Ruby

~Chapter One~ Alarm Clock

"Hello girls. How can I help you today?" The store clerk asked. She was in her possible 30's. She was skinny, and around the average height for a person her age. Her hair was a very dark brown but looked very glossy and smooth. Her blue eyes looked friendly and welcoming.

"We're just looking." Hannah said. I immediately went the ear rings. I was specifically looking for some cute dangling ear rings. I had just been allowed to wear dangling ear rings since I had gotten my ears pierced some months before. Hannah went looking at some necklaces. Eventually, I found a cute pair. They were dark, brass color circles with a smooth, hot pink gem in the center. Smaller, blue gems were around the pink gem. Multiple strings hanged off the circles. Hot pink beads were on the strings and even some blue and silver ones. On the end of each string was a small silver charm that sort of looked like a feather. The bead cover strings were different lengths. The longest one was in the middle, the smaller two then on the outside of the longest, then two smaller ones, one on each side of the last two, were on the outside, and that pattern continued on the ear ring till the bottom of the circle had no more space to fill any more strings. I bought the pair of ear rings and asked what Hannah was now looking at. She quickly turned around from the rack she was looking at.

"Oh, nothing." My right eyebrow raised in suspicious. Hannah looked nervous. I didn't know what her deal was. She was holding something in her hand which she put back. I didn't catch what it was though. I turned around and continued to gaze at the jewelry. I didn't watch to see what Hannah was doing that time, which I probably should've.

After I was done looking around, Hannah and I left the store. I was carrying my ear rings I bought in a small, white plastic bag. I noticed Hannah wasn't carrying a bag. I assumed that she didn't buy anything.

We then went to another jewelry store, then looked at some cloths, and shoes, and then we arrived at a store where they had warm enough coats for Hannah. The only other thing we bought between the first store and the last we just visited was a shirt for Hannah. It was a light and pale green shirt with a small brown and black owl with big eyes on the bottom left corner of the shirt. I found the owl adorable, so did Hannah. She actually insisted that she'd wear it so after she bought it, we went into the bathroom and she tried it on.

She wore that shirt as we walked into the store which had four manikins in the glass window wearing fluffy winter coats and fashionable winter boots. Once we entered, Hannah immediately went to a white coat that had a fluffy rim on the hood and also buttons which were on a flap that could cover the zipper on the coat. The fluffy body wear was hanging on a hanger on a rack, all alone.

"I want to try this one." Hannah said and slipped off her light jacket and switched it with the white puffy one after she took it off the hanger. She also handed me her shirt she was wearing earlier, but then switched it out for the green one. Sometimes I wished that the mall had shopping carts so we wouldn't have to carry things, although, all Hannah and I were carrying was a tiny plastic bag and a shirt. I looked at the clock on the wall near the cash register. The time was 2:04. Apparently, Hannah and I spent a whole hour looking at stores and only bought a pair of ear rings and a shirt. I then wondered about my mother. Did she really need three hours, but to buy my aunt a gift? I'm sure she too is shopping for other things.

Once Hannah had the coat on and all buttoned and zipped, she showed it to me. The coat didn't seem to fluffy and stiff for she could freely move her arms. I always hated those jackets that are so stuffed with fluff, that you can't move your arms.

"I like it. Looks nice on you." I commented.

"Good. I'm buying it."

"Really? This is the first coat you looked at, and you're just getting it? Don't you want to see other options?"