BAD REPUTATION.

09

Judd Kidd

"Who is Brandy Mae?" Is the first thing I ask my grandmother after I sit down for breakfast the following morning.

I feel good today. Last night I only suffered through a few hours of non- stop vomiting, chills and fever, but at least I'm staying strong.

I might also have woken earlier than usual.

It may or may not have anything to do with the fact that I know where to find brandy Mae.

"You are starting to get better. How are you feeling today?" Grandmother asks sweetly.

"I'm fine. So? Brandy Mae?" I prompt her impatiently.

She gives me a hard look and scrunches her face like she's chewing lemons.

"Stay away from that girl! She's such a sinful child!" Grandmother shouts vehemently.

"What sins has she committed?" I ask, all calm and composed.

Quite unexpectedly, she breaks into a rant "Did you see her? Did you see the way she dresses?she has no shame! No respect and no morals!And her language! She curses like a sailor and lashes out at anyone who tries to correct her. I don't even blame her. I blame her mother. The moment that Cecily woman came to town unmarried and pregnant, I knew the fate of that child was doomed. And she opened that bar!! What a disgrace to our community!! And naming her child Brandy Mae??! What kind of a mother gives their kid such an atrocious name?! A drunk mother that's who! She raised that girl in the bar and I complained to the sheriff about it but did he do something? That Cecily charmed our Sheriff with alcohol and her worldly wicked ways and she took him from us!She left that girl-Brandy Mae to sell alcohol and lure men to the bar with her vile ways!
She's such a bad girl. Stay away from her. Did you meet Norah? Now that's a lovely girl. I have warned her about being seen with that Brandy Mae but she does not listen to me! Norah is such an angel, she treats that bastard child like he's her own son! What kind of self respecting girl gets pregnant at sixteen?! One raised by a drunkard mother , that's who!" She slams her cup back on the table and breathes heavily.

Oh.my.God. All these because I asked about a girl. I guess I will have to find someone else to ask where I can score some weed in this town.

I purse my lips."Are you done?" I ask in a bored tone.

"Stay away from that girl Judah. She's nothing but trouble!" She chastises.

I want to tell her that my middle name is trouble, but I'm not in the mood to sit through another pointless rant.
If Brandy Mae is as sinful as my grandmother makes her to be, then she's definitely my kind of girl.

I'll be the devil on her shoulder....or preferably in other places.

"I'm going to town. See you later.And for the love of God please get my name right. It's Judd!" I snap.

"Did you meet Noah? He's about your age. You should make friends with him. He's such a sweet young man, his friends too. You'll like him." She raves.

I scoff loudly at that. If there was ever a fake person in this town, then it's Noah.
I remember what Brandy Mae said about him and dildos and I almost burst out with laughter.

"I'm going to the bookstore." I tell her, she'll get off my back if she thinks I have my eyes on boring Norah.

Dressed in some of my finest clothes, smelling fresh in my David Beckham cologne, I park my car in the same spot as yesterday and swagger my way into Chronicles bookstore.

"Judd Kidd!" Romeo sees me first and calls out excitedly.

The kid is behind the counter, sitting next to Brandy Mae- his mother, who has elbows on the counter and her chin propped in her palms and looking out to the streets with a dull expression.