Two Shirts

Ava wanted a red Silverton shirt with a white lightning bolt. She had wanted it for two years.

One shop sold it for twelve coins, in a shiny bag. Another sold one for five coins, but the lightning bolt leaned a little.

A bit wonky.

Ava had eight coins. She could afford the five-coin shirt and keep three, or wait until she had four more for the twelve-coin one.

Mum asked how she wanted to feel wearing it.

‘Like I'm ON the team,’ Ava said.

A bit wonky.

From one crouching position, Ava thought the bolt looked perfectly straight. Louis wasn't convinced.

Ava looked at both shirts. The price, the bag and the feeling were different parts of the choice. She could take a moment to work out which mattered to her.