Forever 21

I did something today that I have been thinking about for a long time. In lots of my magazines there are cute little tops and dresses, and those items are usually listed as "Budget Friendly" and come from stores like Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, and H &M. Where were this mystical places that sell trendy clothes for a fraction of what I would normally pay for duds? It turns out these stores reside in my city, so today I set out to try my hand at Forever 21.

I was a tad nervous walking into the store. The girl who greeted me appeared so youthful that she must have been dropped off for her Saturday job by her mom. She had a smug look on her face. I know this look because Jane used to drop me off at the Dairy Queen when I was 15, and I wore a similar expression that could easily be read as, "I'd totally rather be with my boyfriend right now, engaged in some heavy petting."

As I quietly skulked around the store, I tried to remain inconspicuous. Hopefully there were no scanners that could read age from a distance.

I found a cute striped top and went to reach for it. "Excuse me," said a little high pitched voice. I had not touched the hanger, but had instead brushed the hand of a CHEERLEADER. Yes, complete with a tight short skirt and a face painted with the initials of her high, possibly middle school. I was getting spooked.

I found a couple of tops and headed to the solace of the dressing room. There was no reprieve from the endless barrage of juvenile comments in that cubicle. To my left I heard, "Mom, when are we going to go shopping for prom?" To my right, "My roots are gross, I have to get them done before our composite pictures are taken next week." These girls were so busy. My life of paying my mortgage, combing my cat, and sipping soy chai tea lattes suddenly seemed so inadequate.

What should I do? I was left with only one option. I had to take dressing room pictures modeling the two tops, send them to Courtney, and wait for the verdict. Her response? "The tops are cool, but you look like a serial killer with that expression." Ah, at least my BFF is still in high school with her sassy attitude. I left with 2 tops, valued at $27.92. I can afford those on my DQ salary.