Kelly was a pretty girl, athletic, and with thick blonde hair reaching her shoulders. She finished medical school last summer and was doing her residency at a hospital nearby where she grew up.

She was working long hours and didn’t have much time to look her best. One Saturday morning her supervisor pulled her aside and told her she is doing great but her image needs to be a little cleaned up. He told her that this is a hospital and we need to look professional.

Walking home to her nearby apartment, she remembered her bosses advise. She knew it would be tough to get something done being it was Saturday afternoon and she didn’t have much money because of student loans. However, Kelly was determined and she knew something shorter might save her time getting ready for work.

She now was close to home and remembered a men’s barber shop a block from her apartment. She thought maybe this would solve her problem but unsure what the results would be. She thought she would just ask for a couple inches off.

She got to the barber’s window and looked in to find a barber sitting in the chair and reading his paper. She noticed haircuts only $8 but nothing about women’s haircuts. Kelly took a chance and walked in to find no customers.

The barber looked up from his newspaper. He was a man in his late 50’s, medium build, with a white smock that resembled her doctor’s uniform at work. He asked her if she needed help with something. Kelly said she was here for a haircut. The barber said he did not do women’s hair and try one the salon’s down the street.

Kelly being determined and broke told the barber that she didn’t have the money that the fancy salon’s charged and she wanted something shorter that would be easy to maintain. The barber was having a slow afternoon and relented. He told her to have a seat. Glad to get off her feet, she sunk into the chair never remembering when she felt more comfortable.

The barber asked if she had an ideas how short she wanted it cut. Feeling sleepy, she told the barber ” how about just 2 off the back/sides and 4 on the top, I’m not sure, what do you think?”. He said yes that would be shorter and it definitely would be easier to maintain. Kelly thought that was a strange answer but she knew it would only be a couple inches.

The barber put on the cape and some tissue tight on her neck, this was different for Kelly put didn’t care because she was exhausted. The barber spun the chair away from the mirror to face the big window that looked out to the street.

The barber was busy getting his equipment together behind Kelly. Now she was almost a sleep in the chair when she heard a loud humming approaching from above her.

The barber put one hand on her head and pushed the clippers right over her forehead working back to her crown. At first she thought she was dreaming but she felt hair running down her cheek and piling in large amounts in her lap on top of the cape. She snapped out of her brief cat knap to ask what was the barber doing. He said he didn’t understand the question, meanwhile he continued to plow down her hair on top of her head.

Kelly now feeling very uncomfortable, especially with a couple women outside watching her looking startled on the way she looked. This time Kelly asked how short are you cutting my hair. The barber said ” I am giving you the haircut that you wanted, # 2 on the back/sides and #4 on the top”.

Seeing a more and more hair raining, Kelly said she wanted 2 inches off the back/sides and for on the top, I’m not sure, what do you think? The barber said he heard her the first time and said to relax because he would be done in a few minutes. The barber knew from past experience that when people ask for shorter haircuts that usually change their mind in the middle of things. He just quickened his pace and held a firmer grip on Kelly’s head.

A few more people gathered outside in amazement why such a young woman with beautiful hair would ever get a crewcut. Kelly was wondering herself but it was how short this guy was cutting her hair.

The barber released his grip and stopped the clippers from the destruction of Kelly’s blonde hair. Now she felt some relief thinking maybe she would just have some sort of mullet and could fix it at home.

The barber changed his attachment from a #4 to a # 2 and started the clippers again He forced Kelly’s chin to her chest; which put her into a panic. The crowd outside swelled to about 10 people. Some were a couple boys from the neighborhood; which were laughing at Kelly and rubbing their own heads to showoff the crewcuts they got last week from the very same barber. It was then that Kelly realized the barber was buzzing off all Kelly’s beautiful hair. She was so scared she couldn’t move.

The barber continued moving the clippers up the back of her head shearing off all those natural highlights that made Kelly’s hair stand out against other blondes. The barber worked quick and forceful. He said to her ” a few more passes honey and you’ll have that easy to maintain hairstyle you wanted”.

Next Kelly heard the clippers right by her left ear. The barber was carving away want long hair was left that made her look feminine. Finally the barber finished off the right side completing the crewcut. Kelly felt a cold breeze on her head from the ceiling fan above her. She didn’t know what it looked like or how it felt but judging the audience outside she knew she was in trouble.

The barber undid her cape and started smearing a warm cream on her neck and above her ears. Kelly nearly fainted, she thought the barber was shaving her head. The barber said” Please don’t move, I don’t want to cut you”.

At last the barber finished his service with Kelly and spun her towards the mirror. He asked is this short enough or would you like a little more off. Kelly was in tears, mortified at the person looking back at her. She felt so ugly and naked. She didn’t recognize herself. The barber not getting his answer thought to himself and knew again from past experience people with new shorter haircuts don’t have a clear picture what they will look like when they get what they ask for; however, not used to cutting women’s hair, the barber simply stiffened up his chin and said that will be $8 young lady.

Kelly ran out of the barber shop in tears without paying and left the barber swearing off to never cut a women’s hair again.

The end.