The Morning Announcement

Jackie pulled her red and black striped hoodie tighter as she walked through Harristown's main square. Her long black hair swayed behind her, bangs hanging perfectly over her dark brown eyes. The shark tooth necklace clicked softly against her chest.

"Jackie! Wait up!" called Ollie, his messy brown hair bouncing as he ran to catch up. Behind him came Remi, Mike, Jacob, and Carson, all looking like they hadn't seen a comb in weeks.

"Did you hear?" Ollie panted, his green eyes wide with worry. "Mrs. Henderson posted something about a special announcement today."

Jackie's skull earrings jingled as she shook her head. "Probably nothing important."

But Carson was already pulling out his phone, scrolling frantically. His face went pale. "Guys... it's about haircuts. They're bringing in professional hairdressers tomorrow."

The group froze. Jackie felt her stomach drop.

"No way," she whispered through her missing left tooth gap.

The Sparrow's Warning

Mike grabbed Jackie's arm. "We need to run. Now."

"What's the big deal?" Jackie said, but her voice shook. "It's just haircuts."

"Just haircuts?" Ollie's voice cracked. "Those are professional hairdressers! They probably have clippers!"

A small brown sparrow landed on the nearby fountain edge, chirping frantically. Carson pointed at it. "Even the bird knows something's wrong."

Remi was already backing away. "My cousin told me about professional hairdressers. They don't mess around. They'll make us look like marines."

Jackie touched her long black hair protectively. The thought of losing it made her stomach twist. "We can't let them near us with those... those devil machines."

"But what can we do?" Jacob whispered. "Mrs. Henderson already announced it."

The sparrow flew in circles above them, still chirping its warning. Other kids were gathering in the square, all looking equally terrified. Some were already trying to hide their messy hair under hoodies.

"We stick together," Jackie said firmly, her shark tooth necklace catching the sunlight. "Whatever happens tomorrow, we face it as a team."

But deep down, she wondered if friendship would be enough against professional clippers.