The Online Job - Chapter 3

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Nathan opened his eyes and stretched out his legs and arms over his head. He felt really good and not at all like his sleepy self that was his usual feeling when he woke up. He looked over at his alarm clock and saw it was 6:00 in the morning. His alarm hadn’t even gone off yet. As he sat up he could still hear the music from his computer and the rain had changed to the sound of birds softly chirping. “Just like waking up out in the country”, he thought as he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom and washed his face, and then brushed his hair. He kept up brushing his hair more than he had ever brushed it ever before. For some reason, he was enjoying how the brushing made him feel, and he could see the difference that it made in his hair.

Opening his closet he looked at the clothes and then pulled out a pair of jeans, and was going to grab a t-shirt but instead of a shirt grabbed his Miami Dolphins jersey and put that on instead. He turned on his monitor and shut the music off and quickly checked his email and didn’t see anything new, he checked his schedule for the school day. At this time of the year, a lot of classes were having finals, but he didn’t have any today, but he had two tomorrow. That was good because the extra study halls gave him a chance to study for the ones on Friday. There were only 7 school days left, and after the last two finals he had tomorrow, he would have a full week to goof off and just mess around.

He got into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of pieces of toast, and a mug of tea, and filled his plate with some grapes, plumbs, and some apple slices that he had cut up. He spread some peanut butter on his toast and caught sight of his fingernails and began to look at them wondering if there was something that he should do to them. As he was looking at the first this way and then that his mother came into the room.

“Oh you have your jersey on, I thought you didn’t like that. Didn’t you tell me it was too big on you”, she commented surprisingly. Nathan looked at her for a moment and then shrugged and added, “Well maybe I’ll take it in on the sides.” Once again his mother was taken aback at this last utterance and added, “Oh and when did you learn to sew?” The conversation continued with Nathan adding that maybe he would learn how to sew.

She sat down across from him asking what he was eating and his reply was kind of cute, “This dear mother is an apple slice” he said while holding up a white crescent trimmed in red. This purple orb is a grape, and this purple orb (larger than the preceding one) is a plumb. Then Nathan smiled a toothy grin at her. He was so cute, that she couldn’t be mad and enjoyed her son joking with him, she stood and grabbed a dish towel sending it flying to him as she chucked mumbling, “Smarty pants.” Nathan finished eating and chatting with his mother about the end of school, summer plans, and how nice the weather had been. When he finished his meal he went and rinsed off his dish, and then put it into the dishwasher. His mother watched him walk out of the kitchen trying to think of the last time he had ever put his dish into the dishwasher if he had ever done it at all. She knew that something had changed in her son in the past few days, and she was very pleased with the change.

Nathan went back to his room and walking in looked at himself in the mirror. The jersey was true to big. It was so large in the chest that the arm holes hung down to the mid part of his upper arms, and you could have put two of him in the body of the jersey. He looked at himself trying to imagine what he could do to fix that. As he looked at the reflection swimming in the oversized garment that hung down to the middle of his thighs it suddenly struck him as would a bolt of lightning. Back into his closet and in the box on the top shelf stuck way in the back, he found the light blue web belt that he had found in the garage in some old boxes that his father had left. It didn’t have a buckle and was very flexible. He wrapped it around his waist and tied it in the front off to the left a little, a few inches higher than the waistband of the jeans that he was wearing.

Standing in front of the mirror again looking at the doppelganger that had suddenly appeared another thought occurred to him. Stepping back into the bathroom he grabbed his brush and lifted up a bunch of his hair on the side of his head. Holding it up he brushed the bottom part of the hair a few times towards his head, and then starting at the top of his head he brushed down the hair on the side of his head. Looking at the result and compared it to the other side of his head. A sneaking smile slowly appeared on his face reflecting satisfaction in the glass. Quickly repeating the process on the other side to match the first, the smile had found a new home.

Stepping back out into his bedroom he now saw the new him. Turning this way and that. He hooked his fingers into the belt and struck a pose with his left leg bent holding his foot up so that only his toe touched the floor. The reflection convinced him of a sweet and alluring vision that everyone else would see.  The reflection also blocked any view of reality. Nathan grabbed his notebook and headed out the door.

Downstairs and passing by the breakfast bar he stopped and said hi to his mom. She looked up from some papers and started to say hi, but then stopped. Quickly she said, “Come  here for a moment before you leave.” Nathan walked in and his mother looked at him, questioning her thoughts before she said, “What are you wearing?” Nathan replied that she had already seen the jersey and that he just added the belt because the jersey was too big. It was really too large for him and the neck was so large that it hung over to one side almost slipping off of one shoulder. She could see that it hung to his mid-thigh, but with it belted it looked more like a dress, a casual dress to be sure, but a dress nonetheless. Also what had he done to his hair. It seemed to float around the sides of his head giving him the appearance more feminine than masculine. Being at a loss for words all that she could utter was, “You’re wearing that belt.

Nathan said that he had thought of it because it was way too big, and since his uncle had given it to him for his last birthday he thought it would be nice to kind of honor him by wearing it to school. And besides, he said, “It is very comfortable and looks very casual.” He looked at his mother and then moving to her kissed her on her cheek, and wished her a good day. He then left leaving his mother standing there not really believing what had just happened. It had been years since her son kissed her. She liked it, but it was so unlike him. He had always tried to be so what he would consider a man by saying something like, “Oh mom, don’t kiss me somebody might see you and think I’m a sissy.” As she heard the front door closing her rationale was that he was just maturing and becoming a man.

As Nathan walked onto the school grounds he saw Mrs. Wilson was just dropping her son off and Nathan hurried to catch up to Steve. As his friend was getting out of the car he leaned down and said hi to Mrs. Wilson. She responded to his greeting and then Steve closed the door and his mother drove off. Steve turned to Nathan and held up his phone showing him his email that declared his balance was $40.00. Man, I can’t believe how easy this is, but the stories were very strange to be sure. It was then that he noticed how his bud was dressed. What did you wear that for? It looks like you swimming in it since it’s so big. Nathan casually remarked, “My uncle gave it to me for my birthday, and it is a real jersey, and besides it is very comfortable.” Well okay, but it makes you kind of look like a girl.

The two boys went into the school and since they both had homeroom together they headed up the stairs to room 217. Just before they got there, Steve said, “Oh don’t look now but here comes that stuck-up Tara Morgan. I wonder what she wants. She hurried up a little and both boys stopped and waited for her as it was plain to see that she was headed straight for them. Nathan replied as he watched her head straight for them that she probably wants to brag about how much money she was paid. As she came closer Nathan noticed that her eyes were kind of squinted and moving as fast as she was causing the red hair to flair out on the sides of her face. Her pale skin, red hair, and flashing green eyes were very noticeable but Nathan seemed focused on her pale lavender blouse. It looked so soft and seemed to be made of some silk-like material, and with her, a much darker lavender neck scarf accented her hair perfectly.

“Hey, that site you told me to go to didn’t work as you said it should. When I filled out all the information it came back and told me that I wasn’t qualified. How could you be qualified and not me?” She stood there kind of huffing demanding an answer. Steve replied first even though she hadn’t addressed him saying that he made $40. and that Jimmy Price had also made $40. Then he added maybe they just knew from your application that you weren’t qualified. One of the girls barked at him to stay quiet and that she wasn’t speaking to him. Tara then turned on her and told her to stay out of this, she could speak for herself. Then turning back to Nathan demanded that she was waiting for an answer.

Nathan looked at her and was going to defend himself, but then decided on another course of action. “Hey, that blouse you’re wearing is very pretty. It accents your hair and eyes and combined with the darker neck scarf it makes for a very lovely combination. The lavender and the green of your skirt make for a soft yet sophisticated look. You really do have a wonderful fashion sense. I can’t help but wonder what the material the blouse is made of? I mean it looks like silk and seems to be very soft.

Tara’s frown deserted her and she replied, “Oh it is so soft, and it breathes and stays cool and dry. It is some blend and while it isn’t silk it does appear to be silk. Do you really like it, I mean the color? When I saw it I knew I just had to have it, and I bought the scarf to only go with it. When I hang it up I always put the scarf loosely around the collar, that way I never forget the scarf. I do like the color, and it does accent my hair, but do you really think it accents my green eyes?”

Nathan assured her, “Oh yes I really do, I have always been envious of your green eyes. I like my brown eyes, but if I had a blouse the color of your eyes I think it would make my eyes pop and be so much more noticeable.” Nathan could see the effect his observations were having on Tara and noticed how much he enjoyed talking with her. Why was that? She was the same young lady, and he was the same young man, but now they conversed like they had been friends.

The two girls flanking Tara looked at her and then at Nathan wondering how this mutual fashion discussion began when just moments before Tara was mad that she was missing out on the money-making scheme. The boy that hung with the slug that she was addressing didn’t seem to think anything was amiss in the discussion. They looked at each other confirming that they both had the same thoughts.

Tara answered Nathan that he should check out Margie’s or Fashion Fantasy in Sun Coast. Sun Coast was The Sun Coast Mall, and it was fairly close to Nathan’s house. They have some really wonderful fashions there, but she only shopped at the stores that were for women. They also have some department stores but the best ones to shop at are the ones that only sell fashions for women. Then she stepped back a little and said that Margie’s is where she got this blouse. All of their clothes are very reasonable, not that I care about that, I just want what I want, but I do love a good deal. There you can get quality at a great price, but like I said it is only for women.

Nathan thought for a moment and revealed his plans. I was thinking about going to Sun Coast to pick up a video game, so maybe I’ll check it out.

Tara looked at him and questioned, “You’re going to a women’s clothing store to buy a blouse for yourself? And then if you find one would you wear it? Where would you wear it to? There are people at this school that would make your life a living hell!”

Nathan calmly replied, “If I find one and I like it then, of course, I’ll wear it. If anyone doesn’t like it that’s not my problem. It would be on them. I’m going to do what I want just so long as it isn’t against the law or hurts anybody’s feelings. I’m always respectful of others' feelings.”

Tara looked at him not understanding how she could have been so wrong about someone. That was such a mature response, and so brave. She knew about some of the people at the school and how they would react, but for someone to stand up for themselves like Nathan was declaring he would do they would deserve her support. “Your name is Nathan, correct? Look if you’re serious about going shopping there, I’ll go with you this afternoon. I’ve only got one final left and that isn’t until Monday, and I’m sure that my mom would drop us off.”

“Are you sure, that would be very nice, and I’ve never met your mom? I know that she knows my mom. My mom sold her that black bedroom suite that is lacquered with the inlaid mother of pearl. I saw that in her store and I was so impressed that it was over 200 years old.”

“Your mother sold that to her, oh my father so loves that”, Tara replied, her eyes growing wide with amazement. “You know that she also got me a comb, brush, and mirror of the same color and with the same inlay...what did you call that?”

“Mother of pearl, it’s the inside of oyster shells, but I think we should be getting into class now. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” And with that Tara walked into class still followed by her two subordinates that looked back at Nathan and Steve as they followed her into the classroom.