"So this is it. This may be your last moment with long hair." said Sharon, standing behind me, combing my hair. "Da jie (older sister), are you really sure you want to go through this with your friends?"

"Mei, we’ve already promised each other that we’ll shed our long locks upon graduation from high school. I can’t back out on my word!" I replied.

"Jie, your hair’s so long and beautiful. It’ll be such a waste to cut it all off!" my dear sister replied.

"I’m not even sure what sort of style I’ll get. It may not even be short." I replied, with an obvious tone of uncertainty.

I was seated on a stool in the bathroom, with my mei mei (little sister) Sharon standing behind me combing out my locks. My jet black hair is naturally silky straight and just touching the top of my bum. My hair has always been my special asset and I took great care of it. I’ve never applied any harmful chemicals on it, nor permed it.

My typical hairstyle would be to part it in the middle and wear it loose, like Kristin Kreuk in Smallville. I love the mysterious look with the front locks covering my cheeks and half of both my eyes, and the rest at the back hanging down loose down my back, bouncing as I walk. I love to swish my "long veils" around, and feel them touching my cheeks. My Pantene-shiny hair was definitely eye candy for the boys in school. Frequently, I saw bulges in their pants whenever I flicked my hair in front of them, and I absolutely love teasing them with my crowning glory! Many have attempted to ask me out, but I’m not making it easy for them.

Actually all my best friends sported that Pantene look since junior high and we turned heads wherever we went. Abby, the brunette of our group has hair that is similar in length and texture as mine. Ashley, has dark hair also down to waist length, but wavy. It matched well with her brown complexion (her dad is Caucasian and her mum is African). Denise, the red head in our group, recently fell victim to a scissor happy new stylist who unexpectedly reduced her waist length locks to mid-back when she just asked for a small trim. Finally, there was Jessica, the blonde girl in our group. Her hair is the longest amongst us. It was down past her butt, thick and healthy like Debra Jones’s, with little ringlets at the ends. Whenever the five of us walked around, it was like a Pantene hair show and our hair colour variation was like the rainbow.

"You know what? I think I could do with a little trim." I blurted out as the idea went through my head.

"What for? You’ll going to get it cut tonight anyway!" replied Sharon.

"Consider it an honour for you to get your hands on it now that it’s still long." I said.

"Erm…"

Before she could say anything else, I took the trimming scissors from the top of the counter and passed it to her.

"Just about 3 inches should be fine." I said, passing the scissors to her. "It’s been months since my last trim and the ends are not even anymore."

"Whatever you say, da jie."

Placing the scissors at waist level, 3 inches from the ends, she snipped off the first lock from the right. A 2 inch width lock fluttered down to the bathroom floor. I turned around to have a look at it on the floor.

"That’s good."

Mei continued to trim my hair straight across. I love my one length hair, trimmed straight across like a ruler. I’ve never been a fan of layers. I used to have baby bangs as a little kid, but grew them out as soon as I could persuade my mum to allow me to many years ago.

"Done!" said Sharon.

I brought my hair across my shoulders to examine the ends. The ends were blunt cut and they look healthier and fuller.

"Thanks, mei!"

"Now for your favourite typical hairstyle, the Kristin Kreuk look."

With that she partitioned and comb my hair into that "Kristin Kreuk" look. Looking at myself in the mirror, the emotion started to well up as I realise that this may be the last time I sport that look. I quickly blinked away the tears.

"Sharon mei. I have an idea. Since I’m getting a makeover tonight at Abby’s sleepover, maybe you would want to get your hair cut too now so that we’ll both have new hairstyles for the summer!"

There was a pause for a moment as Sharon contemplated. I turned around and looked at her intently. My dear sister, who is five years younger than me, was like a smaller version of myself. Our facial features look alike, except for our hairstyle. Her hair was also jet black and naturally silky straight, but it was shorter at bra-strap length with blunt bangs at eyebrow level.

"I don’t know….."

"Come on, just do it!" I said as I got off the stool and got her seated on it.

"Mum will kill us if you mess it up!"

"No I won’t. I’ve cut my friends’ hair before, and they turned out great." I comforted her. "Trust da jie."

She passed the comb to me and I combed her hair until there were no more tangles and her locks shone.

"Actually, I think a cute asian doll bob would suit you well for a drastic change. It’ll make you even more ‘ke ai’ (cute)!" I said as I placed my hands on either sides of her face at chin length, in order to show her how short the hairstyle will be.

"That’s a lot of hair to lose!"

"Trust me, you’ll look fabulous."

"Okay…" Sharon resigned with a sigh.

"It’ll be alright." I comforted her. "Do you want me to save your hair?"

"I guess so."

I gathered her hair into a ponytail and secured it at the base of her neck with a rubber band. The ponytail was about 11 inches long.

*Too bad Locks of Love is a scam, otherwise this would make a good donation.* I thought.

"I’ll be right back" I said as I hurried off to the kitchen. I returned with a pair of kitchen scissors. "These are bigger and sharper and would make it easier to cut this pony off."

Sharon mei shuddered as she felt the cold steel blades touch her neck.

"Ready?"

"Just do it quick before I change my mind!" she squealed.

I closed the blades around the base of the pony tail above the rubber band and sawed through.

Scrunch! Scrunch! Scrunch!

After some sawing action, the ponytail came loose. The rest of her hair plopped forward in a rough bob.

"Here you go. Keep it for memory." I said as I placed the ponytail into her hands.

"Omgosh. This feels so strange… holding my cut ponytail in my hands."

*In just a little while I may be doing the same thing* I thought. *And I have so much more to lose than mei!*

"Let me even this up" I continued.

I positioned the scissor at jaw length at her left lock and sliced the scissors through it, and continue to work my way through to her nape.

Snip! Snip! Snip!

3 inch long locks fall to her lap as I evened up the left side. I moved on the right side and positioned the scissors at the same level as another side and evened it up there.

Snip! Snip! Snip!

More small locks fall to the floor, joining my own trimmed 3 inch locks from earlier on.

"Tadaa!" I exclaimed.

"Wow, is that me? I look different with shorter hair." said mei as she felt her new bob with both hands.

"Try shaking your head around" I said, and she did.

"Wow, I couldn’t do that before! It’s so bouncy! I lov
e the bounciness!"

I smiled at her as we both looked into the mirror. It was a delightful contrast to see our reflections. There I was still with long one length hair, and Sharon there with her new box bob. Mei reached up to hug me and gave me a small peck on my cheek.

"Thank you so much for this, jie. I love this new do!"

"Yes, I like it too." I replied. "Omygosh, look at the time. I need to go now or I’ll be late."

"Why don’t you get a haircut similar to mine at Abby’s later?" Sharon said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Er, maybe." I said hurriedly. "Bye!"

At Abby’s house…

Abby’s parents had already gone on a weekend away, leaving the whole house to Abby and us. "Just don’t burn the house down" was all they said jokingly for they trusted her. But I don’t think they were told about Abby’s "little" makeover session she organised for our own private graduation celebration. Well, at least it won’t burn the house down.

As I approached Abby’s front door, I could already hear the giggling inside.

*Ding dong*

*Door opens*

"Sarah!" exclaimed Abby as she burst out and hugged me. "You’re late! The others are already here."

"Sorry, I gave my sister a haircut and I forgot the time." I explained.

"A haircut? Wow, you really dragged her into this as well. Hey, did you trimmed your hair?"

"Yeap, I got Sharon to do it." I said. "Hey, are you going to let me in or not?"

"Oh opps, come in!"

"Sarah! Wwooooo!" the rest of the girls shouted as I entered the living room.

"You’re late! By half an hour." said Jessica. "The popcorn’s gone cold while we waited for you. Did you forgot that we’re watching the movie ‘Twilight‘?"

"Sorry…" I apologised.

"No, sorry to you my dear." said Ashley with a twinkle in her eyes. "While waiting for you, we decided on a punishment for your lateness."

"What punishment?" I replied in shock.

"Oh, nothing much. It’s what we’ll all be doing anyway after the movie." Denise replied, as she reheated the homemade popcorn.

"You mean…"

"A haircut." Abby completed my sentence. "We’ll be giving you a haircut before the movie ahead of the rest of us."

"You can’t be serious." I said as I looked at my girls with pleading eyes. "Oh, you guys are mean to gang up on me!"

"Hey girl, just get on that stool there." said Ashley as she took me by my hand and got me seated on a stool in the kitchen. The girls had already prepared the area by laying out old newspaper on the floor around the stool with hairdressing equipment on the counter.

Reluctantly, I went along and allowed them to ‘punish’ me for my lack of punctuality. I could smell the sweet aroma of the popcorn from the stool, and that soothed my fears a little.

Denise and Ashley took positions on either sides of me, and started to comb out my hair.

"We’ll going to give you a Cleopatra look." said Jessica from behind me.

"What’s a Cleopatra look?" I asked.

"You’ll see." said Abby as she took up position in front of me. The four girls now surrounded me on all four sides, armed with combs and scissors.

"I know how you love your long veils swishing around your face as you walk. But it’s time to reveal your face to the world." said Abby as she brandished the scissors in front of my face. "The Cleopatra look is one with straight blunt bangs."

"And still long at the back, but definitely not waist length!" said Jessica behind me. "It’s time to say goodbye to your one length hair and say hello to the Cleopatra look!"

"I’ve never had bangs before since I was little!" I exclaimed, still shocked by the prospect of losing my beloved long veils.

"You’ll get used to it", said Abby as she combed the front veil over my face. At the same time, Jessica combed the rest back and allow it to fall down my back. I couldn’t see Abby anymore because the veils totally covered my face, but through the corners of my eyes, I could see Denise and Ashley looking on at either sides of me.

"We’ll cut it together." said Abby to Jessica. "I’ve got less to cut, so I’ll cut off smaller pieces so that we’ll finish it together at the same time."

"Gotcha girl." Jessica replied. Words could no longer come out from me.

I felt Jessica positioning the scissors below my right shoulder blade at the back, while Abby brought her shears at my left eyebrow level. I could see two feet of my long silky veil below the blades, and I guessed it must be something like a foot of hair at the back to be cut.

"One, two, three, cut!" said Jessica like a film director.

Shick! Thud!

Never before had I heard the sound of two scissors cutting through hair simultaneously. In music, it was what you called the chorus effect. A one inch width of my veil fell to my lap. I couldn’t see the hair at the back, but I could hear the sound of the thicker hair at the back hitting the floor.

Shick! Shick! Thud!

The subsequent cuts were no longer in unison anymore as both girls "fired away at will". Tears started to well up in my eyes, moaning the fate of my veil, now half reduced to bangs. More of my veils fell to my lap as my left eye was revealed. I could now see Abby’s face looking intently at the veil she was cutting away. By this time, I could feel Jessica’s scissors at the back about halfway through.

Shick! Shick! Thud!

By the third cut, I suddenly felt something flow through my body. The trauma of losing my locks is suddenly replaced by a surge of pleasurable energy through my body.

*What is this? I’ve never felt so good before! This is strange. One moment I was afraid and now I’m actually getting turned on?* I thought to myself.

Shick! Shick! Thud!

Abby’s scissors had just worked its way past the middle of my face as more silky dark hair fell to my lap and on the floor. But it didn’t bother me anymore. I was starting to enjoy this! I reached out to my lap to grab the cut 2 feet veils. I can’t believe how much had been cut off.

Shick! Shick! Thud!

Both the sound of my hair falling on the floor behind me, and the feel of my veils landing on my hand amplified the sensation even more!

"Someone’s enjoying it!" Denise said as she noticed me smiling. "See, it’s not so bad after all."

But of course, she probably didn’t realise that it was the surge of chemicals happening in my body. Under normal circumstances, I would have not have enjoyed my hair being cut.

Shick! Shick! Thud!

With that, the last of my veils fell to my lap. I reached out to touch my newly cut blunt bangs at eyebrow level. 24 months of ‘bangs’ were cut off in 24 seconds; how amazing. Then I reached behind my back to feel the ends of my now mid-back length hair. Another surge of hormones flooded my body as I felt the cut ends. I rushed up out of the stool and ran to the bathroom, with the girls following me.

"This looks so different! The bangs… they look cute!" I said as inspected my new haircut in the mirror. Gone is the Kristin Kreuk look; no more long waist length middle parted veils. Hello to the Cleopatra look with blunt bangs.

Denise came up beside me and said, "Now both our hair lengths are the same! Except for your bangs o
f course." We stood back to back, my jet black hair and her shiny red hair both at mid-back length. "Now I’m no longer the one with the shortest hair, counting your bangs."

"I guess the days of swishing my long veils around is over."

After enjoying my new look, I turned back to face my girls.

"Are you thinking what I’m thinking?" I said with a sly grin as I held my cut veils in my hands for them to see.

"Screw ‘Twilight‘ and Edward Cullens." said Jessica. "Let’s start the makeover session… now!"

"Wwweeeee!" we all shouted out as we made our way back to the stool in the kitchen. Very soon, long blonde, brown and red locks will join my jet black hair on the floor around the stool. That thought alone brought another hormonal surge through me, and I swore I felt wet in the crotch… I wonder how I’ll survive the night.

(to be continued in part 2)