The Mall (Natalie)

While we are eating breakfast, I get a text from Alexandria. The beeping scares the life out of me. When I comprehend that it’s my phone I run over to the kitchen bench and grab it. The text reads ‘Natalie are you okay? Please text me back as soon as you get this. We need to talk.’ Then in brackets it says ‘(If you are not dead – Please don’t be dead!)’

Quickly I type a message. ‘Yes, I’m alive but the rest of my family is gone. Don’t know what to do. Would you like to meet up somewhere?’ The reply comes less than a minute later. ‘I’m so sorry about your family. Yes, I would love to meet up. When and where?’

‘I need new clothes and living supplies, plus I have $2,000 dollars to spend, so I call a shopping spree. Meet you at the mall in 20 minutes. Bring your boyfriend and I will introduce you to a new friend of mine, lots has happened and I need to see you.’

5 seconds after I send it she replies ‘Yay shopping, okay meet you there at the front doors.’ I twist around to find Ash staring at me waiting to hear whom it was from. I explain everything about my friend and that were going to the mall.

When we arrive, the first thing we see is Alexandria’s dress; it’s beautiful with flowers decorating it in bright florescent colours. It’s strapless and flows over her body, like nothing I have ever seen before. Alexandria has dark brown hair that falls to her shoulders and with her curvy body and clear skin, most boys love her. Her face is most beautiful with large brown eyes, a full-lipped mouth and a nice sized nose. It’s no wonder she has a boyfriend and I don’t. When we walk up to her and say ‘hello’ she turns around and stops dead at the sight of Ash. She gives me a sideways glance which has a questions written all over it.

Aaron appears later wearing casual clothes, just knee length jeans and a plain red shirt. Aaron has short blond hair, which ends just above the ear, with bright brown eyes that, unlike Ash’s deep brown eyes, are bright, not quite as dark, not holding as much mystery. Aaron has a thick body with muscles in his arms and legs. As well as a small mouth and medium sized nose, that goes with his stocky face frame.

We enter shortly after I introduce everyone. The boy’s seem to get along well, so I go off with Alex, finally getting a chance to talk alone. The first shop we enter is an underwear shop, because after the explosion I had no underwear left except the pair I have on. While were looking around we talk about the incident yesterday. “Oh, Natalie I’m so sorry you lost your family, I’m just so happy you weren’t home. When I heard about it on the news I couldn’t believe it. Thank goodness you’re alive.” With that I burst into tears. The way she says it makes me sound like a hero and if I had of died she would have died shortly after from grief. It’s even worse when the person you love so much doesn’t actually know the truth about the incident. After buying 14 bras and 14 undies and several pairs of socks we leave and go to the next shop on my list. When I’m trying on several different pieces of clothing Alex asks

“So how did you and Ash meet?”

“We met at a petrol station yesterday morning.” I reply, pretending to sound like nothing else happened because I don’t want to talk about yesterday. When she recognises that I’m not going to continue she asks another question

“Do you think Ash is hot?” Well that was very subtle. I debate on whether pretending I haven’t noticed but decide to answer truthfully.

“Maybe, do you think he’s hot?” I guess that’s not the whole truth but I want her to have her say it first.

“Well I think he is absolutely amazing. He is so hot.” “Yeah, I know.” I say. Just to piss her off.
“Do you think he might like you?” she asks.

“I don’t know, maybe, but I doubt it. I’m not much to look at.” I say. Finally I have enough clothes to wear for 2 weeks. So we pay and walk out surrounded in bags. We decide to stop by my car and put the bags in. When we get back inside I decide to treat myself with the left over $300 dollars. We head into a shop that sells the most beautiful dresses. We look around for half an hour without any luck, most of the dresses are nice but there’s nothing beautiful.

Then when Alex is searching through a rack of knee length dresses, we see a sky blue dress, I quickly snatch it off the rack before she can grab it. I hold it up to get a better look at it. It is a one shoulder strap that is covered in small crystals. The sleeve cuts across the neck line dropping a bit on the left hand side were the sleeve is the least strong. The crystals thin out so they only line the top of the dress. The chest of the dress is padded so it gives the wearer a curvy body. The top of the dress is skin tight, but it falls softly to the knee after it passes your waist. The dress is so pretty I have to try it on. Alex is encouraging me because she thinks it will suit me better than her.

Gradually I put the dress on, hoping that it will be the perfect size. When I finish putting it on I turn and look in the mirror and what I see makes me gasp in surprise. The dress is beautiful; it makes my eyes stand out as well as my curves. I don’t want to take it off ever. Alex taps on the door asking me to show her. I do it without complaint. But when I open the door to see not only Alex but Ash and Aaron as well I look down pretending that I don’t know that they are there. When Alex sees me she squeals in delight, I look up to find Ash’s eyes staring at me, like I’m the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. Alex is screaming

“You have to buy it, you have to buy it.” I’m not listening, I’m just looking at Ash to see if he agrees and I know he does because his eyes widen and after a sweeping glance up and down my body he makes eye contact, smiles and shakes his head – he looks stunned. I smile inwardly and quickly go back in and change, then I head over to the register and pay $200 dollars for it leaving me with $100 dollars. We walk out of the shop. Alex and Aaron are holding hands leaving Ash and myself to walk behind. We end up having lunch at a cafe. Ash and I share nachos and Alex and Aaron share fish and chips. When we are finished Alex asks

“So Nat, do you want to sleep at my house tonight?” I look at Ash and he nods

“Sure.” I say, we need to talk and I need my friend.