The Academy In My Head

Chick Magnet Curls

"What in the name of all that's good and holy are you doing?"

Sean glanced up. "What?" His brow furrowed as he stared at Gabriel.

"Oi, fucker. What the hell are you doing? To. Your. Fucking. Hair?"

For a 12 year old, Sean mused, Gabriel certainly had a colorful vocabulary. "Oh. Nothing. I'm not doing anything that you think I'm doing." He said.

Gabriel's blue eyes glittered at him. "Don't fuckin' lie, Sean. It's not worth it. If you asked me what I thought you were doing, I would say it looks like you're giving yourself a perm."

"Oh, so it does look exactly like I'm doing."

Gabriel shot him a dirty look. "Why?" He snatched the box away from Sean and read the back of it, mumbling curse words under his breath before raising his eyes to glare at Sean again. "Why??"

Sean shrugged. "Been doing it for years. My mom always wanted me to have curls but they only show up mostly when my hair's short and I always used to want my hair a little longer which means no curls. So I've been perming it myself for a while. Since I was your age mostly."

Gabriel wrinkled his nose. "I don't think you should do it yourself anymore." He finally said, putting the box down. "My step mom has a salon, we could go over there and I could do it for you. She'd let me."

"But I've got everything on already." Sean shrugged. "Next time?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I'll finish this one for you here but damnit, Sean. Your hair is great the way it is. Now that I know you perm it, we're going to be changing that." He said, pushing up the sleeves of his sweatshirt. "Pam would know how to cut your hair to let you have it longer and get some curl. No more perm and if this looks like shit, we're going to go take care of it all next week."

Sean shrugged again but grinned at him. "Okay, whatever you say." He said, sitting down on the closed lid of the toilet after Gabriel put it down and motioned for him to sit down.

"I do say. I think I say for all of you from here on out." Gabriel grumbled before he started to check the curlers that Sean had managed to put in on his own.

"Well?"

"You did all right by yourself. But I swear if you fuck around with your hair anymore, I'm going to figure out how to kick your ass on my own."

Sean shrugged again and glanced at the timer he'd set. "But what if I want you to keep perming it?"

Gabriel swore softly again, eyes studying Sean for a while. "Fine. We'll consider it but I think that Pam can teach me what I need to know or she can give you the right cut so that you'll be happy and have the curls." He said. "If you still want them, that is."

"Of course." Sean said, cheerfully. "Curls are a chick magnet, man. Trust me."

Gabriel gave him a look. "Of course. That's why a 15 year old perms his hair. To pick up chicks." He scoffed.

Sean grinned at him. "Wouldn't the 12 year old like to know." He said, smug satisfaction on his face. He chuckled at the look on Gabriel's face. "We'll talk about it when you're my age and having problems snagging girls."

(fade...)