My Summer in Pantyhose

by Jeremy Chandler

Chapter 5

 

"Jamie, I think you hurt your grandmother's feelings."

My mother and I were sitting in the car outside our house. I didn't talk to my grandmother much after we got home from the salon. I told her I hated getting a manicure and pedicure and that I never wanted to go to the salon again. I must have sounded like a little boy having a fit.

"I'm sorry. But it wasn't fair to take me there and not tell me what they were going to do to me."

"She wanted to surprise you."

"She certainly did."

"She thought you would like it. Why didn't you just say 'no'."

"I don't know."

"I want you to tell her you're sorry tomorrow."

"Okay. Did you think I would like it?"

"I thought you might but I guess you didn't. You were nice to the stylist weren't you?"

"Yes. She was cool about the whole thing."

"Your nails do look nice now, very clean and neat."

I had to agree. "I think maybe the pedicure was too much and Nikki showed up and sat by me. She knows I'm wearing hose now Mom!"

"Oh, now I see. There's not much you can do about what Nikki knows but that's no reason to be mean to me or your grandmother. I'll talk to her."

"Nikki?"

"No, your grandmother. Don't worry about Nikki. She'll soon find something else to talk about."

I moped through dinner and avoided everything except minimal conversation. I kept trying to figure out who Nikki knew and who she would tell. Maybe people would forget by the end of summer. But did I really want to quit wearing at the end of the summer? Even after a few days it was hard to imagine not wearing hose. They were a part of me now, a part of my everyday routine.

I was sitting on the couch in the living room feeling sorry for myself when the doorbell rang. I heard my sister call that it was for her. I thought about running up to my room but I was too bummed to care. After a few moments Julie and her friend Samantha strode into the living room.

"Hiya Jamie," said Samantha. She was being a lot more friendly than she used to be. She was wearing a short skirt with some open-toed flats and beige pantyhose. She flopped down on the other end of the couch. "Got your hose on? I decided to wear some tonight in your honor." She slipped off one of her shoes and stretched out her leg, pointing her toe for me to see.

"Yeah, I'm wearing my hose."

"Hey Julie, why aren't you wearing hose?"

"I don't have to? Why should I?"

"Well put some on. You don't want to be the odd one out do you?"

Julie left for her room.

"What's the matter Jamie? You look unhappy."

I related the disaster at the salon. Samantha seemed to find it amusing.

"Let me see your nails. Oh very nice. And your toes." Samantha giggled. "Now don't you wish you had some color on your toe nails? Red would make such a nice accent for your nylons."

"No, and I don't want any color on my fingers either. That Nikki is going to tell everyone."

"So what?"

Julie entered the room wearing suntan hose under her jean shorts. She leaned back in an easy chair across from the couch.

"Nice legs Julie," remarked Samantha.

"What do you mean 'so what'? My reputation is going to be ruined."

"No one's going to care. Well, a few people might but they'll get tired of teasing you after a while. You know Jamie you need to look at the positive side. This gives your personality a boost. I mean here's something distinctive and interesting about you now. It makes you unique. What do you think Julie?"

"Seems the same as always to me."

"Julie's probably not a very good judge. But trust me, you are definitely more interesting."

Julie and Samantha talked about their friends and boys so I headed for the computer and another session of role-playing. It wasn't until later that evening when I was in bed that I realized they didn't shoo me away when they started talking. They used to hint or tell me to leave. And Samantha had never talked to me this much before.

The next morning, my mother reminded me to apologize to my grandmother when she dropped me off. I tried to explain to my grandmother why I was upset yesterday. She was very cool about it and said she understood. She also remarked how clean and neat my fingernails looked. I spent the morning reading a fantasy novel. I was going to have to buy some more books or spend more time at the library.

After lunch I was heading back to the couch when I heard my grandmother say "You've got a run Jeremy."

"What?"

"You've got a run in your hose. Look at the back of your leg?"

Sure enough, there was a long run stretching from my heel up to my knee.

"Do you have a spare pair? That run will just get worse."

"No, I didn't think about bringing an extra pair."

"You should always carry a spare," cautioned my grandmother. "Well, I guess we'll have to make a quick run to the store then."

We were soon in the parking lot of the local Target waiting for some cars to pass so we could cross to the store's entrance. I had pulled my white tube socks all the way up hoping to hide the run in the back of my nylons. I know it looked geeky but what could I do but pray that no one would notice. Suddenly my grandmother grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me across the lane to the store. I couldn't remember the last time someone held my hand to cross the street.

"What'd you do that for?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jamie. We just needed to hurry and you didn't seem to be paying attention."

I followed my grandmother to the hosiery section. She asked me which style and size I was wearing and picked out three pair. Fortunately there was no one else in the section.

"One to change into and two to keep at my house as spares," she said as she handed the packages of pantyhose to me.

"Thanks."

I assumed we were leaving but my grandmother headed for the shoes section. Great, I thought. Now I have to stand around in this stupid store carrying my new pantyhose while she tries on shoes. But instead of heading to the womens shoe section, we stopped at the slippers.

"Sit down and take one of your shoes off."

"Why? I don't want any slippers."

"You may not want them but I think you need some. If you don't you'll just keep getting runs in your nylons."

I hadn't seen them when we arrived but there were two teenage girls three aisles away looking at a display of sandals on an endcap. They were now openly staring at us.

My grandmother turned to me with a pair of fuzzy, dark-pink slippers. She noticed the girls and smiled at them. "Let's try these. I think they might be about your size. Come on Jamie, get your shoe off."

I slowly undid my shoe laces and slipped off my sneaker. The girls acted like they were looking at the sandals but kept glancing in my direction.

"You can take your sock off too. It's okay to try on shoes in just your nylons."

Both of the girls put their hands over their mouths to stiffle a laugh. I removed my sock and slid my nylon clad foot into the slipper.

"It's a bit short," I said.

My grandmother retrieved another pair in the same style. These fit.

"Stand up and take a few steps."

I walked a short way down the aisle and back, keeping my eyes to the ground. When I sat down I noticed the girls looked like they were ready to burst.

"We'll get two pair," my grandmother said. "One for my house and one for home. I'm sure your mother will think it's a good idea."

I replaced my shoes and socks in a hurry and followed my grandmother who was carrying the slippers.

"Hey." My grandmother and I both turned toward the young female voice. "Are these your pantyhose?" It was one of the teenagers that had been watching us. She held the three packages of Leggs Sheer Energy out to me. "Those slippers will look realy cute with your nylons."

The other girl finally lost it and ducked down one of the aisles laughing.

"Thank you," my grandmother said. "You really need to keep better track of things Jamie."

I could barely look the girl in the eye. She was wearing a t-shirt with tight jean shorts and long tanned legs that ended in strappy, flat sandals. This was the kind of girl I should have been trying to impress, instead I was trying on girly slippers and taking my pantyhose from her. As I took the hose she smiled broadly and winked at me.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"My name's Elizabeth. What's yours?"

"Jamie."

"482-6319. Call me sometime. Okay? Bye." She waved and took off after her friend. Another round of giggles followed.

Stunned, I followed my grandmother on autopilot. Did that girl really ask me to call her? I kept repeating the number and name in my head. Elizabeth. 482-6319. Elizabeth. 482-6319.

"Well she was certainly a nice young lady," my grandmother said as we waited in line at the checkout. "Are you going to call her?"

"Do you have some paper and a pen?"

She handed me a small notebook about the size of a credit card and a pen. It's amazing what women can fit in their purses. I wrote down Elizabeth's name and number then tore out the page and put it in my pocket.

 

to be continued

  

  

  

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