Mud & Kale

Cotton Candy

My life's not that much of a big deal. Well that's a litote, I guess. I learned that snazzy word from Ms. Gerald. She was my junior year Lit teacher who always had a thing for SAT words, and brightly patterned socks.

Anyway, why am I getting off track?

Maybe because at this current moment my head was being filled with cotton candy skies and  thousands of Audrey Hepburn clones.

"Excuse me."

"Mmm." My eyes fluttered open. Nothing. Pitch black. I removed the book over my face. Great Expectations.

"Glad you're alive. Could you help?"

I twisted my head up. Crack. My brain processed the figure in front of me. Girl. Blonde. Bubblegum lipgloss. Pissed face. I yawned.

"Yeah, no problem. Pop section's to your left. Just keep walking 'til you see the huge Backstreet Boys cutout." I pointed my index finger in case she got confused, but her face just scrunched up in disgust.

"Oops, not a fan? My bad. We have N'Sync. Isn't Justin just so dreamy?"

"Bite me."

She stormed out, kicking the Backstreet Boys cutout in her march of fury. Then, I heard thuds behind me.

"Dude, why are you driving away the customers?"

"I'm not a sellout, dude."

My boss removed his tortoise shell glasses and wiped it with his Grateful Dead shirt. "Oh, c'mon. I'm a hippie, not a hipster. I'll leave that snobby music critiquing baloney to your people."

"I don't buy that crap, old man. You guys are like us, except instead of skinny jeans, you rocked bell bottoms."

I tossed Great Expectations back into my backpack. No biggie, I have like three whole days to finish up Mr. Lee's summer reading list. I was on number one of four. Technically, I hadn't even started Great Expectations yet. Technicalities are mere distractions, anyway.

"Oh, shit. I remember that book.  Never read it though."

"You're such a good role model."

"I'm gonna go to the back to look at what orders we need to place."

"Whatever."

When Dad left, I quickly concluded that the day had been a lost cause. No reputable soul had entered and the record shop was closing in less than fifteen minutes. I placed my elbows on the counter but they quickly collapsed in exhaustion. Before I knew it, the croon of Morrissey, beginning to blare from the speakers, managed to lull me back to sleep.

Take me out tonight/ where there's music and there's people/ and they're young and alive/ driving in your car/ I never, never want to go home/ cause I haven't got one/ anymore.

☆

This time I awoke to a pair of wide, brown eyes.

"Do you have On Avery Island? Nah, I'll try something newer. Any suggestions?"

I rubbed my eyes. She twirled her enamel-covered finger around her cotton candy hair.

"Uh, dude. Hey."

A hand appeared in front of my face, and the jangle of its bracelets drove me to a response. "Uh, yeah. Neutral Milk Hotel. Hmm, well. If you're looking for something unconventional-"