Hey guys! So I know it's been a while, but I gave you three conccecutive pieces, so I hope that was enough to suffice. I'm back with a story centering Romeo and Specs, as requested by Validmarcell (I hope I spelled that right). Specs is important in here because I like to think that he and Romeo are besties and that he's also my favorite. Hopefully I'll have another collage au up soon, and maybe something centering Spot Conlon, because he's also my favorite. So yeah. This one was written really fast, so it's not as high on quality as usual, but I still like it. So here you go! And please let me know who you want me to write next because I love them all! Okay here it is!

Romeo needed a hair cut. His black locks had begun to fall into his eyes, making his forhead sweat, and his vision to be blocked. It didn't matter how many times he pushed it behid his ears, or stuffed it in his hat, it always fell down. It was time for a hair cut. He'd been saving his pennies, and he could have gotten a five cent one like most of the boys, but he didn't want any measly snip at the local barber shop. He wanted one that coast a quarter.

It was rediculous to think that he could afford anything more than a nickle, but something seemed so wonderful about the way the rich men looked as they strolled out of the barber, hair slicked back as they climbed into a fancy carriage. He wanted to look like that. It would take months to save up twenty five cents, with his daily coasts of the lodging house and food. He was lucky if he could get ten cents, and all of that was spent. In two weeks he'd managed to saved two pennies and a nickle, keeping them tucked into his sock, not trusting anyone enough to leave them in the house. He only really trust Specs with anything, but if he were to give them to Specs, he was sure to lose them at some point. He wasn't exactly the best at keeping up with things.

He sat on the floor in front of his bunk, slowly drawing Jack and Crutchie, who were sprawled in front of the fire, animatedly talking about something about New Mexico and palominos. Romeo loved to draw. He didn't think he was very good, but he liked the way that people moved. He wasn't as good as Jack, and no one really knew about it, but he liked it all the same. Specs lay on Romeo's bunk above him, reading aloud from a book. Specs had been learning to read for about a year and he was getting smoother everyday, reading with a few stops every once in a while.

"Love is like a- a tree," Specs read, squinting and straining on the larger words. He'd been going to the local library lately and picking out a few books. Romeo had suggested 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame.' "it grows by itself,-umm- roots itself deeply in our-our-our- our being and-golly I hates this word- continues to flourish over a 'art in -um-gosh I don't know- runnin'?" He showed the book to Romeo and pointed to the word he was struggling on. Romeo pushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"Ruin." He said, smiling.

"Right, right, course," Specs mumbled, "The- uh- oh gosh- ummmmm..." He squinted at the word in confusion before showing it to Romeo again.

"Inexplicable." Romeo offered. Specs sighed and closed the book.

"Forget it. I gives up." The boy sprawled his arms across the bunk and set the book on his chest.

"I tought we said you was gunna finish this one." Romeo stated finishing off a few lines on Crutchie's arms and Jack's smile. Sticking the few stray pieces of paper under his bunk he scooted Specs over so that they could both sit on the bed.

"Ise only givin' up for taday. I'll finish tamarrow." He looked as Romeo grabbed the book from off his chest and began to read. He pushed his hair out of his face every few seconds so that he could see.

"Youse need a 'air cut." Specs noted as he ruffle his younger's hair. Romeo swatted his hand away. "Youse got enough, I saw the nickle."

"Yeah I do, but I want one that coasts a quarter." Romeo looked up from the book and pushed his bangs back again.

"Youse crazy," Specs said laying back down, "it'll take weeks."

"So what?"

"So you'll be steppin' on your pretty locks by then."

"Yeah, but I sure will look nice afta." Romeo smiled as Specs gave up.

After another week, Romeo looked like he could on it . The back was hanging just over his shoulders, his bangs right in his eyes, getting caught in his eyelids as he blinked. Specs had made sure that Romeo knew his opinion on the boys choice to wait. Everyday he tugged on his hair and made fun of him and even came after him with a rusty pair of scissors at one point.

As Specs looked at the boy from across the bunk room, he shook his head. This was getting rediculous. The elder walked over to where Jack and Race were sitting as he proposed his plan.

The hand had grabbed him unexpectedly as he entered the door that afternoon. First it was one, the two, then four. As he looked around in panic, he realized that all of the boys were there, and none of them were doing anything about it. In fact, they were each walking up and ruffling his long hair one by one, as if to say goodbye. He squinted in confusion and, realizing just whom his captures were, he grew even more confused. Jack and Race held his arms and dragged him around behind the second row of bunk beds.

Waiting there was Specs holding a pair of scissors. He smirked and snipped the air mockingly. As Race and Jack drew him closer, Romeo rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh come on, Specs, you ain't really gunna cut off all my pretty locks, are ya?" Romeo asked. Specs didn't laugh it off and joke about it, oh no, he was serious. This was really going to happen.

"You're gonna kill yaself or someone else if ya keep it that long." Specs made sure that Romeo was standing still so that he could reach his hair right. Romeo cringed as the scissors cut through the first lock. He continued to cringe as the scissors continued to cut. He felt Specs move around his head and run his fingers through his hair. It took a long time, and pretty soon Jack and Race and the rest of the boys grew bored and restles and went about their business. Finally, Specs emerged from the beds and announced that he was done.

Romeo came out from behind the bed and met with a general stare of surprise. He wondered breafily how bad it looked. As he reached te dirty window, he looked at his reflection.

"Dear God," he whispered. He looked better than the rich fellows in the carriges. It fit around his face just right, framing the left side with a short side burn, and the right side with swooping bangs. The back looked smooth, thick and soft. As he put his hat back on, he turned to Specs. "Why the hell ain't ya getting money over this?" Specs shrugged.

"I never tought it was all that good. 'Ow much do ya tink it's worth?" He asked.

"Honestly," Finch said as he looked the cut over, "fifty cent."

"Your pullin' my leg now," Specs began. Everyone shook their heads and assured him that it was the best hair cut they had ever seen.

Specs cut everyone's hair from then on out, until one time he cut off half of Davey's hair and not the other, but that's a story for a different time.

So I hope you likes this! Please tell me what you thought! And please let me know who to write next!