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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#33: Bad Hair Day

The best stories are the ones that make us feel something; the ones that tap into some kind of universal emotion or experience. And there is one feeling that stands out as being particularly universal. More than joy, sadness, fear, or love. More than the excited nerves of a first day at school, or the sweet relief of a spring breeze after a long winter. Something that connects us all is the feeling of... a bad haircut.

This week, your challenge is to write a story that evokes the feelings of a bad hair cut. (Whether or not your story involves this actual plot is up to you!)

This week's prompts

Write a story about a character who can't make up their mind about something.

Character – 64 stories

Write a story about a character who's too polite to tell someone they don't like a gift given to them.

Funny – 49 stories

Write a story about a character making a big change.

Teens – 65 stories

Write a story set in a salon or barbershop.

Fiction – 70 stories

Write a story about miscommunication.

Fiction – 48 stories

Stories

“You've Been Here Before” by Andrew Hansen

Submitted to Contest #33

You’ve been here before. You tell Oscar you like the cut, and you do, actually. Hair wasn’t made to curtain your forehead, and Oscar is a wizard with scissors. You tip him well. You always tip him well. Barbers are surgeons in high demand. A sensitive craft. Underpaid, too. You ask him about the dog. You don’t ask him about the wife, about Missy, who has been bunking with a friend out of state ever since Oscar did time. You don’t know the friend’s gender. You don’t ask because ...

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“A Blind First Impression” by Unknown User

Submitted to Contest #33

Rakshitha & Ishaan where friends from childhood. Their families too know each other. They always back each other under any circumstances. Rakshitha is always too sentimental about their relationship but Ishaan is bit practical.As years passed Rakshithajoined an advertisement firm to build her career & Ishaan was stillstruggling to find a job , they both are IT graduates. Every morning Ishaan drops and picks Rakshitha from office. He was a well-built & handsome looking young chap. Many of Rakshitha's colleagues had a secret ...

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“Anxiety and Me Loving” by Alexis Campos

Submitted to Contest #33

“What did I do now?”I hate seeing you get angry. We’ve been doing so well. I was listening and you were breathing, but now you’re looking at me like that.“Please talk to me.”Breath.It reminds me of how mad my father used to get. How he must still get frustrated.You’re mad, because of what I said? What did I say? I don’t remember.Did I call you clingy?Breath.You do coddle me a lot but I’m strong. I promise that I’m strong. Please babying me. Let me show you I can do things.“Stop yelling at me!”Don’t start. Don’t start crying.Why is he yelling...

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“More Than A Gut Feeling” by Cat Horner

Submitted to Contest #33

It was more than a gut feeling. Something was wrong, Jordan said he would help her with studying on Friday night; he didn’t.He was supposed to be her knight aglow in pleather. Yet another study-date had turned into a weekend wondering what had captivated him so thoroughly that he forgot or worse purposefully ignored her for. Miranda rummaged through her book bag for gum so she could chew away her stress. Watermelon or strawberry the taste didn’t even register across her taste buds, two sticks of gum and Bryson Tiller’s music and she was...

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“A little off the top let the back stay long” by Jennifer Schmiege

Submitted to Contest #33

Holymoly it has been a while as I thought to myself, looking at my son ,because he couldn't see with hair tufts hanging over his big blue eyes. ALways pushing it out of his way with his dirty hands."It's time to get a haircut youngman" I say to him; there's a long pause and then I hear from the other room, my daughters, screaching reply " no fair !I want a haircut then too." So off to the salon we go.As usual its a big charade, a big flyin fiasco that could've been solved at home if I just could get myself through beauty school and cut all ...

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“Four Years Too Late” by Olivia Hope

Submitted to Contest #33

We walked around with an invisible string tied gently around our pinkies. No matter our distance or time apart, we could pick up our phone as revisit our online document, our page where we started a story together when we were ten. Day after day we took turns writing some plot that made no sense, then called one another to read that night’s update together. Glued to the hip--we spent every waking moment typing with our little fingers, avoiding homework and socializing to add more to our escape world. Our friendship lasted ten years, an...

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“The Mix-Up” by Peyton Guffey

Submitted to Contest #33

Lilian had been my best friend since the second grade. We would always hang out and we still do, more than we used to even. She has been there for me from that long ago till now, our first day of freshman year in high school. Last night I stayed up on Facetime with her a little too late, so now as I am waking up at six in the morning I am super tired. As I walked into school and am checking my previous text to double check which locker is Lilian’s, I feel this person run into my shoulder. Before I had time to turn around and see who it...

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“Nancy” by Muthamakkai Rajeswari

Submitted to Contest #33

The arms of clock joined together to show the time for the third time in the deadly hours of the City hospital. In the CCU ward everybody was ready to sleep either temporarily or permanently. Nancy of the latter category. That was the fifth day in the CCU ward for Nancy. She was a familiar patient among the visiting doctors and nurses. They almost concluded the poor prognosis of the disease. She was getting palliative care not going to be recovered, not going to be cured, not going to be returned anywhere else. They were just waiti...

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“Dying For Pizza” by Geneva Savage

Submitted to Contest #33

I'm engaged. Or at least I was. I couldn't quite tell you how I got engaged. It was all so fast; a spur of the moment type of thing. I had always viewed the guy as just a friend. What five-year-old wouldn't? “Rose!” the little, black boy called. “Come on, Rose. Let's play!” We always played together. Rayson and I were practically glued at the hip. Even at six, he was long and gangly with a pair of glasses that never stayed on his face. His hair was always the same – buzzed off save a bit of dark stubble. It was the epitome of the home haircu...

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“Happiness Exploded” by Jessica Tomaselli

Submitted to Contest #33

In her memory, the resort had been a luxurious, private world all its own. Her family usually pinched pennies, not keeping up with some of their more sophisticated relations, but this location had been their yearly splurge, a break from the monotony of the leaden days of winter. But they had not been here in at least a decade as their parents had been unwilling to cause them to miss a week of school as they got older. When the family had decided to reunite at their old retreat for a weekend, Jenna’s feelings had been mixed. She desperately w...

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“Really? It's You” by Maya Weatherall

Submitted to Contest #33

"You know it and I know it. Wait no one told you? It is true communication is key. Just stop please, please, please....." I woke up in panic not sure if that was drool on my pillow or just sweat. My alarm reads 8:54 AM. I am late for my first class. I know my campus is small, but it is still far enough walk for me to have to run. My roommate is gone to work and I have the bathroom to myself. I know I shouldn't be freaking out about this dream, but I just don’t know what it means. I quickly wash my face, brush my teeth, and throw ...

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“What Happened To My Hair?” by Chloë Hodges

Submitted to Contest #33

Hi, my name is Sarah Grace Harber, and I'm here to tell you about the time I had the worst hair day ever. “Ah, what a beautiful day it is here is Summersville. Okay Sarah Grace Harber, let’s see what today will bring?” I said as I galloped to the bathroom. “Oh my gosh! What’s wrong with my hair?!” I screamed. My hair was in knots and tangles. I had no clue what I was going to do. “Hello, I'm your worst nightmare,” said my hair. “What? since when can my hair talk?” I exclaimed. “Oh me, oh my, what do we have here? Looks like I'm goi...

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“Inevitable ” by Riley Cochran

Submitted to Contest #33

I follow my mother into the kitchen as she continues to tell me I cannot go to prom this year. I keep wondering why she would deprive me of such a cliche high school experience. She usually loves those. My mother has forced me to go to dances, plays, football games, anything to get me out of the house. The one time I want to leave and have good time with my new friend, she doesn't budge. Her eyes are glazed over like she had just cried minutes before. I can see the reflection of our backyard pool in her eyes, as the raindrops make little spl...

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“The Major Decision” by Jordan Rumsey

Submitted to Contest #33

The Major Decision By: Jordan RumseyJudith walked upstairs to gather some clothes do fold a load of laundry before they all watched the cherry drop on the television for New Year’s. She was heading to her room to get the laundry basket when she heard the argument in Paul’s room. Sarah at this moment was so frustrated that she couldn’t help but cry. “I just wish I hadn’t killed them,” her voice trembled as she spoke. &nb...

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“A Member of the Team” by Ann Bryant

Submitted to Contest #33

A MEMBER OF THE TEAM The cooler in the Produce department was never warmer than 41 degrees. It had walls of concrete masonry units. Mounted upon them were sturdy, metal shelving. The shelves were reserved for lighter weight items like parsley, cilantro, zucchini, yellow squash, and little Belgian endives that rarely sold. Most of the green rack items were heavy and stacked up on burdensome dollies. The cardboard cases of strawberries and bush berries had notches cut into them so they would interlock and not topple ov...

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$50

Prize money

296

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 20, 2020 EST

Won by Phoebe Barr 🏆

Title: Pennies and Years

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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