Goths in a Gas Station Feed Store (Crickets, Part One)

Tyler and I walked into the feed store and approached the counter. I was the first to speak.

"Can I please have some crickets?"

"You going fishing?"

There were three men, but one of them looked younger.

"Yeah, tomorrow," I said.

The younger one looked at me.

"How old are you?" he asked in a rough voice.

"Thirteen," I said, "Why, am I too young to get crickets?"

I meant it as a serious question, but he must have thought I was joking, because he ignored me. One of the older men stood up from his chair and walked over to a sign.

"How much?" the younger one asked.

"Thirteen crickets for fourty-eight cents," he called back.

"Okay, I'll have two dollars worth," I said, laying two dollars on the counter.

The man who had spoken to me got up and led Tyler and I to a box with chirping sounds coming from it. I heard him say, "Man, yall look gothic." It was then I realized how strange we looked compared to the feed store workers. I was wearing a black shirt, pinstriped pants, homeade fishnets, a spiked bracelet, a chain on my beltloops, and an excess of eyeliner. Tyler had on his ACDC t-shirt, his black pants, and his beltloop chain.

"I'm not gothic," I said,"I just like the clothestyle."

He opened the box and began taking out the crickets.

"I'm not satanic," I added, almost as an afterthought.

"Yeah, that's cool," he said. Christ, this was awkward.

"So..." I tried to make conversation. "You think they'll live until tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I reckon they'll live as long as you want 'em to."

I nodded. He wrapped them up in a paper bag and handed them to me.

"Yall have a nice night," I called back as we left.

As soon as we got outside, Tyler and I started to laugh.

"God, that was the weirdest thing in the world!" Tyler said.

"I know," I replied,"I mean, these two people dressed in black walk into a feed store and ask for crickets."

We walked back to the dance, discussing what our next move would be. Tyler would go in to the cafeteria and get me my jacket, and I would wait in the bathroom.

I hurried into the lavatory and locked myself in a stall. I was pretty sure nobody saw the bag.

Soon enough, I heard a low whistle, and I unlocked the door, walked outside, and grabbed my jacket from Tyler.

"Let's go," I said.

Brandon walked along with us. They were walking a bit ahead of me, and I saw the vice principal pull them aside and start talking to them. We had tried to sneak out earlier, and Brandon had gotten caught. I assumed that's what she was talking to them about. When she was done, they walked into the dance, and she passed by me. She was giving me a look, I suppose because of my unusual attire. I wasn't sure what to do, so I kind of smiled and hurried to catch up with Tyler and Brandon.

"You're on your own now," Tyler said.