Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)

Chapter 7: Surprise Shopping

-Chapter 7-

Mother was still asleep when I came careening into the house. I huffed trying to keep quiet as I went to my room. Once my door was shut firmly, I dropped to my bed, crying into my pillow.

***

I didn't leave my room for the rest of the night. It's not like my mother would come to check on me. Neither would Marie if she thought I was still in trouble.

I was right in my assumption. The next time I bothered to open my eyes, the early pink light of dawn was trickling through my window.

I thought it was the light that woke me, but then there was a strange sound.

Tink.

Tink. Tink.

I rose slowly from my bed. It sounded like a tree branch had broke and was tapping at my window.

Tink.

When I reached the glass, I looked out to see someone I had never expected to see again.

Monkey boy.

Luke.

He grinned broadly when he saw me, hand pausing in mid throw of a pebble.

He began to sign.

Luke: Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!

Me (trying to hide my smile): What are you doing here?

Luke: Aren't you happy to see me?

Me: I thought I scared you off...

Luke (cocking his head to the side): You can't get rid of me that easy. We are a sneaky sneak team now!

He made a heart with his hands before running off.

I watched him disappear inside Kota's house before turning around to see Marie in my doorway.

I hadn't even heard her.

Marie stood with her arms crossed, looking more like mother than ever. They had the same mousy brown hair, that Marie kept cropped to her shoulders, and the same dark brown eyes.

For the most part, Marie was a pretty girl. She had a sweet heart-shaped face she got from father, a small nose from mother and a curvy chest.

Her only flaws were these: thin lips, and eyes as cold as a blizzard if you crossed her.

Right now her blizzard eyes were locked on me.

"What's up, Marie?"

"What were you doing?" Her words were clipped.

"Nothing..." I lied as she crossed the room to my window. Luke was gone. There was nothing to see.

She huffed, turning to face me. "Dad left us some money for school supplies and some clothes, so get ready."

She slammed the door closed.

What the heck was with this family and door slamming?

I got ready for the day, pulling on a nicer pair of jeans and a blouse. I really didn't like shopping, but it would be good to see where the mall was.

Downstairs, my father and Marie were waiting. My father was just hitting the hill, as the sides of his brown hair were turning peppered and teeny wrinkles were forming at the corners of his eyes.

We piled into the tan sedan parked in our driveway and started out for the mall. Marie barely looked at me as we went and I wondered what that was about.

When we arrived, Dad handed each of us two hundred dollars and advised we meet back at the car at three.

With that, Dad drove off.

I expected to shop with Marie, but apparently not because she immediately ran off with that boy from yesterday and another girl around our age.

I sighed looking out across the sea of people. Well, this was going to be hell.

In the first hour, I managed to force my way into four stores and procured all of my needed school supplies, along with two nice pairs of jeans.

Now all I needed was another blouse or two and I could head to the food court to bide my time.

As I reached for a flowered blouse nearly identical to the one I was wearing, someone shouted, half startling me to death. "Oy! Stop right there, Trouble!"

I looked up to see Gabriel crossing the clothing store, his multicolored hair brushed back away from his crystal blue eyes. He was grinning broadly, hands on his trim hips, over his designer jeans.

Next to him stood a boy around our age. He had soft brown hair that reached the nape of his neck in gentle waves and brown eyes that seemed to dance with gold and soft embers. He looked at me with a gentle half smile before looking to Gabriel for direction.

"Victor, this is that crazy fucking girl I was telling you about. Sang, come meet Victor!"

My cheeks flushed. Crazy? I'm not crazy. I put the blouse back where I found it before picking up my shopping bags and forcing my feet towards the boys.

I had missed Gabriel. I really did. But all these new people in my life had my anxiety levels through the roof.

With each new friend I made, my chances of being exposed to my mother increased, as did the chances of really being punished.

"So, this is the girl who pranked North?" asked Victor.

He had a slight Charleston accent, and his words came with eloquence.

Victor's half smile broke out into a full grin when I nodded. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you. I never thought I would see the day where North had to wear pink socks to the mall and couldn't drink his herbal tea."

"I just...distracted him for the tea. I didn't know Luke was going to do all that with his clothes."

"Why so modest, Princess?"

Princess? My cheeks were burning with more intensity than Victor's eyes as I struggled to find words.

Gabriel saved me.

He seemed to have a knack for that.

"Why so modest, indeed." Gabriel pulled the small shopping bag of clothing from my grasp. "Is this all you bought for school?"

When I nodded, Gabriel tossed my newly purchased clothes into a nearby garbage can.

"Gabriel!" I yelped, making a beeline for the trash, but Victor caught my hand. His touch was gentle and I didn't miss the way his thumb brushed the back of my hand.

I looked back, losing myself a moment in the warmth of his eyes. Shake it off, Sang! Shake it off!

"I...could have returned those. He didn't need to..."

"I'll take care of it." He spoke softly, confidently, and somehow I trusted Victor even though we just met. "Princess, would you allow us to take you shopping?"

"Take...me shopping?" I stuffed my hand into my pocket, drawing out the crumpled bills I had left. School supplies and two pairs of garbage jeans left me with forty dollars. I had intended to buy a blouse and then do lunch.

"Yes, my treat to make up for..."

He motioned to Gabriel who had moved into the clothing store, his arm was already piled high with beautiful colored fabric. He paused only to close one eye and measure me with his thumb.

"Well, you'll see, Princess."