Chris was shocked by what he saw as his father and brother got out of the car. Chris 15, and his brother Danny 12, had worn their blonde hair long for as long as Chris could remember. Danny's BowlCut had always reached to at least the middle of his ears, and Chris's was always way below the bottom of his ears. As Chris watched Danny get out of the car, his attention was focused on Danny's hair, or lack of it. Danny was Bald! Chris would learn later that Danny's hair had been cut in an 1/8' BuzzCut, but to him it was Bald. When their father had arrived home from work earlier that afternoon, he decided that Danny was in need of a haircut. He and Danny had arrived at the Barbershop with the intention of getting Danny's BowlCut trimmed up a bit. The shop was crowded so they would have to wait for a while. While they waited several other boys, around Danny's age from his school, were getting haircuts, actually BuzzCuts. They must have made a pact. As Danny watched, he became fascinated with the thought of sitting in the chair, and watching as the barber ran the clippers over his head and reduced his hair to stubble. On of the guys who had just had his head shorn came over to Danny. "H1 Dan. What do you think of the BuzzCut?" "Hi Greg. Yeah! That's cool." "Well it's not as hot as it was" replied Greg as he ran his hands over his defoliated head - where until a few minutes ago he had long hair - not a BowlCut like Danny, but really long parted in the middle "Why don't you get rid of that mop to Dan. We're all getting BuzzCuts." Before he realized what was happening, Danny was asking his father if he could get his hair cut like the other boys. His father, surprised by the request, was reluctant at first to say yes but he could see that peer pressure had been brought to bear, and not wanting his son to be left behind, gave permission for his son to have his hair removed. When Danny's turn finally arrived, he made his way to the chair and sat down. The barber fastened the cape around his neck and asked him how he wanted his haircut. Danny immediately replied that he wanted it cut like the other boys. The barber turned to Danny's father. "You want it all cut off, like the other lads?" asked the barber. "Yes. Give him what he wants. It seems to be the trend," Danny's father replied. "It sure is" assured the barber. "I must have done two dozen BuzzCut in the last week. BowlCuts are out. Bald is in. OK son you want to be Bald?" "Bald? I just want a BuzzCut," muttered the anxious Danny. "More or less the same difference my boy". The barber attached the #1 comb to his clippers. "Here we go!" and the barber turned to begin his work. Before Danny realized what was happening, the barber had turned on the clippers and was running them down the center of his head starting at his forehead. As Danny watched, his long blonde hair was slowly replaced by barely a micro-stubble. In less than five minutes, the barber was turning the clippers off. He grabbed a large brush, and brushed Danny's head with it. Before removing the cape from around him, the barber ran his hand over Danny's head. "So, how do you like your Baldie?" he asked. Danny reached up, rubbed his head. "Awesome!" was Danny's declaration. At dinner that night, the conversation mostly centered around Danny's new haircut. At a pause in the conversation, Chris's mother reminded his father that Chris was in need of a haircut too. Chris's father agreed. "That's right, he does doesn't he. I tell you what Chris, I'll take you to the barber on Saturday and how about we get your haircut just like Danny's?" "Well, to tell you the truth, I like my hair long," replied Chris. "Nonsense," his mother said, "you've had that long hair long enough, its time to get a nice short haircut, especially since it's summer coming up. With all your sport it'll be a lot easier to keep clean. You cost a fortune in shampoo." "It's settled", his father  said. "Saturday you get a nice Baldie like your brother!" "I don't want a Baldie!" The next day, all Chris could think about was what it was going to be like to sit in the chair at the barbershop and watch the barber shear his long blonde hair to stubble, the thought of it made Chris extremely nervous. He didn't want his hair all cut off, but he wasn't going to have any choice in the matter. What Day decided was law; at least that is what he said until Danny or Chris persuaded him to change his mind. But this time Mum was on Dad's side. Chris really didn't want to start an argument he probably couldn't win. After another day of trying to imagine what he was going to look like with his hair shorn away to near Baldness, it was time for Chris's trip to the barbershop. Chris stood in the bathroom combing his hair for the last time, as his father called from downstairs to get a move on. His mother passed the bathroom, and seeing Chris stopped to talk to him. As she entered the bathroom, she reached out and ran her hand through his hair. Chris sighed, and combed his hair again. "Well," his mother said, "in a little while you won't have to worry about me messing up your hair anymore." "No," Chris thought, "we certainly won't. But I don't want a Baldie." "Relax Chris", his mom continued, "you're going to look great with your hair buzzed short. Now, your father's waiting, better get in the car now or he may have the barber really shave your head Bald." Shaved Bald. That was like an electric shock to Chris. He finished combing his hair fondly for the foreseeable future, and made his way downstairs and into the car for the drive to the barbershop. When they arrived all six barbers were working on customers, and the shop was standing room only. "Great," Chris thought, "there's no way dad will ever wait this long for me to get my haircut, I'm safe for another week." "Well," his dad said, "guess were going to have a little bit of a wait before you get in the chair." As they stood, and than finally sat and waited, Chris was treated to the sight of several other guys getting CrewCuts for the summer. Watching the barber make pass after pass with the clippers over their heads only made Chris more nervous, knowing that his turn was coming. After what seemed like forever, a barber called "Next" and it was Chris's turn. Chris nervously made his way to the chair and sat down. His father stood to the side as the barber snapped the striped cape around Chris. "So," asked the barber, "how are we cutting this young buck's hair today?" "Give him a Baldie," Chris's father spoke. "That's pretty short, 1/8" all around you sure about this?" the barber asked. "Time to get rid of all that long hair for the summer, at least!" Chris's father nodded. "OK," said the barber, "You OK with that son?" "Aw! Come on Dad. Not a Baldie. How about an Ivy League or something short like that? Dad?" The barber waited with his clippers in hand. "Tell you what". Dad reached into his pocket and took out a coin. "Heads you go Bald. Tails you get what ever you want. Not that BowlCut again mind. Something a good deal shorter. But your choice. OK? That or nothing. Flip the coin or get a Baldie automatically. Heads, no hair; tails hair." He flipped the coin, his lucky two headed coin which up till now he had kept secret from the boys. He won a lot of arguments that way. "Tails" "Sorry Chris. Right Mr Barber. Make my son a Baldie" Chris sighed. "One Baldie, coming up." The barber adjusted his clippers in his hand and checked that he had the #1 comb snapped on. He turned to Chris and placed a hand on top of his head, as the clippers docked at Chris's forehead. Chris jumped. "Relax," the barber said, "Just sit there, relax, and enjoy it, you will be Bald before you know it." As he finished speaking the barber pushed the clippers across the top of the  head. Chris couldn't believe how much hair was falling around him, and this was only the beginning! As Chris watched, the barber used a comb to clear away the hair that had been cut by the first pass of the clippers. Chris's eyes opened wide as he realized that he had a Bald strip down the center of his head. The barber continued working, and each pass made the Bald strip wider and sent more hair raining down on the cape and floor. After finishing shearing the top of his head, the barber was ready to work on the sides and back. All at once, Chris was facing the waiting customers behind him as the barber made short work of the rest of his hair. After a few minutes of buzzing, the clippers were turned off, and the barber removed the cape and shook the hair onto the floor. The haircutter brushed off Chris's head, and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Ready to see the new you, son?" The barber said. "Yea, I guess so" Chris replied. The barber spun the chair around to the mirror, and Chris was staring at a boy with almost no hair. His blonde hair had been sheared to a uniform 1/8' stubble. Chris reached up and felt his head; instead of the mop of long hair he was used to feeling, his hand was met by the sensation of sandpaper and scalp. Chris secretly thought that it actually was pretty cool. He soon felt his father's hand rubbing his newly buzzed head. "Now that is a definite improvement." As Chris climbed out of the chair, his father paid for the haircut and gave the barber a generous tip. After arriving home, his mother and brother couldn't help but rub his head every time they passed. Chris said nothing, but he had already decided that he would let his hair grow back as soon as he could. He wondered how long it would take. That was his plan as he was taking a shower to remove those prickly bits left over after a haircut. Chris had taken a shower, and in the process, realized that he didn't have to use quite so much shampoo on his head anymore. After getting out of the shower, he toweled off his head like he usually did and made a surprising summary. His hair was basically dry after just one pass with the towel, he no longer had to worry about getting out the hair dryer and making sure his hair wasn't still damp before he could leave the house, (a pet peeve of his mother's). Chris looked in the bathroom mirror, rubbed his head, and decided that he really did like his buzzed head after all, although he probably wouldn't tell his parents just yet. Yeah! The BuzzCut was super cool. There was just a halo of blond stubble which really suited him. Maybe he would stay buzzed. 'How often would he have to go to the barbers to keep it this way', he wondered. He only had his bowl cut trimmed of every three months. That would be no good for a BuzzCut he reckoned. That night he suddenly woke up. What made him do so he didn't know. Automatically he swept his hand up to brush the long hair out of his eyes. There was none. Just that short stubble. He massaged the stubble with enjoyment. Suddenly he was wide-awake. As though he was still in a dream he got out of bed and walked softy to the bathroom - not the bathroom attached to his and Danny's rooms, but the main bathroom used by Mum and Dad. He crept inside and quietly closed the door before he turned on the light. Then he had a good look at his BuzzCut in the big mirror and his Dad's shaving mirror. That way he could see all round. Before he knew what he was doing he ran warm water in the basin and patted it onto his head. Dad's shaving foam was next, which he spread carefully all over his head. Dad would kill him but he found his father's best razor with the Mach3 blade, whatever that was. Danny stood there for some moments wondering what next to do. And he did it. He slid the razor slowly over the top of his head, just where the barber that very day had shorn off his long BowlCut. Danny had shaved his face a few times so he knew more or less how to hold a razor. Before long, with some difficulty, be had removed all the shave cream from his head, and the stubble with it. Now this was a Baldie, a real Baldie. Now this was cool, super cool. Carefully he washed all Dad's stuff and replaced it where it should be. Then he added aftershave to his shining smooth head. Boy did that sting. He let out a yelp. "That'll teach you", his father laughed. He frightened the heck out of Danny. "So you didn't want to be a Baldie. What do you call that?" He patted Danny on the totally hairless scalp. "Bloody hell Dad. You could have given me a heart attack. How long have you been there? I didn't see you." "No. You were too busy shaving your head. You didn't close the door properly and I heard you in here. Just stood in the hall shadow and watched the whole proceedings. And who gave you permission to use my razor and aftershave? Tell me that?" But he was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "Aw! Dad. I must have been sleepwalking. What have I done?" He pretended to be shocked as he looked in the mirror to see his shaved head. "None of that. You knew what you were doing. I like it. You going to keep you head shaved now that you have done it?" Chris hadn't really considered that yet. If anything, he thought his parents would make him grow it out a bit. "I guess so. That's if you think it's OK. And Mum? Feel it. Yeah! I like the smooth feel. Hey Dad. I'm totally Bald. Yeah. I'll definitely keep it". "One more thing," advised his father as he took a coin from his dressing gown pocked, "check this out". "Hey Dad that's cheating", as Chris examined the double headed coin. "This mean that I didn't have to have a Baldie after all." "True. But you would never have done this". He again patted his eldest son on his shiny pate and guided the lad his bedroom. "My son the ShaveHead." Chris settled contentedly into bed. Bald. And intending to remain BALD!