Each shop looked old fashion, out of date, out of place. It was not what she would call “modern” or liveable. The buildings were made of some sort of solid sand material, the nice warm colour. It was definitely an aesthetic, but Jackie didn’t know if it was hers. She looked like a city rat. She breathed in the disaster they called fashion – it was what she spent 70% of her time thinking about. She tried to forget about that damned piano as much as she could.

Flexing her fingers, she turned down a cloth covered walkway. Letting out a relived breath, she took in the more recently installed clothing outlets. Her eyes glanced over, finally, some well dressed people. Most were teenage girls, considering it was the usual working time, that it would be a more adolescent catch up.

This would probably a good time to make friends. Swaggering over to the nearest store, her eyes glazed over a younger girl. Her dark skin was complimented by the red lipstick she wore, her pastel pink dress was a little old but still did its job. She couldn’t have been older than fourteen.

Everyone else had their eyes trained on her. Gazes heated radiating disapproval as she stood at the front of the shop, yearning to go inside. Taking in the girl, Jackie could barely stop herself as she walked directly over to her. Clipped to her over shoulder bag were a pair of thick-rimmed prescription glasses, the smell of her thick perfume hit Jackie so hard she nearly coughed. The girls eyes snapped to her, wide with fear.

“Are you going in?” Jackie asked softly, smiling sweetly at her. The girl just blinked at her, taken aback. “I’m Jackie, new around here if you couldn’t tell.”

“I can tell,” she said in a small voice, shuffling from foot to foot. Jackie’s eyes again fell to her over shoulder bag, where now, as she looked closely, bulked out to fit what was probably a hoodie. “My name is Nia,” she muttered, taking a step away from Jackie.

“Cool name,” she nodded her head. “I was going to go in, want to check out clothes with me?” she offered, tucking her hands into her pockets.

“Are you sure?” Nia’s dark honey eyes lit up, her lips daring to tug into a smile. Jackie felt a swell of pride, she just might have made a friend. “I’ve been out for over a year, it still hasn’t gotten better.”

“I’m sure it will,” she said. “I’m really liking your sweater vibe to be honest,” Jackie tugged on the spewed-out jumper in the girl’s bag. Nia gushed, pulling the dark green and mustard yellow striped monstrosity of fabric out of her bag. Jackie led them into the girly shop, smiling as Nia pulled the jumper over her head, her spiralled hair bouncing around her head. Smiling back at her, Jackie eyed the shop, already sizing up everything she saw. She raced over to a turtle neck, pulling it off the shelf and showing it to Nia. “This with black high waisted jeans is a look,” she said, a reassuring smile on her face.

“It’s a crop top,” Nia said, blushing.

“These baggy jeans and a belt give it life,” she reassured again, picking up the clothes in what she estimated to be Nia’s size. “Just try it on, let the clothes decide,” she smiled, watching Nia stare at the bundle in the older girl’s arms. Slowly, Nia took the clothes from Jackie, eyeing the older girl shyly. Jackie took a seat out the front of the dressing room, her legs folded and thumbs up to Nia, the dark-skinned girl walked into the dressing room. Fumbling could be heard from behind the dark lilac curtain, Jackie sitting listening to the covered music playing over the speakers. “Do you come here often?” she asked, noticing Nia was taking a little while longer to change.

“I usually go to the op shop with my step-dad, or he goes shopping for me,” she replied. The curtain pulled back, Nia stood there with the biggest smile Jackie had seen since she got here. “I… I love it,” she gaped, stepping out into the small hallway to use the large mirror. “Look at my curves… I have curves,” she patted down the baggy jeans that flared out from her waist, cuffed at the ankle.

“I’m surprised this town has crop tops,” Jackie said to herself, walking up to stand beside Nia in the mirror. “Not surprised about the mum jeans.”

“I have never been able to find – or match something like this,” Nia gushed, clearly any doubts she had about Jackie were gone. She pivoted, looking at herself in the mirror. Jackie felt a sense of pride at Nia’s happiness. The younger girl was shaking with excitement. “Thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank my yet, kiddo,” she smiled, sifting through the sales rack for a few seconds before pulling out a few more items. “They’re literally giving away a whole aesthetic for fifty cents? This is like an op shop,” Jackie stared in awe at the clothing rack, scooping up more clothes.

“Clothes here are always cheap?” Nia hummed, going back into the changing room to get back into her old clothes. Jackie spared a look towards the staff, the two older women were sparing her looks, whispering amongst themselves. Jackie pretended to not see, but her jaw remained clenched. “I really like you, Jackie,” Nia said in the change room, rummaging behind the curtain once again.

“Same to you,” Jackie chuckled, looking for something for herself to wear. Nia came

out of the change room, with what Jackie had given her clutched to her chest.

“I’m getting this,” her grin warmed the room, the fourteen-year-old rushing to the cashier. Jackie followed her, putting all the things she had collected back. She hadn’t looked long enough to find anything worth her time. Standing behind Nia, her eyes bore into the lady behind the cashier, watching as the woman took the money from the girl. Jackie could taste the tension in the room, watching as all eyes were on Nia.

The door to the shop opened, everyone’s heads snapped to the three teens that walked in. Nia’s smile left as soon as her eyes fell on the three girls. Taking the bag of her purchases from the woman before she tried to shuffle out unnoticed. She muttered quietly to Jackie, “My friend goes to school with them, he says she is a B-word.”

“Strong words,” Jackie muttered, eyeing the three girls who fiddled with the new stock on display. Their laughs were almost practiced, even harmonised with each other as if they were part of a choir. “Want to get something to eat?” She turned to Nia, watching the short girl watch them in awe.

“I know the best burger place,” Nia said, leading Jackie out the shop. The three girls didn’t notice them.