the manuscript || Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 6: Wet Seal

It was difficult not hearing from Leo after our date, and when I tried to call him his phone was always busy. I had been sulking around the house when Ren came over to me.

"Hey, they're hiring at Wet Seal in the mall for the holiday season. Would that be something you'd be interested in," she checked as she showed me the resume that needed filled out.

"It sounds like it could be fun. I mean, if I'm not sure about my profession, at least I could work somewhere that I love. They have such cute clothes," I mainly commented to myself. I was still caught up in my own world like I had been the past week.

"I'm sorry that my Christmas present upset you so much," my sister apologized as she sat next to me at our bar in the kitchen.

"No, it was the best present ever, and it still is. I just thought I would be talking to Leo sooner, or at least again. I guess he was lying when he said he wanted to see me again," I reckoned, finding a pen, so I could start filling out information.

"He could just be busy. He is a famous actor." She reminded me as she tried to put on her most convincing face.

"No, the way he acted before he left... If he had meant it, he would've contacted me by now. So, do I need to take this down to the mall myself?"

"Yeah, they're hiring super quick. I think a few people quit, because they already went through this in November."

"Okay, I'll head down there right now." I grabbed my car keys before going out to my violet Volkswagen Beetle. It wasn't long before I reached the closest mall, running inside to beat a big group that had just arrived. It felt nice to be in the spacious hall with the distant chatter. Something about being in a mall made me feel happier, except for how my heart was racing with anticipation at the moment. I eventually found Wet Seal, going straight inside to find the manager. Thankfully she wasn't too busy and was able to give me an interview right away. I kept worrying if I was doing a terrible job, but she hired me on the spot.

"I'm so glad you came in today. We've been struggling to get people to apply. I think it's because there are so many other stores to pick from," she explained.

"I love shopping here, so I can't imagine picking another place. Do I get an employee discount," I questioned.

"Yeah, 15 percent on anything. Can you start right now? One of the girls called in sick, so we're low on workers."

"Yeah, no problem. Can I call my sister first though? She might wonder why I'm gone for so long."

"Yeah, a phone's right over there," she nodded before speed walking to assist a customer.

Once I got things straightened out with Ren and she stopped congratulating me, I went behind the front counter. It was exhausting not being used to working, especially with the rush hours when teens were off from school. I had to make sure none of them shoplifted, and a lot of them had questions. It was funny to see boyfriends dragged in there, annoyed that their girlfriends were spending at least an hour browsing. It was a relief when my shift ended, me picking up some McDonald's on the way home. I got Ren her favorite order of a Quarter Pounder and extra fries. I just went with the standard Big Mac combo, glad that the food was still warm when I got home.

"So, how did your day go? I'm so happy you were hired so fast," Ren positively remarked.

"It was tiring, but it will be worth it to help with payments here, and to keep my mind off of Leo ghosting me."

My heart leapt when the phone rang, and I stupidly started thinking it was him. As I stood there processing everything, Ren had already picked it up.

"Hello," she asked as she leaned against the wall. "Oh hey, Mom. Yeah, everything's good here. We're just having McDonald's for dinner. What are you and Dad having? Okay, I'm happy with what I have, but beef steak with gravy and mashed potatoes sounds amazing. Could we come over tomorrow for leftovers? Thanks," she beamed as I just crossed my arms and studied the carpet. "We love you too. No, he hasn't called yet. Evie's sad about it, but she's doing okay. She just got a job at Wet Seal in the mall, so she's keeping busy. Yeah, we'll see you soon too. Bye."

After she hung up I went ahead and started setting out our food from the paper bag.

"I'm sorry. I could tell you thought that was Leo calling," my sister apologized, pressing her lips together in sympathy.

"It's okay," I lied, bringing out our own ketchup from the fridge, since I forgot to ask for any at the drive-thru.

"On the bright side, Mom has the best leftovers for us tomorrow night."

"Why do I feel like I broke up with him? We just hung out for one day," I emphasized, only half listening to what she just said.

"Because it was everything you ever dreamed about happening. It's hard not to miss someone when all you've had is good moments."

"Well, I did fight with him a little about buying things for me," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's nothing. I'm sure you'll feel better by Christmas. I mean, it's the happiest month of the whole year. There's so many things that can cheer you up. We have a bunch of hot chocolate," she mentioned.

"I know, and I'll be okay," I reassured her before we started eating our meal.

I was starting to doubt the magic of Christmas as I kept feeling more sad. All I thought about day and night was my first date with Leo. And I missed how he held my hand, and seemed to get me more than anyone ever had. I think I was starting have a false sense of feeling better, since I had to be so jolly with all the customers passing through.

"Do you have this dress in a green," a girl asked with crimped blonde hair.

"I'll go check in the back. What size do you take," I professionally asked.

"I'm a medium. Thank you," she chirped as I disappeared, finding exactly what she wanted. "I'm so happy that you found it! Can I just pay now?"

"Yeah, there's not a line at the counter right now," I reacted, punching in the numbers before giving back her change. Shortly after she left, I thought I was seeing things when I saw a guy walk in with a baseball cap covering his face. He reminded me of Leo with how tall he was, and just his sense of style. It was odd to see that he came in alone, since most guys were with a girl.

"I'm getting a present for this girl I really like. Her favorite color's purple, and I'm pretty sure she likes flowers, because I gave her an orchid on our last date," he spoke after leaning his arm on the counter, my eyes widening when they locked with his. They were that familiar ocean blue, and my cheeks were beet red from the surprise.

"What are you doing here," I whispered. "I thought you just decided to ignore me."

"No, I was busy with getting things sorted out for my next movie. I wanted to call you, but I just didn't have the time."

"How did you know that I was working here," I curiously asked.

"I went to your house, and your sister told me where you were. I figured if I hadn't answered your calls for this long, I should contact you in person. I wanted you to know that I was genuine."

"So... You did know about my calls?"

"Yeah, but stuff kept coming up, and then it was too late to call. So, what time do you get off here?"

"When the mall closes, so like 8 tonight."

"Would you be up to getting something to eat then?"

"Yeah," I replied, feeling myself naturally starting to smile. "What did you have in mind?"

"I want to surprise you, but trust me, it will be good. Ren told me about all the meals your mom's been making for you. It'll be hard to top those."

I giggled as I just kept smiling more, glad to see him just as happy as me. It felt like I was back in that surreal dream, only it was a continuation.

A/N: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :) I've never been to Wet Seal, but I found out it was a store from the 90s. Please remember to comment, vote, and follow. Thank you so much! <3