I walked down the sidewalk, my skirt and blouse already sticking to me. I held my spare key in between my fingers since I was going to the East Side, and I was always anxious over there.
I was somewhat familiar with the East Side. I traveled to Tulsa nearly every summer with at at my cousin's house until I was ten. Until I had any real responsibilities.
Only six years later, we moved to the West Side here in Tulsa, reunited with my family.
I hadn't seen my cousin in a few weeks, because things were getting busy towards the end of the school year, as they always do.
My Grandmother's house always reminded me of those warm Summer evenings when we'd all hang out in her backyard, laughing, eating, catching fireflies and eventually looking at the stars when the sun set.
I didn't have any worries back then. I could dress how I wanted to, I could look forward to being on the East Side, and I could be friends with anyone.
I stepped up onto my Cousin's porch and flung the the creaky door open.
"Alice!" My cousin yelled, charging at me and throwing her arms around my neck.
"Ew, you little nasty! You're all dirty and sweaty." She said, laughing my disheveled appearance.
"Shut up, Vicki! It's not my fault I look, this bad."
"Cmon, I'll get you some other clothes. You don't look like you belong here anyway." She said, tugging at my blouse.
Her room was small, but cozy. She had floral quilts laid out on her tiny bed, right next to her window.
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"You don't care what you wear, do you?" Asked Vicki, shuffling through her unorganized drawers with clothes spilling out of all of them.
"No, not really. I just don't want something gross."
"Here. You can take a shower if you want to." She said, tossing me a thin flannel shirt with a white tank top and dark ripped jeans.
"No, it's alright. I'll freshen up a bit but I don't need to shower." I said, walking to the bathroom.
I peeled off my blouse and twisted my hair up. My face was still sticky and my mascara was smeared around my eyes.
I carried my clothes out and tossed them in the corner of Vickie's room and headed to the kitchen.
