Parikh 1

Pratik Parikh
Ms. Slusarczyk
March 28, 2011
English III Honors
Period 8

Dressed to Impress

In my adolescence and confused times my dad had warned me that your first impression

was your last in all or any cases. The alarm clock went off; I rose to check what day it was

Friday. Yes finally the day I have been waiting for all summer break. I got up ran into the

bathroom got ready in a jiffy it didn’t really matter what I looked like that day. I slid down the

railing and into to my mom’s room.

“Mom wake up! It is finally the week before school starts!”

“Give me 30 minutes and I will drop you off to the mall.”

I jumped in joy I finally had the opportunity to change my sense of style. I knew that with

ever new school year I had a new beginning. I was so thrilled it was the start of middle school.

What was I going to do this year? I stopped and thought to myself.

“Hmm if I wear something too fancy it makes me look like I try too hard, but if I dress all

careless it means I do not care. What do I do?”

I knew that I had to impress the girl I really liked and my teachers. My mom finally

came down the stairs and was ready to go. We drove down the deathly hallows of Route 46

West.

“So Pratik have you decided on what you want to buy?”

“I have no idea but I will figure it out once I see what I want!”

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“Okay but do not make the wrong decision?”

So my mom dropped me off and left; now the choice was up to me. I walked around

aimlessly for hours pondering what I wanted my sense of style to be. I started thinking about

who I was and what I wanted to accomplish this year. So I finally saw me well at least my new

clothing style. I walked into Express Men and was mesmerized by all the different colors and

styles but I knew what I wanted. I got together my colorful variety of zip up jackets and jeans. I

collected the red, blue, green, gray, white, black and pink zip up jackets and 5 different jeans in 5

different shades. They are perfect. What softness! What expense! I was done gathering my

clothes and went to the checkout line.

“Hi sir is that all you wanted today?”

I was stunned because I have never heard someone call – call me sir.

“Do you think a girl my age would find this attractive?”

The cashier giggled and said, “of course she would!”

“Okay then I am ready to go!”

I got my bag, the receipt and called my mother to come pick me up.

Days passed and it was finally the first day of school. I woke up extra early to get ready. I

knew I had the right clothes on to impress the girl I liked and make a good impression the first

day of school. I dressed up in a white undershirt, red zip up jacket and faded jeans. I am

impressed. And I hope the girl I like is too – that would be the best impressing the girl I like.

Boy was I wrong!

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I got to school overexcited and prepared. She was beautiful as an angel, standing there

with a strange posture, was leaning towards me and looking at me with disappointed eyes.

“Hi Pratik how was your summer?”

“Not too bad just kind of bought a new wardrobe”

“Yea I can see that it is nice but not my type, my style, or my choice,” her response

shattered my heart over and over.

I was heartbroken I spent $300 on clothes to impress this one girl and she just flat-out

rejected me. But I was resilient I knew that at least I will make a good impression on my teacher

and it will all be worth it. Boy was I wrong again.

Little did I know that any form of writing that can be inappropriate can lead to a Saturday

Detention. I walked into United States History and my teacher, Mr.Cereme, called me out. I was

trembling in fear, he was the toughest and meanest teacher - he told me that I had to take off the

jacket because the writing was inappropriate. So I took it off and walked back into the classroom

embarrassed. I couldn’t wait till I could go home and burn these clothes.

After the day I have had I knew that I was not dressed to impress anyone. The day was

finally over; I ran out the door into the car and told my mom to drive off. She asked me why I

was upset and I told her exactly why.

“Mom can I go back in time and change what I chose?”

“Of course you can. It is okay no big deal but now you learned that even your own

clothing can fail you when you need it the most.”

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“Yea you are right mom! I guess in the long run the expression dress to impress is really

hard to do.”