Work Text:
Just a Cut
Dirk was reading through the requirements of what they needed to take when they headed east to Annapolis and college. It was May and they had eight weeks before they had to report to do a stint of boot camp before school started.
His parents were going to give him a debit card to buy things for the room that he would be sharing with Al, so that wasn't going to be an issue. Reading through how many clothes and private items that could be brought with him troubled him a bit.
But the one requirement that was going to bother him and Al the most was the cut. They would be getting a buzz cut after they signed in.
"Al, how much do you like your hair?" Dirk asked.
Al ran his hand through the wayward locks. It was thick and usually took forever to tame if he needed to look decently presentable. It was a running joke between them. "Why?"
"You know you have to get it cut," Dirk answered.
"Well, yeah, it's the military," Al shot back.
Dirk looked at his friend. "Don't you think it will be strange to have nothing up there?"
"Hey, don't make fun of my brain," Al threw the wad of paper next to him.
"Al, the hair, not the lack of brain cells." Though Dirk knew between them Al was the smarter one of the two. It had been his drilling that the two of them had done as well on the SAT's last year and keep up with their grades this year to make this move.
"If it bothers you that much, we can get our hair cut after graduation to get used to the idea."
Dirk thought about it.
"It would deny them the pleasure of demeaning us for cutting our hair," Al said with a smug smile.
"You think you're pretty smart don't you?"
"If I remember right, I'm the brains of this outfit, you're the brawn."
** **
Saturday morning after graduation, Dirk pulled up to park in front of the barbershop. He had stopped by Al's house and roused him from his bed.
"A deal's a deal. You promised me." Dirk told him as he pulled Al out of the house.
Dirk thought back when the last time he had seen a barbershop, it had to be when he was eight, he thought.
They entered the small storefront and found seats to wait their turn. There were four barbers working and they had three people ahead of them.
They watched the barbers worked with the shears and clippers and shaved the hair down.
When a chair was available for one of them they looked at each other for who would be first.
Dirk ate the bullet and sat down in the chair.
"What will it be today?" the barber asked.
"Buzz cut," Dirk asked.
"Are you sure about that son? You have a nice head of hair there."
"We're going to Annapolis in a few weeks and want to get over the shock of having the hair gone," Al told the barber.
The barber nodded and put the cover around Dirk's neck. "Not a bad idea. Can be a shock to go from this to nothing in a stressful time."
The barber turned to get his electric razor.
The next chair became available and Al sat down. He took a deep breath when he heard the razor turned on.
** **
They stood beside the Mustang, looking at each other.
"I didn't know you had a mole on the top of your head," Dirk commented.
"Well since I doubted it's seen the light of day before, I didn't know either," Al replied.
Dirk ran his hand over his stubbly hair. "This is so weird."
"What do you think Mother will say?"
"I hear a scream, how could you, and crying in my future." Dirk's mother was into theatrics over things she couldn't control. "What about you?"
"Told her last night what we were planning on doing. She thought it was a smart idea."
"I always liked your mom."
"Well, I'm the baby, she's lived through it all in some form. Remember when Dave cut his hair after he got drunk?"
"Yeah, I also remember him wearing a ball cap for two months for his hair to grow back."
"I never said David was a smart guy."
Dirk laughed. "Come on, let's see what Mother has to say then head over to your house."
"I take it you're spending the night?"
"Of course, can you imagine me being home while she goes through her image crisis?"
"No," Al answered as he slipped into the passenger seat.