In The Rain

Chapter 33

"Now, in order to ditch right you first have got to know how to sneak about in uniform . . ." Jesy said. She was walking in front of Leigh-Anne down a street that was not populated. It was one of those places that no one walked on and was abandoned. She seemed to know a lot of those. "That is . . ." She turned to smile at Leigh. "Before you ditch the uniform." She laughed to herself.

Leigh was following Jesy and trying to imitate the bounce that Jesy had. I wonder if she can dance. She wanted to ask but felt too shy. "Ditch the uniform?" Dr Weasel had been left lying on a pillow in Teddy's class. He agreed to guard it with his life and had been left staring with wide eyes at the toy earlier.

"That's right Bubby. Ditch the uniform." They met an opening onto a main sidewalk and Jesy peeped out before she told Leigh to follow her so they could run in order to not be spotted.

They stopped between a bakery and a clothes store next.

"What do you mean by ditch the uniform?" Leigh had to admit that she was both scared and excited. She had never skipped school before but she hoped it would be fun. Everything is fun with Jesy.

Jesy smirked at her then looked at the not so professional looking clothes store then back at Leigh.

Leigh was still blank. "You want us to walk around London naked?"

Jesy groaned. "Oh my God no. Why would I want us to . . . no!" She held Leigh's hand and started dragging her into the store.

When they got in Jesy stopped and opened her arms. "I meant that we were going to change clothes you ninny!" She gestured to everything in the empty store including the cashier who was a young lady chewing bubble gum.

"Ohhhh." Leigh giggled at herself then held Jesy's arm. "Where are we?" She'd never been here before. There were clothes hanging high some hanging low and some on spinning hangers. It was a fairly small shop and there were signs hand written over different sections that told of the prices.

Jesy shushed her gently then patted on the cashier's desk. "Oy! Jordan."

"Yo Jes." The girl said looking down at a magazine. She looked seventeen but was probably twenty as she wasn't in school at this time.

"I brought my girl here. We want to uh . . ." Jesy looked back at Leigh smugly. "Borrow some clothes from your mum's store for a bit."

Jordan looked down at Jesy. "Borrow?"

Leigh-Anne was not expecting Jesy to know the girl. Did Jesy know everyone? It's like in those movies when the person has got that friend who knows all about the street life.

Jesy smiled charmingly. "You know it." She nodded at Leigh. "Look at 'er. It's her first day ditching and I wanna make it nice. Remember how you fixed me and my boys up before? Well fix me and my girl up will ya?"

Wow she's made an arrangement like this with this girl before. Interesting. Leigh was very unfamiliar with this so she was trying to hide behind Jesy.

Jordan stared at Jesy. "That was once before Jes. I can't just give you clothes all the time. I can't make it a habit."

Jesy shushed her. "Don't get all defensive alright?" She was speaking as if trying to calm the girl down. The girl had not sounded angry though. She just sounded bored. "This'll be the last time. Just help us out."

"Humph." Jordan looked at the girl who was trying to hide. "Why's she hiding?"

"She's not used to this." Jesy turned to look at Leigh. "Don't be scared. Jordan's cool."

Leigh was not sure if she wanted to trust a girl who seemed so bored and to her had a boy's name. "Okay."

"Come on. Show her yourself."