A Day In The Life (standard:humor, 2377 words)
Author: BritGirl	Added: Mar 31 2003	Views/Reads: 3555/2434	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Just another manic Saturday

A Day In The Life 

‘Okay. Tell me what you think and be honest!' The curtain swished back
and Jo stood triumphantly before me in a black skirt. ‘It's a Calvin 
Klein,' she announced. I thought that Calvin Klein could probably be 
prosecuted under the Trades Description Act, for calling the thing that 
Jo was wearing a skirt. ‘You don't think it makes me look tarty do 
you?' This was a dangerous situation. If I said yes, Jo would instantly 
assume that I was calling her a tart. If I said no, she would adopt an 
injured deer look and say, ‘You're right. I don't have the figure for 
it.' I screwed up my eyes and put my head on one side. 

‘W...well...' I said hesitatingly, ‘it's not really your colour. I mean
it doesn't match your eyes does it?' Jo looked almost relieved. 

‘Yeah, you're right. And it did make me look like a tart. I'll try the
other one.' She disappeared back into the cubicle. I leant back against 
the wall and thought of all the things that I should be doing this 
weekend. I had an English essay to write for Monday and countless other 
pieces of work. I sighed and glanced at my watch. We had already been 
in the shop for half an hour. 

‘She can't be much longer' I thought to myself. 

An hour later we emerged, laden with bags. All of them belonged to Jo.
‘You should've bought that top!' said Jo, scoldingly. 

‘I don't think so. I would have been in serious trouble every time I
leaned forward.' Jo rolled her eyes at me. ‘Besides I hate that shop,' 
I continued. ‘The assistants look at you in a funny way.' 

‘Oh, don't talk rubbish,' said Jo impatiently. 

‘Well they do!' I insisted, sounding like a sulky child. We were silent
for a few minutes as we wove our way through the throng of shoppers. ‘I 
should be doing my English essay,' I said, half to myself. 

‘Oh, I've got one to do too,' said Jo, vaguely. ‘Discuss the role of
ears in Pride and Prejudice or something like that.' She dismissed the 
subject with a wave of her hand. 

We were approaching a bench and sat down to rest our legs. Jo proceeded
to relate to me the latest crisis in her love life. ‘So it's a choice 
between Eddie and Matt,' she said. ‘Matt is really sweet and nice but 
on the other hand Eddie has got a car.' 

‘It certainly is a dilemma.' 

‘A moral dilemma,' Jo said, drawing herself up to her full height. I
made no comment. My attention was focused on the stream of people 
bustling past us. Couples, mothers with children: all of them seemed to 
be in a hurry, as if they had no time to stop for anything. ‘This is 
what I've got to look forward to,' I thought, gloomily. ‘Sometimes I 
wish I had been born in the Middle Ages. No shopping, no exams: just 
your own small village with your own small fields. Of course there was 
the plague. That was a disadvantage. Say what you like about modern 
life but at least you're not in danger of finding suppurating boils 
under your arms-' 

‘...so of course I said no.' 

‘Uh?' I gave a Neanderthal grunt of surprise as I realised Jo had been
talking to me. She looked at me suspiciously. 

‘Oh, of course!' I said desperately, ‘what else could you possibly say?'


‘Hmmm.' She wasn't completely convinced. 

She looked up at the crowd of people and suddenly cried out in delight,
‘Oh look! There's Dave! Hang on, I need to go and talk to him. Stay 
here.' Before I could say anything, she had dived into the crowd and 
disappeared from view. My first impulse was to follow her but then I 
remembered the pile of bags Jo had left behind. I scanned the crowd but 
couldn't see her or the mysterious ‘Dave.' I had no choice but to wait 


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