Compassion- Lookism

T w e n t y N i n e

"Irene, look at these shoes!" Yui smiled and hugged onto Irene's arm. Irene was dragged away by Yui to some checkered flats.

"You should buy them if you like them." Irene advised and watched her bend down and pick out her size.

Irene looked around the large shoe shop for her friend. She looked around and spotted Zoe looking at some white converse. Irene slowly stepped away from Yui and speed walked over to her as quickly as she could without Yui noticing.

"Hey." Irene mumbled and stood beside Zoe.

"Hey." She said, distantly. Irene knitted her eyebrows together and put her hand on Zoe's shoulder.

"Whats wrong?" Irene asked.

"Nothing. These shoes dont have my size." She muttered and dropped the shoe box, annoyed.

"Do you want to go to the store across from here? I saw they were selling some new seasonal items. We could find matching bracelets." She smiled, trying to bring up Zoe's mood.

Zoe turned around and nodded with a soft smile. They looked around and found Yui trying on shoes with Pam and Yuna watching her and complimenting how she wore the shoes so good.

They snuck out and walked across the street to a beauty shop that sold different things girls would be interested in.

"Look at this one!" Zoe smiled. Irene looked over at her and saw her holding a simple, thin, rose gold fake bracelet with small pink rhinestones on it. It was only 10 buck for Zoe, but Irene felt her stomach clench in on itself. She would never spend that kind of money on a simple bracelet...for herself.

Zoe and Irene put four of them in their bag. They walked around the store for a bit and looked at all the different handbags, collectables and beauty supplies on the shelves.

Irene moved away from Zoe at one point and found a small dinosaur plushie on the shelf. She smiled and immediately had one person come to mind in that moment. She grabbed it and stuffed it in her bag.

"Hey, Irene look." Zoe poked her back. Irene turned around and saw a small lilac pouch with a girl embedded on it.

"Zoe.Irene." They both turned around to see Yui walking down the aisle with Pam and Yuna following behind her.

"Oh hi, Yui." Zoe smiled, joyfully.

"I thought you guys left us behind, which i guess i was right." She laughed with the passive aggressiveness lacing her words. Irene and Zoe glanced at each other with a breathy laugh.

"Guys...Should i buy this pouch?" Zoe asked, holding the pouch out. Irene nodded with her hands together. The pouch fit Zoe's look of light colors, but the other girls thought otherwise.

"Goodness, its kind of ugly. It doesn't really suit you." Yui smiled with her hand fisted by her pearly smile again. Irene knitted her eyebrows together in confusion and watched Zoe's smile and demeanor fall quickly.

"Yeah, Yui is right." Pam agreed.

"Look for something else~" Yuna smiled. Zoe made a sad face and put it back on the shelf. Her lips puckered in a pout as she put it down. Irene frowned and started to turn away when Yui grabbed the basket.

"A dinosaur? Aren't you a little too old to be playing with stuffed animals?" Yui smiled with her hand fisted by her mouth once again. Irene raised her eyebrow and looked down on Yui.

"No. If i want it im going to get it." Irene said with an icy tone.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to offend you in any way." She smiled with her own pout. Irene wondered if she came off a little harsher than she meant to when she saw Pam and Yuna give her a strange look and walk away.