Two Love

Chapter 12

"Please remind me why you've dragged me along to Matalan at 10 in the morning," said Everett with a yawn.

"Because you have excellent fashion sense and you know how to attract the ladies," replied Marty.

"I have attracted one lady, not several."

"Exactly – one more lady than I have! I need all the help I can get, Ev. Please?"

Everett sighed. "Fine. What are we looking for: trousers, shirts, shoes?"

"Anything that looks super cool. My sixth form wardrobe basically has nothing but polo shirts and chinos."

"That's because smart casual wear is just polo shirts and chinos. Unless... oh dear..."

Marty grinned, mischief written all over his face like dick doodles all over the whiteboard in PE class on Friday. "Since when have I cared about breaking the rules?"

Having established their goal, Everett and Marty looked through rows and rows of clothes, grimacing at grotesque designs and assessing potential purchases with several disputes. Everett kept encouraging Marty to get a tartan shirt, but Marty insisted it wasn't his style. Meanwhile, Marty picked up shirts that his friend declared boring. Many minutes passed in this fashion.

"Since it's nearly winter, it doesn't even matter what shirt you wear. No one will see it," said Everett.

"That's a good point. Let's look at the jackets!"

Their success was almost instant. Marty found a well-crafted denim jacket on a rail affixed to the wall; Everett gazed upon it with a mix of awe and envy. Next, the boys moved on to the trousers section. Marty compared his jacket to the hue of several pairs of jeans, trying to find something with a similar colour. While he did this, Everett glanced over the display of jeans and picked out a pair that was the perfect colour.

"Now we just have to find some shoes," said Marty. "Speaking of shoes, aren't your sixth form shoes getting a little old now? I swear you've had the same ones since year 10."

"Yes, but they still fit. I don't need new shoes."

Marty looked at Everett incredulously. "You're a size 10, right? What size are your sixth form shoes?"

"Eight and a half. But shoes grow with your feet, so it's fine."

"Shoes don't grow that much. Come on, I'll find you new ones!" As Marty perused the selection of smart shoes, Everett looked up at the ceiling, clenching and unclenching his fists subconsciously.

"How about these ones? They look like your current ones, only bigger. Come try them on!"

Sighing, Everett took off his trainers and placed his feet in the shoes. There was no denying it – they were a perfect fit. They didn't pinch or cause his feet to ache like his current shoes. They were comfortable, shiny, new. He wanted them so badly –

"I can't buy these," he said shortly, bending down to untie the laces.

"Why not? They're perfect, and they're only like £35!"

On hearing the price, Everett winced. That was a lot of money for a kid who got most of his shoes from boot sales and charity shops. "I do want them – I just can't afford them."

"I can pay for them if you like. I honestly don't mind."

"No, you can't do that! Don't you get it?" Now back in his trainers, Everett stood up and faced his friend, trembling with anger. "I don't want to rely on other people for things! Me and my parents should be able to afford things, but the rent payments are so bloody high that we can't. My mum's credit card is in the red despite her trying to save every penny – I can't make things worse, I just can't-"