Night Air

Chapter 16

I stretched waking myself up the next morning and I looked over at my phone and picked it up. It was almost ten. I smiled and sat up happy that I finally had a day that I could wake up by choice and not be rushed into a chair for make up and hair. I rolled over and just laid there for a while contemplating getting up. I closed my eyes maybe thinking I would go back to sleep when I heard a knock on my door. I let out a small groan before I tore the covers from my body and stood up from the bed. I really should look into buying pajama pants so I'm not always freezing in the morning. 

I opened the door and saw Stephany standing there. "Hey." I said to her leaning against the doorway. 

"Hi. Did I wake you up?" Her face fell and I smiled shaking my head. 

"No. I was already awake, just kind of procrastinating on physically getting up." 

"Oh." She laughed. "Well I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go shopping with me since I noticed we both have the day off and the fashion show isn't until tonight." 

My face lit up. "Yeah. That sounds like a great idea. Here, why don't you come in while I get ready." 

She smiled and walked in holding her bag closer to her. "How do you manage to keep your room so clean? Mine is a total pig sty, not going to lie." She laughed. 

I laughed too and shook my head going through my clothes. "I don't know. I just do. I get that from my mother, I guess." I said pulling Hollister jeans and a flowing blue button up tank top out of my bag. 

"Is your mother a clean freak, then?" She asked as I stripped my clothes off. 

"Was." I said quietly jumping into my jeans. 

Her face turned sympathetic. "Oh, Alyssa, I'm sorry." 

I shook my head and buttoned the shirt up. "No, it's fine. I was really young when my mom died. I don't remember a lot of memories of her, but the ones I do, I think about everyday." She was still looking at me as if she had just killed a kitten. I smiled. "Really, Stephany, it's fine. I'm not worried about it. She died of cancer and that's that. I mean, I still have my dad so I guess you could say I'm a bit of a daddy's girl since it's just been me and him for the last ten years." 

"You don't have any siblings?" 

"Nope. Just me. Which was nice because I got spoiled as hell, still do actually." She laughed and I slipped on a pair of black toms. "I'll be ready once I brush through my hair." I told her grabbing my brush.

About an hour later, Steph and I were sitting in the food court of the mall with three bags each at under feet while we sat at a tall table across from each other. I brought my Subway straw up to my mouth and swiveled around a little in my chair when I looked over and saw a group of three guys a few tables down staring at us with creepy smiles. I rolled my eyes and looked at Steph. "Creepy guys staring at us. Your six o'clock." 

"That would be directly behind me, right?" 

"Yeah. They are directly in front of me. They keep looking over here with these stupid smirks and it's a little weird." 

She shrugged. "Maybe they just want to say hi?" 

I rolled my eyes. Steph's red alert button must be faulty. My eyes widened as I watched the three of them stand up and start heading for our table. "They're walking over here." I mumbled to her. 

She smiled and shrugged again. "They might just want to say hi." She repeated her hypothesis. She's too nice for her own good at times. 

They walked up to our table and the one guy leaned against the table so he was between the two of us. "Hello, ladies."