Page 21 of You Had Me at Hockey

“But she’s so popular on social media.”

“But for what?” I shake my head. “No.”

This is happening more and more often. Harper and I don’t always agree about what I should be doing. She’s suggested I polish up my image more now that I’m famous. Ugh. I’m not used to someone trying to tell me what to do. I’m used to talking about whatever comes into my head, or ideas that my fans suggest they want to hear about.

“What about Hazel Morales?”

“I don’t even know who that is.”

“She’s twelve years old and she just won the Great Kids Bake Off.”

I blink. “Huh. Twelve.”

“I know you’ve been going with older guests and topics lately…”

“Because my fans are older now.”

When I started this seriously at age nineteen, my fans were all tweens and teens. Now five years later, those girls are college age or nearly college age, and I know that since I’ve been vlogging and podcasting more about my experiences as an adult living in New York, I even have fans in their twenties.

“She’s adorable,” Harper says. “Everyone will love her.”

“It could be fun.”

“Definitely. I’ll set things up.”

After that, I get ready to go out. Today I’m filming myself shopping at my favorite thrift store, Grace and Favor.

Getting ready doesn’t entail a whole lot. I don’t have time for a bunch of prep, but at least I’ve taken a shower and brushed my teeth.

Since I discovered this shop in the East Village, I’ve shopped there a lot and gotten to know the owner, Grace. She even came on my podcast. She has a great eye for fashion and curates the things she sells in the store to make sure they’re in good condition, and she keeps her prices reasonable. All she sells are women’s fashion, accessories, and jewelry.

I’ve got my camera with me and I’m all set for an afternoon of exploring and trying on clothes, and then if I find some good stuff, I might record myself trying them on at home later. I’ve already arranged this with Grace, and I pop in to chat before I actually start filming.

“Shopping at thrift stores is unpredictable,” I say into my camera. I immediately think of Josh, who likes things…predictable. “You never know what you’re going to find. So it’s never a good idea to go shopping thinking that you want a blue maxi dress with long sleeves and a high neckline, because in my experience if that’s what you’re looking for, you will never find it. On the other hand, don’t be tempted to buy things you don’t need just because you find a deal. Keep an open mind and be ready for surprises! I do have some tips for you, though.” I walk into the store and stroll between some racks. “Look for quality garments. You can buy cheap clothes brand new in a lot of stores, but in a thrift store, take the opportunity to buy things that are good quality. Like this!” I pull a jacket off the rack and hold it up. “Check this out!” I show off the designer label. “And it’s black, my favorite color! This is a definite try-on.”

“Hi, Sara.” Grace greets me as if we haven’t already planned this.

“Hi!” We exchange hugs. “Do you have anything special to show me today?”

“Well, we just got in a pair of shoes I thought you would like.”

“Show me now!”

She leads the way over to the counter. There are a few other people shopping in the store, eyeing me curiously.

“Oh yes! I love these!” I pick up one of the sexy high-heeled shoes and hold it to my chest. “You know me so well! I don’t wear heels very often, but I love them.”

“Come over here and try them on.”

This will all be edited into my usual video style. I try the shoes on, and they fit perfectly. So does the jacket. I also find a cool designer T-shirt that’s super soft. When I pick up a silk shirt, I say, “Another tip: always check the labels. I’m too lazy to go to the dry cleaners all the time, so I’m not buying something that needs dry-cleaning. But…here’s another tip: you can often hand-wash things that say dry-clean only. Sometimes. And hey…this shirt is ten dollars…if I wreck it, it wouldn’t be terrible. But I’m sure this could be washed and hung to dry. However, I am not in need of a silk shirt right now.”

I do find a cashmere sweater and a skirt I like. “But this is too long for me.” I inspect the hem and the lining of the plaid skirt. “But I think if I shorten this, it would be awesome. It would look perfect with a crop top and the jacket I’m getting.”

Carrying my shopping bags, I wave goodbye to Grace as I leave the store, then turn off the camera. That was productive and fun. But I’m not done yet. Now I head home to model my finds and then begin the long process of editing it to perfection.

I stop at Whole Foods and pick up my dinner, a big spinach-and-quinoa salad and roasted chicken, then continue on to my apartment. The neighborhood is totally different now than in the morning—congested with honking cars and big trucks, people swarming the sidewalks and jaywalking. But I love this too—I love the energy and vitality. It’s exciting.

It was intimidating moving here on my own when I was only nineteen, but it was what I needed to do. College wasn’t working for me. My depression was spiraling downward so I moved back home, but my parents were overprotective and worried about me, and that always made me feel guilty. They were definitely worried when I moved here, but they were also supportive and I’m grateful to them for that. I need to call them tonight.

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