When October ends

Chapter 6

Emily is taking me to a store. It's a normal looking one with clothes for both men and women, but it's almost empty ; as we get in, there are 2 customers, a woman working at the cash register and us. She drags me to the back of the store.

- What's your size?she asks me as she starts looking through the row of black pants.

I sigh.

- Why does it even matter if I'm dressed correctly to go to wherever you're taking me? I ask her.

- Because, she says. They'll think you're a little nerd who's just going to go snitch to the cops about what we're doing.

I stop.

- Wait. Are you bringing me to someplace illegal or something?I ask her.

She sighs heavily.

- No, she says. And stop being a wuss about it.

We remain in silence for a couple of seconds.

- Look, she finally says. I promise, you're gonna have fun.

- Fine, I then tell her.

I've been waiting almost my whole life for something like that. I'm not going to blow it off.

- Everything's on me, she says. Now go pick some clothes that are gonna make you fit in.

The next 40 minutes were really fun. She made me look like a person in her friend circle. I try on black pants, a black plain shirt and big black leather boots with spikes all over in the fitting room. I use my leather jacket to top it over. As I get out of the fitting room, I notice a spray can in Emily's hand.

- Close your eyes, she says.

- What is it?I ask.

- Close your eyes, she says insisting even more.

I sigh and do so. I hear the sound of the spray and feel it on my hair,occasionally on my forehead and ears.

- Open up, I hear her say a few seconds after the sound of the spray can stops.

I open my eyes  and walk towards the closest mirror before seeing my hair has turned into a mint color.

- Woah, I say. This stuff's not permanent, isn't it?

- No, she says. It'll go after a shower,she adds as she puts the spray can in her bag.

- Do you always have that stuff with you?I ask her.

- Yes. Because you never know when you have to turn a nerd into a rad looking punk, she says with a sarcastic tone.

I chuckle

- Now let's go, she says. It's 6:05.

I take my old clothes from the fitting room and fold them before putting them in her bag. Now I knew she wasn't serious about the "everything's on me"part because everybody knows it's dangerous giving Emily Hart-Lawson money. I pay the clothes at the cash register. I don't know if I'm ever going to wear them again but I have a feeling that this will be the night of my life.

We get out of the store and walk towards the big building with the 32  written on it. Surprisingly, it's nothing but eight floors of parking lots. I never thought they'd make a building so big only for that. We get in and walk up three floor before seeing about a dozen of people at the back end. As we get closer, I seem to recognize a few people from school : Romulus, Nataly, Jayleen, Ashley.

- Hey!screams Emily.

A few faces turn and return the greeting.

- Well, well. Look who you brought, says Romulus.

- Yeah, she says. He needed to finally live in the real world.

A few of them are holding bottles and a guy I have never seen in my life is smoking in the back and I know from the smell that it's not a regular cigarette. They start talking a little. I walk up to Emily.

- I can't be here, I whisper in her ear.

- Relax, she says. We're not going to stay here, we're going to a party.

- How does that help me?I ask her.

- Who said it was gonna help you?I'm just saying that you shoukd get out of your bubble and start living like a real teen, she tells me.

I breathe heavily.

- Look, I start off. I may have wanted you for a long time and I may not be happy of the way my teenagehood turned out to be, but I'm fine with it. And plus, I wanna go to college. I don't wanna risk ruining my future because I wanted to have fun for one night.

She has a weird facial expression.

- Liam, we're going to a party, she says. There'll be music and dancing and a few people drinking but that's all. And if  you ask me, I'm pretty sure they prefer ignoring us because if they wandered around town looking for underage drinking to bust, that's all they'd be doing.

- What about that guy over there?I ask her as I point to the guy smoking.

He looks at me,his eyes reddened and I look away.

- He probably won't be let in. These parties take place here since like forever and if a cop were to bust weed in there, they probably wouldn't be able to make them here anymore, she tells me as she slides her hand up my shoulder.

- You really have the power to make me do anything, don't you? I tell her jokingly.

- Maybe, she says.

- Come on let's go now, says a really tall guy with blue hair.

They start walking towards the exit, two floors down and I follow them. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn around. It's Romulus.

- Careful Liam, he says. She's using you.