Intertwined

06 | Birthday shopping

Tyler and Chloe were busy this afternoon so it was just me and Nick. We are taking this as a good opportunity to go to the mall and buy Chloe presents. Her 21st birthday is around the corner, this is going to be a perfect cover because since she is busy Chloe is not going to suspect a thing.

I walked out from the building of my last class for the day quickly making my way towards the student's parking lot where Nick had been waiting for me at least for the last ten minutes. I adjusted my backpack over my shoulder entering into the ground of the parking lot. Between the two of us, Nick spotted me first waving his hand up in the air smiling brightly.

"Hey Samantha, are you ready to do some birthday shopping?" Nick asked me after I walked towards him then  he pulled me into a friendly hug.

"Hello Nick, I am ready to buy some birthday presents for my best friend." I answered his question and returned his hug. "The real question is, are you ready to buy birthday presents for your girlfriend?"

"That's a perfect answer, Samantha." Nick told me, showing excitement coming out from his voice as we ended our friendly hug. "Yes I am Samantha, I already have some ideas."

"I can't wait to see your ideas. I have a feeling that they are going to be better than last year's presents." I told him, taking my backpack off my shoulders. "Great, let's go. We need to do it fast before Chloe wonders where we are. You know how hard it is keeping secrets from Chloe."

"I will show the ideas that I had when we arrived at the mall. Samantha, I would like to hear your opinion." Nick told me while he started walking towards the driver's side. "Oh yeah, we need to come up with a cover-up story in case she asks us what we did today." Nick opened the door of the driver's side and then he hopped inside of his car.

Before getting inside his car, I opened the door of the right backseat, took my phone out from my backpack, then I placed my backpack on the ground, and closed the door. I opened the passenger's seat and climbed inside Nick's car. I made sure to close the door then I put on my seat belt.

"I can't wait to see the ideas that you have come up with." I told him as he pulled out from the parking slot and started  towards the nearest exit of the university's campus. "Oh yeah, I don't want Chloe to figure out where we were because that would spoil her surprise."

"I am looking forward to seeing what you are gifting Chloe for this year's birthday Samantha." Nick told me, driving away from the university, and heading to our local mall. "That would be awful if it ends up happening. Anyways, how was your day today?"

Nick stopped at a red light, he took this as an opportunity to turn on the radio. I quickly recognized the song that was playing on the radio, the name of the song was Fever Dream by Kimberly Vesper. I have been a fan of Kimberly Vesper since her first album Electric Touch came out a couple of years ago.

"I just want her birthday to arrive so I can see her reaction to opening our birthday presents." I shared with Nick, sounding excited then I started looking out of the window watching the beautiful scenery surrounding us. "My day was a good, normal day. In one of my classes, I learned that I need to make a presentation on my favorite book two weeks from now, so that's very exciting. How was your day Nick?"

There are a few things that I don't like doing when it comes to my university assignments. I would say that doing presentations is my least favorite one. I don't like standing in the front of the classroom talking to the professor and my classmates while feeling their eyes on me until I am not done talking. This is a sacrifice that I need to make for me to receive my degree.

"Ugh, I feel you, Samantha, I hate doing presentations and I forever will. I feel like professors love to torture us with them I just don't get it. I believe that you will do amazing in your presentation like I watched you achieve in the past." My best friend Nick told me, showing me a kind smile, keeping his eyes on the road driving us safely to our destination. "Samantha, my day has been calm and productive. I have managed to finish doing some of my assignments that are due next week."

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The entire drive from our university campus to the local mall was around twelve minutes. Nick and I are lucky to live in a town where everything is near a driving distance a walking distance that is a different story. I watched Nick driving into the entrance of the mall, making its way towards the covered parking lot of the mall. During our ride, I quietly sang songs that I recognized on the radio while I was still looking out of the window.

"Samantha, do you have a suggestion as to which shop we should stop by first?" Nick asked me, pulling his car in the first available parking slot that appeared in our eyesight.

"Nick, I believe we should start our birthday shopping at Target. Chloe loves shopping there all the time we are at this mall. It would be a great place to start." I replied to his question, sharing my suggestion, taking off the seatbelt from my chest once I made sure that Nick had placed the car in park. "What do you think Nick?"

"I like your suggestion, Samantha. I was thinking the same thing because Target has a little bit of everything so I agree with you it would be a good place to start our birthday shopping journey as you called it." Nick replied to my question, liking my suggestion. "Plus, I know that in Target there are a few things that Chloe loves due to how she has mentioned to me before."

He turned off the engine of his car, taking his key from the ignition and he got down from his car. I picked up my phone from the center console, I opened the passenger's door and I got down from the car. I opened the back seat door and looked for my wallet inside of my backpack. Once I had found my wallet I retrieved my hand from my backpack and I closed the door. I walked towards the other side of the car where Nick was standing waiting for me.

"I am glad to hear that we are on the same page, Nick." I told him, placing my phone in the back pocket of my jeans while holding my wallet in my non-dominant hand. "If we are starting our Chloe's birthday shopping journey. I know that inside of the Target, there is a Starbucks. Do you know what that means?"

"Me too Samantha, this only proves that we know our girl Chloe like the back of our hand." Nick said, locking his car behind us as we started making our way to the nearest entrance of the mall. "Let me guess, you want to go to Starbucks first, am I right Samantha?"

"Of course we do, she is my best friend and she is your girlfriend. It would be very concerning if we didn't know Chloe as well as we do." I told him, agreeing with him, walking right beside him leaving a few inches between us. "Nick, you're correct there is always time to get some Starbucks no matter what."

"If you gave me an exam about Chloe I would be passing it with flying colors. You know my girlfriend would say the same thing when it comes to Starbucks." Nick told me, opening the door of the mall for me. "Samantha, are you ready to start our birthday shopping on?"