Nikki Hanson was a 16 year old girl. She was slender and about 5 foot 8. She had long straight light brown hair that brushed the small of her back, and hazel eyes. She lived with her Mom Claudia, Dad Ron, and six sisters and brothers. Chris was 17, Jim was 14, Greg was 13, Ben was 11, Tom was 10 and Megan was 9. They lived in a large house in a nice neighborhood, and always had plenty of money, since Ron was a doctor.
Nikki was sleeping peacefully when her mother Claudia woke her up that Saturday morning. “Mo-om, it’s the first day of summer vacation, can’t I sleep in?” Nikki whined. “No Nikki, we’ll be leaving for the cottage soon, and there are some things we need to do before we go.” Claudia said. Nikki looked at her clock. “Mom, it’s only six o’clock, you said we weren’t leaving until 11, and I packed everything last night, so I’m ready to go.” Nikki said. “I’m going to the shopping center this morning, and you must come along.” Claudia said. “Now get up and get dressed, and get in the van. Your brothers and sisters are all waiting for you.” “If you’ve got all of them to help you get groceries, why do I have to come along?” Nikki complained. “We are not just getting groceries, we are getting a nice picture of you kids taken for the summer letters I mail out, so you need to be in them.” Claudia said. “Ugh, fine. What do you want me to wear?” Nikki said as she got out of bed. “Oh just throw on some play clothes, we’ll run into K-Mart to get you all something coordinating and appropriate.” Claudia said. Nikki sighed, oh well, I can relax when we get to the lake. She couldn’t wait to get to there to see all of her summer friends, mainly the hot boys.
The seven Hanson kids piled into their large van and Claudia drove them to the shopping center. They all went into K-mart and went to the clothing department. “Kids, sit still on the bench until I call you to try something on.” Claudia said, pointing to a large wooden bench outside the dressing rooms. Then she went hunting for the perfect outfits. A few minutes later Claudia re-appeared with a shopping cart full of clothes. One by one she called each child into the dressing room. When it was Nikki’s turn, Nikki walked in and told her to take her clothes off. “Mom, you don’t need to help me, I’m big enough to dress myself.” Nikki said, hoping her mom would get a clue and exit the dressing room. “Don’t use that tone with me young lady.” Claudia said. “Put this on.” She said, handing Nikki a pale pink turtleneck with a ruffled collar and cuffs, and a bright pink cotton jumper. Nikki thought, Oh my god, how childish. Oh well though, only granda will see this picture, so I probably shouldn’t argue with mom. Nikki put it all on and Claudia said, “Oh how darling, don’t you think?” Nikki smiled fakely and nodded. “Ok, take it off and go back to the bench.” Claudia said. Nikki did as her mother said, and joined her siblings again. Then Claudia folded the clothes, and then took them to the cashier and paid for them. “Come along kids. ” She said as she handed each child a bag with their clothes in it. Then they all headed out the door. The kids all walked towards the van, but Claudia stopped them and said, “over here kids, you’re going to get haircuts before the picture.”
A few stores down from K-mart was a barber shop joined to a beauty salon. “Everyone in here.” Claudia said, holding the door of the barber shop open. It was very early in the morning still, and the shop had just opened. The four older barbers sat in their chairs reading the morning paper and laughing when the Hanson’s walked in. One of the barbers said, “Hello there mam, I’m Stew, and they are Rick, Bob and Carl. What can we do for you today?” Claudia said, “Oh, just nice short summer haircuts will be fine.” Stew nodded. “Who’s first?” He asked. Claudia turned at looked at her 7 kids, and said, “Chris, Jim, Greg, and Nikki, go have a seat.” Nikki, startled, said, “Mom, I’m a girl! I can’t get my haircut in a barber shop! Can’t I just go next door?” Claudia said, “No. There’s no reason to spend all that money for a summer haircut for you when you’ll be at the lake. So have a seat and sit still.” Nikki stomped over the last open seat, right by the window, and got in. Claudia called to the barbers, “for the boys, I want nice short brushcuts. Half an inch on top.” Stew said, “And the girls?” “Shoulder length for Megan, and..” Claudia walked over to Nikki. She studied Nikki’s hair, then said, “Give her a nice short bowlcut.” Nikki gasped. “No mom. A trim will be fine!” Claudia ignored her, and went on, “Yes, a bowlcut will be perfect.” How short do you want it mam?” Stew asked. “Nice and short, so it’ll dry quickly, since she’s in the water so much.” Stew handed her a comb and said, “Show me where you want the bowl to fall.” Claudia combed thorugh Nikki’s hair a few times, and then placed the comb three inched above the tops of Nikki’s ears, and said, “I want everything from here down shaved smooth.” Nikki jerked her head towards her mom and said, “No way! You are not shaving anything!” Claudia firmly pushed Nikki’s head back the other way, and said, “I’d like the bowl to fall a little lower, so that she has a nice undercut, say, one inch?” Stew nodded, and Claudia took a seat in the waiting area a few feet away. Stew pumped the chair up mugh higher. Then he ripped a tissue from a dispenser, and tied it very tightly around Nikki’s neck. Then he picked up a folded smock and threw it over her. It was huge, and covered Nikki’s feet. He tied it even more tightly over the tissue. All of a sudden Nikki felt a strong tug on her head, then it got very light. She heard a thump, and whipped her head around to see her long ponytail on the floor. Stew jerked her head back, and used a comb to pull some of the hair on top into a ponytail. Then she felt several light tugs as Stew trimmed all of the hair below the ponytail very short. Nikki didn’t hear Stew turn on his clippers since there were already three sets being used on her brothers in the barber shop. Nikki felt a large strong hand on the back of her head, pushing it forward. Stew pushed Nikki’s head down hard, putting her chin into her chest. Then Nikki shivered as she felt something very cold vibrating on her neck. She knew it was the clippers. Nikki felt the cold steel digging into her skin as Stew pushed down on them hard as he slowly shaved her hair off. They went up up up. They went very high. Nikki was afraid that Stew would run them right over the top of her head. Nikki felt thick tufts of hair roll down her neck into her lap as the clippers shaved her hair. Stew made many slow passes with the clippers, then he yanked Nikki’s head up to an erect position, and pushed it to one side. He slowly shaved one side of Nikki’s head, shaving her sideburn, up to her temple, up as high as he did in the back. Nikki watched three of her brothers get up from their chairs with their haircuts finished while her head was strained to one side. Stew pushed her head to the other side and Nikki saw her three other siblings in the other barber’s chairs. The clippers roared in Nikki’s ear as they shaved more hair down to stubble. Nikki’s neck ached, and finally Stew pulled her head back to an erect position. Then he took a spray bottle and a comb, and wetted Nikki’s hair down, and combed it. Nikki sat still as Stew began to snip her hair into a bowl. He started by her ear, about 2 inches above it though, and snipped the hair in a straight line around the back to the other side. He was very careful to make it all even. As Stew finished cutting Nikki’s bowl, she noticed all of her siblings sitting with her mom in the waiting area. They were all done before her, and watching her get this horrible haircut. She saw smirks on her little brother’s faces. She was about to cry when she looked at Chris. He mouthed to her, “Sorry kiddo. Don’t worry. It’ll be ok Promise.” Nikki smiled a little, but soon Stew turned the chair the other way. Stew lifted her head up and cupped Nikki’s chin in one of his hands while he combed some hair in front for bangs. He placed the scissors about an inch from her hairline, and snipped a very blunt line right across her forehead. Nikki knew she was going to look very silly and childish, especially with little bangs. She felt soft bristles brushing her neck and the back and sides of her head, where her hair had been shaved. Then Stew untied the cape and ripped off the tissue. He snapped the cape, and Nikki saw the huge pile of her hair on the floor. Nikki stood up, but she felt his hands tightly grab her shoulders and push her down. “Not done yet miss.” He said. Nikki sat in the big red leather barbers chair wondering what he was going to do when she felt something being tucked under her collar. She looked and saw a thick white towel draped over her shoulders. A moment later she felt something burning on her head. stew held a steaming hot towel over the back and sides of her head where shaved stubble remained for several minutes. Then he left the towel on her head and Nikki heard a whining sound. She saw Stew come back with a large dollop of steamy white foam in one of his hands. He took the towel off and Nikki shivered as the cold hair touched her hot red skin. Soon she felt Stew spreading the warm shaving lather all over the back and sides of her head. Then Stew washed and dried his hands, and took a straight razor off of a shelf. He stropped it on the leather belt that was attached to the chair. Then Stew pushed Nikki’s head into her chest again and placed the razor at the nape of her neck. He slowly started to shave upwards. He made a long, smooth slow stroke. When he got to the top, he flicked the excess shaving lather off of the razor and then he wiped it on the towel around Nikki’s shoulders. Then he shaved another path. And another. Stew took his time and shaved very slowly. The barber shop was silent as Stew shaved Nikki. The only thing anyone heard was the sound of the razor scraping the stubble off of Nikki’s skin. Stew eventually moved on to one side of her head, then the other. Stew wiped Nikki’s head with clean hot towel, and, re-lathered her freshly shaved skin. He stropped the straight razor on the belt again, and pushed Nikki’s head back into her chest, and started shaving even closer. Stew used short quick strokes this time. After an eternity, Stew wiped Nikki’s shaven skin with an even hotter towel than the first two. Nikki felt the skin on the back and side of her head and neck bright red. Then she felt a cool stinging sensation as Stew rubbed talc into her freshly shaved skin. He untucked the towel, and dusted Nikki off. Then he lowered the chair, and gave Nikki and hand mirror. Nikki looked at her new self. She hated it, but she just said, “thank you Stew.” Then she got up. Claudia paid the barbers, and thanked them. Then she said, “Kids, hurry up and get changed once we get to the photographers.” Then they left the barber shop.
Mrs. Hanson and her seven kids walked a few stores down to the studio. The kids all changed into their outfits when they got to the photography studio. Nikki opened her bag and took out the hideously childish outfit her mother had chosen. She put on the pale pink turtleneck, and slipped the jumper on over it. Claudia swung open the door to Nikki’s changing room and said, “put these on too.” handing Nikki a pair of light pink tights with bright pink polka dots to match her turtleneck and jumper, and a pair of bright pink Mary-Janes. Nikki put them on, then looked in the mirror at herself. She looked like such a baby. She sighed and emerged from the changing room. Her mom was sitting just outside, brushing Megan’s hair into pigtails with huge pink hairbows. “Come here Nikki and sit down so I can fix your hair.” Claudia said. What haid, Nikki thought, I dont have anough to do anything with. She obeyed her mom though, and took Megan’s seat on a stool. Claudia pulled a small section of Nikki’s hair into a little ponytail high on top of her head, and fastened it with a matching hairbow. “Go get in the picture now.” Claudia said as she pushed Nikki off the stool towards the photographer. Nikki glanced in a large mirror at herself and paused. She reached up and touched her newly shaven skin. It was so soft and silky smooth. Her whole body got tingly as she stroked it. As Nikki took her seat in the picture, she thought to herself, maybe this isn’t so bad after all!
