Chapter 3
So there I was standing in Edges house while he went through his cupboard trying to find something that would fit me. We'd already gone through all my clothes and my fathers and according to Edge none of them where 'Good enough to wear when seen with the sheriffs daughter' I couldn't believe I was doing this, I'd just make a fool of myself and she'd hate me and that idiot Deputy Test would get his chance to show me up and laugh at me.
"What about this?" Edge says holding out a shirt to me that looked about three sizes too small for me anyway. Edge was a lot slimmer and taller than me so none of his clothes would fit me anyway. "Just try it on, it looks small but I'm sure it'll be alright" He says pushing it towards me, at this rate I'd have to do double the work I was doing at the moment to go buy something new.
"Fine, I'll try it on" I say pulling the shirt on and trying to do the buttons up "It's great, if it's supposed to come half way down my arms and not do up at the front" I say pulling it off again and chucking It at him "I'm just going to have to buy something, your old man will have something in the stores wont he?"
"Yeah I suppose, I try to keep away from that place as much as I can. He'd get me roped into working there if he could, he keeps trying to get me to quit working at the undertakers and work for him" Edge says picking up his hat from the bed and heading towards the door. Edges family owned the general stores in the town; Edge didn't want to work there and got a job at the undertakers. Business was slow at the undertakers so he didn't have to do much so he would always come and watch me work and get in the way. "Pop? You here?" Edge shouts as we enter the shop.
"Hello boys, Edge have you finally quit that job and decided to work for Copeland & son like you should be?" His father laughs sticking his head over the top of the counter.
"No, I'm fine with the job I've got. Chris needs some new clothes for the party on Saturday, he's got a date" Edge says as I elbow him in the side.
"A date huh, whose the lucky girl then? What kind of thing are you looking for?" He asks pushing the both of us towards the back of the store where the clothes and fabrics were. "You could always get something made for you, what do you think?"
"Yeah white shirt, white trousers and a white Stetson hat" Edge chimes in "and he's got to have a new pair of boots and his outfit has to have gold trim and.." I put my hand over his mouth making him stop talking; this outfit was going to cost me a fortune if he kept on like he was. He pulled away from me quickly "and he's going with Sheriff McMahon's daughter" he yells quickly moving away from me and walking over to the other side of the store where he thought he'd be safe.
"Hmm, the sheriffs daughter huh, then you are going to need an outfit like that. Have you any idea how much this is going to set you back?" he asks putting a hat template on my head.
"More than I have" I say miserably, the bell chimes telling us that there are some customers are here so Edges dad excuses himself and goes to see who it is. I sit myself up on the counter and take a hat from the peg and study it in my hands. A hat alone would be a whole weeks work worth and I only had three days to get enough money.
"Right, lets get these clothes of yours sorted out" he says walking back over to me and taking the hat from my hands and putting it back up on the peg. I jump down off the counter and pick up my own old tatty hat and put it back on.
"I cant afford any of it, thanks anyway" I say starting to walk away, Edge walks over and hands his father a tape measure and some scissors. "I really can't afford it"
"It's been paid for" Edge says cheerfully "That was Sheriff McMahon that just came In here and I told him by mistake that you asked Stephanie to the party and that your trying to get something nice to wear and he said to put it under his name and he'll pay for it!"
"I can't ask him to pay for it, that's not right," I say.
"You didn't ask him, you didn't even know he offered. Now hold still or this outfit wont be ready by Saturday!" Adam says measuring across my shoulders while his dad fitted me for a new hat. I couldn't help but smile to myself; I would pay the Sheriff back once I had the money. Maybe I'd pay him a little bit a week till I'd payed my debt, I could look forward to the party now.
An hour or so later of getting all the measurements he needed and cutting the material Edges dad disappeared into the back room to start creating the perfect outfit for accompanying Stephanie to the party. Once we were done myself and Edge left the store saying goodbye to Steve Austin who helped run the store instead of Edge. We walk down the streets kicking the dust up as we go forming dust clouds.
"Maybe we should go get you measured in there too" Edge says nodding towards the undertakers where he worked "Deputy Test looked like he wanted your blood Chris, he's not going to be a happy man when you turn up with her on Saturday" Edge laughs nudging me in the side.
"That's really not funny," I say shoving him hard and glancing nervously over to the undertakers shop, he was standing outside on the porch-watching people go by. Edge waves to him and he gives him a nod back as we carry on our way "He's creepy" I say shuddering.
"Yeah, but he gives me loads of time off so I don't care" Edge laughs "Wanna go see if there's any more news about the outlaws yet?" He asks dragging me towards the sheriff's office.
"Like I have a choice," I say as we walk inside.
So there I was standing in Edges house while he went through his cupboard trying to find something that would fit me. We'd already gone through all my clothes and my fathers and according to Edge none of them where 'Good enough to wear when seen with the sheriffs daughter' I couldn't believe I was doing this, I'd just make a fool of myself and she'd hate me and that idiot Deputy Test would get his chance to show me up and laugh at me.
"What about this?" Edge says holding out a shirt to me that looked about three sizes too small for me anyway. Edge was a lot slimmer and taller than me so none of his clothes would fit me anyway. "Just try it on, it looks small but I'm sure it'll be alright" He says pushing it towards me, at this rate I'd have to do double the work I was doing at the moment to go buy something new.
"Fine, I'll try it on" I say pulling the shirt on and trying to do the buttons up "It's great, if it's supposed to come half way down my arms and not do up at the front" I say pulling it off again and chucking It at him "I'm just going to have to buy something, your old man will have something in the stores wont he?"
"Yeah I suppose, I try to keep away from that place as much as I can. He'd get me roped into working there if he could, he keeps trying to get me to quit working at the undertakers and work for him" Edge says picking up his hat from the bed and heading towards the door. Edges family owned the general stores in the town; Edge didn't want to work there and got a job at the undertakers. Business was slow at the undertakers so he didn't have to do much so he would always come and watch me work and get in the way. "Pop? You here?" Edge shouts as we enter the shop.
"Hello boys, Edge have you finally quit that job and decided to work for Copeland & son like you should be?" His father laughs sticking his head over the top of the counter.
"No, I'm fine with the job I've got. Chris needs some new clothes for the party on Saturday, he's got a date" Edge says as I elbow him in the side.
"A date huh, whose the lucky girl then? What kind of thing are you looking for?" He asks pushing the both of us towards the back of the store where the clothes and fabrics were. "You could always get something made for you, what do you think?"
"Yeah white shirt, white trousers and a white Stetson hat" Edge chimes in "and he's got to have a new pair of boots and his outfit has to have gold trim and.." I put my hand over his mouth making him stop talking; this outfit was going to cost me a fortune if he kept on like he was. He pulled away from me quickly "and he's going with Sheriff McMahon's daughter" he yells quickly moving away from me and walking over to the other side of the store where he thought he'd be safe.
"Hmm, the sheriffs daughter huh, then you are going to need an outfit like that. Have you any idea how much this is going to set you back?" he asks putting a hat template on my head.
"More than I have" I say miserably, the bell chimes telling us that there are some customers are here so Edges dad excuses himself and goes to see who it is. I sit myself up on the counter and take a hat from the peg and study it in my hands. A hat alone would be a whole weeks work worth and I only had three days to get enough money.
"Right, lets get these clothes of yours sorted out" he says walking back over to me and taking the hat from my hands and putting it back up on the peg. I jump down off the counter and pick up my own old tatty hat and put it back on.
"I cant afford any of it, thanks anyway" I say starting to walk away, Edge walks over and hands his father a tape measure and some scissors. "I really can't afford it"
"It's been paid for" Edge says cheerfully "That was Sheriff McMahon that just came In here and I told him by mistake that you asked Stephanie to the party and that your trying to get something nice to wear and he said to put it under his name and he'll pay for it!"
"I can't ask him to pay for it, that's not right," I say.
"You didn't ask him, you didn't even know he offered. Now hold still or this outfit wont be ready by Saturday!" Adam says measuring across my shoulders while his dad fitted me for a new hat. I couldn't help but smile to myself; I would pay the Sheriff back once I had the money. Maybe I'd pay him a little bit a week till I'd payed my debt, I could look forward to the party now.
An hour or so later of getting all the measurements he needed and cutting the material Edges dad disappeared into the back room to start creating the perfect outfit for accompanying Stephanie to the party. Once we were done myself and Edge left the store saying goodbye to Steve Austin who helped run the store instead of Edge. We walk down the streets kicking the dust up as we go forming dust clouds.
"Maybe we should go get you measured in there too" Edge says nodding towards the undertakers where he worked "Deputy Test looked like he wanted your blood Chris, he's not going to be a happy man when you turn up with her on Saturday" Edge laughs nudging me in the side.
"That's really not funny," I say shoving him hard and glancing nervously over to the undertakers shop, he was standing outside on the porch-watching people go by. Edge waves to him and he gives him a nod back as we carry on our way "He's creepy" I say shuddering.
"Yeah, but he gives me loads of time off so I don't care" Edge laughs "Wanna go see if there's any more news about the outlaws yet?" He asks dragging me towards the sheriff's office.
"Like I have a choice," I say as we walk inside.