The Long Hair Trouble

"Why is it everywhere?!" Kevin groaned, spitting a silky strand of chestnut hair out of his mouth for what had to be the fifth time that morning.

Yesterday, his entire hair routine had consisted of rubbing a towel across his bald head for five seconds before walking out the door.

Today...

Today he apparently owned enough hair for three people.

The thick mass spilled over his shoulders, down his back, and almost reached his waist in glossy, springy curls that seemed determined to invade every inch of his personal space.

Every time he turned his head, another curl brushed against his lips.

Every time he looked down, a few more escaped over his shoulders.

He leaned over the bathroom sink to splash water on his face.

Bad idea.

The entire curtain of hair fell forward, plunging into the sink.

"...Seriously?"

After several awkward seconds of trying to untangle himself, Kevin marched into the kitchen, determined that at least breakfast couldn't possibly go wrong.

He had barely lifted his coffee mug when a breeze drifted through the open window.

The curls floated gracefully...

...straight into the coffee.

Kevin stared at the strands soaking in the mug.

"I've been betrayed by my own head."

He tried tucking the hair behind one ear.

It immediately bounced back.

He tried using both hands to hold it out of the way while taking another sip.

Success.

Until he reached for the sugar and let go.

Hair.

Everywhere.

"Okay," he muttered, taking a deep breath. "Girls survive this every single day. There has to be some kind of secret technique."

Hair tie.

That was it.

Hair ties.

He searched every drawer in the apartment until he found a small bowl overflowing with colorful elastics.

"Jackpot."

How hard could it be?

Apparently... very.

His first attempt trapped only half the curls.

The second somehow made the back tighter than the front.

The third looked less like a ponytail and more like he'd lost a fight with an octopus.

With an exhausted sigh, Kevin gathered the curls one last time, twisting them more carefully before slipping the elastic around them.

The mirror reflected a loose, slightly messy ponytail, with a few stubborn ringlets framing his new face.

He blinked.

Then tilted his head.

"...Huh."

He adjusted one curl behind his delicate ear.

Turned left.

Turned right.

A tiny smile crept across his lips.

"You know..." she murmured, giving the ponytail an experimental swish over one shoulder, "this is actually kind of adorable."

Another curl escaped and landed across her nose.

Kevin rolled her eyes.

"...Still high maintenance, though."