Girls Just Want to have Fun
-3-
Accessory Shopping and Ear Piercing

While I've been a girl for roughly three years. And in those three years I've done a number of things, from bra shopping, to making out with the cutest boy to ever grace the hallways of Benton Academy. I'd also been elected homecoming princess, appointed prefect, had one head overthrown. And to one bizarre misadventure where I swear I died once on the operating table, fought my shadow self and then was given the chance to either enter into Heaven or return back to earth to do God's will. Whatever God's will happen to be.

Also, I've been gunged, dunked and pied more times than I can count. But in all that time I've never, ever stepped foot into Claire's till this afternoon. You see, my friend Madeline and I had agreed over ice coffee to get our ears pierced together. You know, kind of a bonding thing. Kind of the cherry on the sundae that had been our girls day out together. Also you could say, it would scratch one thing off the bucket list. Yes, Madeline and I had a summer bucket list. We both knew at the end of this Summer we would be going into our Senior years. And next summer we might go our separate ways for a while. So we had to make this summer count, count for something, you know, make as many memories as possible. Both together and without our boyfriends.

“Hi! Welcome to Claire's ya'll!” The greeting came from a short girl with brown hair. “I'm Tabitha!” The brown hair girl said. The girl was shorter than Madeline and I and seemed young, almost too young to be working. I noticed she was dressed in a short sleeve, cream colored blouses that was paired with a pair of denim jeans. She wore a red apron over her outfit and her name badge read 'Tabitha' and attached to the bottom of the name tag was a sign that read 'Trainee'.

“Hey! Tabitha, I was wondering if you could maybe work my friend and I in to get our ears pierced this afternoon. We're kind of having a girl's day out and we thought this would be a good way to bond.” Madeline said as she pointed first to herself and then to me.

Tabitha nodded her head and started to think. She then placed her hands behind her back and started swaying around.

“Ya'll, I'm sorry to say this, but right now we don't have somebody on staff that can do that. I wish I could, cause I'll totally be willing to help you. But this is just my third shift here. I just learned how how to handle the cash register.” Tabitha said blushing as she looked down at the ground. “I mean I've seen it done a dozen or so times before. But I'm not trained y'all understand I'll hate to mess something up.”

“We get it.” Madeline said smiling. “This must be your first real job?”

“Yes ma'am.” Tabitha said as she peered down at the floor.

At that moment Madeline and I turned toward each other and cracked a small smile.

“We'll. Thank you for being honest with us Tabitha. We'll just look around and see if we can find something else.” I said as I started to look around the shop. I could tell the shop was mostly aimed at the younger crowd. I felt kind of bad. I had missed this, I had missed so much only discovering my girl side a few years ago.
I had wasted twelve years struggling as a boy. Twelve years of my life I would never get back. Twelve years, a lifetime I suppose. I had missed twelve Halloweens trying to figure myself out. Twelve years of Disney Princess movies, of Disney movies. Twelve Christmases, twelve Easters.

“Hey!” Madeline said as she reached out and touched my shoulder. “Something wrong girl?” She said as she looked into my eyes. I felt like at that moment she was peering into my very soul.

“No, why do you ask?” I said as I peered into Madeline's eyes.

“Because you're looking into space. And when you look into space you're thinking about something. And You look like your about to cry, because your eyes are starting to mist. And they always start to mist when you're doing some heavy thinking.” Madeline explained.

“Oh!” I said blushing a little as I reached down and picked up a head headband. And a bundle of ponytail holders. And a dozen hair ribbons. Roughly around four dollars worth of stuff. Tabitha it seemed was hovering around in the background. I guess she was jumping at the chance to see if we needed any help or not. That kind of annoyed me, I mean I understand this might have been her first real job, but really the way she was hovering around us put me on edge.

“So.” Madeline said as she picked up a few items. “So what's bothering you?”

“Just doing a lot of thinking. Sometimes I wonder why it took me so long to discover that I was really supposed to be a girl, you know, looking at all this stuff really made me understand what I'd missed out on. Like my sister and her friends used to love going into this store and I'll always just stand out there and watch them, I guess I would pass the time training and empowering my Pokemon army. Or fine tuning my dream team for when I took on the Elite Four.” I said.

Madeline rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Well, you're a girl now. Trust me, I think about the past sometimes too. And until somebody invents a time machine or something we'll just have to be happy living our lives one day at a time. There is no use in dwelling on the past. That would just make us unhappy and cloud our vision. Brooding on what could have been and what should have been is a waste of time. You're a girl now, focus on making the best of it and being the best girl you can be.” Madeline said as she folded her arms under her breast. She closed her head and nodded her head.

“You have a way with words.” I said as I turned toward Madeline and smiled.

“Comes with being a wordsmith. And, according to mom, I should have read every book in the world by now. I read like a trillion words a day.” Madeline said as she held her hands up. “Anyway let's get our things and get on the road. Unless there is another store you want to hit up.” Madeline said.

“Nah I was going to hit up the bookstore. But I buy most of my manga and I use my family Amazon Prime Account to get it like supper fast and at a discounted price.” I said, it was the moment I noticed Tabitha coming toward us. And she seemed to be smiling.

“Hey, Ladies. Just wanted you to know that my shift-leader just clocked in and if you two can hang around for just a few minutes, let her get settled in and stuff. She can pierce both of your ears. In the meantime, I can get you started on the paperwork and stuff!”
Tabitha told us as she pointed with her head toward a girl who was just walking through the door. The girl in question was clearly in charge as she was a good head taller than Tabitha. She also had long, black hair and dark brown eyes and wore something of a black, puff sleeve dress. She had even painted her fingernails black. And it really made her pale skin jump out at you. And when I mean that, when I say pale, she was white as flour and so transparent it seemed she could float right through the walls.

“Thank you Tabitha.” Madeline said smiling. “That would be lovely.”

Tabitha smiled and moved behind the desk.

“She is trying so hard.” I said as I moved toward the check out. I placed my items down upon the counter and watched as Tabitha started to scan each item. As a server I had to admire the way she scanned each item and sometimes when an item was not in the system she would enter the item code.

“No doubt. She is very professional from her manners to her appearance.” Madeline said. As she placed her items down upon the counter. Just as Madeline placed her stuff down, Tabitha had finished ringing my stuff up.

“Okay! That will be twelve dollars and fifteen cents! Would that be cash or card.” Tabitha asked as she punched a few keys on the cash register.

“Cash.” Madeline said as she handed over a twenty dollar bill, a dime and a nickel. Tabitha took the bill and coins and slipped them into the drawer and in a professional tone of voice said. “Out of twenty fifteen, your change is five dollars, thank you for shopping at Claire's and I hope have a good rest of your day.” She said as she handed the sales ticket and the five dollar bill back to Madeline. She then bagged Madeline's items, once they were in the bag she handed them over to Madeline.

“Oh!” Tabitha said as she handed Madeline a clipboard and a fountain pen. “I need you to fill these forms out too! Please ma'am. Then we can progress your application to get your ears done.” Tabitha then turned her attention toward me.

Just like Madeline she scanned my items, paying careful attention to what she was doing. As somebody who hated running a cash register I admired her budding skill. And me being me, I'd picked up a few extra things while waiting on Madeline, silly novelty items. Like sparkling fingernail polish, sparkling headband, and sparkling ribbons.

It took Tabitha a little longer to ring my items up than it did Madeline's but in the end. She pressed all the keys and the total came too.

“Okay your total is twenty one, fifteen.” Tabitha said with a broad smile as she started to bag my items. “Would that be cash or card?” She asked as she turned her attention once more to her drawer.

“Cash.” I said as I handed Tabitha a twenty dollar bill, a one dollar bill, a dime and a nickel. Tabitha took the money from my hands and smiled as she slipped it into the drawer and then handed me the sales ticket followed by items.

“And I thank you for shopping at Claire's this afternoon. Please come back to see us.” Tabitha said with a small smile. She then reached under the drawer and pulled out a clipboard. She then handed me the clipboard and a few seconds later a fountain pen.
“And here is your form. Please fill this out and return it to the front desk and we can progress your request to get your ears pierced.” Tabitha said. Again with a smile.

I blinked and joined Madeline who was sitting outside the shop on a wooden bench. The form was pretty straight forward. You know, name, date of birth, all that good stuff. A few boxes to check off saying we agreed to this and that. All in all it took only a few minutes to complete. Then Madeline and I ventured back into the shop. It was then we spotted a woman who seemed to be around twenty something. No doubt she was the manager of the store. She wore the same outfit as Tabitha only she wore a white doctors coat over her blouse.

“Hey ya'll, my name is Josie and I'm the manager here. Now my trainee here says you two ladies want to get your ears pierced, is that correct?” Josie said with a smile.

“Yes ma'am.” Both Madeline and I said in unison.

“Okay! Good, now Tabitha said she gave you some paperwork. Is that filled out?” Josie asked as she peered toward Madeline and I.

“Yes ma'am.” Both Madeline and I said again in unison.

“And how is that coming?” Josie said.

“We are finished ma'am.” Again Madeline and I said in unison.

“Good. May I see it?” Josie asked.

Madeline and I handed over the clipboards and she smiled as she flipped the papers.

“Everything seems in order. Okay, now, would you mind if Tabitha watches? Tabitha might be a newly hired associate but she aspires to be a Clarie's Piercing Specialists one day and this would a good chance for to see how it's done.” Josie asked.

“Of course not!” Madeline and I said once more in unison.

“Wonderful! This way please Ladies.” Josie said as she guided us toward a set of chairs located toward the back of the store. Madeline and I held hands as we walked. Like sisters or twins, we even climbed into the seats together and in a moment it was over and done with. A moment of pain, a brief flash of discomfort and it was done. Josie was a professional and a master of her craft.

And well. I can't think of a better way to end my day out with my best friend than getting both of our ears pierced together. There is more to come so please stay tuned.

To be continued.