BAD REPUTATION.

06

Brandy Mae

I really hate it when people find that they can't keep their opinions to themselves.

On this hot morning, I'm just minding my own damn business buying groceries when one self righteous woman has the nerve to comment on my outfit, loudly proclaiming to her equally self righteous friend   how indecent it is.
The only thing stopping me from telling her where to shove her opinions is because my son is in the shopping cart. He's too young to see his mother fighting.

So what if my jeans are more rips than jeans and what if the crop top I'm wearing says 10-12 years?
If they didn't want me to wear them, they wouldn't be selling them at 50% off every Tuesday and Friday at the town market.

"Rommy, do you think my jeans are ugly?"
My son does not lie, so he takes time with his answer.

"No, I think I saw someone really really famous wearing them on TV. Should we buy tomatoes?"

That's all the opinion that I need.

"No, we have enough tomatoes at home."

After we are done with shopping, we pass by my best friends work place.
Her name is Norah Andrews. She attends North carolina state university, but religiously comes back every summer to work at the same bookstore she's worked at since she was sixteen;Chronicles book store, the one opposite from Dirty Bastard.

On more than one occasion, I've found myself questioning why she's my best friend.

We have absolutely nothing  in common.

Whereas mother's warn their daughters and sons about me, they always encourage them to be like Norah.
She's a sweet girl with polite manners and a stickler for rules.

Whereas have always been a hothead,rude and loudmouthed(all the qualities that I inherited from my dearest mother). I'm not afraid to speak what's on my mind and I'm not afraid to say words that would make even the devil blush.
Norah has never said a swear word in all her eighteen years of age.
She's soft spoken, respectful and what adults call responsible.

She sings songs like how great thou art, while I sing songs like my anaconda don't wanna none unless you got buns hun.

She's never worn any ripped jeans in her whole life.
Her clothes, although not expensive are always well taken of.

If not for his family's deep pocket, his two facedness and other things I don't want to get into, Noah is the female version of her.

The reason why we are still best friends is because a long time ago, before boys like Noah and many others came into my life, we used to be innocent together.
Every Sunday, she'd pass by my house and pick me up so we could go to Sunday school. We made vows to remain friends forever and if there is one thing that Norah is, she remains true to her promises.

The other reason we are friends is because I'm the closest thing to a celebrity she knows.

In wasteland Graceland, I'm a celebrity. You can tell this by the way I walk.
I walk like I know mother's and old ladies will talk about me with a distateful look on their faces while boys and men will talk about me with a lustful look on their face.

All attention is attention.

Due to my celebrity status, Norah is also a celebrity by association.
Boys and guys who want to shoot their shot at me, always know that if I'm not at the bar, then I'm at the bookstore. They always flock around there and one or two might say hi to her.

Despite her good girl image and her strict morals, she's still a girl with things like feelings and hormones.
Because she's a shy girl and will never be caught dead approaching a boy, she relies on my milkshakes to bring the boys to her yard.