Moment of Reflection

Chapter 2

"Well, since my parents are going out tonight, how about we go out and have some fun ourselves?" Audrey offered, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music on the radio.

Hearing her say that, I was taken aback. Audrey always seemed to have kept me out of trouble, kept me safe from hurting myself, why would she be suggesting this?

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know, maybe head out to a restaurant? Maybe even a bar?"

"But wouldn't we get in trouble? We're only seventeen, Audrey. And what about Alek? I don't think he would want you to go out without him." I tried to come up with reasons as to why we probably shouldn't do what she was suggesting... but deep inside I seemed to enjoy the thought of it.

"Alek would be coming with us. You can easily pass as eighteen, so it isn't like we will be technically 'in trouble'." She said, using her fingers to make air quotes around 'in trouble'. "And besides, it isn't like we're going to get laid or anything. We're just going to have a few drinks and have a little fun. Besides, it seems like something you need."

She was right, I did need to get out more. "Well, aren't your parents going to know we were out drinking?"

"When they go out they book into a hotel. They won't be coming back tonight. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

I took her word for it, after all I did trust her.

"Other than that, are you ready for a great time at the mall?" Audrey said, pitching her voice high as she finished her sentence, causing me to laugh.

"Totally."

***

After almost fifteen minutes of looking for the perfect parking spot, we strolled to the front entrance of the Gadarine Cafe. Being that this was the heart of the Beaumont Mall, it was best to park nearest to the entrance.

"Where to first?" I asked as we entered the food court, the smell of clashing fast food chains filling my nose.

"Well, we could stop by Bath & Body Works first. I heard they have this huge summer closeout sale. We can get a ton of the summer fragrances while we still have the chance."

I absolutely loved Bath & Body Works, so of course I agreed to go there.

Walking in, we were immediately greeted by a middle-aged woman, "Good morning! My name is Paige, is there anything in particular I can help you with today?"

"Well, we were just coming in to take advantage of the sales today." Audrey said as we walked in further.

"That's fantastic!" Paige said, "Well follow me, there are some great fragrances we have to offer."

"I'm going to go look over here," I said quietly to Audrey, motioning over to the other side of the store.

Seeing her nod, I paced over to the perfumes. I wasn't one to use perfume much, but I did like it.

I scanned the plethora of perfumes, looking to see if there were any that caught my eye.

And sure enough, one did.

Reaching forward, I plucked the square, glass bottle off of the shelf, along with one of the small strips of paper to test the scent.

I pulled off the cap, being sure to spray a small amount on the strip, letting it dry before taking a whiff of the aroma.

Mmmmm, vanilla.

It wasn't just vanilla though, it was intoxicating and sweet. Knowing I would purchase it, I grabbed a different bottle, one that was in a box. After I had it in my possession, I grabbed one of their shopping bags, knowing I would be buying more than just that.