wake up Mom and Dad until eight thirty, and watching the yule log burn on TV got so boring, Ellie had the idea to give each other stockings using our toe socks. Rainbow toe socks were really popular when we were little—these knit socks with separate colored toes. Ellie and I stuffed them with little doodad kinds of presents. Stuff like makeup or bookmarks, pins, jewelry, or whatever.
So when I went Christmas shopping at Canal Jeans, I was on the lookout for toe-sock stuff, but I also needed a few other presents. Ellie was easy to shop for ’cause she loved vintage clothes and I knew her taste exactly. I had every inten-tion of buying only that day, but I couldn’t help noticing that the kind of dresses Ellie liked were on racks right outside the dressing rooms. Nobody seemed to be checking people into the rooms—it was just chaos because the store was so crowded. The dresses were only $9.99, but, What the hell? I thought. I grabbed three of them: one with purple flowers, one with gray and white triangles, and one with yellow squiggles. I thought Ellie would like the purple-flowered one the best—it was very 1940s, with shoulder pads and wide collars and covered buttons. I quickly checked for feet, opened a dressing-room door, and slipped in. Some painters pants and long underwear were already hanging there. God, you could make out like a bandit in this place, I thought. I held the purple flowered dress up against my body. It looked like it would be a little big on me, which was good ’cause Ellie was taller.
I heard a rap on my door. “Need any help in there?” a female voice called. I sucked in my breath.
“No thanks. I think I’m good,” I said, sounding nonchalant.
“Okay, well if you need a different size or something, just holler. I’m Bettina.”
“Okay, thanks.” I breathed out. Hmmm. Did she see the purple flowered dress from underneath the door? I hoped not. I stood there thinking for a few seconds, and then I pulled the tags off the dress and stuffed them in the pocket of the painters pants. Fortunately, the dress was very thin material so it rolled up to almost nothing, and I buried it deep in my Chocolate Soup bag. I took a deep breath, stepped out of the dressing room, and returned the other two dresses to the rack. I didn’t see Bettina, or any salesperson for that matter—only shoppers everywhere. Julie was right; she always said that Christmas season was the best. I headed to the cashier, where I paid for a pair of navy gloves for my dad. My face felt a little flushed the whole time.
“Aren’t these great?” the guy who rang me up asked. He had a turquoise mohawk. “I bought everyone in my family a pair of these.” Mohawks totally creeped me out. I mean, I was all for self-expression and being true to yourself and all that, but I found it so weird to look at the shaved bald part of this guy’s head.
“Yeah,” I said, wishing he would just hurry up so I could get the hell out of the store.
“And did you see what they do?” the mohawk guy said. He took one of the gloves and turned it inside out to reveal a pale yellow color. “They’re reversible!” He grinned a toothy grin at me.
“Cool!” I said, hoping I sounded enthusiastic enough. C’mon Mohawk Guy, just ring me up, all right?
“Of course,” he added, “I think the blue is prettier.” He turned the glove right-side in, and pulled out a Canal Jeans plastic bag from beneath the counter.
“Would you like a few buttons?” he asked, pointing out the free fluorescent Canal Jeans pins on the counter in a Lucite box. Oh, yeah, good for Ellie’s toe sock, I suddenly remembered.
“Sure,” I said, and he threw a fuchsia one and a green one in my bag.
“Merry Christmas, sugar. Happy New Year!” He handed me my change.
“You, too,” I said, trying not to run out of the store.
I got outside, threw the drawstring Canal Jeans bag over my shoulder, shoved my fists in my pockets, and did not look up until I was at
So when I went Christmas shopping at Canal Jeans, I was on the lookout for toe-sock stuff, but I also needed a few other presents. Ellie was easy to shop for ’cause she loved vintage clothes and I knew her taste exactly. I had every inten-tion of buying only that day, but I couldn’t help noticing that the kind of dresses Ellie liked were on racks right outside the dressing rooms. Nobody seemed to be checking people into the rooms—it was just chaos because the store was so crowded. The dresses were only $9.99, but, What the hell? I thought. I grabbed three of them: one with purple flowers, one with gray and white triangles, and one with yellow squiggles. I thought Ellie would like the purple-flowered one the best—it was very 1940s, with shoulder pads and wide collars and covered buttons. I quickly checked for feet, opened a dressing-room door, and slipped in. Some painters pants and long underwear were already hanging there. God, you could make out like a bandit in this place, I thought. I held the purple flowered dress up against my body. It looked like it would be a little big on me, which was good ’cause Ellie was taller.
I heard a rap on my door. “Need any help in there?” a female voice called. I sucked in my breath.
“No thanks. I think I’m good,” I said, sounding nonchalant.
“Okay, well if you need a different size or something, just holler. I’m Bettina.”
“Okay, thanks.” I breathed out. Hmmm. Did she see the purple flowered dress from underneath the door? I hoped not. I stood there thinking for a few seconds, and then I pulled the tags off the dress and stuffed them in the pocket of the painters pants. Fortunately, the dress was very thin material so it rolled up to almost nothing, and I buried it deep in my Chocolate Soup bag. I took a deep breath, stepped out of the dressing room, and returned the other two dresses to the rack. I didn’t see Bettina, or any salesperson for that matter—only shoppers everywhere. Julie was right; she always said that Christmas season was the best. I headed to the cashier, where I paid for a pair of navy gloves for my dad. My face felt a little flushed the whole time.
“Aren’t these great?” the guy who rang me up asked. He had a turquoise mohawk. “I bought everyone in my family a pair of these.” Mohawks totally creeped me out. I mean, I was all for self-expression and being true to yourself and all that, but I found it so weird to look at the shaved bald part of this guy’s head.
“Yeah,” I said, wishing he would just hurry up so I could get the hell out of the store.
“And did you see what they do?” the mohawk guy said. He took one of the gloves and turned it inside out to reveal a pale yellow color. “They’re reversible!” He grinned a toothy grin at me.
“Cool!” I said, hoping I sounded enthusiastic enough. C’mon Mohawk Guy, just ring me up, all right?
“Of course,” he added, “I think the blue is prettier.” He turned the glove right-side in, and pulled out a Canal Jeans plastic bag from beneath the counter.
“Would you like a few buttons?” he asked, pointing out the free fluorescent Canal Jeans pins on the counter in a Lucite box. Oh, yeah, good for Ellie’s toe sock, I suddenly remembered.
“Sure,” I said, and he threw a fuchsia one and a green one in my bag.
“Merry Christmas, sugar. Happy New Year!” He handed me my change.
“You, too,” I said, trying not to run out of the store.
I got outside, threw the drawstring Canal Jeans bag over my shoulder, shoved my fists in my pockets, and did not look up until I was at
Similar Books
