The Breakup Haircut by BuzzWord101 on DeviantArt
Her name was Kayla Patel and she hadn’t planned on walking into the neighborhood barbershop that afternoon. She just kept walking until her feet stopped in front of the striped pole, the sting of betrayal still fresh. Her boyfriend had cheated—publicly, stupidly—and then dumped her like she was the one who’d done something wrong. Inside, the older female barber barely looked up, indifferent to her distressed face and annoyed at Kayla's hesitation as she stared at the chair. “Ok, I don't have all day. Are you sitting or what?” she asked. Kayla's head slumped as she walked to the chair, sitting stiffly, her fingers clenched around the armrests as if bracing for impact. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders, still untouched, but her eyes betrayed the storm inside—uncertainty, regret, and a loss of control over the breakup. The barber didn’t ask questions. With practiced efficiency, she snapped open the striped cape and swung it around Kayla’s shoulders, fastening it tight at the neck before Kayla could speak. The gesture was firm, final. Kayla swallowed hard, frozen in the chair despite her impulse to get up and walk out.An irritated edge crept into the old barber’s voice as she fiddled with Kayla's long, thick hair. “If you’re after fancy styling, sweetheart, go find yourself a beauty salon. I don’t fuss with long hair. I do short barbered cuts ... so—what are we doing today?” Kayla shrugged, voice thin: “I don’t know. Something different.” The barber didn’t ask again. The clippers buzzed to life, and within minutes, her long brown hair lay in a heap on the tile, the same long hair that her boyfriend had played with just several nights before. The bowl cut was blunt, severe, and real. “There,” the barber said, brushing her clean-shaven neck. “Nothing fancy, just neat, clean and practical ... and you look a whole lot nicer ... that will be $15.” Kayla stared at her reflection, unsure of what to think as she nodded.
Comments (0)