literature

Matt 003

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Matt Lawrence wasn't very concerned with the way he looked. At nine years of age, there were several things he found more important than his appearance. Like many young boys, he simply trusted his mother to supply him with clothes that weren't awful and he really couldn't care less about how his hair looked (unless it got really matted, when it was a pain to brush out). Over the summer, his mother had let it grow long and Matt never thought twice about it. Until, that was, someone else did.

August had rolled around again and fall term had started roughly two weeks ago. Matt had a new backpack that he was very proud of – shaped as a racecar, red and black, and therefore very cool. He was showing it off to his best friend Tom at lunch break and the two boys' attention was completely focused on the backpack. So focused, in fact, that they didn't notice the approaching girl until she stood right next to their table.

"Hi Matt," she said, hands clasped behind her back.

Matt looked up with that indifferent expression on his face that kids so often seemed to have. "Hi Suzie. Look at my new bag, it's awesome."

He pushed the backpack towards her, but Suzie didn't even glance at it. Instead she pursed her lips, looking thoughtful for a moment before asking, "Are you going to cut your hair?"

"I don't know," said Matt with a shrug. "Why?"

"Because you look like a girl when your hair is that long."

Matt certainly hadn't expected that. His nine-year-old mind didn't take long to come up with a suitable retort, however. "I do not!"

"Yeah, you do. Your hair is almost as long as Sarah's."

Frowning, Matt pulled his bag back to him. "Do not. Her hair is as long as mine."

"Yeah!" Tom agreed with a definite nod.

"Well, you still look like a girl," Suzie concluded before abruptly turning to leave.

Matt glared after her, his forehead creased in the continuing frown. A girl. A girl? He did not look like a girl! With an angry huff, he turned back to his lunch, grabbing his ham sandwich and biting into it. He did not look like a girl..!



Suzie's words haunted Matt's mind for the remainder of the day. On the school bus home he was quiet and pouty, something that continued when he walked through the front door of the house where he lived with his parents. His mother was in the living room sorting through bills, looking up from her papers as he son came trudging through with a frown.

"Hello, sweetheart, how was school?"

"Suzie said I looked like a girl because I have long hair," Matt replied, not stopping but continuing into the kitchen to find something to eat.

His mother, Helen, got up from the couch and joined her son in the next room. "Did she say that? I bet she's just jealous," she suggested, running a hand through her son's hair. "Or maybe she likes you," she added with a wink.

"Don't be ridiculous, mom. Suzie like's Frank, she can't like me too," Matt rationalized as he went to pick the butter from out the fridge. "Mom, can I get a haircut?"

Helen gave a chuckle, reaching down to pick her son up. "Oh Matt, don't listen to what Suzie thinks. You're very handsome with your long hair, I promise."

Matt obviously wasn't convinced, which could be seen in his pursed lips and the way his head was dubiously cocked to one side. He did give a nod though, pulling a face as his mother kissed him on the cheek before letting him down on his feet again. Then he was left to his own devices and reached to get a slice of bread from the bread bin, before going to get a butter knife from one of the kitchen drawers.

Opening the second drawer from the top, he quickly located what he needed. As his hand closed around the plastic knife, his eyes fell on the scissors in the compartment next to where he was currently rummaging. A thought ran through his head, a single idea that formed in an instant at the sight of the cutting tool. Glancing towards the doorway, he then looked back into the drawer, for a few moments deliberating his next move. His parents had told him not to play with scissors, but he didn't think that what he had in mind would count as playing. Besides, it would save his mother the money for that haircut.

Taking the scissors out of the drawer, Matt abandoned the butter knife for the time being. He looked at the shiny tool in his hand for a moment and then raised his free hand to his hair. Then, with a resolute motion, he grabbed a fistful of hair and held it away from his head. Matt Lawrence would look like a girl no more.

Carefully, he raised the open scissors to his hair. The blades sheared the first handful of dark blond tresses easily and Matt held the severed hair in front of him for a little, before opening his hand and letting it fall to the floor. After that, he didn't hesitate to continue, tongue poking out of out the corner of his mouth as he concentrated hard.

When he'd cut an estimated two thirds of his hair, an unexpected exclamation caused him to almost cut himself in the ear. "Matt, what the hell are you doing?!"

As he whipped around towards the voice, Matt was met by his father's big hand reaching to snatch the scissors from him. Jeff Lawrence was a big man and his son cowered slightly as he looked up at his father.

"What are you doing, son?" Jeff asked, frowning as he put the scissors on the counter. "Why are you cutting your hair off?"

"What are you— Oh, Matt!" Helen joined them at that point, roused by her husband's exclamation, hands coming up to clasp at her mouth when she saw her son standing with most of his hair scattered in tufts around his feet.

Under the demanding look of his father and the close to horrified one of his mother, Matt felt hard pressed for an explanation. "Suzie said I looked like a girl!" he attempted to defend himself, wringing his hands.

"Said you looked... Matt, you don't cut your hair off like this, you understand?" Jeff looked at his son, shaking his head. "You've done a bad thing now, you understand that?"

"I don't wanna have long hair!" Matt shouted, stomping his foot indignantly.

Jeff raised a warning finger. "Don't shout at me, son."

"Matt, calm down, sweetie..." Helen hunched down next to Matt to try and get a closer look at the damage the scissors had caused, but Matt was having none of it by now, batting at his mother's hands with his own.

"Leave me alone!"

"Matt Lawrence, calm down or go to your room." Jeff was quickly growing impatient with his son's behaviour, having just come from work and walked right into Matt's makeshift hair saloon. When the young boy continued causing a racket, Jeff simply picked him up, holding tight as Matt flailed and kicked his legs for all he was worth. Carrying the nine-year-old to his room, his father resolutely dumped the angry kid on the bed and left him there, kicking and screaming. Closing the door behind him, he returned to the kitchen where his wife was sweeping up the cut-off hair and throwing it in the trash.

"So," Jeff said with a sigh as he put the scissors back in the drawer, "who's taking him to the hairdresser?"
Matt Lawrence has been young too, a few decades ago. This happens in the fall of 1975 (according to Matt's current in-game timeline at Astor Ridge) and is a memory Matt looks back at with a certain degree of embarrassment, but he won't deny it happened. After all, he did get that haircut..!

And no, he hasn't gone back to wearing his hair long since.


Matt Lawrence (c) me, TabloidJunkie and I do love him so :)
© 2011 - 2024 TabloidJunkie
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