The Heart of Cars

Chapter 15

That pattern repeats itself for the next two days. On the day before the carnival, Brittany and the king show up at the hotel. I'm drying my hair with my towel in my usual jeans and t shirt that I stole from my dad's closet a few years ago. It's too cold for tank tops today and he hates this shirt. I look down at the Captain America t-shirt that I got for him on his birthday with my grandparents when I turned four. I wonder why he hates it so much. I shrug and go to open the door once I hear knocking. "Hey Brit! What are you doing here?" I look at the king confused and he nods, telling me it's okay that she's here. "I came to make sure you had a dress for tomorrow and, of course, the next day!" She grabs my hand and drags me into my room, leaving my dad and Brett to keep each other company.  As she looks through my very few dresses, she shakes her head and walks out once she is done. I quickly get off the bed and follow her. "Dad, can we go shopping?" Brittany asks her dad and I grab her arm. "Brit, come on. My dresses are fine. We don't need to go shopping."

"Don't be silly Jo. You girls can go shopping, as long as you follow some rules." Brittany rolls her eyes and sits on the floor. "What are your rules, Dad?"

"1. Sam and Colton can't  be anywhere near her. 2. Jolene is the only one allowed to get into fights, since I know she wouldn't do anything stupid. 3. No going crazy, two dresses for each of you and that's all. 4. Jolene drives, and you take her car." I nod as he is saying his rules and Brittany looks more and more down at each of them. She stands up to yell at him, but I put my arm around her shoulder. "That sounds reasonable, since I'm not even suppose to be allowed out of the hotel, isn't it Brit?" She mumbles and nods. The king smiles, motioning us out of the door. We get to my car and drive to the mall. We get out and I sigh knowing this will be a long shopping trip. "Yay! Where should we start?"

"I don't know." I shrug and follow her into the random stores and try on dresses she throws at me. After an hour or so, she finally said I found the dresses I could wear. One was black and reached my mid calf and had a halter top with spaghetti straps. I was going to wear that one to the festival. I got a red dress that reached my knees with a sweetheart neckline and straps that fall off my shoulders. That was the one for tomorrow night since it was exactly like Brittany's except her dress was a light pink. Her dress for the festival was black like mine and went to her knees with no straps and flowing bottom.  I paid for mine with my savings from working at the garage back home. Brittany paid for hers with her dad's credit card. When she offered to pay for mine, I refused. I don't like people paying for my stuff, so I'm glad I have a job back home. We start walking to the car and a girl walks up to us. "What are you doing here?"

"We are just shopping for the carnival and festival. What are you doing?" Brittany asks in a friendly tone. I put my bags down and step closer to my friend. "We are watching two girls fool themselves into thinking they are going to an adult function like this."

"Well then have fun watching us leave." I say grabbing our bags and Brittany's arm and begin walking out of the mall. I look around to see if I can find one of the soldiers that usually patrol the mall, like my dad orders. I see one and start walking towards them as those girls follow us. Shoot! I see that it's Colton. "Call your dad. Tell him we are going to go to the hotel with Colton."

"Wait that was one of my dad's rules! You aren't allowed to be near him."

"Well tell him that it is either us going back with Colton or him having some girls in the hospital." We get to Colton and he looks shocked to see us. "You can't be near me J."

"I know but I figured he would prefer this to me putting some girls bullying me and Brittany in their places." He laughs a little and looks behind us and sees the girls. He frowns and nods. "Lets go then. We can take my car."

"Or we can take my car which is one of the rules set by her dad. I'm already breaking one, I don't need to break another one." He shakes his head, "Of course you already broke one of his rules. All right, lets go in your car then. I mean it is the same car." I laugh a little and start walking to the car with Brittany and Colton.

*edited*