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Lessons of Life

Clara sighed as she looked up her next client on the computer screen. It had been a long day and the last client she’d had gave the definition of a pain in the ass. Nothing was good enough, and then when she’d finished with them, they’d complained about the finished product. Clara figured they weren’t completely unsatisfied with her work though, because they kept coming back to her. Every time, they were the same, complaining up a storm, but they always came back. That told her a lot, and made her feel good. Her two years in cosmetology school and then five years of experience working in the most reputable, top salon and spa in the country, Charles Penzone, said that in itself.

“Kevin,” she muttered, reading off the name that the screen told her. He was her last client of the day, and a first timer at that, “Let’s see what you’re all about.”

Going out in to the almost empty lobby, Clara called his name out twice before a man stood. She was baffled at what she saw, and even confused. It was Kevin Richardson, of the Backstreet Boys, but he looked different. She did all she could not to laugh, managing to somehow keep a straight face behind the smirk of amusement she knew could very easily slip. His hair was long and looked ratty, unkept and very dry. It appeared to be crimped...something she thought only girls did to their hair...mainly young girls. There were a few clips in his hair...barrettes or something strange and sparkling. And then there was the fuzz...or rather funky beard on just the tip of his chin. The rest of his face was cleanly shaven. All in all though, he looked like hell. He looked like comical hell. She raised one eyebrow, just looking at him as he neared.

“I’m Kevin.” he muttered, his head hanging low to hide his face in shame as he walked, following her back to the hair washing area..

Clara said nothing for the first few minutes as she leaned his chair back, his head hanging in to the sink as she wet the hair, sliding the clips out as she did so, washing it thoroughly just in case her suspicion was true and then conditioning it to add some moisture, which the hair so desperately needed. Whatever had happened had done some serious damage. Clara didn’t know what to say though, afraid that she’d start to laugh. With the hideous hair out of his face, he actually looked somewhat cute, his eyes closed as she finished up, wrapping a towel around his hair to squeeze out all of the excess water as she sat him back upright. His eyes fluttered open and he stood, following her to her station, taking a seat in that chair.

“So, what can I do for you?” Clara finally asked as she combed out the mess, figuring it would be up to her to speak first, attempting to make conversation.

“Can you do anything?” Kevin asked her, his eyes holding a flicker of anger as well as annoyance, “Or is it a hopeless case?”


Clara laughed finally, and it seemed to lighten Kevin up as well, “Nothing is a hopeless case. I’m thinking cutting it short though...it will look much better with your face.” she told him, choosing her words wisely so she didn’t offend him. A worried expression crossed his face, “You’d have to trust me...which you can trust me...but...I think it will do wonders for your, um...appearance.”

Kevin paused, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked to be a disaster. He hated what he saw, unable to believe he’d gotten himself in to this mess in the first place. Everything had been fine, and then...

“Go ahead...anything will help.” Kevin told her, still a little bit bitter about the situation. His mood was improving though talking to the girl, who was friendly and had a good, light-hearted sense of humor. Her personality was perfect fitting to what she did...the question was, was she talented at what she did?

Clara nodded, talking a good look at Kevin to try and visualize what she could come up with for him. Looking at his hair, which was already frizzing up again from what ever had been done to it, she took her scissors and started to cut. Kevin watched for a second before adverting his gaze away from the mirror. He was nervous, wondering if the outcome would be any better than what he’d come in with.

“May I ask what happened?” Clara finally asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. She found that she wanted to know rather badly, knowing that it was probably more than just a bad hair day.

Kevin didn’t say anything for a moment and Clara wondered if she’d gone too far by asking him the simple question. Maybe it was none of her business? When Kevin started to speak though, she could sense the humiliation in his voice.

“I lost a bet...and Nick got to play beauty shop on me,” Clara snorted back a laugh as she continued to do her work on Kevin, “He...cut it...curled it....crimped it....and then shaved my face and...well, look at me,” he finished in exasperation, “I don’t know what that idiot did, but I couldn’t even get a comb through it...it was so knotted up. I had to go out on stage like this last night...because he did it right before the show. I tried to fix it afterwards and then again this morning...even the hair and makeup team couldn’t do anything...so, I came in for the first open spot that I could make.”

"It's not so bad..." Clara said, but even the words didn't sound convincing to herself as they came out.

"I look like a chia-pet gone wrong!" Kevin exclaimed in exasperation

Clara stifled a laugh at his description of himself, although she felt sorry for him, sitting there looking so pitiful and helpless. She wondered what on earth he’d been thinking though, letting Nick mess with his hair. She’d read numerous stories of Nick doing off the wall stuff and crazy things to people. She’d never trust him even touching her. Then again, Kevin probably had figured it was a lost bet and the outcome couldn’t be nearly as bad as what it had turned out to.

“What was with the barrettes?” she asked him then, remembering the sparkling clips in his hair.

“Another doing of Nick...he somehow tangled them up in my hair really good...I would have had to cut them out.”

Clara decided not to mention to him that they’d come out rather easily with a little bit of jiggling them around. It would only make him feel like an even bigger ass. She really didn’t say much more to him as she cut his hair to the perfection she’d visualized. She took a handful of gel, running it through the dark hair to tame it. Taking out her blow-dryer, she dried his hair, running her fingers through it to style it in what she thought would look amazing on him.

“I’m thinking getting rid of that...hair on your chin will help too...it just looks so...hippie...freaky...” her voice trailed off, unable to find the right words to describe it. It just looked weird and definitely wasn’t a look he could pull off.

“Go for it...” he told her, and seconds later, he felt an electric razor moving across his chin in for swift movements.

“All done,” she told him, smiling at what she’d created as she wrapped the cord of the dryer around it, placing it back in her utensils box, followed by the razor, “Take a look.”

Kevin paused for long moment before looking up in to the mirror, seeing a reflection of himself. He couldn’t believe it. She’d actually done it...taken something hideous and made him look like a person again. He looked younger, more attractive. He smiled, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Thank you so much,” Kevin stated gratefully, standing up, “This is amazing...you’re very good.”

Clara smiled, “I’d hope so. I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember,” she paused, “It was very nice meeting you...and good luck.”

“Nice meeting you too...if I’m in the area again, I’ll definitely be coming back.” Kevin told her, getting in to his wallet and pulling out a fifty for her tip, handing it to her shocked, blank face.

As he walked away to the lobby to pay for the cut, he thought back to everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. The nightmare was finally over. He was never letting Nick touch his hair again.