Protected Abroad [AmazingPhil / Danisnotonfire]

Twenty-Six: Blackout

Phillip did not notice our hands interlocked. If he did, he didn't say anything to make us stop or acknowledge the act. I estimated that the ride was ten to fifteen minutes long. The driver pulled up to a large building labeled 'West Shire Mall'. Phil paid the cab driver the credited amount of pounds then proceeded to open the door on his side as that was the closest door to the sidewalk, and my door opened to the bustling street. Daniel and I unlocked our hands to file out behind him before the sleek black four-door car drove off. 

Philip began to ford his way through the current of the crowd towards the doors. "C'mon slow pokes!" He exclaimed to us, hinting that he was excited. Daniel and I simply laughed in response. I followed Daniel, who pursued Phil, even though Dan seemed to know where to go without another human leading the way. 

The two of us finally caught up to Phillip at the main doors to the large building. The glass doors led into a large porcelain themed mall through way. Stores selling many differing kinds of products filled the alcoves built for them. Above the trio, a second floor walkway circled the building hugging the wall, allowing for a doubling of the capacity of both people and stores. The median of the ground floor was mainly fountains and large spaces with living flowers and blooming bushes and benches. A few coffee and pretzel stands set up shop for famished customers. 

"We're taking her to the wireless company, right? Not Apple." Daniel asked Phillip.

"Right. Forgot that step." They both moved together, side by side towards an escalator that was situated at the dead end of this portion of the shopping center. I shuffled my feet quickly to keep up with their large strides. They continued talking about phones, bills, and other things that I tuned out of. The best friends took the step onto the rotating stairway while I followed. I had been on an escalator only once before, when a friend brought me along while she shopped for a homecoming dress; I didn't buy a dress, nor attend that dance. Or any other dance during my thirteen years of public schooling that had dances.

The step I stood on delivered me to second floor of the shopping mall. Both boys waited for me at the peak and made sure that I was still tagging along. 

"So you've never had a cell?" Daniel questioned, obviously aimed towards me. 

"No. Never had the money." I spoke the next sentence under my breath in a sarcastic whisper. "Like I have loads of friends or boys that wanted my number."

The group of us headed towards a shop with a white sphere logo lined horizontally with blue stripes. Once inside the store the logo name was everywhere and on many things: AT&T. Daniel went up to the desk and was talking with the lady tending the counter.

"Let's look at some phones, hm?" Phillip suggested. 

Three or four counters were lined with cellular devices. I meandered and looked upon them and their store display screens lighted with pictures and videos of activities and flowers. Most looked about the same with screens roughly five inch or thirteen centimeter screens. I didn't touch them as I looked. Phillip nudged me and showed me what phone he and Daniel had: an iPhone. I knew what it looked like and it's capabilities as everyone seemed to have one.  I picked it up and held it in my hand and then returned it to the cradle it was connected to. Phillip left me to continue my browsing and joined Daniel talking to the employee. 

I had almost finished glancing at all the phones before one caught my eye. It had a curved back design, and didn't look anything like the ones Daniel and Phillip had; I liked it. Maybe because I was different, or I really did like the design of it. There was the choice of choosing differently colored and textured backs and I became interested even more. I felt with my fingers the differing wood panels: walnut, bamboo, ebony, and teak. The bamboo called out to me the loudest. 

The boys must have noticed me lingering and sought out to see what I was inspecting. 

"Moto X? I've heard of it but haven't seen it in person." Daniel commented.

"Whoa. They even come with wood backs." Phillip began to feel the different woods as I did. 

"I..." I was almost hesitant to as for it, but I didn't ask for a cell phone in the first place. It was Phillip's idea. He was the one paying for it. If he didn't want me to have one, he could take me and march right out of the store without any purchases. "I think I have made my choice." 

"I approve, Sage." Daniel chimed, using my name. It sounded odd. My name on his lips, or on anyone's for that matter.

"Well, let's make it official." Phillip said while heading over to the same employee at the counter. He discussed what phone model I wanted, while I voiced my want for the bamboo back. A half hour later, the three of us walked from the store, a new phone in my purse and in a small plastic bag a charger and plain phone case. The boys were both very confident that ther were many other better designed cases online that I could order. Daniel complained that he was thirsty, so the duo agreed to stop at one of the coffee stands for a drink on the first floor of the shopping center. 

Down the escalator and a small walk brought us to what we wanted. Daniel ordered a simple decaffeinated coffee, Phillip requested an espresso cappuccino, and lastly I requested a mocha latté. While we waited for our drinks to be made loud screams flooded the air from the other end of the ground floor of the mall. People began running towards the doorways to get out. A few gunshots echoed through out the cotton white hall. Phillip pulled me down to a crouched position beside the coffee counter. Three more shots were fired, closer this time. 

"We're making a break for it. To the doors we came in from." Phillip addressed Daniel with concern laced in his voice like a sewed doily. He spoke more to him, but I couldn't catch what words they were. He turned to me. "No matter what happens to either of us, keep running." 

I kept my calm, although I forced my breaths to continue breathing. Phillip took my hand in his, and Daniel came to my other side to take my right hand in his. I squeezed both of my hands, thankful for both of these wonderfully odd boys now in my life. Now in my life. They were, essentially, my family. 

Phillip counted in a hushed whisper for us to hear: "Three, two, one." Daniel and Phillip sprung to their feet with an intensity I didn't imagine them to ever have. The boys' running strides were longer than mine, and I stumbled over my feet some in attempt to keep up. I did well enough. It was a mad twenty yard dash to the doors where we were stopped for a brief moment while Phillip pushed it open with his free hand, his other still clutching mine. 

A few milliseconds after a gunshot, the shattering of glass rained down on us. I felt the shards tickle my face and rough my skin. Phillip pushed the second door open and the outside air rushed at us; greeting us. The police had set up a barricade around the mall and were helping terrorized shoppers away from the scene. We kept running. Another fifteen yards and the three of us would be on the other side of the protective human force field: if I hadn't tripped. My head collided with the concrete.