Mercy

Chapter Six

When we got there, I was the first to exit the car and step out into the parking lot.

"Alright, Serenity," my father spoke, digging into his pocket. He leant down to whisper in my ear as my mother took Willie out of his car seat. "I'm giving you one fifty. Another fifty wouldn't kill your mother." He sent me a wink and a smile.

I grinned at him, taking the money from his hands and holding it tightly against my hand. "Thanks, dad."

We went our seperate ways into the mall. I wanted to start at JCPenny's and then head to somewhere like Forever 21. But I knew for a fact that my wishes were destroyed because I bought anything my mother thought was "inappropriate" I'd be punished once again.

Shopping for things that aren't to any use for me wasn't my forte. Obviously anyone with a brain would find a trick to this. With the fifty I wasn't supposed to get I'm going to buy something that's actually tasteful. Anything that is too low cut from the neckline and anything that reveals my legs is absolutely inappropriate to my mother.

I felt relieved when I reached JCPenny's with the cash still in my fist. I started searching through racks of clothes through the juniors area for girls. My frown became deeper the longer the seconds took the longer the minutes became. I groaned by fifteen minutes. Nothing.

I didn't even like JCPenny's. If I could, I'd shop at Kalvin Klein or something of good quality. Fancy brands? Please. I wish I could, but as a daughter in a middle class family, things had to have a line that couldn't be crossed.

My thoughts suddenly were flowing like rivers as I caught the sight of the lingerie area for women, little girls, or even teens. I think I'm certain I'll buy good underwear with the fifty. Underwear that wasn't embarrassing at all. If you're seventeen with underwear that still had carebears on them, I'm praying for you.

"Finally, something I'd enjoy to buy." I muttered to myself, walking towards the section to realize that I had to use the escalators to get to the nice, sexy stuff. I'm being bold by going in this section looking like a fucking nun.

My face paled as I was walking towards the escalator just to see my mother on it with Willie and my father. If they saw me at the lingerie section, they'd kill me. I'd be tied to a branch and hung over flames like a fat pig.

I bit my lip in irritation before making a run to the elevator to my left. I knew I was going to get my ass caught if I didn't take the elevator. The running across to a different section will bring too much attention to myself.

Once I was in the elevator, I sighed with my back to the rest of the shop. No one else was going to the elevator, so I sighed in relief again after inhaling a large amount of air. The doors closed, and that's when I felt the bloody tug at my skirt. My eyes widened as I turned, seeing my skirt was caught between the clothes doors of the elevator.

I began to tug with panic clear in my face, trying to get my nasty skirt to slip away from the two elevator doors.

And then I heard a rip.

A rip.

Like the longet, most frightening sound a girl could ever hear from fabric in both situations. I gulped, eyes wide as I saw the fabric literally rip off the rest that was still around my waist. I shrieked in horror.

"No, no, no," I whispered to myself, pressing my lips together and wincing as I witnessed the huge front part of my skirt that was completely torn off. My underwear with pink hearts on it on full view to anyone who would stop the elevator next.

I looked up at the elevator signalling which level I am at. How am I supposed to go into the store again? With my skirt torn off at the front? My embarrassing underwear in sight for everyone to laugh at?