Woo Hoo. I finally got a review. :-P
Three Chapters to go before I update my other story.
"Okay, Naomi, It's over there."
I peered in the direction that Daphne was pointing. I could tell that it was a hood hangout, alright. A dull grey building with a rust brown roof, sun-faded posters in the windows of bands I'd never heard of, and by the sound of the music coming from inside,I was pretty sure I didn't want to hear of them.
"Are you guys gonna come with me?" I whined, because I was still apprehensive about going in there.
"You have to do it alone, Nay, that was part of the deal. Otherwise, we can all go home, and you can admit that you're scared. Just like the rest of us."
"I'm not scared." I pulled on the fraying edge of my sweater. I wasn't scared of anyone from the east side. They wouldn't hurt me. They probably weren't as wild and violent as they seemed. I guess I was scared for my reputation. What if someone from school saw me in there? What if someone I saw in there came up to me in September and said, "Hey, didn't I see you..." It was a difficult choice, but I knew that if I said I was scared for my reputation, they'd say I was lying.
Next thing I knew, I was on my way up to the music store. I was putting my reputation at stake to save the reputation I had with my friends. The glass door opened easily. Easily enough that I noticed it was missing the top window pane, which would explain why it was so light. There were a few people over by the window, so I high-tailed it to the back of the store. I figured I could hide the whole time. I checked my watch - 2:02. I had to stay in here until 2:32. Perfect.
Somehow, it occured to me that, despite my insisting that I wasn't, I really was scared of these hoods. They probably wouldn't hurt me in a store, but they could still come over here and bother me.
I decided to occupy myself by looking through the records infront of me. I'd heard of some of these bands and singers, but I hadn't heard alot of their music. I mostly listened to the stuff I sang, which a lot of the times was classical, or as my mom would call it, 'Good Ole Fashion' type stuff. My friends thought it was sort of wierd, except for Hannah. Hannah listened to it with me, even though I had a feeling she didn't like it much. This stuff looked like the music Ashley listened to, not Hannah. Somehow, my mind wandered back to how much I'd miss Hannah when she moved away. She was the only person I could really identify with after Grampy died, and now she was leaving. You can't replace someone who really understands you as a person - there was no replacement for Hannah, no replacement for Grampy. Thinking about Grampy made my throat sting and my eyes well up momentarily, just returning to the thought that he's never coming back...I concerntrated on the records infront of me...
...The Doors...The Beatles...The Monkees...The Critters...Procol Harum...The Young Rascals...The Hollies...
I checked my watch again. 2:09.
...The Happenings...Jefferson Airplane...Neil Diamond...The Supremes...The Turtles...Bobby Gentry...
2:12...
...The Hollies...The Association...Janis Ian...Jay and the Techniques...Wilson Pi-
"Hi."
I was concentrating so hard on the records that my heart missed beating for a second. I whipped around so fast that my hair batted me in the face. I was surprised to see that kid who had apologized to me at the church. I was also disapointed to see that we were eye to eye in height. Maybe I was shorter thanI thought.
"Hi." Somehow I knew my eyes were turned yellow, but for once in my life, I had no idea why. Now, I think it might have been relief of seeing someone there that I almost know.
"I thought I might have recognized you when you came in."
"Yeah. I guess I just came back here."
"I don't normally see you in here."
"I don't normally come here."
"Why did you come here today?"
I had expected to be able to dance around that one. But somehow, I didn't mind telling him.
"My friends dared me."
He looked mildly surprised.
"Why'd they dare you?"
"They think that..." I was apprehensive about saying why, because I didn't want to upset him, but I continued, "They think I'm scared of hoods from east side, so they dared me to come in here for half an hour."
"Not everyone on the east side are hoods."
"Well, I know that, but-"
"Most of the time, I don't even consider myself a hood.Just a greaser. There is a difference. I mean, I stay out of trouble as best I can, and I never steal or beat people up for no reason."
I thought about this. It could be true.
"I have ten more minutes before I can get away from this place. I mean, I'm just not into this music."
"Yeah...you want to be careful 'round Willie behind his desk up there. You've been hiding back here for the past twenty minutes, he'll think you're stealin'."
"Oh, yeah. My friends warned me about that. I have to buy something." I looked at the records, disgusted.
"You don't like most of this stuff?"
"A lot of it I've never heard."
"Well..why don't you try this?" He handed me a record. I looked at the front.
"Neil Diamond?"
"I heard it's not as loud as some of the stuff you'd find in here."
"Ever listened to it?"
"No."
I shrugged, and checked my watch again- 2:30.
"I guess I should buy this now," I smirked, "I'll have fun listening to it."
"You should give it a try."
"You've never tried it."
"You might like it." He turned and walked back to the front of the store by the window. I payed for my record and left.
"What'd you buy?" Daphne grabbed the bag and looked in, "Neil Diamond?"
"Yeah,a kid in there said I should try it, even though he's never listened to it himself."
"Kids go in there?"
"Not a kid kid, Daph," I rolled my eyes, "I'd say he's thirteen or fourteen, but I'm calling him a kid."
"Oh. So, he's one of those hoods, then?"
"No. He's just a greaser."
"Naomi, it's the same thing."
"No it's not."
"Yes it is."
"Daph, define the word 'hoodlum.' "
"Well...they always get in trouble with the police, they get drunk all the time, they do alot of wierd drugs, they steal things, cheat, jump people, rob stores..."
"The kid I met in there didn't do any of that. But he is a greaser. Before you ask, he said it himself."
Daphne was quiet. She's always quiet after someone proves her wrong...which happens alot.
When I got home, Mom and Dad were both gone. I sighed and looked at my new record. It was worth a try.
