"We'll be heading home soon. I called your mom, Melanie."
"Mom, why did you even call her? Mel's not five years old!" Ishani protested.
"Ishani, it's ok. Thanks Mrs. Patel for your time and help..." I replied timidly. I wanted to pull my hood over my head again, but I held back.
"Exactly! You are a good girl, Melanie. Any mother would have done the same in my place. When you have such an ungrateful daughter like you, Ishani, you'll understand me. You have a very sweet mom, Melanie. We agreed to grab coffee and chat with her this Friday during lunch break."
Was she talking to my mom, or her kind clone from an alternate universe?
"Mom, look at this cool backpack," Ishani was in her element.
"It does look cool," her mom agreed. "But we've already bought everything we wanted at Nacy's."
"Mom, pretty please!" Ishani clasped her hands in a pleading gesture. "50% off!"
"Melanie might be tired and want to go home..." Mrs. Patel almost didn't resist. Mother and daughter loved the same things.
"You two go ahead, I'll stay here and reply to a couple of messages."
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"
"No-no, go have fun!"
"We'll be back soon," Ishani's mom assured me. "Don't go anywhere."
"Don't get into the backrooms while we are gone..." she said with a mild dramatical laughing.
"Stop scaring Melanie!"
***
As I was sitting on a bench in the bustling mall (hopefully, no backrooms or any other extradimensional places for me), I took in the vibrant scene around me. People of all ages and backgrounds bustled past. I smelled the scent of freshly baked pretzels mingling with the aroma of designer perfumes from nearby stores.
I observed the diverse array of shops that lined the corridors, each one vying for attention with flashy displays and enticing promotions. From trendy clothing boutiques to high-end electronics stores. Brightly lit storefronts beckoned shoppers with promises of the latest fashion trends and cutting-edge gadgets.
Above me, the skylights bathed the mall in natural evening light. I watched as shoppers weaved in and out of the throngs of people, their arms laden with shopping bags filled with treasures from their day of retail therapy.
I only bought a small cheap bracelet made of tiny red stones, as it was all I could afford. Ishani and her mom offered to buy me something with their money as a token of friendship, but I refused knowing that my mom wouldn't approve. The only thing they convinced me to do was to eat together in the food court on their dime. Ishani was thrilled. It seemed that this part of shopping her mom always tried to avoid, but made an exception for me.
I noticed a familiar blond ponytail among the crowd. She stood out like a fairy against the backdrop. Bianca looked stunning: high-waisted light blue denim jeans with a relaxed fit; a cropped white graphic t-shirt, a black faux leather moto jacket. I loved her white sneakers with chunky soles. She also had layered gold necklaces and oversized hoop earrings that looked amazing. Neutral-toned sunglasses definitely completed her look and added a cool factor.
I never understood why some girls wear sunglasses in the evening or indoors, but she looked so cool that I didn't even start snickering in my thoughts.
Girls like Bianca make you want to be friends with them, hold their hands, and be in their company all the time. But usually they always shine coldly and from afar. Star-girls. Beautiful and unattainable.
Maybe after school I should apply to NASA and become an astronaut? Haha, you're so funny, Melanie, I can just see this conversation: - when I grow up, I'll become an astronaut? - why? - because you're a star and I want to be with you. What nonsense! Ha. Ha.
Bianca was with two of her friends from school. I recognized Irene in one of them, I couldn't remember the name of the other. They walked slightly behind Bianca, glancing at her big black hobo bag.
It was suspicious. I frowned and started watching them. The girls headed to the cheap girly accessories boutique, where I just bought myself a cute bracelet.
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