My Stepdad's Son

1

×One Month Later×

Andy's P.O.V

"Have you ever noticed that this is probably the only store we actually go to?" I said as we walked down the long corridor of the mall.

"It is the best store I know so it's not that hard to believe." Ash said by my side.

"True. But I mean I'm just saying. Does this make us mall goths?" He stopped and looked at me for a minute. A snort erupted from his chest as he started to laugh. "What? I just asked!"

"I don't know if this makes us mall goths Andy, but that's funny."

I smiled down at him. "Funny or our reality?"

"I don't know. Just go inside." He said with a small playful push at my shoulder. I returned the push but did as he had adviced and went into the dark store.

Hot Topic was the best store I could think of for a date. I mean honestly, there's just band merch at every corner and they sell the coolest batman stuff you can find out there. Not to mention the Hello Kitty things Ashley goes crazy for.

It's the best store I can think of so why not visit it as much as we can?

As we walked in, a Misfits song was playing through the store's speakers. I looked at Ashley who gave me a look as if to say "I told you so." I smiled knowingly as I took his hand in mine.

"Yeah I know." I said in his ear.

"Oh look!" Ashley said pointing at a Hello Kitty Pop doll. "It has Gene Simmons make up on! I need it!" He said making clawing motions up at the doll.

It was too tall for him to reach it so I reached out my arm and tool it off the shelf for him. He glared at me for being so tall but took the figure from my hands anyways.

"What? No thank you." I asked.

"I hate you for being seven years younger than me and being taller. It's unnatural and I hate you." He said going over to look at the shirts.

The store was empty. Just me, Ash and some employees... I'm assuming. I hadn't seen anyone behind the counter since we walked in. Now that I think about it, where are they? I stepped a little closer to the counter and looked around to the back. There was nobody there.

"What are you doing?" Ashley asked with a pair of shirts in his arms.

I shook my head. "Just weird how there are no employees around."

Ash frowned a bit and followed my gaze. "I didn't even notice that until you mentioned it."

We both shrugged simultaneously and went our separate ways. Ash returned to his band shirt hunt and I went to look at the jewelry. There were many pairs of earrings and I only had one ear piercing.

What was I going to do? Buy a pack of earrings and throw away the other one? I rolled my eyes at my own stupid thoughts. I swear to God this is why I don't talk to people.

Can you imagine the things I would say it I just said what came to mind? I would be in jail, an insane asylum, or just abandoned by everyone. A smile made itself evident on my face. I enjoy being this strange.

Normal life is boring. Nobody wants to just be normal. We say we do but that's a big lie. What even is normal? I always carry the words Morticia Adams once said. What's normal to the spider is chaos to the fly.

It's all an illusion and it amazes me how most people aren't conscious of that. They try so hard to fit this fake mold of being normal in society's eyes when in reality there is no normal. There are no two people that are exactly the same. Even identical twins don't have everything in common.

It's okay if people think I'm weird because I pride myself on it. I like being different because it means I'm being myself.

"In your little world again?" Ash asked coming over to hug me from behind. He was shorter than me but I relaxed back into his figure trying to fit against him.

"Just thinking." I said softly.

A sound from behind made us both snap out of it and look. From the back of the store the door to the storage room was being opened by a tall pale boy with blue eyes, much like mine. His dark black hair came down to his shoulders and it swisher as he walked to the back of the counter.

I had never seen him working here.

The door opened again this time to reveal a laughing pair of guys. One of them was slender, tall, and tan, with brown eyes and long black hair. He used a bandana to keep it from coming into his eyes and wore a black tank top.

The other boy had brown eyes also and black hair that was straight and long. His smile was great, it made you want to smile with him. He wore something similar to other two boys whoc ame out of the back door with him.

"Please Jinxx! Again!" The boy with the bandana said. "It's too funny."

The boy with blue eyes who was now at the counter, I'm assuming he's Jinxx, rolled his eyes at the pair. "No."

"Aw Jinxx, come on!" The other boy pleaded.

"I'm not going to tell you that story again because I told you not to laugh and that's exactly what you did." Jinxx said changing the song that was currently playing to another Misfits song.

Ashley and I approached the counter after giving each other a look of confusion to pay for the things we had picked out. Ash had a couple of shirts and his hello kitty doll. While I had a new batman shirt and a pair of studded bracelets.

I placed the merch on the counter.

"Hello. Did you find everything ok-"

"Jinxx! Please?" The boy with the bandana asked again.

"CC shut the hell up." Jinxx said rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry, did you find everything okay?"

Ashley nodded. "Yeah it was okay." He said. "Considering nobody was here..." He added in a whisper.

Jinxx smiled at us as he continued to work the cash register.

"Are you guys new here?" I asked. "We come here often and I haven't seen you guys around."

The dude with the bandana nodded first. "Yeah we just came here. I'm Christian but please, call me CC. Nice to meet you."

I smiled at him as the other boy started talking. "I'm Jake. The serious one is Jinxx."

Jinxx rolled his eyes. "I'm not serious just tired okay?"

We all shared a laugh. "I'm Ashley and this is my boyfriend Andy." Ashley said introducing both of us.

"Well I'm glad you guys decided to drop by. That'll be 45. 50." Jinxx said.

I reached into my back pocket and got my wallet but Ashley stopped me. He took out his own and played for the things before I could protest.

"If you guys come here often we'll be seeing each other, then." Jake commented.

"Yeah, finally some customers. Usually this place is empty." CC said.

"I know." I said taking the bag from Jinxx. "Kinda cool though because then we have the whole place to ourselves."

"True dude!" CC said excitedly. "I'd never thought about like that. You're smart."

"You guys seem pretty cool. Care to drop by the apartment some time?" Ashley offered. "We don't really have many friends."

"Sure bro." Jinxx said with a smile. Jake and CC also nodded in agreement. "Anytime."

Ash and I shared a smile.