Light of my Life

Street Smart

LAUREN

Toothpaste
Shampoo
Tampons 
Pencils
Inflatable Bouncy Castle

"Alright, Alyssa, the list looks good. But I don't think we can't get a bouncy house," I joked, looking up at her. She was standing in front of me, just realizing now that we were out of tampons right before her period, or as she so lovingly called it, 'The Red Typhoon of Fury,' was about to start. 

As these situations usually go, she had also discovered several other things that were absolutely vital for survival missing around the dorm room.

"It's called an Inflatable Bouncy Castle, and I knew it was a long shot," she teased back, falling down onto the spinning desk chair behind her.

"Is there anything else you might possibly need from me? Anything you're forgetting? I don't want to take two trips"

"Ooh, dieting pills," she blurted. I gave her a concerned look.

"Why, Alyssa."

"Please," she whined. I sighed.

"Is that all?" I managed. She shook her head.

"Thank you!" She jumped up and gave me a hug, and then sat back down in the chair, spinning around to the desk so she could continue watching a makeup tutorial on YouTube. I smiled at the back of her head, then pulled my shoes on and left the dorm room, making my way outside to the pharmacy.

Alyssa was a strange person. If this had been high school, we probably would have been mortal enemies. She was preppy, obsessed with boys, and she spent more time at the salon than her classes, yet she was my best friend. 

College was weird, maybe it just opened your eyes up to how shallow and petty teenagers are. Alyssa was one of the happiest, energetic, and out going people I knew. Her friendship meant a lot to me, and mine did to hers.

I sped through the sidewalk to the Pharmacy in what some would call record time. The truth is, I had taken so many of these last minute trips in the middle of the week, I had the fastest route to the clinic memorized.

I opened the glass door with the pharmacy logo painted on it, and a little bell rang above my head. The cashier standing at the counter looked over at me and smiled, before continuing to flip through the celebrity gossip magazine she was reading.

I briskly paced down the aisles, immediately finding tampons, shampoo and toothpaste. Then I made my way over to the school supplies. My phone vibrated in my purse, so I pulled it out and held it up to my ear, pulling pencils off of the shelf. 

"Hi, Alex," I chirped into the receiver.

"Lauren," he mumbled worriedly. I face contorted from cheerfulness to concern immediately. "We may have a big problem."

"What's wrong?"

"Someone got pictures of us."

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"Why is this even a problem?"I asked nervously, carrying my pharmacy bag close by my side, making my way past a less crowded street than usual. Only a few people stalked the sidewalk. I avoided them, my phone still plastered to my ear.

"Don't take this personally, Lauren. It's just, management doesn't-"

"Management doesn't what?" I interrupted him, growing a bit frustrated.

"Surprises. They don't like surprises, and you're a big one."

"Are you saying you haven't told anyone about us yet?"