioned out layers in Helen’s hair and clipped up the top ones, Helen surprisingly felt more relaxed. This was not how she expected to start her semester, but such was the life of a poor college student. She was at peace with whatever happened. She felt the comb against her neck and realized she was losing more of her hair. This seemingly took ‘cut eight inches’ off the table. However, was chin length bob still in play? It didn’t seem like it was quite short enough though.
Heather gentle pushed Helen’s head down as she continued to snip at her hair. This was all new to Helen. She looked down at the floor and saw the huge pile of hair – her hair – grow. She had no idea what the end result would be, but it seemed fairly certain her hair was going to be short. At least to her. She just hoped she’d be able to care for it. With her long hair, she usually just wore it down and natural, she didn’t have to do much with it. She hoped that would still be the case for this new cut. She got this haircut for free, but if it caused her to need to invest in a lot of new products, then it would defeat the purpose. Her main wish at this point was that her attempt to save money wouldn’t end up costing her more money and sacrificing all her hair.
Heather kept cutting. Helen sat still as her hair continued to fall and the pile on the floor got larger and larger. That was a lot of hair. Helen didn’t even realize she had that much hair. Her hair didn’t even FEEL like it was getting shorter. Best she could tell, her hair still seemed to fall around her shoulders, probably just above it. Her hair had never been that short before. She’s not sure she was fully prepared for it to be that short when she woke up this morning. After all, she just planned to get a trim. Until she saw that sign. That sign changed everything. Hopefully, for the better.
Heather made her way around the chair and now she stood directly in front of Helen. Heather combed out the hair in front of her face and continued to cut it off. This hair seemed quite a bit shorter than the rest. These must be the bangs. She had never had bangs before, but then she had never done anything like this before.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Heather appeared to be finished. Time seemed to stand still yet fly by at the speed of light. Helen just sat as she took it all in. There was a moment, before the reveal, where she doubted what had just happened. The anticipation was killing her. She wanted to like it, no matter what, but expected a huge adjustment. Heather reached out to Helen and grabbed her hand, helping her out of the chair. She then guided Helen over to stand in front of the mirror, while she made her way over to the mirror. It was time for the big reveal.
“Any questions, before I pull back the curtain?” Heather asked.
“One, that I’m not sure you’ll answer, but I imagine I’ll have more once I see it.” Helen smiled with excitement. As nervous and concerned as she was, she felt positive about the experience.
Heather pulled back the curtain and allowed Helen to observe the image in front of her. As much as Heather enjoyed the styling process, this was her favorite part: the payoff, the reveal. Watching the realization cross their faces as they adjust to what they are seeing.
Helen couldn’t believe it. She thought she was prepared, but she wasn’t. The person that stared back at her in the mirror could not possibly be her, except it was. She smiled as she reached her hand up and played with her new hair. It was a very heavily layered lob. The longest pieces fell just above her shoulders, while the shortest pieces stopped just below her chin. Her waves were voluminous with a lot of body and swing. Her new curtain bangs started just above her eyebrows and ended at the middle of her ear. She had never looked so good. Who knew a simple die roll could be so transformative? It worked out pretty well in this case.
“Wow.” Helen silently mouthed as her jaw dropped. It was all she could manage at the moment.
“Pretty amazing, right?” Heather responded. She had even impressed herself with the outcome. “So, you rolled a six which is where I wrote down, the Lob.” Heather showed Helen the pad which had Lob in the sixth spot. Helen looked at the rest of the list. #4 – BALD. “I was never going to shave your head. I wouldn’t have done that to you.” Heather explained, after noticing Helen glance at the rest of the pad, “But – gotta play by the rules.”
“So, is that why I rolled two dice?” Helen questioned, “as backup? What if I rolled two fours?”
“Well, yes and no. There were several options for your bangs, including none at all. But since I never indicated which die was which or what the bang options were, I did have a little leeway.”
“Good call.” Helen grinned, as she swiped at her bangs and played around with them.
“I’m glad you approve.” Heather walked towards Helen, “You missed the best part though.” Heather reached for Helen’s bangs and pushed them back, so they blended in with the rest of her hair. She looked in the mirror to gauge Helen’s reaction, who nodded smiling. She then took the bangs and rearranged them. She pulled them forward, so that they fell across her eye, in a ‘Peek-a-boo’ style. Helen’s mouth dropped open as she started to giggle. She had never had so much fun with her hair, and this was only the beginning.
“That’s awesome.” Helen enthused. She scrunched her hair with her hands and turned her head. She laughed as her hair swung freely with the moment. “My hair’s never done that before.” She noted the volume and how much more bounce and body her waves seemed to have. “I’m not used to all this.” She was almost overwhelmed, but in a positive way. Her biggest concern now was how she would maintain it and make it look this good all the time.
“Your hair was long, flat, and all one layer.” Heather pointed out, “None of that is true anymore.”
“I love it.” Helen turned towards Heather and offered a big hug. “I was just looking for a free haircut. I never dreamed my hair could look this good.”
“You’ve got an amazing head of hair. It was a pleasure working on you.” Heather admitted. “I hope this isn’t the last time.”
“Me too!” Helen continued to play with her hair. If she had her way it definitely wouldn’t be, but she would still have the same problem she had this time. “But I probably can’t afford to come here as often as we’d both prefer.”
“I understand.” Heather walked over to the counter and wrote out something on a piece of paper. She walked back to Helen and handed her the paper. “Maybe this will help. It’s a coupon that’s good for 50% off.” Heather made sure Helen looked her directly in the eye for the next part. “Good on anything and everything I provide. And it’s valid for the next six weeks.”
“Six weeks!” Helen exclaimed. She loved this new look and wanted to make it work, but she was used to going several months between visits.
“Six weeks. Do you want to keep that hair looking sharp?” Helen nodded. “Unfortunately, that’s the one downside.” Heather paused for a moment, “To be clear, I’ll take you any time you want. You can come back whenever you like. That’s your choice. The coupon is valid for six weeks.”
Helen understood, she admitted that it was fair. They chatted for several minutes as they discussed care routine and styling options. Once she was satisfied with what she learned, Helen headed out of the back room. Heather quickly cleaned up and headed out herself, she had to get to practice and didn’t want to be later than she already was.
AMBITIOUS FLYING
The cheer team was gathered in the gym for their first official competition practice. It was a simple run-through for a very complex routine. The team were the National Champions last year and Anna felt the pressure to deliver something worthy to defend their title with. She spent the bulk of her break studying routines and finding ways to highlight every girl’s strength. It was difficult and would require a lot of work, but she trusted the girls and knew they could do it. She worked tirelessly with Coach Emma over the past week, refining all the details, and now she was excited to unveil the routine to her teammates.
There was a particularly high expectation placed on the team’s flyers, Melissa, Heather, and Tabitha. As a former flyer, she knew exactly what she was asking and it was a lot, but she knew they’d be able to handle it. She was especially happy to have Coach Jackie around to help out.
Jackie was happy to be there. As she walked into the gym, such fond memories flooded back to her. Seeing the entire team gathered reminded her of all the time she spent there bonding with her teammates. Of course, one major difference was that now there wasn’t a ponytail in sight. She reached up and felt her own head and chuckled. If only her college-aged self saw the current version of herself. Wait, why were there no ponytails? Where was Madison?
“Hi, Coach Jackie!” A voice called out from behind her.
Jackie turned towards the voice. It was Madison and her ponytail. She hurried along to join the rest of the group. Jackie breathed out. That was better. She quickly darted into the locker room, so she could change into something more comfortable and more appropriate for the location
.
Anna divided the team into three groups. She had the flyers off to the side. Once the routine started, their feet would barely touch the floor at all until the routine was done. Stamina was their key. The second group was the support group. This consisted of the bases, Shandra, Janie, and Kathy, plus the guys who would be included next week. The final group were the dancers. They would lead the routine, that most closely allied which their traditional sideline cheers, and serve as the “distraction” in between the stunts by the flyers.
Anna walked the team through the routine. They all agreed it was bold. It was one of the most challenging routines they had ever done, but they all agreed it would be one of the most epic performances ever if they could pull it off. Everyone was on board and agreed to do whatever needed to be done to make it happen.
“Double our run?” Tabitha approached Heather as they wrapped up the practice.
“I’ll probably try to increase my gym time as well.” Heather nodded. It would be a tough couple of months. She was already stretched pretty thin, and time was a precious commodity, but she didn’t want to let anyone down. Thankfully, she would devote extra time to things she already greatly enjoyed. It’s not like she needed an excuse to work out more or harder, but she planned to take full advantage of it.
“I’ll try to join you on that.” Tabitha informed. “If you don’t mind of course. We should probably try to recruit Melissa as well.”
Heather laughed. “Good luck with that.”
ANNIVERSARY SURPRISE
Morning always comes early for Heather. It seemed to be even earlier lately. She had taken on a lot, her sleep suffered, but she never had trouble getting up in the morning as she always looked forward to her morning run. The fact that it was even earlier than usual only meant that she would be able to run further, which was never a bad thing. Heather exited her room and headed down the hall to check on Tabitha, who was quick to leave her own room only seconds later. She turned to walk towards Heather, who stopped dead in her tracks.
“Hey, um… did you forget something?” Heather inquired.
“No, I don’t think so.” Tabitha answered. “What am I missing?”
“Your shirt?” Heather replied.
Every day when Heather and Tabitha went for their run, it was the same. Heather would wear a sports bra and some variation of sweat shorts or athletic shorts. In fact, between her cheer uniform, the barbershop uniform, and her gym clothes, Heather was rarely more clothed than that. Tabitha tended to be a bit more covered up. She usually wore a T-shirt on their runs and at practices. So, when Tabitha emerged from her room in just a dark blue sports bra, Heather noticed.
“Don’t need it.” Tabitha said matter-of-factly.
“Well, you’ve never needed it.” Heather retorted.
“True, which is why I probably won’t wear one as much anymore.” Tabitha sighed. She wanted to just run, but she feared a full explanation would be demanded. “Can we just go?” Tabitha brushed past Heather and started towards the stairs.
Heather wasn’t one to pry, and since she wanted to head out anyway, Heather just followed her teammate down the stairs and out the door. Heather and Tabitha pushed themselves. They raced each other and enjoyed each other’s company. They truly had become friends.
As the two friends came back into the house, giggling and laughing, they were greeted by an unexpected teammate.
“I was just on my way over to the shop to see you.” Melissa, in a T-shirt and pajama pants, greeted them as she headed down the stairs.
“Oh, Melissa, we don’t end at the shop anymore.” Heather informed.
“Yeah, see? Hair.” Tabitha pointed at her head, laughing. “I’m not getting my head shaved anymore.”
“Oh, well, speaking of –” Melissa began.
“You want me to shave you.” Heather finished. “Don’t I usually? What’s with the special early request?”
“You don’t remember?” Melissa asked. “Today isn’t just any day.”
“It’s Thursday…?”
“It’s also a year ago tonight, when you first shaved my head.” Melissa smiled as her hand grazed across her bald head. “Completely changed my life and I haven’t regretted it a second since.”
“Congrats. Are we celebrating?” Heather sighed, already knowing what was coming. “Nevermind, I already know the answer. Let’s go.” She turned back towards the front door.
“Mind if I tag along?” Tabitha figured it might be a good time to discuss some kind of plan to help them all improve their stamina and prepare for the competition.
“This IS your present by the way, just in case that wasn’t clear.” Heather stood over Melissa, with the shaving cream in her hands about to lather her head. “I gave you life, if that’s the analogy we’re going with, so I think I’m good.”
“I’ll accept that.” Melissa grinned, knowing she didn’t really have a choice. She looked over at Tabitha.
“Actually, Melissa, there was something we wanted to discuss with you.” Tabitha began. “This routine we have, it’s pretty intense.”
“I know, right? Ugh, it’s gonna be so much work.” Melissa agreed.
“Yeah, well, stamina is key.” Tabitha continued. “So, Heather and I were thinking…”
“That we should all shave our heads to help with the aerodynamics?” Melissa continued. “I mean I’m already there. I’m assuming it’s not an issue for you, Heather.” Melisa turned towards Tabitha, “But what do you think?”
“Well, that’s certainly a possibility… But we thought that you should join us on our run every morning. We’ve already increased our route.” Tabitha continued, “and I’m gonna try to join Heather as much as I can on her other workouts. We don’t want to let the team down.”
“Are you serious?” Melissa rolled her eyes. “No, I think I’m good. Thanks for the offer though.”
“Well, we could end our runs here, and then I could get you both in for a shave before we go about our day.” Heather interjected. “It would actually help me out, to not have to ty to fit you in elsewhere. You know how packed my schedule is already.”
That gave Melissa pause. There was nothing she enjoyed more than getting her head shaved. She was open to anything that benefitted her shaves.
“If you join us every day, I’ll shave my head again for the competition.” Tabitha bargained with Melissa. She hadn’t planned to shave her head again so soon but didn’t mind if it was for the team. “Not right away. But I promise it will be done for the competition. The three bald flyers.” She smiled.
“So, I have to get up early and run with you every day, but you only have to shave your head once? That doesn’t seem fair.” Melissa pouted.
“I could just stop shaving your head altogether…” Heather let the statement seem like a threat, and to Melissa, it probably was. “I assume you want a second pass?”
“You play dirty!” Melissa complained. “Ugh, fine. I’m in.” She sighed. “Am I supposed to dress like both of you as well?” Suddenly, she turned towards Tabitha. “Wait a minute! What’s going on? You don’t usually dress this way. Where’s your shirt?”
“You can wear whatever you want.” Heather answered as she made her way over to the counter to lather her hands again, as she prepared for Melissa’s second pass. “Yeah, Tabitha… spill.”
“Alright, fine.” Tabitha sighed. “First off, I’m not some prude. I have no body issues or anything like that. I know I look good. Our uniforms are amazing. I wear bikinis. I LOVE bikinis. I practically live in them during the summer at the beach. It’s really not a big deal, but it’s because of my sister. She’s my sister and I love her, but we are so different in so many ways. Sometimes, I go out of my way to prove I’m not like her and ultimately, it’s me who suffers.”
Heather and Melissa both looked at Tabitha, intrigued but also confused. They urged her to elaborate.
“My sister uses her body as a weapon. She flaunts it. She shows off. Her boobs practically spill out of most of the tops she has. Somehow, she’s found a way to accentuate her hair in a way that only brings more attention to the rest of her body. I’m not like that.”
“I love your sister. She inspired me. I used to dress like that, with barely any clothing. I have no chest though, so I had to get creative.”
“Yeah, well…” She looked over at Heather who studied Tabitha’s every word. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re different. You’re not weaponizing you’re body, Heather. You show it off and you don’t wear a lot, but you’re just being you. You’re comfortable and don’t draw any extra attention to yourself. That’s the difference.” Tabitha explained. “THAT’s what I was missing.”
“Thanks?” Heather wasn’t entirely sure how she was supposed to react or respond.
“No, it’s positive.” Tabitha smiled as she got up and hugged Heather. “The fact that you’ve inspired me. The fact that I’m dressed like this right now.” Tabitha laughed as she displayed her body. “This is because of you. Practically everyone on the team walks around the house in their underwear. They just wear sports bras to practice. Honestly there’s no reason for any of us to wear more than that. Half the team even walks around campus and attends classes in short crop tops and exposed midriffs. AS THEY SHOULD, by the way.”
Heather and Melissa hung onto every word.
“That was never me, though. Until now. I was so concerned about the shadow of my sister I wasn’t being myself. I wasn’t doing what was best for me! I’ll tell you one thing I have over my sister.” She smiled widely as she brushed her hand over her head. “My sister would rather die than cut her hair. Even a little. And honestly, if there was ever a doubt… after today’s run, I’ve never felt better. I’ve never been more energized or inspired. I’m not saying this is all just because I choose not to wear a shirt but, the worry is gone.” She exhaled. She actually felt even better about herself after explaining her new philosophy.
“Wow, Tabitha. That’s a really good outlook.” Melissa was impressed. She liked Tabitha’s sister, Tanya, but she also admired Tabitha. She was dreading her new morning commitment but was also oddly inspired by it.
“Okay, Melissa, you’re all set.” Heather toweled off Melissa’s head and then sprayed the oil.
“Thanks, Heather!” Melissa got out of the chair, smiling. She indicated to Tabitha that she should take her place.
“I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.” Tabitha smiled back, satisfied by Melissa’s commitment and relieved about her revelation. She may strive to differentiate herself from her sister, but she definitely shared her sass.
CHEERLEADER DOWN
Melissa didn’t like it, but she was ready when Heather came to her door the next morning. The three flyers took their role seriously. Melissa didn’t complain and did her best to keep up but she was no match for Heather or Tabitha who would run ahead and then run back and coax her along. They would end at the barbershop where Melissa would get a fresh shave.
Heather loved to work out. Besides the barbershop, the gym was her favorite place to be. It didn’t matter if she was alone or with someone, she was all business. This only intensified with the new routine. She wanted to be in top form, and she was an absolute beast. The gym and the barbershop consumed her life. She was hyper focused and nothing else mattered.
The rest of the team felt the pressure to perform but it was clear the flyers were the focus. Maybe it was trust, maybe it was the fact that Anna was a former flyer, or maybe it was both… but they all felt honored and the rest of the team was devoted to highlighting them.
When the boys showed up, everyone expected Franklin would want to be paired with his girlfriend Melissa. However, he preferred to partner with Heather and Janie, so Melissa would be with Tim and Kathy. That left Tabitha to pair up with Tate and Sandra.
There was a particularly challenging part of the routine that involved the flyers completing multiple flips in a row in the air. They would be reliant on their support to keep them in the air and provide the momentum needed for the multiple spins they were expected to do. The team was divided into three groups so they could practice, with each flyer and support base assisted by two other teammates helping to spot. Coach Emma and Coach Jackie floated between the groups, advising along the way.
All seemed to be going well, until suddenly there was a giant thud followed by screams. Everyone turned in the direction of the noise, only to see a small circle by Melissa’s group. Jackie and Emma both raced over, followed by Anna, then the rest of the team. As Jackie and Emma reached the circle, it parted to let them in. Melissa was sprawled out on the floor wincing in pain.
“What happened!?!” Jackie asked. “Melissa, are you okay?”
Melissa moaned, grimacing as she held her arm. She tried to speak but was in too much pain.
“Just lay still.” Jackie knelt down next to Melissa. “Try to relax. What hurts?”
“Ev – Ev – Everything!” Melissa struggled to get out.
By now the rest of the team had gathered around Melissa and Jackie, gasping at the sight. There were murmurs and chatter amongst the group.
“Call 911.” Jackie directed, “and campus security. Let’s try to make Melissa comfortable.” Jackie took charge and directed various teammates to get towels and water. She also wanted some of the crowd to disperse so that Melissa had some space.
“I already called. They are on the way.” Emma responded. “They said not to move her under any circumstances.”
“This is all my fault.” Anna feared. “I got too ambitious. We weren’t ready for something like this.” Anna struggled to hold back tears. “I’m so, so sorry Melissa.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault.” Tabitha and Heather ran over to comfort Anna. “It’s an amazing routine. It could have happened to any of us.” They guided Anna away and tried to comfort her.
“Isn’t that the point though?” Anna replied. “That looks really bad. What if it was Heather who fell. What if she couldn’t cut hair anymore, or even just for a while?” Anna looked at Heather. “That would affect her livelihood and kill the team’s business.”
“I’d manage.” Heather insisted. “We don’t even know what’s wrong yet. Please don’t blame yourself.”
“Yeah, like I said, we all love this routine. I know for a fact Melissa was really excited about it.” Tabitha added.
“And now, she probably won’t even get to perform it…” Anna broke down. Tabitha and Heather just sat with her and tried to console her.
Jackie stayed next to Melissa and kept her calm. Kathy and Tim were uncontrollably worried, having been right next to her when it happened. Jessie and Jenny and Tate all tried to help comfort them. The rest of the team just did whatever they could to keep calm, as they were all visibly shaken by what had just happened.
A few minutes later, Emma guided the campus security and EMTs over to Melissa. They checked her vitals and carefully moved her onto the stretcher. They carted her away and Jackie followed. She would accompany Melissa to the hospital and stay with her. She’d report back to Emma once she had any information.
“Okay… Obviously, practice is done for the day.” Emma addressed the team. “I know what just happened is shocking and we all want Melissa to be okay, but we can’t do anything else for her right now. So, everyone is dismissed and we’ll reconvene once we know more.”
The team dispersed and tried to shake off what had just happened. Most of the team went off to find something to clear their head. Heather went to work out. That is how she cleared her head. That was her therapy. As devastated as she was about what had just happened, she had too much energy she needed to expel. Tabitha followed her. She was in no mood to work out but wanted to make sure Heather had company and make sure she didn’t overdo anything. Emma waved Anna over to her.
“This is NOT your fault. So, do NOT blame yourself. Accidents happen.” Emma told Anna.
“I know.” Anna sniffled. “But I still feel guilty. I just hope she’s okay.”
“Of course… We all hope she’s okay.” Emma comforted Anna. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She may be out of commission for a bit but, otherwise, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
“What will this mean for the competition?” Anna asked.
“Let’s not worry about that, right now.” Emma replied. “Let’s wait until we know more. I’m sure we can figure something out.”
