Waist-Deep In Walmart

:Waist-Deep in Walmart: Chapter Twenty-Two?

            “I think I want a red one,” Caroline announced, coming to a dead stop in front of a rack of bikinis. “Red looks good on me.”

            “Your last one was black, right?”

            “Right. So I think I’m going to go with red,” she responded, fingering the fabric of a scarlet bikini top. “This is too thin.”

            Letting her do her own thing, I browsed bikinis on a different rack, trying to decide on whether I wanted a string or halter top. Halter tops were more annoying to put on, but Julius enjoyed pulling bikini strings way too much. Not too mention the string bikinis bottoms would barely cover even the smallest backside.

            Sighing, I pulled a few halter bikinis off the rack, heading to the changing rooms. Whatever fit would work. Impressing Anthony wasn’t one of my highest priorities because impressing Anthony, also meant showing off to Julius and my brother. And that would just be awkward and uncomfortable. Caroline was lucky. She wasn’t blood related to either of the three men going.

            Ten minutes later, I finally decided on a black halter top bikini with a white flower pattern. Caroline was still hunting for the perfect one, so I decided to try on a few pairs of shorts. Florida was a lot hotter than Massachusetts. I silently thanked my grandma for buying me a two hundred dollar Hollister for Christmas two years before. Even though I hadn’t believed her at the time, she’d told me I would need it at some point.

            So, one hundred and fifty dollars later, Caroline and I trudged out of the store with our new merchandise in hand. “I really hate expensive stores,” I muttered as I sifted through my four pairs of shorts, bikini, and two tank tops. “If I went to like, Marshalls, I would’ve gotten five times this for the same amount.”

            “Yeah, but this stuff is cute,” Caroline retorted, grinning like a maniac. “Don’t you want to look cute for Anthony?”

            “Yeah, but I don’t want to spend so much.”

            “You had a gift card.”

            “Which is the only reason we went in there,” I responded, squinting at the Pac Sun sign. “Hey, they have a sale on flip-flops. I think I’m going to buy a pair.”

            Caroline rolled her eyes. “Weren’t you just complaining about expensive stores? Buy a pair of flip flops at Payless.”

            I groaned. “But it’s on the other side of the mall!”

            “Walk,” she ordered, pushing on my shoulder. “While we walk, we’ll talk.”

            “About what?”

            “You and Anthony.”

            “Er… What about us?”

            She wagged her eyebrows. “Oh, you know.”

            “No, I don’t…”

            “How are you two?”

            “Fine?”

            Nodding, she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “You two were cute during graduation. Savannah couldn’t stop gushing about how cute he was.”

            I smiled, remembering graduation. It hadn’t been a particularly exciting event, but a memorable one nonetheless. Then again, who wouldn’t remember their high school graduation? Anthony had cheered the loudest for me though, standing on Julius and Mason’s shoulders and screaming like an idiot. It was incredibly embarrassing. Lost in reminiscence, I almost didn’t realize we were climbing onto an escalator. “And?”