It Takes Time

Chapter 5

With a milkshake in one hand and a grin on my face I can feel the warmth of fall around me, I felt like I was dreaming. Was I? That didnt matter, I felt warm and excited for the day ahead.

"So, Kim. First place we have to go to is Forever 21!" Rosalind says, jumping and pulling me closer to a large store playing music Ive never heard before.

"But we arent 21." I stopped outside the store and gazed at the skinny mannequins.

Rosalind just laughs and pulls me into the store. I look at all the clothes on the racks and wonder where the clearance section is.

"Sooo, whats your style??" Rosalind pulls me deeper into the maze of lightly colored crop tops and tiny dresses.

"I dunno, tomboy?"

"So Mens section?"

"Sure," I shrug and look around the intimidating store. Rosalind takes my arm and pulls me towards the smaller mens section. I pick through the thin sweaters stacked in a pile. I pull out a small grey one and hold it up to my chest.

I like it, it looks warm Rosalind says appearing behind me. I flip over the tag and almost faint when I see the price.

$22

"Not bad! Theres some womens sweaters over there that are $60," Rosalind smiles and pulls the sweater from my hand. "Pick out three more things and well go try them on. She put the sweater in her basket."

"Uh Alright." I walk over to the next part of the mens section and a dark green flannel catches my eye. I pull it out from the rack and look it over, it seems nice. I turn the tag to face me and almost lose my balance, "$40? Why is this even more than the sweater??"

"Honestly it's not that bad, do you like it?"

I nod slightly and start to put it back on the rack. Rosalind pulls it out from my hands and places it into the basket.

"No, no, its too much."

"Kim. Please, let me do this for you."

"Alright. "

"Okay so, jeans next?"

I shrug and follow Rosalind to the large spread of jeans on the opposite side of the store.

"Do you know your pants size?"

"Uh yeah, Im like a 6," I think I shrug again and follow her to the wall of jeans piled into small cubbies. I watch as Rosalind reaches up and grabs a pair of jeans. The edge of her shirt lifts up slightly

I shake the thought out of my head and continue to help her look for some more jeans.

"So we have light wash and dark wash here. Are there any colors you want?" Rosalind holds up two pairs of jeans.

"Colors? I thought blue jeans were blue?"

Rosalind laughs, "nope! You can have practically any color jean you can. Not just black or blue."

I nod and turn towards the adjacent wall, scanning the small section of colored jeans.

"Im not seeing any colors that grab my attention," I shyly turn away from the wall.

"Thats ok Kim, lets just try these two on to make sure theyre the right size."

I nod and take the jeans back to the dressing room. Once in the room I sit on the small stool and stare at the reflection in the mirror. I don't know this Kim, this worn down, beaten, torn Kim. The bags under my eyes are dark, my left eye is slightly swollen and bruised.