(Reconstructing)Sharing A Damaged Memory

Chapter 3-The way to a woman's wrath is through stealing her wallet.

“Shay, I hear Tom has some really hot cousins!” she sang.

“Who is Tom?” I asked.

“The groom!” Zooey and Alice answered me in unison.

“Tut tut. Dress to impress.” Zooey called out.

Reluctantly, I started going through the millions of dresses hanging in the racks. It wasn’t easy to find anything what with the amount of noise that was coming from the billing counter. From what I could make out, some teenage girl with a high-pitched voice like the thinnest string of the guitar had tried to shoplift a dress but she kept insisting she had lost her wallet.

Yeah, as if.

Finally after a millennium, I found a stunning dusty turquoise dress, which seemed to have been made for me exclusively. I liked the simple detail on the sleeve and the pleated skirt. I took a step back to admire the dress when I felt like I had stepped on something. I couldn’t see what it was because it was dark between the racks so I bent a little and felt the thing with my hand.

I picked it up and stepped out in the brightly lit room to examine what I had found.

Before my brain could receive the optical signals sent by my eyes, my auditory nerves acted. To a loud screech.

“That’s my wallet! That sneaky little bitch stole it.”

I looked up and found myself face-to-face with a girl with glossy sand-blond hair, extra makeup lathered high cheekbones, gleaming green eyes and bright pink glossy lips. She stood tall and slender with her hands on her hips, breathing deeply and audibly.

“You fucking thief!” she snarled.

“Welcome back for finding your wallet.” I said coolly.

“Finding my wallet?” She exploded which felt like the thinnest string of the guitar was being tortured. She then turned to look at everyone in the store and asked incredulously, “What aren’t you going to arrest her or something?”

Everyone sent her a blank look back which apparently frustrated her so much that she threw her hands up and let out a loud scream. Momentarily, I was transported to the Gryffindor common room where Harry Potter was celebrating his victory over the Hungarian Horntail by opening that golden egg. That’s what she sounded like. And then she stormed out after vowing eternal vengeance and promising them a lawsuit.

Zooey and Alice didn’t say anything. They just hurried and paid for the dresses quickly. Throughout the cab-ride home, they kept sending me furtive glances. I ignored them and kept my eyes fixed out of the window at the passing scenery.

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Back home, after dinner where the whole family had gathered together, Kate briefed us on the events of the engagement party, which was miraculously still on. Everyone knew better than to protest when she gave minute-to-minute detail she had planned, and when she recited the whole menu. At one point, I thought she was going to list all the ingredients in each dish. Thank heaven- that did not happen.

Mum cornered us after the conference. I suddenly felt a sweat arising in my forehead- did she know about today’s incident? Did Zooey blabber it to Mum?

“Get ready a little early tomorrow. We’ll visit Mrs. Wilshire and then attend the party.”

Nope, not yet. Mental dance!

“She’s not coming?” Zooey enquired about Mum’s favorite neighbor when she still lived in Warrelton.

“She has severe arthritis.” Mum answered.

“How will she entertain us then?” I wondered out loud.

“Entertain you?” mum asked trying to understand what I meant.

“You know- bring cookies, offer tea- that sort of thing.”

“Shut up, Shay. And mum, why do we have to go tomorrow. Any other day maybe?”

Mum glared at me one last time and explained, “Dad is leaving early day after. And we should meet Mrs. Wilshire together as a family.”

I just shrugged and left for my room upstairs with Salad. So far in Warrelton, I was having a very impressive record. Criminal record.

I mean, a little over one week and I had already proved myself to be the most notorious delinquent Warrelton had ever seen. If only, for every time someone accused me of theft and my record got updated, I would totally top the charts in the local police station. Be on top of some ‘Wanted’ list and then steal a car to escape the police. That would be hot. I should seriously consider being a ‘rebellious bad girl’. Apparently, it suits me.

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STAY A BANDIT ; )