Girls Don't Cry | The Outsiders

Eight

TW // death//depression//family fighting

My mom had a meeting with a special kind of attorney to finalize my mom's will the following day, Saturday. I had to go shopping for a nice outfit that didn't consist of jeans and a baggy t-shirt like what I usually wore. I didn't know what I was supposed to be looking for, a dress, a skirt, what, but I wasn't happy about having to spend my money on a girly outfit. Mom wanted to go with me, but she wasn't feeling well, so she asked Arnie to go instead. He agreed. Mom hadn't been feeling good since the night before, although part of me thought it was her attempting to get Arnie and I to hang out some more. She really dug the thought of us bonding like a father and daughter should. I have to admit, I dug it, too.

We went into the second-hand shop in town, which was a couple blocks away from the DX. There weren't many people there, some cashiers and a woman with her young daughter.

"Mommy, I like the pink nightgown sooooo much! Can I get it, pleaaaase?" the little girl pleaded. She couldn't have been much older than Greg and Claire.

"No, Elle, we can't afford it. We can barely get by with getting you new shoes."

I felt bad for them. I knew what it was like to live that way. I watched with a frown and furrowed eyebrows as the disappointed little girl followed her mom over to the shoes. Us greasers didn't have it too good this side of town. It was hard and jobs didn't pay too good most of the time. I was lucky. I had two jobs that paid decently for as minimal work as I did. I was able to help support my family and still have a little bit leftover to spend frivolously if I so desired. Still, I didn't have a lot of money, so I did have to be careful what I spent it on.

"What about this, Candice?" Arnie asked. I turned to see what he had found. The first thing I noticed was the old lady looking church outfit he found: a dark purple skirt with a lavender top and a matching cardigan. It looked like something your great aunt might wear to a wedding. The next thing I noticed was his shit-eating grin.

"God, no," I laughed, making him start cackling. Huh, I thought, we have the same laugh.

"Thought you'd like it," he said, still laughing. He hid the outfit back on the rack, in between some other tops on hangers.

"So, what should I be looking for?" I asked. "I've never gone dress shopping before. Well, I mean...I went dress shopping for homecoming with Evie, but that's the only time..."

"Evie?" asked Arnie.

"Steve's girl."

"You guys broke up?"

"Huh?"

"I thought you were dating Steve?"

"No," I laughed. "No no no. I'm with Ryan."

"Oh, that's right," he said. "So, how are you guys?"

"Uh...I don't know. He's moving soon. He's going to Ole Miss for college."

"That's a helluva school," Arnie said, frowning.

"Yeah...he asked if I'd go with him."

Arnie seemed to freeze. He let go of the jacket sleeve he'd been holding and turned to me. "What did you say to that?"

"I told him I didn't know. With everything that's going on here, I don't think I can leave. I have so much here right now and he's got a life to live out there, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know, kiddo--er, sorry, Candice."

I looked up at him, confused.

"You don't remember? You told me not to call you 'kid'." That goofy grin of his was back.