Enthusiast
This is the second story in the qeue .
hope you enjoy it !
Lily and I had been in the same class since kindergarten, and by the time we reached the fifth grade, one thing about Lily had never changed: her tidy and unmistakable bowlcut. While my waist-length hair became my identity, her sleek and structured hairstyle was her trademark. It wasn’t just a haircut—it was her style, her statement.
She was brilliant in her studies, always securing the top spot in class. Her bowlcut was as much a part of her routine as her organized notebooks. She kept it short and tidy, not wanting her hair to distract her while she studied. You might wonder why she didn’t experiment with other short hairstyles. The answer? It was all about how it felt.
As her best friend, I was privy to her innermost thoughts. She loved how her hair swished in the air, the bounce of the crown, the feel of her bangs brushing her forehead, and the crisp, clean sensation of her closely trimmed nape and sides. Her hairstyle was unique, one of the features that set her apart from the other girls in class.
She sported her bowlcut with pride. The sharp contrast of her trimmed nape and sides beneath the neat top added to her charm, giving her an undeniably cute look. She made it a point to get her haircut regularly, always before it started getting shaggy.
But for the past three months, something unusual had happened—her haircut was long overdue. Her bangs, once perfectly neat, had grown down to her nose. The short hairs on her nape and sides had become puffy, starting to cover her ears. Concerned, I asked her what was going on. She sighed and said, “I just haven’t had the time. The final exams are coming up, and I’ve been so busy studying.”
That day, she asked me if I could go with her to the salon for a trim. “Anything for you,” I replied with a smile.
That evening, we passed by the familiar streets and stopped in front of ‘Cut and Curls’, the unisex salon where she always got her haircut. The salon had a cozy ambiance, with pastel-colored walls, mirrors reflecting the soft glow of warm lights, and the hum of hairdryers in the background. The faint scent of shampoo and styling products filled the air.
The hairstylist, Rita, greeted Lily warmly. She glanced at me and asked, “Are you getting a haircut too?”
I shook my head with a laugh. “Nope, just here to keep her company.”
Rita turned her attention back to Lily and asked, “What are we doing today?”
“I need to get my hair trimmed,” Lily explained. “Short on the sides and back—it’s gotten shaggy and untidy.”
Rita nodded knowingly and led her to the chair. Draping a black cape over her, she began by washing her hair. Watching Rita shampoo and blow-dry her hair, I couldn’t help but admire how shiny it looked under the salon lights.
Once her hair was clean, Rita sprayed water on the crown and began combing it straight. With precision, she picked up her scissors and snipped above Lily’s eyebrows. Snip! The long fringe that had started to cover her eyes was now trimmed into neat, tidy bangs. Rita continued cutting, following the curve of her head from her right ear to the nape and around to the left.
Now that the top of her head looked tidy, Rita moved on to the next step.
She unhooked a pair of black Wahl clippers, attached a number 2 guard, and turned them on. The buzzing sound filled the salon, startling me slightly, but Lily looked calm and even smiled at me through the mirror.
It’s usual for me,” she giggled. “Or rather, I love its hum.” She closed her eyes to enjoy the experience.
Rita tilted her head down and began gliding the clippers from the bottom of her nape upward. The shaggy hair fell away, leaving behind soft, velvety stubble. She worked methodically, trimming the nape and sides until the undercut was clean. Then, she switched to smaller clippers to create sharp, precise lines along the edges.
When Rita finished, she stepped back and asked, “How is it?”
Lily smiled, pleased. “It’s good,” she said.
But as her best friend, I could tell she was holding something back. After some coaxing, she finally blurted out, “It’s good, but with exams coming up, I won’t have time to come back for my next trim.”
Rita nodded in understanding and suggested, “How about doing it clean? Shave the hair beneath your ears and nape so it takes longer to grow back.”
Lily hesitated, startled by the bold idea. But to my surprise, she agreed immediately. “Let’s do it,” she said.
Rita removed the guard from the clippers and turned them on again. This time, the clippers buzzed directly against her skin, removing all the hair on her nape down to bare skin.
Then Rita took out a small, biscuit-like tool (a foil shaver) and explained, “This will get rid of even the tiniest hairs.” Lily was also bewildered this time as this was not only new for me but for her too.
The shaver emitted a sharp hum as she ran it up and down Lily’s nape. The sound was intense, but the result was astonishing—the skin was left smooth, as if no hair recited there. Rita repeated the process on the sides, ensuring the undercut was perfectly clean.
Finally, Rita blow-dried her hair one last time and removed the cape. The fluffy, bouncy top fell naturally over the smooth undercut. Lily couldn’t stop touching her nape and sides, marveling at how light and soft it felt. She swished her hair back and forth, enjoying the sensation of the fluffy top against her fingers and the sleek smoothness of her nape.
OIG2.47ExF4IsHi5USojuQpon (1024×1024)
As we left the salon, she turned to me with a wide smile. “Thanks for coming with me. I wouldn’t have done this without you.” Now i would be able to concentrate on my Studies ..
I grinned and replied, “That’s what best friends are for.”
Walking home, I realized how much I admired her confidence and individuality. She wasn’t just my best friend—she was the girl with the bowlcut who owned her unique style with pride.
