It was my fault. I knew what would happen, but I did it anyway. The exact reason why is what escaped my dizzy head.

I?m 16 and last night I came in an 2 hours past my curfew. This isn?t the first time I had done this, and in the past I was usually grounded or chores were added. My Mom was usually pretty lenient, and I was always pushing the edge on what I could get away with. After my last episode my Mom had given me a choice and told me what would happen if I broke curfew. Inside I guess I was too arrogant and believed I could change my Mom?s mind on what my punishment would be.

I had awoken this morning to my Mom gently shaking me and telling me to quickly get dressed as we had some errands to run and go to the mall. She had not even yelled at me or even mentioned the curfew. Maybe she didn?t hear me come in late. I quickly got up and threw on a white and red flowered sundress and a pair of black sandals. I brushed through my thick, shoulder length hair and put it up in a ponytail and went down stairs. My Mom and sister were waiting for me as we went out and got in the car. Nothing was said about last night. My Mom and sister were chatting about whatever and I chirped in with my expert advice whenever I deemed it appropriate. This was great. All my friends were going to be at the mall so I could see them later.

We stopped at Target to return some of my sister?s clothes that did not fit and then we picked up some dry cleaning and then we were going again. I felt like I had made it. I owned my Mom. I felt invincible. I was popular. I had a couple of boys chasing me. I had the world by the tail.

Then we pulled into the parking lot of our hair salon. Uh-oh. My stomach cramped. What are we doing here I asked. My Mom calmly replied that my sister and I were getting haircuts. I don?t need one right now, I quickly replied. My voice had a hint of panic.

My Mom looked in the rearview mirror and smiled and said. Yes you do, remember this is your choice.

As we climbed out of the car my Mom let my sister go ahead and she came back to me and put her arm around me and started to stroke my hair on one side and in a low calm voice said. This is your choice young lady. I told you what would happen if you broke curfew. You broke curfew and now you must pay the price. I tried to give you freedom and you pushed it beyond the edge. You will now be responsible for all your decisions. Now I don?t want a scene in here. You accept this punishment with dignity. UNDERSTAND ME!!!

I tried to reply, but my voice was barely audible as a Yes escaped. There reached a point with my mom when you did what she said. This was one of those times and I was not going to get out of this like I normally did.

We walked in and the place was busy as usual. My sister was already in the seat of our stylist, Kim. She was putting the cape around her as I numbly walked to the waiting area and my mom walked over to my little sister and started to run her hands through her hair as she was talking to Kim. Kim just nodded a lot and asked a few questions now and again.

My mom came and sat by me and picked up a magazine and started to read. Kim was combing out my sisters hair. Her hair was a light brown like mine, but about 6? longer than mine reaching her mid-back.

Then Kim grabbed her shears and placed them in her hair about mid-neck and started to cut working her way around to the front. About a foot of hair began to fall. I started to panic. I was going to get a short haircut and I didn?t want one. I turned to Mom and pleaded in a quiet voice. Please don?t make me get a short haircut. I won?t ever be late again. I promise. Please don?t do this to me. I ?.Then she interrupted. I am not doing anything to you. You did it to yourself. I told you what would happen. Now be quiet or you?ll face further punishment.

Kim had cut all the hair off into a rough bob and was now wetting it down and sectioning the hair and cutting a couple more inches off. I started to think about what was going to happen. How short was short. When my mom had made this threat she didn?t seem too confident. She was searching for a punishment and she just blurted out, if you are late again I?ll cut your hair off. What would my friends think? What would the boys think? Would they laugh at me? I got lost in my little predicament and all of sudden my Mom was shaking me and telling me it was my turn.

I came out of my little coma and my sister was stepping out of the chair with a very cute chin length bob with a center part. She came skipping over to me and asked what I thought as she shook her head back and forth and it fell right back in to place. Kim was a great hairstylist. It looks very cute I told her. Are you going to get the same cut she replied. I?m not sure was my meek reply.

My mom grabbed me and said come on its your turn. She was leading me over to the chair and I made one last try and said, please don?t take too much off. She just turned and smiled and said in a whisper, don?t make a scene. Kim was busy sweeping up my sisters hair and I couldn?t believe how much hair was in the pile.

She led me to the chair and I sat down. She swept the hair off to the side and threw the cape around me and secured it tight around my neck. It felt like I was being choked.

Kim took out the elastic of my pony tail and started to brush my hair out. It felt so good. What are we going to do today. I started to say something and my Mom quickly spoke up and said that I had broken curfew and that the deal we had was that if I broke curfew I would have to get my hair cut short.

Kim had a little smirk on her face and said, how short. My mom said SHORT, your call. Remember it?s a punishment and I want her to learn a lesson.

Kim smiled and said, no problem. Mom then returned to the sitting area and ran her hands through my sister?s hair and they started to chat.

Kim kept brushing my hair and looking at me in the mirror and finally said, sorry kiddo. You mom called me early this morning and told me what happened. You need to respect you parents. I hope you learn from this.

I couldn?t speak. Kim pulled out a comb and positioned my head straight ahead. She combed my hair straight down. I looked forward and that was me. Hair parted in the middle, light brown hair just past me shoulders, framing my face perfectly.

Then Kim came around to the right side and inserted her scissors at the front of my hair at eye level and started to cut. Long shanks of hair started to drop. The scissors seemed to make a loud rasping noise as they cut through my dry hair. She continued to cut back and exposed my ear as hair was raining down. After she got past the ear she angled the scissors down and more hair fell. I could then feel her start across my neck as the cold scissors went across my neck. I could not see this hair fall, but I knew there was a lot falling.

In the mirror I could see my sister sitting and staring with her mouth open and my Mom silently staring at the shearing taking place.

Kim came up the other side and over the other ear. More hair continued to fall. Then she was done. I had a very crude bowl type cut with a middle part. I looked like a nerd. It was then I couldn?t take it. I started to cry. First is was one little tear, but as I continued to look they increased. Kim combed out the middle part so my hair was combed straight forward with bangs. My vision started to blur as I heard Kim opening up a drawer and pulling something out. I pulled a hand out from under the cape to wipe a tear away and a large pile of hair spilled forward between my legs and a bunch of 8? pieces got stuck in my sandals and toes.

I was in a trance staring at my hair in my lap and feet when Kim came back and positioned my head straight and then I heard a click and a hum. I looked in the mirror and then I saw she had a pair of clippers. The kind that they used on boys for crewcuts. I started to cry again thinking I was going to be bald. Kim whispered over the hum to control myself and not to make things worse. She waited a few seconds as I gathered myself and then she moved my head back up straight and then placed the clippers at my sideburns and moved them straight up a couple of inches and then pulled them out.

The clippers left behind a trail of hair that must have been about ?? long. She placed the clippers further over and ran them up again. The clippers changed tone as they hit the hair my head was tingling from the vibrations. More hair was falling into my lap as she continued to clip the side. I couldn?t believe how short she was going. I was beginning to look like a boy. She was done on the side and the hair was so short. It was also darker than the normal light brown.

Kim was in the back and she tilted my head until my chin touched my chest. Then I felt the clippers on the middle of my neck and she ran the clippers straight up the back of my head. She continued to do this over to one side and on what was the last pass 3?-6? clumps of hair fell onto my shoulder and down into my lap. More tears started to flow. It was a quiet sob. I wanted to run away and pretend this wasn?t happening.

Kim was working on the other side of my back and when she was at the other side more clumps of hair came falling into my lap.

She tilted my head back up straight and I could barely see through the tears. She started at the front and clipped the side just like the other side. Soon she was done.

She turned the clippers off and set them down on the counter in front of me.

Hold still Hun, I have to use the little girls room real quick. I started to calm down and pulled both hands to wipe away tears. More hair spilled from the cape and landed on my feet and the floor. As my vision cleared, I wasn?t sure what to make of what I saw. I looked like a boy. The sides were super short up to where a side part would be and then on top was a mop of hair combed forward ending with bangs to my eyebrows. My sister was still sitting staring with her mouth open and my Mom looked a little shocked, but was not showing any other emotion. The clippers were sitting on the counter and still had 3-4? lengths of hair in the attachment. The bloody weapon, I thought.

I couldn?t believe how much I had changed. I looked so different. I felt sick to my stomach.

Kim came back and pronounced that she was now ready to finish the cut. I began to think that I could work with this to make it look cute. I started to think I could style it like Jaime Lee Curtis to keep it cool.

Kim grabbed the clippers and took off the plastic attachement and was fishing around for something and mumbled something about where the 1? clip was, Finally she grabbed another one out of the drawer and put it on. This one looked bigger than the last one. She stood behind me and turned the clippers on. With the comb she made a part about 1? back from the front of my hairline and then place the clippers into the part and moved it straight back.

My stomach flipped as the hair was lifted up and about 2-3? of hair fell off to the side and down into my lap. It left the hair about 1? long. She continued to mow my hair down to 1? all over the top. I was out of tears. I was totally defeated. There was no way out of this one. I just sat and watched in amazement.

Soon she was done and I was left with short hair everywhere except my bangs. Thanks god I still had those. Kim put down the clippers and then sprayed water on my hair and grabbed her scissors. She placed the scissors in my bangs about half-way up my forehead and cut straight across, Their went the last hopes of this being a ?cute? haircut. I was now a boy.

She then proceeded to start lifting up sections and cutting small bits. Soon I had a very simple short sides and short top combed forward. She grabbed the clippers and took off the attachment and then with the comb started to blend the top with the shorter sides. She worked all the way around my head and small bits were flying everywhere. Soon she was done and I will have to admit it was a very smooth cut, but not feminine in any way.

But she wasn?t done. She put a smaller attachment on and came back behind me. Now for the finishing touches, she chirped.

She turned the clippers on and pushed my head forward and place the clippers at my neck and ran them up halfway. I could hear hair being cut, but couldn?t believe there was hair to cut. Then she came to the side and placed them at my sideburns and ran them up about an inch and pulled them out. She continued to do this all the back on on the other side. What was left was very short. She had wiped out sideburns and you could see skin at the bottom. When she was done with this all the way around she grabbed a smaller set of clippers that had a very high pitch and then went back around and trimmed the hairline in the back and both sides. From what I could see there was nothing left.

I wanted to throw up. But she wasn?t done yet. She grabbed a pair of thinning shears and started to comb up sections on top and putting the shears in about ?? from my head and closing the shears. She would then comb out the cut hair. She did this all over the top of my hair. With all the hair that was cut I was amazed there was still hair on my head.

She then combed my bangs straight up and took the thinning shears and cut off the last ??. Since the shears do not cut all the hair she had to keep opening and closing them and the result was a little ragged edge. My bangs were now about 1? long, straight across.

She was done. I felt a little relief I guess. It could have been shorter. Kim turned the chair so I was facing my Mom and asked it this was short enough. And my mom just nodded yes.

Kim then turned my back around and told me to get up and go back to the wash basin. As I got up all the hair on my lap fell to the floor. There was a pile of hair about 4? thick on the floor, I about fainted.

I thought my legs were going to give out as we walked to the shampoo basin. I sat back and she turned the water on and started to rinse my hair. I could instantly feel the water. What a strange feeling.

Soon she was done and I was back in the chair. Kim put some styling cr?me in her hand and ran it through the top of my head, there was not enough hair on top to style. She then turned on the hair dryer and used her hands to dry what was left of my hair.

When she was done she took off the cape. I just sat and stared. My once shoulder length hair was now down to nothing at the hairline and tapered up to ?? to 1?. I ran my hand up the back of head and there was almost no hair at the base and it gradually got longer towards the top, but I couldn?t get any between my fingers.

The top felt like a brush. About 1? long ending bangs cut straight across. I ran my hand back from the bangs and the hair fell right back into place. I really looked like a boy, A feminine boy, but a boy nonetheless. My hair was a stark contrast to my sundress.

My Mom called me to go and we walked out into the day. It felt like it had been 6 hours since we had arrived. My sister said nothing.

We got into the car and my Mom finally spoke. You know you did this to yourself? If you disobey me again we will go shorter.

Now, lets go to the Mall for lunch. My friends, I instantly thought?..

I started to cry again?..