Bad Reputation||Brooklyn Winston

Chapter 4

The next day, we arrived in Tulsa. As we drove through town, I was confused. There weren't many clothing stores, there was one grocery store, and two gas stations.

"Where is everything?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

""Where do you buy stuff around here? There's hardly any stores. Where do you buy clothes? I need clothes, you know."

"Oh, yeah. This isn't like New York, Brooklyn." Dally laughed as he said, "You're in a whole other world."

"Where do you buy clothes?" I repeated.

My brother shrugged. "Probably in the clothing aisle at the supermarket."

"The supermarket?" I cried. "Dallas, I can't buy clothes there!"

"Where the hell did you buy clothes in New York? I know Dad couldn't afford expensive clothes."

"I was in charge of the money." I explained. "I'd give him some money for beer and stuff. Then I'd put like, a fourth of it away for food, then I'd spend the rest on clothes."

"Well now I know why you're so skinny. You spent all of Dad's welfare money on clothes for you and beer for him."

I rolled my eyes. Dally never approved of Dad's drinking. I had learned to get over it. "So these supermarkets, do they at least have mod clothes?"

He shot me a look. "Brooklyn, I have no idea what you're talking about. All I know is that you are going to go into that store and buy the clothes that they have. And that will be that."

I noticed that the car had stopped moving. "We're going in now?"

Dally nodded.

"Can't we just go home first? I'm so tired." I whined.

"No. You stink. You need new clothes and then you need to take a shower."

"Why?"

"So I can introduce you to my friends."

I didn't say that I didn't want to meet any of his low-life friends. Instead I said, "I'm too depressed to take a shower and meet anyone."

"Why?"

"Because Dad's dead."

"Brooklyn, Dad wasn't a very good dad. You know that."

I sighed. "I know. But he was my only friend for years."

Dally was quiet for a moment before saying, "Well, hopefully you can make some new friends here. Now come on." He got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side, holding the door open for me.

I grinned as I got out of the car.

As we walked into the store Dallas pointed to my right, saying, "Clothes are over there. I'm going to see if they have cots somewhere."

I went to look at the clothes. To my great disappointment, they didn't have anything even close to mod. All they had were skirts and blouses that looked like the ones that the girls at the Catholic school next to my school in New York wore.

I wanted to cry. Somehow seeing the lack of clothing selection made me realize how far away from home I was. What was an aspiring fashion designer supposed to do with these boring clothes? Then I grinned. I was an aspiring fashion designer. I had years of sewing experience. I could do whatever I wanted with these clothes. I started grabbing guys' shirts and jeans off of the racks. I had big plans. But first I needed to find sewing supplies.

After asking a store employee for help, I found the sewing supplies. I was standing there, trying to decide which shade of blue thread to get, when I noticed a girl down the aisle looking at me. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, and instantly felt inferior. She was looking at me weird.