Four Delinquents

Turning a Page

    We knocked on the window of the barber shop. The little red and white candy cane looking thing spinning in its jar above our heads as the sky slowly got darker. The door was opened by Pretty Boy. He smiled at us and stood aside to let us in.

   

“you guys are gonna shit yourselves.” he said with an excited laugh in his voice.

   I looked around the barber shop. Its where I had gotten my hair cut when I “fell” into a little money. It looked like it always had. The 4 chairs in front of the big mirrors and the other half of the shop was owned by the mans wife who cut women’s hair. She had the fancier stuff. The barber had told me that men liked things more old fashioned. Women liked things modern and new. Especially when it came to their hair. That’s why they changed it so much.

  

  When he told me this, I had wondered why Hera had the same hair style for as long as I could remeber. Maybe she was really a man. That’s why she never changed anything. Her dress or her hair. She didn’t embrace make up and she could certainly use some. All the other women changed everything up as soon you got used to it. Women must be expensive. When I'm older Ill just keep a pet. I can groom him myself and hes probably more fun than a nagging woman anyway. Less expensive too.

   

      The barber had just finished with Italo. He wiped the cover off of him and hung it neatly on its hook. Spinning the chair around showing us the new and improved Italo. How hard it would be to tell them it was all worth nothing. That the new outfit and hair cut for Italo would not be put to use. That we were the ones who would have to go through with it. That we wouldn’t even have some goon looking guy to pass the blame onto. That the plan might have failed and we have barely even started. We’ve only just been preparing for it and it was already ruined.

   

       Italo stood up looking very sharp. Very put together. Like a business man should look. He had a 3 piece suite on. It was dark and crisp. He ran a comb through his hair. Enhancing the clean perfect part that was combed down into place with fresh palmade. He put the little container of  palmade into his pocket along with the comb. I smiled at him. I could only hope to look so sharp one day. Maybe when I was a successful crime boss I would look like that. Except hopefully taller. He was like a little copy of George.

   

“Looking good Italo.” I said. I noticed how strange the name sounded on my tongue. It was too long. Now that he was apart of our group he would need a nickname. That would be his true initiation.

   

“like my suite?” he asked me brightly.

   

I nodded at him. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and spun him around to look in the mirror. He straightened his coat and brushed lint off the arms. I budged my head at Pretty Boy to pay the barber.

   

“thank you Mr. LaMar.” I said “you’ve got our boy lookin real smooth.”

    

“your welcome boys.” replied Mr. LaMar. “ I think your well over due for your hair cut eh Dodger?”

   

“yeah… I have to get it done soon… wait howd you know I go by…” my words fumbled around in my mouth as I realized he had called me by my nickname.

   

“Everyone knows to call you Dodger. That’s what your boys call you don’t they? Or would you rather I call you Hades?” he asked. He acknowledged the look on my face. “I never agreed with that crazy greek woman who named you boys. Four of you got names from greek mythology. That is simply ridiculous if you don’t mind me saying. I think Dodger is a better name for you. Its after the Artful Dodger from Oliver yes?”