Thrift Store

4| parties & late-night decisions

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."

- Pablo Picasso

***

JUST LIKE MY mother, my best friend is gifted with the impressive talent of persuasion, a talent which has somehow landed me on the doorstep of Reese Braint's house, the music from the party so loud you can hear it from three blocks away.

Latika stands next to me, her tall, curvy figure wrapped in a white body-con dress and her feet clad with high-heeled boots. She looks exceptionally gorgeous tonight, her black hair straightened to perfection, where as mine is curly, as usual. People say that we look alike, but I don't see it. Latika is super model material, where as I look like a sleep deprived middle schooler.

"Ready?" Latika links her arm with mine, her eyes glinting with excitement in the darkness.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I mutter, walking over the threshold with a deep breath.

***

PARTIES HAVE NEVER really been my thing, but ever since my mother and Latika have been trying to get me step out of my comfort zone, I've learned that it's okay to just have fun every once in awhile.

So when Latika pulled me onto the dance floor with an all too familiar smirk, I tried my best to step out of my comfort zone and loosen up a little bit. The music was loud and the dancing was fun, however, being the good girl I am, I politely declined the drinks that anyone offered me.

I know not to except any drinks from tall strangers, I mean, I'm not some stupid character in a book.

However, as the night progressed I was starting to get tired and since tomorrow is a study day, I knew that I needed to grab Latika and leave for the night. But unlike me, my best-friend is quite the partier, and I had a hard time getting her out the door.

"Are we almost there? I don't feel good," Latika slurs from her spot in the passenger's seat, her makeup smeared and her hair a tangled mess on top of her head.

"Please don't puke, Latika. We're almost to your apartment," I plead with her slumped over figure as we drive along the dark city streets, the traffic in front of me beginning to become aggravating.

"You telling me to not puke is not going to magically make my nausea disappear. That's like telling a bird not to fly," she mumbles to herself, earning a chuckle from me.

"At least we know your humor hasn't disappeared along with your soberness," I glance over at Latika as we turn into the street of her apartment complex.

Latika grabs an empty grocery bag from the pocket of the seat in front of her and gags rather unattractively.

I can't help but laugh. "Your dignity has definitely disappeared, though."

"That was not funny, at all," she says with a pout as I help her out of the car. "Maybe I should disown you as my best friend."

"If you disowned me, then who would bring you home after parties when you can't even walk straight?" I loop her arm around my shoulder, carrying half of her weight on me as we climb the never ending stairs up to her apartment.

Latika smirks, saying, "You're right. That's all you're good for."

"Hey, how are things with Trevor?" I ask, nearly tripping on an empty soda bottle as I drag Latika through her apartment and to her bedroom.

"Ugghhhh," Latika groans, slapping a hand over her eyes before saying, "He's stupid and immature, and I deserve way better than him, and I knew we would never work out when I went into this, but I m-miss him s-so much," she rambles on and on before breaking down into tears in the middle of her pitiful speech.

"Okay, okay," I heave a sigh before hauling her into her bed and pulling off her shoes. "It's okay, Latika. You'll be fine. Just, lay down and go to sleep."

By the time I have tucked her in and left the room, my best-friend's snores fill the silence of the small apartment, causing me to chuckle at her. That hangover is not going to be very fun.

After locking up Latika's apartment and walking down the hallway with droopy eyes and lagging feet, I enter my own apartment with a sigh, breathing in the smell of paint and canvas as a content smile makes it's way onto my face.

Now, call me weird, but a true artist will understand just how pleasing the smell of paint is; it conjures up memories of cold, winter days where I would stay up all night with a warm cup of cocoa and a paint brush, letting the stress of day to day life fade away with every stroke of my brush against the canvas.

It's an addiction and an obsession—literally something I could not live without. And I'm not saying I couldn't physically live without painting, like I could still breath, of course, but my whole life revolves around art, therefore I would not be truly living without it.

I take a deep breath and run a hand over my face, suddenly feeling grimy and gross. I guess two o' clock at night is not the best time to shower, but I know I won't be able to sleep without feeling completely clean.

However, the whole time I am in the shower my thoughts keep skipping back to the thrift shop around the corner, and how I wish I hadn't stopped going there even after my dad left. It had so many great memories, that I can't believe I actually forgot about the shop in the first place. But, I guess there are some memories we forget.

So, even after I step out of the shower, brush my teeth, and get into my comfy clothes, I still can't sleep. My mind simply won't shut down, and I know that it's going to be another sleepless night for Sophia Blanch. I swear, my life could literally be a reality tv show. That's how relatable I am.

After tossing and turning for what feels like hours, I finally come to a decision that helps settle my thoughts. Tomorrow, I am going to visit the Sunflower Thrift Store.

"Hey, Louise," I mumble to my cat as he jumps up on my bed, his purrs filling the silence of my bedroom. "Can you not sleep either?"

I get only a purr in response.

***

Hey, guys! It is super sunny here in Juneau, so I decided to update while I'm feeling happy. I have missed writing a lot because I have been so busy with school and work, but I will always make time for writing(:

With lots of love and sunshine, mae

{ also, dodie is so beautifully talented, so please go listen to her music ^^^}