wozziewoo
Here’s the next chapter in the ongoing saga of our favorite cheerleaders.
As always, for anyone new, or for those needing a recap, please find a link to the previous installment.:’
Here’s the link to Chapter 1 of this Volume:
For anyone looking to start from the beginning, here is the link to the final chapter of Volume One, from there please finds links to all previous chapters:
https://www.hairstorynetwork.com/stories/the-start-of-something-new-mission-accomplished/
******* Once again, for anyone that wishes to discuss any aspect of this story further or talk anything hair, please feel free to message me. I’m always willing to chat and love corresponding with people. *******
So now, the latest installment.
Role Reversal
That Friday night, Evan returned to the house. He was there for the usual Friday night hair appointments for the team. This Friday would be a bit different though. He would still be there to help, but Heather was taking the lead. Especially since the cheer team would be going away the following weekend with the football players. Heather would be flying solo for the away game, so Evan would show Heather what needed to be done but let her get some practice in while he was still around.
The football team won their game easily the following day, and the deal was sealed. Most of the team was excited and looking forward to the travel. The only negative was the missed opportunity for them to go home and see family for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The next week they only had classes on Monday and Tuesday before the campus shut down for the holiday break. The team spent most of Wednesday cleaning, packing, and cooking. On Thursday, everyone was involved in the holiday prep. Some were in the kitchen, some were decorating, others were helping organize the house and making sure everything was ready for the next day. Before long they were all gathered together and ready to celebrate the holiday. It’s not how any of them originally planned to spend the day, but they were still with family.
The team was gathered around two tables, along with a few special guests. Coach Beth had brought her husband, Bruce and their young son Byron. They were seated at the table with Anna, Heather, Janie, Jenny, Jessie, and Melissa. The other table hosted Evan and Lacey, as well as the rest of the team: Annie, Betty, Elsa, Emma, Katie, and Shandra.
Coach Beth was dressed in a black sleeveless jumper and tan slacks. Her long, straight, blonde, hair was worn down her back. While everyone was eating, she stood up and got everyone’s attention. “OK, girls, I promise this won’t take long but I wanted to take a moment on this special day to say a few things.” She cradled her stomach as she continued, “First off, I know there has been some speculation. I can confirm that Byron is going to be a big brother. And yes, this is a major reason why I will be stepping aside in a few months.” There was murmuring and congratulations all around. “Thank you, all. There will be plenty of time for that later. Next, I want to Thank Emma. She’s been an amazing captain these past 2 years and I know she will be an even more amazing coach.”
“Thanks, Coach.” Emma grinned and blushed. “It’s only because I’ve had such a great mentor. I can only hope to be half as good as you.”
“Aww, don’t worry Emma, you’ll be great.” Coach Beth continued. “I have to thank my amazing husband and family for all of their support and understanding these past few years.” She turned to look at her husband. “Honey, without you, I don’t know where I’d be. I continue to be in awe of you and thank you for all the sacrifices you’ve made so I can be here for these girls.” Bruce nodded and smiled back at Beth. “Finally, I’d like to thank you girls, for making my job easy. For the constant support you have for each other. This team is a family, but it’s also more than that. We’ve had an amazing year. I look forward to finishing it strong and having a good showing at the competition early next year.”
“Now, about that competition.” Beth paused, took a deep breath, and then smiled as she addressed the entire team. “Girls, I’m really impressed. You all look quite a bit different than how we started the year. I’ve seen your calendar, and it came out fantastic. I know it will sell out. Anna, I understand you’re spearheading another fundraiser for us next week?”
“Yes, Coach. It will be like last year when I got my head shaved, only this time it will be bigger and there’s more of us involved.” Anna confirmed. “Janie’s been a huge asset helping me plan it all out, and Katie and Annie are participating as well.”
“I hear you’re doing an amazing job with that, and I can’t wait to see it.” Coach Beth fussed with her hair, which was hanging down her back and pulled it in front of her. “How would you all feel about adding one more?” There were gasps and mutters from the whole team. “Now, I should be clear, I’m not talking about next week. Unfortunately, you all must work a bit more for this hair.” The room got silent. “The fate of my hair will be tied to your performance in the competition. The better we do and the further we advance, the more hair I’ll lose. Win the whole thing, and I’ll be as bald as your captain.”
Everyone turned toward Emma, who smiled and casually rubbed her freshly smooth head. “Well, I think, you’ll have lots of company.” She looked around at the rest of her teammates, many of whom already had very little hair. And after Anna’s fundraiser, several more would be joining her.
“I’m counting on it.” Coach Beth smiled back. She sat back down and continued her meal. Bruce draped his arm over her shoulders in support and rubbed her back. He was so very proud of Beth. She turned and smiled affectionately at him.
“As if we needed more motivation to perform well.” Katie cheekily whispered to Evan, who winked back at her in reply.
A History Lesson
After dinner, the team said goodnight to their guests. Coach Beth stayed behind. Since she was traveling with the team, she stayed over at the Coach’s Cottage a short distance away on the school grounds. It was rarely used, as Coach Beth had her own place with her family off campus, but it was there for whenever she needed it. Emma walked with her down the path and helped her with her luggage.
“So, the team finally got to you, as well, huh?” Emma asked, as she rolled Coach’s suitcase down the path.
“Oh, you mean with my hair?” Coach absentmindedly caressed her hair, which had pulled into a low ponytail hanging over her right shoulder. “I’ll be honest, Emma, it’s been a long time coming.”
“Shaving your head!” Emma exclaimed.
Coach chuckled, “No, not that. I’m still not sure about that.” She paused. “You know, my hair has been exactly the same since at least high school?” Emma looked up at her coach. “And that’s only because that’s when I started bleaching it. I’ve always had the same style. It’s almost always in a ponytail. Even now, you saw I started off with it down, but here it is back in a ponytail. Only difference is, now it’s a lot lower than usual.”
“You don’t have to tell me, we’re all cheerleaders.” Emma could relate. “Until the haircuts started most of us were not that different.”
“Right, well, the upkeep is expensive, and I have other priorities for my growing family.” Coach rubbed her belly. “A significant haircut was coming, and it’s time I let my natural color show again.”
“What is your natural color?” Emma asked, as they approached the door to the cottage.
“Honestly, Emma. It’s been so long, I’m not even sure I could tell you.” Coach replied as she fumbled for the key. “I just hope it’s not grey. At least, not yet.”
“Well, I’m not sure you have to worry about that Coach,” Emma smiled as she rubbed her head.
“Only if you guys win.” Coach paused. “I’d never root against this team, and I have all the confidence that we will perform very well.” Coach put the key into the lock and turned the handle. “If my hair gives you girls even more motivation, then it’s a small price to pay.” They walked into the cottage and Coach Beth turned on the light as she dropped her bag. “Thanks so much for the assist, Emma. I’ll make sure I take good care of your future home.” Emma rolled the suitcase against a table, said good night to Coach, and headed back towards the house.
Hotel Shenanigans
Late Friday afternoon, the team arrived at the hotel and checked in. “I’m sorry, ma’am, we just don’t have that many rooms next to each other.” The receptionist admitted.
“My school said this was all taken care of. I need these girls next to each other.” Coach Beth pleaded.
“Again, I’m sorry. Due to the late booking, we just don’t have that available. The best I can do is we have a block of four rooms. Three next to each other and another immediately across the hall. Then another a few rooms away. I have two more rooms next to each other a floor up.” The receptionist furiously typed away at the computer. “I really wish we could provide something better. We CAN accommodate you. Just not all next to each other. I’m really sorry.”
“Coach, it’s okay. We’ll make it work.” Emma walked up to the desk and assured her.
“OK, fine.” Beth sighed. “I’m not happy about this, but I need to get these girls checked in.”
The receptionist typed and printed out some paperwork which Beth signed, and then she walked over to the team who were all gathered in one area of the lobby.
“Alright, listen up. Unfortunately, we’re a little more spread out then I would prefer, but we’re nothing if not resilient.” Coach Beth began. “Emma and Katie, Elsa and Shandra, you’re on the fifth floor. Two rooms next to each other. Come get your room keys.” Katie, Elsa and Shandra all walked over to coach and were given their keys.
“You go ahead, and I’ll catch up later. I just want to make sure everyone gets settled.” Emma explained.
“Annie and Jenny, you’re on the fourth floor, slightly down the hall from the rest of us.” Beth continued as Annie and Jenny came and got their keys.
“The rest of you are in three rooms next to each other, also on the fourth floor, and I’ll be right across the hall from you. Melissa and Jessie, Betty and Heather, Anna and Janie, come get your room keys.” Beth finished as each girl paired off and headed to their respective rooms.
“We’ll make it work. These girls are all good and really, we just need a place to sleep. I’ll make sure Katie, Shandra, Elsa, and I are always where we need to be with plenty of time to spare.” Emma reassured her coach.
“Thank You, Emma. I trust you, and I know I have nothing to worry about.” Beth paused. “I know I don’t have to worry about any of you, but I also have a responsibility. Why don’t you go settle in and we’ll all meet up later?”
After some time to settle into their rooms, the team all meet at the hotel restaurant for dinner. They split into two tables and after dinner they all had the rest of their evening free. Some of the girls choose to stay back in their rooms to watch TV, or read, or scroll through their phones. A few took advantage of the hotel gym, and a few opted for the hotel pool.
Sink Or Swim
Anna, Janie and Heather all headed to the pool for an evening swim. For Heather, it was her first time back in a pool since the girl’s trip she went on a few weeks ago with Betty, Emma and Katie. For Anna and Janie, it was when they were home over the summer. As they walked down the hallway together, Anna got out her phone and started recording.
“You just never miss an opportunity, to film yourself, do you.” Heather stated.
“My followers enjoy seeing me and knowing the goings on of the team.” Anna replied. “Plus, we have to keep promoting our big fundraiser next week.”
“Yeah, and I can’t wait.” Janie popped into the frame and waved. Then she took her hand and made a fist, waved it through her hair, and mimed the clippers that would shave her hair off, as she laughed.
“You know, you’re really missing out.” Anna stopped and turned towards Heather, “We should totally set you up with your own accounts. You’d rock on social media.”
“No way.” Heather looked away in embarrassment. “I could never do what you do.”
“Yeah, you could, and you SHOULD.” Anna came back. “A couple months ago you never would have done any of this either.” Anna indicated Heather’s nearly bald head and the tiny string bikini, which she affectionately referred to as ‘dental floss.’
“Okay, that’s a fair point.” Heather admitted. “Still, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
“Heather!” Anna gasped as they arrived at the pool area. Janie opened the door as they all went inside. “OK, that settles it.” They grabbed towels and made their way over to a section of the pool. “Heather, we’re getting you out there. Janie’s practically been my costar these past few weeks. I’m putting you all over my accounts. Then when we get home, I’m helping you set up your own accounts.” They took off their shorts and headed to the side of the pool.
“I don’t know. I still think it’s a bad idea…” Heather protested as she dove into the pool. “And I’d hate to drag you down.” Heather added as she emerged from her dive.
“Drag me down? Are you kidding?” Anna sat down at the pool edge, while Janie made her way to the other end and took the steps. “If anything, you’d only be an asset.” Anna splashed Heather with her foot.
“You think?” Heather splashed back. “I’m nothing special.”
“Nothing special?” Anna questioned. “Heather you’re HOT. Like, unquestionably so.” Anna hopped into the pool, as Janie made her way over to Heather. “Probably the best looking on the whole team. Easily top three. You know this. You basically said as much during our meeting about the calendar. If you keep dressing the way you have been the past few weeks, you wouldn’t even have to DO anything. People would FLOCK to you.”
“Really?” Heather asked, still not used to all the attention but getting used to it and wanting to fully embrace her new lifestyle. “Alright, I guess.” She smiled. “But only with your help.”
Anna squealed with delight and clapped her hands together. “Oh, Heather, you’re not going to regret this I promise.”
Janie had dunked her head underwater and when she came up her hair was plastered all over her head. “Ugh, only one more week.” Both Anna and Heather turned towards her. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you both have it so easy.” She reached her hand up and attempted to fix her hair. “Like, I don’t want to deal with this hair anymore, so I should just shave it all off.”
Heather laughed. “I love swimming, but I didn’t do it often.” Heather leaned back and started floating on her back. “I can’t believe I let my hair rule my life for so long.”
“So, are you really, never growing it out ever again?” Janie inquired, genuinely intrigued.
“Well, never is a long time, but I doubt it.” Heather admitted. “I mean, I can’t say it will always be like this.” Heather stood back up and rubbed her head, “But I must admit, I really do love it. More than I ever thought possible. At some point, I could probably grow it a little, even if just for variety.” She looked up at Janie’s mess of hair. “But even your hair seems extremely long to me now, and it would probably take a lot for me to grow it out that much.”
Anna burst out laughing. Heather and Janie both looked over to her. “That’s amazing Heather. Janie, it sounds like you’re ready.”
“Oh, more than ready.” Janie gushed. “I’d do it right now, if you let me.”
“Let you?” Anna corrected. “I’m not stopping you, and I’m glad to see you so excited about it. Believe me, I’m ready as well.” Anna sighed. “But we’re doing it as a fundraiser, so we’d be letting down a lot of people by not waiting. At this point it’s only one more week.” After a brief pause, she added, “You’re almost maxed out, by the way.”
“Really?” Janie’s eyes widened. “That’s so amazing.”
“Yup, not all that surprising really. It wouldn’t surprise me if it happened sometime this weekend.” Anna confirmed. “And I hope you like it as much as Heather does, because it looks like you’ll be staying bald for a few months.”
“At least!” Janie exclaimed.
“At least?” Both Heather and Anna replied.
“Well, I mean, probably… It’s not that I had any doubts, but I committed to it through the competition, so no matter what I was going to honor that. But like, well, just now, I mean listening to Heather… When you first did it, wasn’t the plan to immediately grow it back out?” Janie stumbled but explained.
“Well, initially, that was the plan, but I did adapt pretty quickly.” Heather admitted.
“Right. Well, I’d been intrigued by the idea of cutting my hair for a while. This team helped with that, and I love it. I can confidently say I’m a short hair gal now. I had no desire or thoughts of ever going beyond that.” Janie continued. “But then there’s you, and frankly the rest of the team. Heather, your hair was even longer than mine! I have to say, that no matter the reason, I admire your guts and what you did.” Janie gushed. “You’ve adapted so well, and seeing everything else going on, and listening to you just now… I don’t know. I just want to keep my options open.” She turned towards Anna. “I’ve only known you with this buzzcut, but I’ve seen all your pictures, and this look suits you so perfectly. I could totally see myself, if I did grow it out a bit, adapting something similar.” Janie paused, “Of course, if it was okay with you. Honestly, when I first got this cut, it was something I’d wanted for a while and thought I’d keep it a while, but lately I’ve been seeing it more as a ‘gateway haircut’ and I really feel like I’m destined to go much shorter, and probably stay that way.”
“That’s awesome, Janie,” Anna complemented. “I can tell the three of us will have a lot of fun together as we move up.”
“Yeah, and I get to help raise money for the team, which makes it even better.” Janie continued. “It’s just too bad I can’t raise even more money.”
“Well, I could remove the max out. But you would have to be careful because without some kind of limit who knows how long it could go.” Anna cautioned. “As much as you might be excited for it now, I’m not sure how you’ll feel years from now. Especially, if it’s not your own choice.”
“That’s true. No, I like the time limit that you have set. It seems just right.” Janie trailed off as she looked between Anna and Heather. “What was that you mentioned earlier to Heather…? Do you think your followers would be interested in our wardrobe?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like the higher they bid, the less we wear.” Janie explained. “I mean obviously, we’d need to set a limit. I’m not sure any of us would want to be naked, but I’d totally be okay wearing something like this.” Janie looked between Anna and Heather again, to see how they were responding. “I could probably even put on something similar for the dailies, if it made a difference.”
“I don’t mind.” Anna remarked. “Wow, Janie, I’m impressed, you’ve really got a knack for this, and yes, that absolutely would make a difference.” Anna swam around for a minute before continuing. “I think we let that be an individual thing though. Not everyone feels the same as you or me, and I don’t want anyone feeling too much pressure.”
“This sounds really complicated.” Heather chimed in.
“It is, but it’s not that difficult.” Anna answered. “I already have the separate accounts for everyone, it’s a few programing adjustments. I could probably knock it out tonight when I get back to the room. I probably wouldn’t make it live till we got home though, and I had a chance to talk to everyone about it.” She leaped out of the water at Heather. “This is also a great way for you to help out even more without doing anything!”
“What do you mean? How so?” Heather asked, while she tried not to fall backwards under Anna’s onslaught.
“Think about it. What if people bid on you as well? Obviously not your hair, but…” Anna began.
“I’m already wearing dental floss! That’s not enough?” Heather protested.
“Yeah, I know. But my followers don’t, and no one outside the team realizes that. We put you up there and we’ll have no trouble getting bids. You’ll end up wearing that anyway. People will think they bid on it, but you were going to wear it anyway.” Anna cracked a smile. “Do you trust me?”
“Unless I have a reason not to.” Heather harumphed.
“It’s like two fundraisers in one!” Janie exclaimed, clearly proud of herself for coming up with the idea.
The three of them continued to splash around and have fun while discussing their future for a while longer, before finally deciding to exit the pool and turn in for the night, as it was a busy day the next day.
Game Prep
On Saturday, everyone woke up and made their way down for breakfast. After breakfast, they had some free time before everyone started showing up in Betty and Heather’s room so that Heather could deal with everyone’s hair. Because everyone was a bit more spread out than they had hoped, Coach Beth’s room across the hall helped function as a “staging area” where everyone was able to gather and go over routines and announcements were made. Most of the team filtered between the two rooms, but Melissa, Jessie, Anna, and Janie were able to use their rooms as well.
Heather worked her way through the team. Shandra went first, followed by Melissa and Katie. It was the first time anyone besides Evan had done Katie’s hair, since he first gave her now signature mohawk almost a year ago. They were followed by Jessie, Jenny and then Janie. Most of these were just touchups and were pretty simple. Evan had trained Heather well. Emma stopped by to chat, but didn’t need a shave since Heather had already taken care of her earlier. Given all that Heather had to deal with, Emma didn’t wake Heather for their daily run, but Emma still did 5 miles on the treadmill and stopped by Heather’s room for her shave when she was done. Then it was Elsa’s turn.
Heather was the most nervous about Elsa. Her hair was a little trickier than the others and there was a certain degree of refinement involved. Elsa sat down in the chair. Heather prepared her clippers. Most of Elsa’s hair was just a short buzz, except for her bangs. Elsa loved her bangs dearly and they were the only thing preventing Elsa from going full bald. Elsa talked about it often, but the thought of losing her bangs always prevented anything from happening. Everyone on the team knew this and respected her choice. Heather was aware of how important Elsa’s bangs were to her, and Evan even talked with her extensively about proper technique and how best to cut Elsa’s hair to protect the bangs. Naturally, all this only ended up making Heather more nervous. She enjoyed cutting hair and everyone kept telling her how talented she was, but it still made her nervous.
“Thank you, Heather. I feel honored to have you do my hair.” Elsa praised Heather is her sweet Norwegian accent.
“Oh. Thank you for that. I hope you feel the same when I am done.” Heather spoke softly, proceeding with caution.
“I’m sure you will do fine. I trust you.” Elsa soothed Heather.
Heather picked up her clippers and carefully traced Elsa’s head with them. Suddenly, there was a gasp, and Elsa saw something fall in front of her eye. Heather immediately turned the clippers off. Elsa jumped out of her chair and ran to the mirror.
“I’m SO sorry.” Heather pleaded. “It was an accident, I swear!”
Elsa stood in front of the mirror and froze. Half of her bangs were gone. The one thing that she cared about most. It was the only thing that had prevented her from having her whole head shaved, and it was no longer there. Now, as Elsa stood there and assessed what had just happened, and a single tear streamed down her face.
“Come back. Elsa.” Heather begged. “Elsa, please sit back down.” Heather was practically on the verge of tears. “Let me fix this. Please, Elsa, I’m so sorry.”
Elsa, as if in a trance looked over to Heather and then back at the mirror. She headed back towards the chair. “Yes, you’re right. Might as well fix this.” She sat down. “Go ahead, shave the rest.”
“Wait, what?” Heather asked, shocked. “No, that’s not what I meant. I –”
“I know, but it’s ok.” Elsa assured. “It’s what I want. You can’t leave it like this. Shaving the rest is just the easiest solution.”
“But your bangs. I know how important they are to you.” Heather was still very overwhelmed.
“Were.” Elsa replied.
“Were?” Heather questioned.
“Yes, were. But they are gone now. What’s to be done. I can sulk and be upset over something that won’t change. Or I can make the best of the situation.” Elsa explained. “I’ve been intrigued by the idea of shaving my head ever since Katie and Anna did it last year. The only thing that stopped me was my bangs. Plus, it seems the popular thing to do on this team right now. So, might as well.”
Heather seemed a bit hesitant but also excited by the proposition.
“Go ahead, Heather. I promise it’s ok.” Elsa assured. “I’m not mad at you. Besides, it’s only hair, it can grow back.”
“Well, okay then…” Heather replied, “Only if you’re sure.” Heather removed the guard from her clippers and pushed the blade to the shortest length possible. Elsa nodded, and Heather plunged the clippers back into Elsa’s head and swiped them all around, removing any trace of hair that she could.
The truth is Elsa was freaking out. She was panicking on the inside and totally unsure of everything she just said. She also knew Heather was in a vulnerable state, and getting upset or angry wouldn’t change anything. And it certainly wouldn’t help the young girl’s confidence. So, she lied. For the sake of Heather, but also, maybe, for her own benefit as well.
“So, um, do you want me to…” Heather began.
“Yes,” Elsa interrupted. “I said I trust you. I stand by that.” Elsa continued. “At this point you might as well do whatever you think is best.”
“Okay, I appreciate that.” Heather, still very nervous and unsure of herself, put the clippers down and went to get the shaving cream. After pumping some cream into her hands, she began to massage it into Elsa’s head. After a few moments. Heather rinsed her hands and then reached for the razor. Slowly, she began swiping the razor across Elsa’s ivory head, being extra careful not to nick or mar Elsa’s perfectly flawless skin. Elsa bit her lip as she tried to remain stoic and allow Heather to continue shaving her head. It was not planned, but Elsa was determined not to let her feelings show. As Heather finished her first pass over Elsa’s head, Elsa began to rise. “Hold on.” Heather spoke up.
“Oh, sorry.” Elsa sat back down. “Are you not done?”
“That was just the first pass.” Heather answered. “I usually make two passes.”
“Oh, okay. Whatever you think.” Elsa wanted to stay positive, but her emotions were starting to creep in.
“Um, well, I guess you’re ok, if you want to go.” Heather said. “I don’t want to keep you. If you keep it up, I can always do it again.”
“It’s fine, Heather, just finish it up.” Elsa said sternly. She was starting to get frustrated by holding back her emotions and still trying to “protect” Heather’s feelings. Sometimes being the team peacekeeper had its real drawbacks.
Just as Heather was finishing up with Elsa, Annie showed up. As she sat down to wait her turn, she took notice of Elsa’s new look. “Wow, Elsa. You look amazing. Looks like I’m the only senior left on this team with any hair at all.” She rubbed her own buzzcut. “Although, I guess that changes next week.”
Elsa stifled an uncomfortable giggle. “Well, this was definitely NOT planned.” Elsa tried to save face but also didn’t want to throw Heather under the bus. “But Heather thought I needed a change, so I decided to let her.”
“I just never thought you’d get rid of those bangs.” Annie kept on.
“Yeah, neither did I.” Elsa gritted her teeth. She really needed to get out of this situation so she could mourn in peace. “Are we done? I don’t want to hold everyone up.” Elsa tried to plead to Heather. She just wanted to get out of the room and have some time to herself. Annie certainly wasn’t helping the situation.
“Uh huh.” Heather confirmed. “I hope it’s okay.”
“I’m sure it will be fine.” Elsa stood up and hastily made her way out of the room and back towards her own, while Annie stood up and took her place in the chair. Annie was followed by Anna.
Adapt Or Die
“I look like an egg.” Elsa was back in her room staring at her new reflection in the mirror.
“Oh, stop. It’s not that bad.” Shandra replied, nonchalantly sprawled on her bed playing on her phone.
“Yeah, easy for you to say.” Elsa turned towards her roommate for the weekend. “You have a normal sized head.” She walked over towards Shandra and sat on her bed. “You’re not stuck with this oversized melon like I am. There’s a reason I’ve always kept bangs on my head.”
“Then why did you choose to shave them off?” Shandra asked, while not really caring to hear the answer.
“What choice did I have? After Heather accidently buzzed half of them off, what was I supposed to do?” Elsa answered rhetorically, to which Shandra just shrugged and turned her attention back to her phone.
An Unexpected Bonus
Back in Heather’s Room, Betty returned to find Heather sitting on her bed with her back against the wall, and her knees bent up to her chest and her face buried in them. “Hey kiddo, how’s it going?” Betty inquired.
Heather looked up, her face red and tears streaming down her face. “I screwed up, Betty. I really messed up.” She managed to get out between the sobs.
“Oh, no. What happened?” Betty sat down next to Heather and tried to console her. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think.”
“No, it is.” Heather said. “The whole team was counting on me, and I let them down.” Heather paused for a moment. “Especially Elsa.”
“What about Elsa?”
“I shaved her bangs. It was a total accident, I swear, but it still happened. I know how much they meant to her.”
“Oh, kiddo.”
“She told me it was fine, but I could tell she was upset.” Heather continued. “I really let her down.” Heather got off the bed and stood up. “Maybe I should forget this whole hair thing. I’m such a screw up.”
“Now, let’s not be rash.” Betty followed Heather and tried to calm her down. “It was a mistake and you’re still learning. You are very talented, and we all see it.” Betty tried to find the right words, but this wasn’t her strong suit. “It would be a huge loss if you stopped.”
“Well, I don’t know.” Heather paused. “I guess I’ll think about it.”
“Would it make you feel better if you did mine?” Betty let out a sigh. It’s not what she wanted, but she hated seeing Heather this way and she didn’t know what else to do.
“Do your what?” Heather looked at Betty, very perplexed.
“My hair.” Betty declared. “Do you want to shave it again?” Heather lit up and got a huge smile on her face. “Let’s go.” Betty dragged Heather over to the chair as she sat down. “Just one condition.”
“Anything!” Heather blurted out as she started to get her equipment ready again.
“You’re not allowed to get upset, and I never want to hear talk of you quitting or giving this up ever again.” Betty laid out her condition.
“That’s two.” Heather remarked sarcastically. Betty glared at Heather as she started to stand up. “OK, OK… I was just kidding?” Heather pleaded trying to get Betty to sit back down. “Yes, I agree to your conditions.”
“I hate the grow out, but I wasn’t planning to do this again so soon.” Betty sighed. “It’s okay, though. You did such a good job last time.” Betty tried to be positive and encouraging, but inside she was reeling. While she was happy to help boost Heather, she really hoped she didn’t have to keep sacrificing her hair to do so.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make you look good.” Heather was positively giddy. Betty was her favorite person and shaving her head got her excited. In more ways than one. Heather remembered what happened last time. She was also aware of what had happened a few days prior in Evan’s shop. Heather was prepared and ready for anything. Heather got the cream and spritzed it onto her hands. She then rubbed her hands together and began to spread it onto Betty’s head. She massaged Betty’s head.
“You are so good at this kiddo.” Betty yawned. “You really know how to put a girl at ease.” She looked up at Heather and smiled.
“Thanks.” Heather went to go rinse off her hands. So far so good, but as she walked back towards Betty, she suddenly froze. Her body started to tingle, she felt flush, and she started to leak again. She felt no control over what was happening. As she stood there, she was overcome. Suddenly, she felt all kinds of urges and decided she needed to act on them. She liked Betty. A Lot. Betty was easily her best friend on the team, if not anywhere. It was time to find out if it was more than just a friendship. Heather slowly made her way over to Betty. Heather really had no idea what she was doing, but she knew what she wanted.
“Heather, what’s going on?” Betty asked. “Heather, are you okay?” Betty looked on as Heather continued to saunter over towards her. “Hey, kiddo, you’re being weird…” Heather got close to Betty, looked directly at her and smiled. Then she closed her eyes, leaned in, and planted a kiss right on Betty’s lips. It wasn’t long, but it was enough, and it confirmed everything Heather had started to think. She suddenly got very weak in the knees and had butterflies in her stomach. She grew wetter and wetter between her legs. “Wait.” Betty pulled back. “What’s going on?”
Heather pulled back horrified. She looked at Betty and ran off. Betty sat there dumbfounded. What just happened? Meanwhile, her head was still covered in cream and was starting to drip down her face. Betty continued to sit there for a few moments trying to figure out how to make sense of what transpired.
Locker Room Talk
It was early evening, and the team was at the stadium. The cheerleaders were all in the locker room getting changed and ready for the big football game that was to take place. Everyone was marveling at Elsa and complementing her on how good she looked.
“Wow, Elsa. I did not see this coming.” Emma rubbed Elsa’s head as she smiled. “It really brings out your eyes.”
“Thanks, Emma. That’s so kind of you to say.” Elsa blushed. “It wasn’t planned though. I really miss my bangs.”
“Well, I still think you look amazing. And now I feel really out of place.” Annie chimed in. “Glad I’ll be joining you both next week.”
“Oh, Annie, you will look great as well. Better than me that’s for sure.” Elsa admitted. “You have a normal sized head. Unlike me with this huge forehead.”
“Elsa! It’s not as bad as you think.” Emma tried to comfort.
“So, it is bad then.” Elsa responded dejected.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” Emma replied.
“Yeah, Elsa, you just need to get your confidence back, but you pull it off flawlessly.” Annie agreed.
Under The Lights
As the game got underway, the cheerleaders were all on the sidelines to root on the football team. Their heads were reflecting in the nighttime glow, adrenaline searing through their veins. The cheerleaders rooted on the team and sent all the positive vibes they could. The football team responded and was amid one of their best games all season.
“Heather kissed me.” Betty confided in Katie during one of their breaks. Katie’s jaw dropped in shock. “I didn’t respond well.”
“She seems to be doing well enough now.” Katie nodded over towards Heather who was off to the side, talking with one of her other flyers, Anna.
“She’s hiding it well.” Betty admitted. “Which is also new and unusual for her.”
“Yeah, so anyway, let’s examine the bigger news…” Katie turned the attention back to Betty. “So, Heather kissed you? How was it?”
“Unexpected.”
“Ok, yeah, but…” Katie encouraged.
“Yeah, I know.” Betty paused. “Honestly, it’s hard to really say more. I was so caught off guard.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“Yeah, and I kinda pulled away and freaked out a bit.” Betty explained. “Then she ran off, horrified. We haven’t spoken since.”
“Wow, Betty.” Katie could only look on.
“I know.” Betty whined. “Why do I keep doing this?”
“Well, you could do a lot worse than Heather.” Katie tried to comfort Betty.
“Katie!” Betty looked over sternly. “I like guys!”
“I’m just saying.” Katie doubled down. “I like this version of Heather. You’re largely responsible for that.” Katie stood up, “And honestly, I’ve never seen you happier when you’re around her.”
Betty stared at her in silence. She liked Heather, but as a friend, right? Did she like her as more than just friends? She had never really given it a lot of thought, but she had to admit Katie was right. She could do a lot worse, and if Heather was a guy, would she react the same way? Katie reached her hand out and pulled Betty back up, breaking her from her trance, as they both ran off to rejoin the rest of the team for their next cheer.
