What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Trouble Into A Wreck

"Elli, I'm busy, baby. I'm sure the shop owners would be more than happy to help you." I'm on the phone with Ginni, trying my best to stay calm and connected while the giant mall is flooded with people. The other end is also loud and chatty, Ginni is currently in a tight spot with her boss, who had flooded her usual work. 

"It's so big, people are so tight around each other, and I don't know what my next stop is." I already have gotten groceries; they're in the car, but because I happen to have royal customers with special orders, I'm trying to get a gift for them. There are so many names on the list, and a lot of them had specifically written what they wanted, I should not have said they could only be gifted from the largest mall. 

"Go to a random shop and ask the employee if they have what you need." People are pushing against me, I had a gut feeling to not come today but there was another overwhelming gut feeling that I needed to come and now I wish I had listened to my first. 

"I don't want to repeat everything ten thousand times," I groaned at the thought of it, hissing when I was pushed against. Ginni was silent; her keyboard smashes were louder, that fucking boss of hers. The plan was to come with her because she had her own shopping spree plan, but her boss called last minute and ruined our date. 

"Just show them the lis-" my phone fell out of my hand from the impact of a kid bumping into me. I'm not going to worry about some kids; my phone was almost stepped on! Through pain and trouble, I found and got a hold of my phone, my forearm screaming against the bag, and robes rubbing deep into it. My ears are ringing from the loud thousand mini conversations echoing in the mall and even louder when the kid, still behind me, cries his throat off. 

"Ginni, I'll call you later!" I turned off the phone and turned around to a kid with light brown eyes, bangs in his eyes as he stared at the floor with teary and red eyes from rubbing at it. I slip my phone into my jean pocket with a struggle before squatting to his level. Goodness! Whose genes had made him into such a cutie! Jo, you are NOT going to kidnap a random kid just because. 

My heart was beating at the same time as his cries echoed, ever-so-often a few would stop to look at us. Bitch, no need to be loud with your insults, I can already hear what you're commenting. I can see them with your expressions.

"I'm sorry kid! Hey, shhh! It's okay. You're not hurt, are you-" I grab a hold of his tiny hand and my heart just leaped against my rib cage, why is he so cute!?. 

"Where's your mom?" I ask in a soothing voice, he cried harder which just shocked me and more people pointed the crying child out. 

"I'm sorry!" Should I cry with him? I want to cry!!

"Dad? Where's your dad?" It must be loud for him, he's just crying harder and not even looking at me! I pat his back gently but people are starting to flood and crowd so, with permission and letting him know, I picked him up while still patting him. 

"Stay with me, I'll take you to a quieter room." Scanning the area was hard itself, I can't see anything and people keep walking. I remember a room I passed by, so I tried my best to walk through the flood of people, through and against to try and get to the bottom floor safely. The moment we step foot on the escalator and get off,  I put him down. Good thing it's not too crowded down here, despite the many people upstairs. Finally, I set my shopping bags down as well. My arms have taken a light pink scar with the mark of the ropes. 

After a bit he seems to have calmed down. Only to complain that he didn't to go. I looked around and just walked into a stall. Yes, I took him to the girls bathroom, where else would it be possible to find a less crowded area? He couldn't take care of the business himself so I went to help him out, have him wash his hands before I washed his face, drying it with the paper towels in the vending. He's quiet, just looking in the mirror at me. Am I sweating? I awkwardly smiled at me, I just kidnapped a child...

"Are you okay now?" He nodded, making me smile cheerfully. Now I really want to kidnap him. A random kid just made me lose off that anxiety. He's a random kid, so I can't kidnap him. Feeling a vibration from my back pocket, I took my phone off and saw Ginni's name up before picking it up.

"Hey baby," I start off the greeting before a lot of worrisome questions was thrown back at me. 

"And you didn't call me back? Did someone kidnap you?" I smiled with my heart feeling soft and comfy, despite her being so busy, while still typing on those keyboards, she had time to worry about me and called. 

"Quite the opposite...." I stared at the kid who unconcernedly sat at the floor just by the bathroom door, playing with a nintendo switch that he got out of his backpack. Ginni was stunned, her keyboard still being smashed into writing who-knows-what. I laughed bitterly, spinning around, my back facing the kid. 

"I bumped into this cute kid. He was crying, my heart couldn't take it and I took him to the bathroom from all that hectic upstairs." Knowing the story now she doesn't seem as stunned. 

"I don't know why I reacted, of course you kidnapped a child." I groaned, no need to explain anything else to her. We talked for a bit before she had to hang up. I looked back at the child and it looks like he's done playing with his switch and is zipping his backpack up, looking ahead at me. 

"Are you hungry? I have candy but you shouldn't take food from a stranger...So I'll buy you a cookie just outside the bathroom. We're below the first floor so it shouldn't be as crowded." I opened the door for him to go first, showing him the shop just a corner ahead. 

There were some options, he didn't talk as much but did point at what he wanted. I checked around for myself as well, mint cookies?! My excitement got the best of me and I ended up ordering four of the mint cookies and a coffee to go, adding in what the kid ordered that happened to be a m&m cookie. How shameful, the kid is just staring at me. Don't judge, come on I didn't know mint cookies were a thing!

The cashier gave us the bags and my coffee, we sat on the bench outside of the shop and ate, he said he didn't want anything to drink, so I got him an orange drink just incase. I thought he was real shy but he sure finished the cookie before I had a sip of my coffee, took his orange juice only to struggle with the cap. 

"Here, I'll open it for you." I held my hand out, he looked at me weird and shook his head.

"You're laughing at me." He sulked, looking down. I was stunned and blurted out a laugh.

"I'm sorry, you're just cute." I gave him a gentle smile, he looked like he was going to brawl, how can I not find this cute? He still pouted and looked away from me, this kid! I'll be coughing like crazy if he doesn't allow me to laugh, my throat is itching to let the laughter out! I looked away, my hand against my mouth as the sounds try to escape. 

"You're laughing at me!" 

"Give me the bottle and I won't laugh at you." My mouth is still covered, I can't stop.

"Mhmm!" He gave me the juice so, I had to leave the poor boy alone. I twitched the cap open, closed it lightly and pretended to have a hard time opening it. He looked at me confused, saw me struggle and took the juice with an angry 'hmph' before jerking it open himself, surprised that he opened it. I acted surprised with him and hyped him up for opening the cap. He took it in his pride and looked away sassly, like 'yeah I could do it.'

I couldn't control the smile, he drank his while I finally had a sip of my coffee and offered a mint cookie. He didn't like it but still munched on it because his dad said to not waste food. Aww.

"We should find your dad, do you have any way-"

"I texted him, he said he'll come." His cheeks were puffed up, him slowly eating the tiny bits of the cookie. I just waited with him, a few people came and went up the escalator or out the exist. I learned some things about this random kid. I still have the want to kidnap him. He's gotten cuter. 

"But, some tigers can be friendly. You can't just also jum-"

"El Pasha." Both of us jerked up to see in front of us one fine dish to mankind. He looked down at me, shocked to see me as well as I was to see him. 

Baby Daddy.