Ugly Casual Tees

Slipping the shirt over her head, a chill shot up Jessica’s spine as if the fabric carried the weight of someone else’s unfinished story. 

Found in the depths of a Last Chance bin at the thrift store, this monstrosity would, without a doubt, win her sorority’s ugly shirt contest. Chartreuse and lilac stripes ran from the neck down to an antique lace trim along the hemline. Its looseness in the shoulders and tightness around the waist reminded her of an unwanted hug from a distant relative.

She twirled around, checking her reflection in the triple mirror. A smile lit up her face, and with a nod, she knew she had the victorious entry.

She handed over a dollar for the sweater at the counter and headed home to prepare for the celebration.

A stream of colorful lights bounced off a mirror ball and sliced through the thick fog of cigarette, pot, and manufactured smoke. Loud electronic music vibrated the house as students jumped around on the makeshift dance floor in the center of the room. 

Standing between the kitchen and converted living/dance area, Jessica swayed to a familiar song, her hand wrapped around a plastic cup holding her last swallows of beer. An oversized blue ribbon pinned to the neckline of her top advertised her win, the frayed ends cascading over her torso like an expensive tie. A boy slipped past her, pulling one of her sorority sisters toward the throngs of gyrating bodies.

“We outdid ourselves this year, Jess. We’re so leaving this school as legends!” Leaning into Jessica, her best friend Paula spoke, her voice hoarse and high-pitched. Jessica grinned and grabbed Paula’s arm with an affirmative squeeze.

Across the room, a long line of thirsty patrons waited to fill their cups at the keg, and Jessica sighed. She hated lines!

“Hey, I’m in good with the tap master over there,” Paula shouted, nodding towards the keg. “Want me to get you a refill?”

Jessica mouthed ‘Thank you’ to her friend. She lifted her drink, drained the final remnants into her throat, and handed the cup to Paula, who scurried off to complete her mission.

The rhythmic pulse throbbed up her legs and through her body as she watched friends and schoolmates celebrate their upcoming college graduation. Christopher Michaels cruised toward Jessica; his eyes focused on something, though Jessica was not sure what. Stopping short, he smiled and looked into her eyes, an ugly shirt pulled taunt around his meaty torso. 

“You won,” he stated, her eyes widened as he fingered her ribbon. 

Jessica longed for him to notice her for years, but it never happened. Now, as they prepared to move on, he was talking to her.

“Hey, Jess. Let’s dance,” Chris’ deep voice breathed into her ear, the smell of sweat and cologne floating from his body. Her knees weakened, and she reached behind her to hold on to a table.

He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her out into the crowd. The beat slowed, and he gathered her close into his arms. She stiffened and gulped.

The music drifted into a faster song, and they separated. Together, they strolled back to the side of the room.

A shrill voice screamed Chris’ name, and Jessica twirled to see frenemy Helena’s thin, chesty frame bouncing towards them. Jessica pulled in a breath and shook her head. Helena caused drama in the house on a regular basis and would not be missed after graduation.

“I’ve been watching you,” Helena said, her voice breathy. She winked at Chris and put her hand on his chest.

“Oh my God, someone should shut her down.” Jessica thought.

“You bitch,” Chris spit out. “You’re a boyfriend-stealing skank. I have no idea how you function. You should leave. We don’t want you here.”

Helena and Jessica stepped back, their eyes bulging and mouths agape. Chris’ face contorted to confusion, his brow covered with deep furrows.

“What the hell?” Helena said as she slunk off into a crowd of people on the porch.

“Wow, where did that come from?” Jessica asked. Chris shrugged as he waved at some friends across the room. With a kiss on Jessica’s cheek, Chris wandered off towards the other group.

Early morning hours loomed as people left, and after a quick cleanup, the girls drifted off to their respective bedrooms. 

Jessica stumbled up the stairs and fell onto her bed. The clicking of fingers dancing on a keyboard filled the room as Paula sat at a corner desk at the foot of her own bed. 

Jessica rolled to her back, her arm over her eyes. “Oh crap,” she said. “I need to type up my paper. It’s due by 6 am tomorrow.”

Paula’s typing speed amazed Jessica, and she contemplated asking Paula for assistance, but it wasn’t right; her friend had her own homework to finish.

Paula stopped, her fingers hanging over the white buttons, and studied Jessica.

“On a Saturday?”

Jessica nodded.

“Well, mine isn’t due until Monday, so if I help you, I bet we can get it all done in no time,” Paula offered.

Jessica sat up, her eyebrows knit together, and she bit her lip.

“Are you really sure?”

Paula smiled and saved her work on the screen.

“Ready?”

Jessica sat down, pulling the sweater over her head and tossing it on a chair. Red splotches dotted her arm skin with red patches. She rubbed her arm and mused that the material must be wool. She relaxed, opting to wear just her sports bra and her jeans.

Paula shook her head, and a confused expression shadowed her face. Her smile returned, and she called Jessica over to the desk.

The two girls worked for a while.

“I’m thirsty,” Jessica announced, reaching for a cover and opting for the ugly top for her trek to the kitchen. Paula jumped up, telling Jessica a glass of water sounded great, and volunteered to retrieve the drinks.

Jessica removed the shirt again and lay back until Paula returned.

Early into the morning, Jessica leaned back in the chair, her assignment complete.

“Oh my God, you did it!” Jessica exclaimed. I have no idea how to repay you.”

Paula nodded and pulled her unfinished work up on the screen.

“Okay, now I’m getting a little hungry,” Jessica announced.

“I’m good,” Paula responded with a little wave of her hand, her attention back on her assignment.

Jessica grabbed the shirt off the chair and pulled it over her head.

“You know, maybe it’s your suggestion, but I’m a little hungry, too, ” Paula commented and stood. “I’ll grab some chips.”

Jessica nodded, and as Paula left the room, she shook her head, took the sweater off, and studied the obnoxious garment. 

Paula returned, and after a short time, the girls crawled into their respective beds and called it a night as a red-pink sunrise crept over the mountains in the distance.

Jessica awoke with the sun shining in her eyes. A digital clock on the nightstand showed a later time than Jessica had intended to sleep. With the afternoon waning, she sat up, stretched, and listed her tasks for the day.

Topping the list, finding the perfect gift for Paula’s birthday tomorrow. 

She stumbled out of bed, reaching for something to wear.

Her next task needed to be laundry. 

She sighed as she grabbed the shirt off the chair and sniffed it. Scanning the room for anything else, she found nothing. She slipped the top over her head and shoulders and grabbed the pants from the previous night.

A quick shower later, she returned to her room.

“Are you wearing that ugly thing again?” Paula asked.

Jessica inspected the top.

“I think it is growing on me,” she chuckled. “I have to run some errands, and I'm again out of clothes, again, so desperately need to do laundry when I get back, but for now, this is it.”

"Do you Want me to throw in a load for you?" Paula asked. Jessica shook her head; she could wash her own clothes.

The shirt had been very lucky for her. Everything she wished seemed to come true when she wore it.

Paula smiled, shrugged, and offered to keep her company, but with a quick wave, Jessica declined and jetted out the door.

Despite the warm weather, Jessica wrapped a college sweatshirt around her to hide her shirt as she exited the store. Carrying a small bag containing earrings for Paula, she swerved around mannequins and tables covered in assorted clothes. A blouse caught her eye, and she stopped. Without trying it on, she knew it would flatter her body.

“Wow, that would be perfect for the after-graduation parties,” she mused, pulling at the price tag. 

“Not this week.” She thought about her dwindling bank accounts and overused credit cards and let out a sigh.

“That would look so cute on you,” a woman beside her commented.

“Yeah, I agree,” Jessica answered and smiled. “But you know, starving college student.”

Turning to leave, Jessica stopped as the woman’s fingers brushed her arm.

“I would love to get that for you,” the woman said. Jessica’s forehead wrinkled, and she licked her lips. The woman continued. “My daughter would’ve graduated this year, but six years ago. She overdosed, so…”

Her voice trailed up, and Jessica dropped her head.

“Well, she isn’t here, and I’m doing a little retail therapy,” the woman said and picked up the garment. “I’m getting this for you.”

Jessica’s eyes widened, her mouth agape. She nodded, and the two headed to the check-out. Minutes later, Jessica walked out the door with her new shirt.

Making one last stop at a coffee stand, she stared at the menu, fingering the coins in her pocket and figuring out how much she had.

A cute boy behind the counter signaled her to come closer.

“We made the wrong order for someone. It’s a Latte, want it?” he asked.

She nodded and accepted the drink.

“Wow, what the hell?” she wondered. 

She peered down at her shirt while the liquid heated her hand. Were people simply feeling bad for her, thinking she was poor or homeless? Or could it be more? Every thought seemed to come true in the last few days, at least when she wore this shirt.

Jessica strolled across campus, joined by Paula after the two ran into each other near the library.

“Jessica,” a voice called out to her. She turned to see her English Professor, Jack Henderson, waving his arms at her and rushing across the grassy clearing.

The girls stopped and waited for the middle-aged man to catch them.

“Thanks for stopping,” his voice breathy from the exertion. “Do you have time to visit my office? We need to talk about your assignment.”

Jessica sighed.

 “I don’t really have the time. Can you just tell me now?”

He looked at Paula, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. The bridge of his nose wrinkled, and he pursed his lips.

“She’s fine. I tell her everything anyway,” Jessica stated, and he nodded. 

“Okay, well, your essay lacks focus and meanders around before getting to your point. Because you’re a good student, and this isn’t indicative of your work, I’ll allow you to make it up if you get it to me by Monday.”

Jessica took a deep breath, forced a smile, and agreed as the group separated and the girls continued their journey toward home. No words were spoken as they walked.

“Someone should take him out,” Jessica thought. This man could prevent her from starting her life. Her parents had already purchased her graduation present, which was airline tickets to Europe for her and Paula.

Once home, Jessica went to her room, working late into the night on the paper.

The sound of sirens and voices jolted her from a dream about Chris. Sitting up, she scanned for Paula but instead viewed only her roommate’s unslept in bed.

“OH MY GOD. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” One of her sorority sisters burst into the room.

“What happened?” Jessica screeched.

“They are saying that Paula killed Professor Henderson!”

Jessica fell back and slumped on the bed. Her hand covered her mouth and her eyes wide. This couldn’t be true. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the shirt spread out, taunting her from the chair.

The girl departed to carry the news to other residents in the house.

Jessica stood and stomped to the chair. She picked up and studied the shirt. Could it be? 

“No way,” she scratched her head. This was crazy

She dressed and marched out of the house, the cursed shirt shoved under her arm. In the far corner of the backyard, she dug a hole and threw the shirt in, shoveling dirt over it.

Just to be on the safe side.

Hours passed, and the house buzzed with Paula’s breaking story. She confessed to the police only after explaining that she didn’t remember doing it. 

“She is probably going for the insanity plea,” the girls reasoned.

“Hey Jess,” someone yelled from the back of the house, and Jessica responded. She stood as one of her roommates approached her.

“Hey, someone said they found this on the porch,” she said, handing Jessica the ugly shirt. Jessica shook her head and accepted the garment.

She returned to her room and pulled garbage from a metal receptacle. Swallowing hard, she threw the shirt into the can and dropped a match on top. The fire refused to ignite, and the garment remained intact. 

“It seems it’s fire retardant,” one of the girls giggled as she passed the room. I had a pajama top like that. Don’t bother trying. But I totally understand why you need to kill it. It is just too ugly to survive.”

Jessica gave up. An idea jumped in her head. 

That evening, Jessica boarded a Washington State Ferry and watched the Seattle Skyline glow as the sun set behind the Olympic Mountains. As the boat rocked with the white-crested waves, she wrapped the sweater in a brick and threw it into the depths of Puget Sound.

Grayish clouds blocked out the sun as a sea of purple and gold gowns filled the football stadium. Next to Jessica, a familiar girl wrung her hands, waiting for her name to be called to receive her diploma. Meanwhile, the valedictorian spoke about life in the real world.

“I can’t believe we’re here,” she whispered to Jessica. “I also can’t believe she is giving that god-awful speech.”

Jessica nodded and noticed Paula’s empty chair a few rows up from her.

The speaker continued to drone on.

Jessica jumped up out of her metal folding chair and pushed her way to the aisle.

“You cheated! You don’t deserve to be here! You’re a fake!” She screamed as she rushed the stage, unable to stop herself. 

Several hands grabbed her and pulled her back.

“You cheat. You prostituted yourself for grades,” she begged for the onslaught to stop, but like verbal diarrhea, the words continued to shoot from her mouth as if someone else controlled her. She struggled to put her hand over her lips to at least muffle the assault, but the hands held her arms tight.

“You only graduated because you screwed almost all your professors,” Jessica continued. “You don’t deserve a degree, let alone to be the top of the class.”

She searched the audience, her eyes focusing on the girl sitting next to her seat. The girl raised her arm, interlacing her fingers behind her head. Peeking from the armhole, Jessica caught a glimpse of a familiar chartreuse and lilac material.