operation hairclip

I have a certain teacher who, for some odd reason, does not wish to cut his hair. So now that his bangs are in his eyes, he's rather taken to wearing a black hairclip. Just one. Off to side. Not all that noticiable until the light catches it.
Awkward?
Is it a fashion statement?
A Prancing Nancy? Or a Transcendentalist?

You decide.

Our class made a big deal and razzed him for it. And thus OPERATION HAIRCLIP was born.


I stood in the hallway, two black hairclips keeping my own bangs away from my face, handing out other hairclips to my classmates. We stood in a hushed huddle in the middle of the hall, grinning to keep a case of the giggles at bay. He suddenly appeared in the hall, and too flustered to really notice us, said that we were loitering and to get in out seats. We sheepishly smiled at each other as we came into class while he bustled off to the library. More students arrived - I ran out of hairclips. Another girl had brought some. C. snagged a pink one. We tried to pull ourselves together and act normal. The bell rang. We were in our seats. We were chatting normally as he walked in. He began teaching. We stole glances at each other behind his back. He wasn't noticing. He passed out tests. Some people (including me) had forgotten their books, and were going to get points docked.
Uh. Oh.
He settled into a regular schedule.
What now?

G. leaned his head to one side, pink hairclip clearly visible in his dark hair. He asked a loud and repetive question. The teacher turned away from the board, and stopped in his tracks doing a double-take of G. A snicker broke out. Said teacher slowly surveyed the room, his bafflement increasing with every degree of his turn.
"What?" said S finally, nonchalantly. A silver hair clip stuck straight up out his black hair.
We lost it. A roar of laughter broke out. Teacher was bent double with bewilderment, curiosity, and giggles.
He waved his hand, trying to catch his breath. "I like this too much," he said at last. "I won't take off any points".
My hand triumphantly shot into the air, and we settled down to our tests, still snickering.