A Truly Memorable Class Reunion

Judy, a beautiful hairdresser in her late twenties, was relaxing in her bathtub at home; as she enjoyed the rose-scented and pleasantly warm bath, she washed her chestnut-brown pixie cut with almond-scented shampoo. It suddenly crossed her mind that it was mid-June – exactly ten years since her graduation – and she thought how wonderful it would be to meet up with her old classmates again. Then, a wave of dismay washed over her as she remembered two girls, – Paggy and Mary – friends who had constantly picked on her back in school. In a way, she even owed her current hairstyle to them. Although she had initially believed they were her friends at the start of first grade, it soon became clear they were merely jealous of her great figure and her waist-length, curly, chestnut-brown hair, determined to ensure she didn’t outshine them.

Back then, Paggy and Mary had hair approximately the same length as Judy’s, but theirs lacked the volume and curl of hers. Paggy had reddish-brown hair, while Mary’s was a colorless blonde. The two girls had decided to befriend Judy only to set her up for a fall. Judy had been delighted to befriend the class’s two leading figures right from the start. For a while, everything went wonderfully; they were inseparable and enjoyed the way the boys would constantly stare at them and at their long hair.

Then, one fine day, the girls decided the time had come for some mischief. And they struck up a conversation with Judy.

“Hi Judy!” said Paggy.
“Hi girls! What’s up? What is the plan for today?”
“Listen! We thought that after two months, we ought to seal our friendship with something bold we do together. What do you think?”
“Okay! What kind of bold move would it be?” Judy asked, a bit suspiciously.
“Oh, nothing special, just a simple test of courage and trust. We will go to a hair salon, and the two of us will pick out a hairstyle. Then, to show you are not afraid of scissors – or even clippers – and that you trust us, we will get the exact same cut ourselves, too. So, what do you say?”
“Hmm, I do not know… I love my long hair, but I really want to be friends with you guys because I like you a lot.”
“Look, we totally get it if you are scared. But what is the worst that could happen? Even if we end up with really short hair, it is no big deal; school ends in two weeks, so there will be plenty of time for it to grow back before the next year starts. It is not a matter of life and death – only our hair is at stake.”

Judy remembered how nervous she had been – her mouth went dry, her heart pounded, and for a few moments, she could not even speak. But in the end, she quietly said, “Okay!” She wanted so badly to belong to the cool crowd – no one had ever really noticed her before – and if losing some hair was the price, then so be it. Because, after all, the only thing she could really lose over the matter was her chestnut-brown curly locks.

Meanwhile, she stepped out of the bath and dried herself off, towel-drying her hair as well. She ran her fingers a few times over the nape of her neck – recently shaved short – enjoying the feel of the cropped strands against her skin. She took a dab of her favourite rose-oil hair gel, distributed it evenly through her hair, then picked up her round brush and blow-dryer to style it. As she worked, her thoughts drifted back to that fateful “friendship test”. Everything had started off well, she thought. The shop window of that slightly battered-looking barbershop – where they had gone for the big event – flashed front of her eyes. They had chosen it because it was relatively cheap and far from they school, making it unlikely they would run into any classmates. The distinctive scent of the barbershop also came to mind: a strange mix of of shampoo and aftershave – nothing like the pleasant, powdery floral fragrance she was used to at the salon she visited every six months or so for a trim. With that memory came the image of the shop’s slightly messy appearance: strands of hair in various lengths and colours ranging from ash-blonde through the reddish-brown to ebony black scattered everywhere on the floor and, along with tools and supplies lying haphazardly tables. She found herself hoping they actually knew how to cut hair properly; she certainly did not want to leave looking like a bedraggled mess – the kind of disaster even a professional salon would struggle to fix.

Then, a knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach as her hair was being dried, for memories of that earlier incident came flooding back with crystal clarity. In her mind’s eye, she could see the three of them walking over to the large red styling chair, where the barber was busy tidying up after the previous client and speaking up the moment the girls reached him.

“Greetings, ladies! How can I help you?”
“We would like your help with a haircut challenge,” Mary said with a smile.
“Of course, I would be happy to after all, I am a barber. What did you have in mind?”
“My friend and I have come up with a hairstyle, and we want you to give it to all three of us, starting with Judy. Is that okay?”
“Certainly! I am always happy to style hair for such beautiful ladies. So, what is the first style?” the hairdresser asked, clicking his scissors – a sound that had made Judy a bit nervous back then.
“The first style would be hair cut to the middle of the back, so we all start with the same length,” Mary replied.

Judy let out a deep sigh, holding the hairdryer in her hand, and wondered whether she would have agreed to that scam – masquerading as a “challenge” – had she known what awaited her at the salon or not. The truth was, the girls had wanted to play a mean trick on her out of jealousy. One thing was certain: the experience had radically changed her life. And looking back, it had not turned out in such a bad direction after all, she chuckled to herself. She continued styling the hair while drifting back into her thoughts. She could almost feel the trembling in her legs from that day, the moment she stepped up to the massive leather chair and sat down. She could feel her heart pounding wildly again, just as it had when the hairdresser began the process. He had pinned up her thick, chestnut-brown curls atop her head so he could drape the cape over her. Then he let it down and began to comb it out. Meanwhile, the barber remarked:

“Mam, you have truly beautiful, long, curly hair – the kind one rarely sees. Have you really thought this through taking on this challenge?”
“Yes, of course!” she lied.

As the hairdresser gently combed out Judy’s hair, he took out his scissors and began cutting off Judy’s locks at the middle of her back; they fell to the floor one by one – “snip, snip” – forming an ever-growing pile. All the while, Judy could clearly see the satisfied smiles of Paggy and Mary in the mirror – smiles she attributed to them thinking she was such a cool girl.

Then Paggy, and finally Mary, sat in the barber’s chair, and they too received their own matching haircuts. So, the uniform hairstyle was achieved she thought. Then Mary asked for a shoulder-length cut for all three of them, followed by a short bob with the nape shaved – partly because, at the time, that was considered a very cool, sexy style. It suited Judy remarkably well, and she had grown quite fond of it by the time Mary was finished. Meanwhile, she noticed the girls’ mouths drooping for a split second as they glanced at each other. Then the barber asked:

“Shall we stop here, ladies with a style that is quite fashionable these days or would you like to continue?”

A mischievous smile appeared on Mary’s face – a look Judy took for a sign of high spirits. Then Mary spoke:

“Next, we would like a flat-top cut as the ultimate test.”
“Are you sure? That is a pretty boyish style.” the barber asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

At this point, Judy switched off the hairdryer; memories of the awkward moments she had experienced right there and then came flooding back, making her hands tremble, and she smiled wryly to herself at the happened things. Her thoughts were swept back into the barbershop, and she could almost hear Paggy’s words:

“We certainly are not stopping; otherwise, it would not be a real test of courage. Let’s keep going!” “All right, young ladies, I see no reason why we should not go ahead. Though I think this hairstyle will not suit all of you.”
“I understand, but that is the exciting part!” said Mary.
“Very well, then you are up, miss.” said the hairdresser, pointing to Judy.

Judy vividly remembered how her stomach knotted, her legs began to tremble slightly, and a wave of heat washed over her at that moment. Yet, forcing herself to appear composed, she sat down in the large, battered red chair. A moment later, the cape was draped over her. The next instant, she heard the scream of the clippers and realized a much larger section of her hair was being shaved away than just the nape of her neck. She felt the cold, medium-sized guard against her right ear as it raced upward toward the crown of her head; she saw her shining chestnut locks falling into her lap and felt a few tears spill from her eyes. As soon as the hungry blades reached the top of her head, they swept back down to cut another strip. This continued until the barber reached her left ear. That was when Judy caught Paggy’s and Mary’s strange whispering, along with the broad grins on their faces; her stomach knotted again, for she knew things would not end well – she had seen them whispering like that before, and it always meant they were up to some mischief against someone (often her). Meanwhile, the hairdresser removed the guard and began shaving the hair along the lower hairline at the back of Judy’s head. As Judy looked at herself in the mirror, she noted to herself that she now looked exactly like a boy; she felt disheartened, thinking that no guy at school would want to be friends with her now after all, she knew from experience that most of them went for the kind of girl she used to be, with her beautiful, curly hair cascading down to her waist. Meanwhile, the hairdresser took out his flat-top comb and began shaping Judy’s sergeant hairstyle, working from the right side around to the back and left. Next, the barber moved to the top of her head, creating a prickly, flat-topped style. By this point, Judy was completely dismayed; instead of a beautiful woman, a female figure resembling a Navy major stared back at her from the mirror. Then, the hairdresser spoke.

“All done, my dear!” With that, the hairdresser freed Judy from the cape and turned to Paggy. “Right, miss, you are the next.”
“Oh, no. The thing is, Mary and I have decided we do not want to go through with this hairstyle after all.” Paggy said mockingly, glancing sideways at Mary.
“Well, my dear, it seems to me that these young ladies are not exactly your friends. But I think you passed the test of courage with acquitted herself admirably, as she did not back down from the challenge. I’m proud of you dear! And do not worry about it for a moment, your hair will grow back sooner than you think,” the hairdresser said with a smile.

Meanwhile, as Judy snapped back to the present, her hair was finished; she reflected on the fact that, from then on, she was on bad terms with Peggy and Mary. They had not just tricked her; they had tried to humiliate her in front of others. The girls never missed a chance to tease her about looking like a boy. She sat quietly on one of the dining chairs for a while, but a few minutes later, a smile spread across her face and her mood lifted for the rest of the day. She took out her phone, the school directory of her former classmates, a calendar, and a notebook, and began looking for a weekend to schedule the class reunion. Since the third Sunday promised to be a pleasant early summer day, she chose that date. With that, she took out her list of names and began calling her former classmates. Things went quite well and quickly, and she had some pleasant conversations with a few of them. She deliberately saved Paggy and Mary for last, as she wanted to speak with them at greater length so she could execute her plan for revenge with the maximal care.

Well, the moment has come to put my plan into action, Judy thought. Her stomach tightened a little, and she felt her heart pounding in her throat. But she took a deep breath and pressed the call button. And the phone has began to ring, already.

“Hello!”
“Hi Paggy, it is Judy!”
“Oh! Hi Judy! What a surprise – it has been ages since we last spoke. I thought that after our school days, you would never want to talk to Mary or me again, seeing as we teased you so much back then.”
“It is true what is true, we did not exactly become close friends during those four years. But those school days are long gone! I imagine all three of us have changed a lot since then. Actually, the reason I am calling is to invite you to our 10-year class reunion – it is happening the third Sunday counting from today at 3:00 PM, at our old school. What do you say, Paggy?”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news! But that’s less than two and a half weeks away.”
“Yes, that is true, but I figured that afterwards, a lot of people would be on vacation, making it harder to get everyone together. Can you come?”
“The date works for me, I suppose. It is just that I have so much to do lately, and I am not sure I can get an appointment with my hairdresser – she is incredibly busy this time of year, and she might not have a free appointment for me. Plus, that Sunday happens to be the last one of the month, and well…”

Judy’s heart began to race and a flush of heat washed over her; she knew that a great deal depended on whether or not she could lure Paggy and Mary to her salon before the reunion. “I totally understand you, Paggy! But – get this – life took a turn, and I actually became a hairdresser; I have had my own salon for over five years now. How about I offer to do your hair for free on the Saturday before that Sunday – since we were classmates, after all?” Judy asked with her fingers crossed.
“Wow, congratulations! You have regular clients too, right? Oh, never mind, I am just kidding! Besides, you must be good at it – you were always a great student.”
“Thanks! I will do my absolute best,” she said with a smile, thinking, ‘You will see just how good I am.’
“That is great! Have you spoken to Mary about it, already?”
“No, not yet. I wanted to call you first, and then Mary.”
“That is great! So, is it okay if I talk to Mary and invite her to your salon, too?”
“No, not at all! In fact, thanks for helping with the arrangements. I will see you both on Saturday at 4:00 PM, then we can even have a chat about the old days. I will send the address via text.”
“Alright, thanks! See you Saturday, then. I will let you know if anything comes up.”
“Great! All the best until then. Bye!”
“Bye, Judy!”

After hanging up, Judy spun around in delight; a wide, wicked grin spread across her face as she thought to herself: ‘Now they will find out it does not pay to mess with me.’

The days dragged by for Judy as she waited in a state of excited anticipation to she can revange on girls. Finally, the long-awaited Saturday arrived; she had everything ready by 3 PM, as she did not have many customers that afternoon. Then, a few minutes before 4 PM, the big moment arrived – making her heart race – as the salon door opened and Paggy and Mary stepped into the scene of the upcoming events. Paggy was wearing a simple yet well-tailored, knee-length cornflower-blue dress that complemented her reddish-brown hair, which was tied back in a ponytail. Mary followed Paggy, wearing a longer white dress patterned with large red poppies; her hair – now light brown – was twisted into a small bun at the nape of her neck. Judy stood up and hurried over to the girls.

“Cheerio Judy!” – the two friends greeted her in unison, removing the large, trendy sunglasses they were wearing at the time.
“Hiya! It is great to see you both again after all this time,” Judy said – fibbing a little – as she locked the salon door and slipped the key into her pocket.

For a split second, the girls’ hearts leapt into their throats, wondering what the hell is Judy doing?

“Why did you lock the door?” Mary asked in surprise.
“No special reason; it is just that I was only open until three, and I do not want anyone wandering in uninvited while I am cutting your hair.”
“That is a relief – for a moment there, I thought you were up to some other kind of mischief,” Paggy said.
“Oh, I just want to help you get the right hairstyles for the class reunion, and make sure we are not disturbed by anything else.”
“That is great, because it means we can chat more freely, too,” Mary remarked.

Just then, a middle-aged woman with a long, golden-blonde bob emerged from the back room.

“Let me introduce my colleague, Melissa.”
“Hello! I am Melissa.”
“Hi! We are happy to meet you,” the two girls said.
“Would you like something to drink? I can make coffee, or we have ice tea and orange juice.”
“I will have a coffee,” Paggy replied.
“I would like an ice tea.”
“Melissa will bring those right out for you.”
“I thought you were going to do both our hair,” Paggy said.
“Yes, that is what I thought at first, too. But then it occurred to me that if Melissa helps out, we can finish the styling sooner and maybe even go out somewhere together afterwards.”
“That actually does not sound bad at all! Right, Mary?”
“Yeah, sure, why not?”
“Paggy, would it be okay with you if I will do your hair and Melissa does Mary’s?”
“Mary, what do you think?” Paggy asked.
“It is fine for me,” Mary said with a shrug.

They both settled into the salon chairs; the next moment, capes were draped around them, and the two stylists fastened the capes securely at the center and bottom, too. “Hey, Judy! Why are you strapping this stupid cover over us?” asked Peggy, her voice trembling slightly with suspicion.
“Because I’m so grateful you came to see me – this way, we can finish our test of courage,” Judy said mockingly.
“What?” both women growled.

Visibly agitated, they both tried to break free from the chairs but couldn’t, as Judy and Melissa held them fast. Their faces went completely pale. Peggy’s heart was pounding twice as hard as usual, and she could feel it hammering in her throat; meanwhile, a heavy knot formed in Mary’s stomach, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

“Relax, my dears! If you keep acting up, we will hack into your hair so badly that the only way to fix it will be to shave your heads completely. So, be brave now and sit tight while we work on your new look. Paggy, do you remember the hairstyle you asked for me to get back then, last?”
“Something boyish, right? But surely you do not mean to give us so short haircut? You do not, do you?” Paggy looked at Judy imploringly with dried out mouth.
“Oh, my dears, I remember crystal clear exactly what hairstyle you asked for. It was not just boyish – you ordered a flat top, and I ended up looking like a drill sergeant.”
“Oh, please, not that! I beg you, Judy, do not do this to us. Everyone at the class reunion will laugh at us. I promise we will come back on Monday and you can get your revenge then. Actually we deserve it for letting you down and playing that trick on you. But I suppose you did not mind it all that much, seeing as your hair is still short and boyish now.” – and tear trickled down her cheek.
“Please, Judy, forgive us; we were just such silly young girls back then. We thought you would see the whole thing as a bit of fun,” Mary said in a tearful voice.
“Oh, come on, my dears, do not take me for so naive that I would let you go, hoping you would actually come back so I could give a short haircut,” said Judy with a laugh, “No, I have absolutely no intention of pleasing you. Indeed tonight, you are going to find out exactly what you look like as sergeants. But do not worry, men might actually like you better with short hair. You see, you thought the boys would turn away from me because of my military-style cut, but you were sorely mistaken; after you pulled that stunt on me, more boys asked me a date than before. Let’s get to it, ladies and do not think your tears will move me.”

With that, Judy released the ponytail holding Paggy’s hair and began brushing out her beautiful reddish-brown locks, which fell well below her shoulders. Meanwhile, Melissa let down Mary’s light brown hair – previously pinned up in a bun – which reached the middle of her back when loose, and she began brushing it out, too.

A few moments later, Judy and her colleague finished brushing; almost in unison, they reached for the clippers, snapped on the 1-centimetre guard, and the machines roared to life in their hands.

“No, Judy, please, do not do it! Please forgive us. I do not want to look like a soldier,” Paggy pleaded tearfully, struggling to break free.
“I understand you feel terrible right now, my dear friends, but this is not the time to whine about it; you should not have played that trick on me back then. And if you keep resisting, we will shave your heads completely bald right now!” Judy declared with a faint smile, savoring her planned revenge.
“Alright, just please calm down. You are right, we deserve this, since we did pull that stunt on you.”

Judy did not reply. She simply lifted the first lock of hair from the right side of Paggy’s head, sheared it off with the clippers, placed it in her lap, and immediately moved on to the next long, reddish-brown locks. Meanwhile, Paggy’s heart pounded harder as she watched her transformation in the mirror, knowing her beautiful long hair would soon be gone; she sniffled softly as this realization sank in. At the same time, Melissa was placing one light-brown lock after another into the lap of Mary, who was still sobbing. Judy felt a sense of satisfaction as she saw in the mirror how well both women were progressing through their transformations, and she smiled. Once they had both sheared off the final long locks, they removed the guards from their clippers and began cutting the hair on the right side of the ladies’ heads very short, working their way toward the other side, strip by strip. When that stage was complete, they took out flat-top combs to neaten up the hair on the sides and backs of Paggy’s and Mary’s heads. Then, they retrieved the 2-centimeter guards and attached them to the clippers. Judy pressed her clippers against the center of Paggy’s forehead and moving slowly to enjoy every moment – began pushing the device backward all the way to the nape of her neck. She continued cutting strip after strip into Paggy’s hair with similar relish, watching as fresh tears rolled down the woman’s face – a sight that filled her with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Paggy sank into a state of total apathy as looking in the mirror, she increasingly saw a sergeant staring back at her, and she began to sense just how awful Judy must have felt when faced with a similar situation back in their early school days. Yet, she also thought that Judy had deserved it after all – this way, at least, she could not steal her admirers.

Judy and Mellissa put the finishing touches on the girls’ hair using a flat-top comb. Seeing this, Paggy and Mary began to calm down a little, realizing the nightmare was finally coming to an end. A few minutes later, Judy spoke up with voluptuous delight.

“That step is done.”
“Finally!” the two women said in unison.
“But what do you mean by ‘that step’?” Paggy asked, a bit suspiciously.
“Well, it means we have finished the old trial, and now we are going to do another round to make the evening truly memorable,” Judy said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Both women broke into a cold sweat at her words, wondering what kind of hairstyle their former classmate might have dreamed up for them. They began to shift uneasily in their chairs.

“Have not you tortured us enough?” Mary asked.
“Oh, come on, Mary—I would not say I am torturing you. I am just settling a score. Anyway, stay still! And now, to keep things fair, I will demonstrate on myself the hairstyle we are going to give you, too.”

With that, Judy switched on her clippers and pressed the blades – without a guard – right against the centre of her forehead. Her heart leapt into her throat; she had never been bald before and had no idea what she would look like without any hair. She saw in the mirror that her former classmates had gone completely pale at the sight – and rightly so. Both women were stunned by the reflection staring back at them.

“Are you planning to shave us bald, too?” Mary asked in alarm.
“Oh yes, my dears. You did not go easy on me back in the day, either. And if you put up too much of a fight, I will even slather your heads with hair remover, so your ‘hairstyle’ lasts for a good few weeks!”
“You would not dare!” Paggy exclaimed.
“You think so? Just take a good look at the table. It is all laid out ready.”

At that, the girls fell silent and watched as Judy sheared off the last strips of her chestnut-brown hair. After brushing the cut strands from herself, she spoke to Melissa:

“Let’s continue with the trial, then!”

Then, positioning the blades of their clippers against the centre of the foreheads of the women sitting in the chairs, they began slowly, enjoying every moment – to push the blades back across their heads. Both women burst into sobs as they saw their pale scalps revealed at the crowns of their heads. Yet the weeping did not sway the hairdressers; they diligently sheared one strip after another, steadily growing the sizeable pile of hair accumulating in front of the girls.

At first, Paggy and Mary’s hearts raced with double speed and their stomachs knotted, too. They wondered if they should even go to the meet up, fearing everyone would laugh at them or that they would not dare speak to the boys. But a few moments later, they were simply staring blankly as their heads transformed into completely smooth, bald balls. Then Judy spoke up.

“Ladies, the trial is over!” she said, smiling.
“Great! Would you mind taking the cape off me, then?” Paggy asked.
“Of course, just a moment.”
“I hope you are happy now that we have the same stupid bald heads as you, and that you got your revenge! In another life, we might have even been friends,” Mary remarked.
“I understand you! There are no hard feelings on my part, but I hope you learned something from this.”

Judy and Melissa removed the capes from the women. Then, Judy opened the salon door. The two women left the scene of their humiliation without a word of goodbye, looking offendedly and with their makeup smudged. Judy called out after them:

“Good night, dears! If you like, I would be happy to wrap up your hair so you can take it with you!”

But the only answer she heard was the slamming of her former classmates’ car doors, and she broke into a broad smile. She was satisfied; she had relieved them of their most prized possession.

The next day, Judy arrived at the gathering a bit early so she would not miss the big moment when Paggy and Mary showed up. She did not have to wait long, though by then, almost everyone else had already arrived. Suddenly, she spotted the two women trying to slip unnoticed into their old classroom. She called out to them, drawing everyone’s attention their way.

“Hey, Paggy! What happened to you two? Is being bald the new trend?”

At that, most of the others turned to look at Mary and Paggy, and some started giggling at the sight.

“And how come ‘you are’ not?” Paggy asked, her eyes wide.
“Because, you know, that was part of the paybacking and I was wearing a wig yesterday,” Judy grinned.
“You scumbag!” Mary said.
“That is enough bickering, ladies! You can settle this after the reunion; for now, everyone take your seats so we can get started,” their former homeroom teacher told them.

The girls sat down—albeit a bit reluctantly—and the class reunion began, turning out to be a truly memorable one.

The End!