Shopaholic Spy

Chapter 8: On a Roll to Kick Evil.

Chapter 8: On a Roll to Kick Evil.

   When Monday came, I drove myself to Mandy's Shopaholic Center alone; something I rarely do.

   Jerry didn't seem to mind. It was like he was busy and needed to do something.

   "Megan, um, you're late." Mandy's horrid make up smudged into a forced smile as she looked around the hall for anything but me.

   "I know," I said flatly, "Can I come in and take the sessions I paid for, now?"

   Mandy just stood there in the door frame of the center, looking at me in sympathy, which only annoyed me even more. Everyone in the Center knew about the accident Allison and I were in last week. Everyone felt bad for me because everyone knew my best friend was in a coma and was bordering the edge of death.

   But did anyone actually care for her? Hardly.

   "Of course, come in." Mandy searched the corridor with her eyes one more time before letting me in. By the wistful look on her face she didn't bother to cover, it was obvious Mandy Daise was looking for Jerry. Her face said it all; she really missed him. In a more-than-friends way.

   Usually, her lust for Jerry was one of my bases of amusement on despicable Mondays like this. But this Monday was so despicable, I found it quite disgusting.

   She made room for me to come in before I had to shove her out of the way. I slumped into my seat at the last and Mandy took hers at the front. I tried not to look at the empty seat beside me.

   "So, Damon, would you like to tell us how your progress is going?" Mandy said, putting her glasses on.

   "Huh?" Damon opened his sleepy eyes and yawned. He had shaggy blond hair and light brown eyes. Damon was a failed surfer and he was always buying supplyments since he was so convinced he was going to be the next Jeff Clark. Heck, I don't even know who that is. He'd be better off breaking a world record for sleeping.

   The only reason he wasn't sitting on the last chair was because I was. At least he didn't claw people's eyes out whenever they spoke against shopping.

   "Well, I don't think I bought anything yesterday. Hard to tell, last night was pretty hazy," Damon mumbled, dozing off again. Did I mention the beach parties?

   "OK, that's good," Mandy cheered, trying to be optimistic. She hesitated before looking at me. Even though I made a lot of progress since Allison came, that didn't mean I was fully safe to talk to.

   "Megan, would you like to...," Mandy trailed off.

   "Yeah, sure," I said, bored, "I didn't shop for a week."

   The room was silent, stunned. I had thought of better ways to announce this so-called improvement, but with that empty seat haunting me, I just wasn't feeling it.

   But everyone went crazy, anyways.

   Everyone clapped, congratulating me. It seemed like everyone was genuinely happy for me. But for some reason, I didn't care.

   In fact, it made me angry. Really angry. I felt my blood boil when Sami whistled. I felt my vision red when Wanda hiccuped and Ronald snorted. I couldn't take it anymore.

   "Yeah, I didn't shop for a week. Not a single accessory. That's because I was too busy being kidnapped and tortured and stalked by oldies to find a new scarf. I was too busy trying to jump from a car before it exploded to see new heels. Too busy trying to save the government from thinking like dogs that eat classy biscuits. TOO BUSY trying to save you from being ruled by an evil villain that likes to call red buttons SHELLY."