2 kids

Effective time management.

Ashley.

My eyes roam over the clothes in the shop with excitement. Like a fire slowly being ignited again, I can't hide the excitement in my eyes.

"Ladies," Ciara says as we stand in a straight line. "It's time we show the boys how to spend three hours effectively."

Mae grins from ear to ear, Heather's eyes burn with excitement, Violet inhales and exhales sharply, Liana and Sophie chuckle at her words, and Nina turns to me with a smirk on her face.

We both remember our first shopping spree together. With her aunt and my dad's chauffeur. The chaos we unreleased, the two shops we got kicked out of, and the food we ate that night. That was the best start of a friendship I've ever experienced.

I smile upon the memory, and frown upon remembering my first impression of her. Oh, how wrong I thought I was. She's nothing of that moody, stuck up bitch I expected her to be. None of my friends have lived up to my first impressions of them, and I only wonder what they thought of me at first.

My rockstar friends have been given one day off, in the middle of the week. Only twenty four hours to do anything they want.

And the boys concluded spending the morning in the gym was the best decision.

They were gone by the time we woke up, all of them. Even Francis who has never lifted a single weight in his life. Yet he still looks lean enough to fool people. All that informed us about their whereabouts was a single note on the kitchen island – 'we're at the gym, don't expect us anytime soon'.

Heather immediately declared Ace or Ray must have written it, but threw it out afterwards. Without any boys lurking around, with blasting music through the house speakers, we got ready at our own pace. Had multiple concerts, karaoke sessions and dance breaks, managed to even sneak in a fashion show.

Then we took the remaining car and drove to the city, ready to shop.

Heather and Ciara are the first ones to step inside, already scanning what they're going to take. I follow Nina inside, Mae right by my side. Liana, Violet and Sophie head the other direction, starting at the other end.

Minutes pass by, and I don't grow tired. Though my arm is starting to ache under the weight of all the clothes I'm planning on trying on. I've been switching the huge pile of fabrics between my arms, both aching like I've been forced to hold planks for dreadful minutes.

I've picked up everything – from t-shirts, to shirts, to dresses, skirts, jeans. Under Mae's influence, even silky lacy underwear, red and black and neon pink, and two bikinis.

It's not my arms that will be aching by the time I exit this shopping centre, it's my credit card. I've already bought two books, barely restraining myself from buying more. Mae has been appointed by Alex to not allow me to spend all my money on books, and she's done a good job keeping her words. Bending her loyalty to me, but strengthening it for Alex.

We meet Heather and Ciara again in the dress section. Heather's eyes are scanning the section with black dresses, stopping mostly at dramatic pieces. Tight, glittery and standing out. Nothing ordinary, casual, can ever be seen on Heather. Nothing that would break the suffocating illusion of perfection.

"Red or black?" Heather holds two dresses up for comparison. The pile of clothes she's gathered so far lays on the floor, covering her feet.

"Black," Nina says without hesitation, Ciara adds shortly after. Mae and I take longer to voice our opinion, but Mae leans towards the black option eventually.

Leaving the decision to me.

"Both."

Heather snickers, "That's not what I wanted to hear."