the mall
bobby pov.
I'm at the kitchen table with Mom, both of us silently drinking our coffee. I keep thinking how awful it is that we're so awkward around each other, even though we're family. So far in the couple weeks I've been home I haven't spent a single day just talking with her, or even just being in the house. If I'm not hanging out with Essa and Cass, I'm catching up with some old friends from middle school. I've gone from looking for ways to spend time with my parents to brainstorming all the different ways I can avoid staying in the house.
Finally I get some inspiration and decide to surprise Essa. I'll ask her to go to the mall of something and we can hang out, and Cass can come along. She's pretty cool, and I actually like her sister. Muttering a quick good-bye to Mom - which she barely acknowledges - I dump my mug in the sink and dart outside, cutting across the lawn to her house.
I ring the doorbell and wait, expecting one of her parents to open the door. Instead, when the door opens, Essa is standing there, blinking at me with bleary eyes. Her hair's a little messy and she's wearing a gray, over-sized t-shirt over a pair of purple sleep shorts. On her feet is a pair of knock-off Uggs and pink and white striped socks poke up over the tops. I can't help but laugh. "You look lovely this morning," I tease, and she scowls.
"It's like, seven-thirty. Sorry I didn't dress up to answer the door," she mutters, stepping aside to let me in. Secretly I think she looks adorable, but I'd never tell her that.
I smirk at her as I step inside. "I was going to ask you and Cass if you wanted to go to the mall this morning, but I'm thinking you should go just like that," I tell her, looking her over again.
"Cass is still asleep," she tells me. "But wait here, and I'll wake her up." She wanders off to her room and I sit there at the kitchen table, looking around the tiny house, tracing the wood pattern on the table with my finger. A couple minutes later, Essa returns, now dressed in purple leggings and a baggy black t-shirt (I've noticed she loves wearing leggings), and Cass is with her, dressed in a pink tank-top and white jeans, and looking irritated to be awake.
"Why am I awake?" Cass moans, running her fingers through her hair. "Bobby, this better be good."
I smile warmly at her. "I was going to ask you guys if you wanted to go to the mall with me, but neither of you seems too happy with that idea," I tell her.
Cass almost immediately brightens. "The mall? I haven't been there in ages!" she exclaims, looking excitedly. To my surprise she rushes over to give me a hug. "Thank you!!!"
I awkwardly hug her back, and over her shoulder I can see Essa watching us with a smile. "Fine with me," she says. "Mom and Dad let us take today off."
"Yeah, where are they?" I ask. I expected them to still be home at this time, but I haven't seen them.
Essa looks at me like it's obvious. "At your house. They're working," she explains.
"Oh, right," I mutter, and I mentally slap myself. It's hard to get used to the fact that your friend's parents work for you. "So, we ready to go?" I ask, hoping to change the subject.
"Yes!" Cass squeals, spinning around the kitchen. "Let's go!"
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At the mall, I think Cass is the one having the most fun. Not that Essa and I aren't, it's just that Cass seems so excited by everything, running around the stores, exclaiming over everything she sees. It's pretty obvious she doesn't get to go shopping much, and I feel a pang of sympathy for her. It's not hard to see how much she loves it, and I feel bad that she can't buy all the things she likes.
Essa even seems interested in a couple things (mostly strangely-printed leggings) and I take note of what both of them seem interested in so maybe some time I can surprise them with a couple gifts. Essa doesn't seem as enthusiastic as Cass, but when we pass a jewelry store, she pauses to look wistfully at some necklaces with turquoise stones in them. Again, I take note of that.
I have to stop in the F.Y.E., the best CD store ever. I wander through the shelves, looking for my favorite bands and Essa follows me. "You into any bands?" I ask her.
She shrugs. "I guess I don't listen to music that much," she tells me and I feign horror.
"No music? How can you live without it?" I demand, truthfully confused. I don't know anyone who doesn't have an obsession with some band.
Again, she shrugs. "I don't know. I just don't. There's too much other stuff to get done, so I don't bother with it," she tells me.
"Okay, I'm getting both of you iPods for Christmas," I tell her. "You have no idea what you're missing."
She rolls her eyes. "Oh, you don't have to do that. Don't even bother."
I raise my eyebrows at her. "Oh, you have no idea. You guys need iPods." Snatching a Breaking Benjamin CD from the shelf, I hold it out to her and say, "Have you ever heard of this band?"
She looks over the case and shakes her head. "Nope, never heard of 'em,"
I shake my head. "We have to take care of that. You have no idea how amazing their music is." She looks dubious. "How good can they be? They're just a band."
Shaking my head, I say, "No, these guys are amazing. They're music makes you want to scream and break things and cry and jump up and down all at the same time."
Essa laughs. "That doesn't sounds good at all..."
"You just have to listen to them," I shrug, putting the CD in a bag. I pick a couple others - mostly Three Days Grace and Halestorm - and promise her we're going to listen to them on the way home. Cass rejoins us at the checkout counter, talking about some old 3 Doors Down CDs she'd seen.
After that, Cass drags us into some teenager clothing store, and goes from rack to rack of clothes, looking awed and wistful. Essa and I sit outside on a bench as she wanders through the store. "Do you know this place?" Essa asks me, motioning to the store.
I shrug. "It's a girl store. Rue21 or something," I tell her. "I've never gone in."
She nods and looks around curiously. "What's Hot Topic?" she asks, looking over at the Hot Topic.
My eyes widen. "You've never seen one of them? When Cass is done in there, that's where we're going," I say, decidedly. I can barely believe they've never been to stores like these, and these aren't even the best. These are stores you might find in any mall. I don't get it.
When Cass comes back, holding a small bag and looking thrilled, I drag the both of them to the Hot Topic and they both look a little weirded out. "Come on, guys, this place is awesome," I tell them and Essa walks in and looks around. "See, they have girl stuff. There's makeup and jewelry and stuff."
Cass is immediately drawn to the purple glitter liner and the racks of necklaces and bracelets. I notice Essa looking at a bracelet with colored skulls and she even takes it off the rack to try it on. When she catches me watching she explains, "I'm obsessed with skulls." After that I see her carrying it around and am relieved that she's finally planning to buy something. Cass comes back with skull-shaped nail polish bottles, a glitter liner (or a lipgloss, I'm not entirely sure) and some necklaces.
"Cass, come look at this!" Essa squeals from one side of the store and Cass darts over. Wandering around to where they're standing find them admiring Walking Dead t-shirts.
"I like the one with Daryl on it," Cass says, pointing to one. "You know what, I'm getting it!" Essa picks out a white hoodie dotted with red "blood" stains and we check out.
"Told you you'd like Hot Topic," I tell her. "It's mostly girl stuff anyway. I just go because they have Black Veil Brides CDs and some awesome t-shirts,"
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When we get back to their house Essa says she and Cass are going to have to make dinner, so I offer to help. "Good, we could use the help if Essa's cooking," Cass jokes, nudging Essa's side. Essa shoves Cass gently, laughing. "Hey, it's not my fault Dad won't teach me."
I pop one of the new CDs in their DVD player and we start cooking. Cass pretty much runs the whole thing, telling us what to do. Essa washes and chops vegetables for salad, Cass makes dough, and I find whatever ingredients she tells me to get. From what she asks for, I figure we're making pizza.
While Essa's pulling lettuce apart for the salad, I pull her away from the counter and twirl her around, attempting to get her to dance. She squeals and a couple lettuce bits fall to the floor, but she's laughing. I try to show off my best moves (which aren't that great, since I can't dance) but she just shakes her head, giggling, and tries to go back to her counter. I grab her hand again and pull her back. "Dance with me!" I exclaim, and she turns bright red. The song playing is "Breath" by Breaking Benjamin, one of my favorites.
"I can't dance!" she says, trying to pull away, looking embarrassed but laughing.
"Neither can I, come on!"
"I'm supposed to make salad."
"Do that later."
Finally she gives in and, looking scared and awkward, she watches me until I take her hand and spin her again. Cass rolls her eyes, rolling out the dough. Essa and I dance horribly, but I think she has as much fun as I do, so it wasn't a total fail. Her cheeks are flushed bright pink from, and she's laughing, her hair fanning out around her, and I can't help but think how pretty she looks. I have to push the thought away, reminding myself that she's kind of dating Draven.
Eventually, Essa pulls away from me and goes back to her counter. "Okay, I have to make this salad now," she says, still stifling a giggle. "This is going to be the worst salad ever.