Distinguished | A flash fiction story
83 of 💯
“Sorry,” the salesman said. “I don’t think we have anything for you. I have to ask you to leave.”
Agh’s clothes were dripping on the store’s sleek floor, reflecting the neon signs that named its sections. “I have money,” he said. “I’m sure there’s something here I can pay for. What about this jacket?” He pointed at a fur-lined purple jacket. The fabric’s folds seemed to change colors, the purple floating on top of a chemical rainbow.
The man guffawed. “No, no. I’m sorry. This is not for you.” The man had his shiny green hair split asymmetrically with great precision.
“Why not?” Agh protested, his scrawny teenager body shivering in the air-conditioning.
“This jacket is for distinguished people.” He scanned Agh from head to toe with a judgmental look, gesturing with an open palm. “Would you say you’re distinguished?” he asked.
Agh shrugged. “Yes?”
The man smiled. “That’s cute. It was a rhetorical question. You see, this is a smart jacket: it can become warmer or cooler at your will — the threads expand and contract to make the filling fluffier or leaner. The outer layer is very malleable, waterproof. This jacket stores energy so it can charge the devices in your pockets. And it does all that while still looking awesome.
“This jacket tells the world its wearer is important, someone who knows what they’re doing. Look at that guy.” He pointed to a screen showing a 3D-rendered model wearing the jacket. He looked cool as hell. “That guy looks awesome, and he knows everyone looking at him thinks that, but he doesn’t care about what people think. That guy is above us. That guy is… not you. I mean, look at yourself, kid. No. Sorry.”
Agh crossed his thin arms.
The salesman sighed. “Look, kid, it’s almost closing time. Everyone else’s already gone home, and I wanna go too. Why don’t you do the same and go to your place?”
“I don’t have a home,” Agh said, arms still crossed.
The man pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine! I’ll check if there’s something in the back.”
The man left and came back with cheap items, but Agh had already left, a trail of water showed the path he took out of the store. Everything was untouched, except for one missing item — a distinguished one.
< Paradoxical | Distinguished | Choice >
A shout-out to my friend Bradan Writes Stories who helped me with the dirty work of editing this one.
