One Wish

2

"There's nothing like last minute holiday shopping, right Cam?" I say and take a sip of my coffee, sitting at the mall's food court.

"It's not last minute until you're doing it on Christmas Eve. Also, I doubt you really wanted to come to the mall today to get the rest of your gifts."

"Why else would I want to waste my Sunday at the mall?" I ask sheepishly. Why did I even try to lie to Cameron?

"Oh, I don't know, possibly because Friday is your first real party and you probably feel like you have nothing to wear," he says. "Even though you could wear sweatpants and that'd be okay."

"I'm not wearing sweatpants to a party, you goof," I say and stand up. "We should start though, because my main reason is to get an outfit, but I also need some gifts."

"Onward and forward, my lady. Wherever you go I shall follow," he says and I laugh at his dorkiness. This is why we're best friends.

Two hours of shopping, and just over two hundred dollars later, I was almost done for the day.

"I don't get girls," Cameron sighs, leaning against the counter as I look at jewelry.

"Clearly, that's why you're single and hang out with me," I tease.

"No, not like get, but understand. How could you possibly shop this much and spend so much money?" he asks.

"I guess it's just what we do," I shrug and glance up to see something that instantly ruins my day. I duck down and Cameron looks at me weird. "Don't say anything." I tell him.

The whole time in my head all I can think is "Please don't see me. Please don't see me." But I've never been the lucky type.

"Cameron Astin, is that your little friend Leah down there?" I hear the unmistakably annoying voice ask. "Leah, oh Leah." No more hiding.

"Hello," I say as I stand up to meet the piercing green eyes.

"Hi," Alexa says, her fake nice voice gone. "Getting a new wardrobe?"

"Just a few things, Christmas gifts." I say hesitantly. This was not going to end well, I already knew it. Every time Alexa showed up things went wrong.

"Outfit for Emily's party?" she asks and I nod slowly. "What do you two think about that? Losers being allowed at Em's party?"

"Well, hopefully enough losers know their place and don't show up," Jessica says.

"But if they don't know their place, we should remind them," Claire adds with a smile.

"Seems like Leah doesn't know her place," Alexa says. "You know, I think my smoothie needs thrown away."

I should have seen it coming, I mean really. She removes the lid off her smoothie cup and dumps it over my head. All three of them start laughing and I look over at Cameron who is still leaned against the counter with a horrified expression.

"See you in school, loser." Alexa says and I run out of the store in tears, not even caring that the only thing I could hear was Cameron yelling.