I pedal home as fast as I can. "Mom!" I yell not even waiting to shut the door. "Mom!" "Yes dear, what is it?!" She yells coming in from the backyard. "Mom can you please take me to the mall today? I really don't think I can make it the whole week without buying some clothes." "Oh honey, I can't I have a very important dinner meeting." She sees the distressed look on my face and hands me her card. "Here sweetie, go ahead and go yourself. You can take my car." "Thanks Mom!" I sigh with relief. "You know I don't drive though, I'll just take the bus. I won't stay out late promise." I run upstairs and grab a jacket from my room and head to the mall.
The first place I stop in is the lingerie store to get measured. Somehow I went from a 32A to a 36C I mean, seriously, how does that happen? As I'm looking at different bras Julie and Hanna show up and catch me completely off guard. "Hey Charlee!" Julie calls out to me. My face turns red with embarrassment, nobody from high school ever comes here on a Monday that's why I came! "Oh, uh, hi." I say trying to act as casual as possible but I have no idea how to do that while I'm holding up a lacy bra. "Don't get that bra unless you don't plan on wearing it for very long." Hanna smirks, and again for the fifteen millionth time today, my face turns beat red. "Oh haha, I'm new at this. Can you help me?" I sign defeated. Julie and Hanna both look at each other and yell, "Makeover!" Sounding just like Cher and Dion in Clueless.
We spent the next few hours buying me new bras, clothes, shoes, and dresses. None of which they would let me pay for. They must have felt really bad for me. As we were passing the movie theater I noticed a want ad. "Oh hey, I'm going to run in there, I've been trying to find another job since the summer." I worked at the swimming pool but it closed when school started and I wanted to start saving up for college. "You don't need to work you're in school." Hanna and Julie gave each other another weird look. "I know but I like to work it gives me a sense of independence." I smile proudly back at them as I walk in. I come out fifteen minutes later and they are still waiting for me. "Oh hey! That was nice of you to wait for me! Turns out they need someone right away so I get to start tomorrow! Yay!" Julie and Hanna give each other another weird look and offer to give me a ride home. Hanna drives a beautiful loaded red Mercedes and I would much rather drive home in that then take the bus. I mean, who wouldn't?!
Walking through the parking garage there is a man standing by one of those white vans. You know the ones that look like kidnapper vans? He's just standing there staring at us. "Hey do you guys see him?" Hanna and Julie look in the direction I nod and seem to get closer to me and start walking faster. "Is something going on? Do you guys know something I don't?" "Don't be silly," Julie says, "he's probably just waiting for his wife to get out of the mall or something." But she can't completely hide the look of fear on her face.
Have you ever had those moments where you feel like the hair on the back of your neck is standing up?! That's how it is for me this very moment. My heart is beating a thousand miles a minute and my stomach feels like a ball of nerves by the time we make it to the car. Every instinct in me just wants to get out of that parking garage. As we drive passed the creep just standing by the white van I swear for one small second I hear him growl. I think my adrenaline must have kicked into overdrive and now I'm starting to hear things. Hanna pulls into my driveway and I thank her and Julie again for the umpteenth time. "Don't worry about it! Seriously! We will see you tomorrow ok?!" Can't wait to see you in your new outfits!" Julie yells back to me as they take off down the street.
I head inside with my twenty something bags. "Hey dad, Hey Sammy!" The pair are playing some blood and gore game since mom is gone. She doesn't like Sammy playing those games so he only gets to do it when she has late work nights. "Guess what!? Sammy screams with excitement. Dad said we have new people that moved into the area. He said they are from Viking decent! They are ancestors to Thor!" "Oh come on Dad, don't tell me you believe all the nonsense going on about them too!" "Hey, hey! It's not nonsense when it's coming from every high school kid around here!" He laughs, "and speaking of high school kids who just dropped you off in that sweet ride?" "That was two of the Viking princesses you've heard all about. Dad they even bought me all these clothes!! Can you believe it? Maybe they really are Viking Princesses!!" I joke back. "Oh hey dad, I also got a job at the movie theater and I'm going to start tomorrow night!" "Oh wow honey that's great, but are you sure you want to work your senior year? Don't you want to enjoy it maybe go to a few parties?" "Oh please dad, since when have I ever had friends to go to parties with?" "It's true, Charlee is a total loser!" Sammy cuts in. I throw a pillow at him causing his character to die and lug my bags upstairs laughing.