Ellis in Wattpadland

Chapter Eight: Mall Rats

Chapter Eight

Mall Rats

From: No particular book, just a bunch of stuff that happens (by me)

With assistance from Saturn137

Lori ran through the mall, trying desperately to lose the Starbucks mall cops. Until she realized, they had given up almost immediately. No way were they interested in pressing charges for theft of invisible rays that are given away for free anyway, especially if it means running.

Lori slowed as she continued to look over her shoulder, just in case one of the mall cops might be taking his job seriously. She needn’t have bothered. Plus it would have been a good idea to keep facing forward as she bumped into someone, knocking them both to the ground.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry!” Lori apologised, helping the other girl up with her packages. “Are you okay?”

“That’s alright. I’m fine,” replied the girl, standing and brushing herself off.

Lori looked at the girl. Something about her was so familiar. “Excuse me, but do I know you?” she asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” the girl replied as she checked her packages.

Lori had an idea. “Melissa?” she asked. The girl looked up and Lori knew she was right! “Melissa? Saturn137! It’s me, Lori! LivingDeadGirlxox?”

Melissa finally realized who Lori was, and the two Wattpad friends who had never before met laughed and hugged.

“I don’t believe this!” Melissa laughed.

“I know, right?” said Lori. “What are you doing here?”

“This is my mall!” Melissa told her. “I shop here all the time!”

Lori was suddenly struck speechless with understanding. When her mouth was once again operational she squealed, “So this is the real world? This is Earth, and I’m back? And all I have to do now is get home from Australia? In my pyjamas? Without a passport? That’s easy!”

The two girls jumped and hugged and squealed together while indifferent Australian mall patrons wandered past.

“So what are you doing for the rest of the day?” Lori wondered.

“No plans,” said Melissa. “Why, what do you have in mind?”

“Well, I’ve still got just a bit of Wattpad magic left, and I was thinking…”

The two girls gave each other a knowing look before they both yelled out:

“Mall Montage!”

(A/N: To enjoy a montage you really need to hear the music. If you know the song please hum through the next section. Or listen to the audio file "^_^")

Suddenly every speaker in the mall started playing Cyndi Lauper singing Girls Just Want to Have Fun, as the girls laughed their way through a madcap series of short clips:

• Lori trying on high heeled shoes at Frederick’s of Hollywood. Melissa brings her a pair of twelve inch platforms with studs and zippers. They look at them and laugh!

• Lori and Melissa in the video game parlor, shooting video zombies. Melissa pretends to be a zombie and tries to eat Lori’s brain. Lori shoots her with the laser gun.

• Melissa and Lori getting samples at the chocolate shop. Melissa takes one. Lori takes one, then another one, then another one, until Melissa laughs.

• Melissa knocking on the change room door in the Surf Shop while Lori is trying on bikinis, refusing to come out.

• Lori returns to the plastic seats in the passport office with a ticket labeled “93”. She and Melissa look up at the board as it lights up, “7”. They turn to each other and laugh.

• Melissa and Lori carrying packages down the escalator. Melissa suddenly remembers something, turns and runs up. Lori looks around and has to run after her, pushing past several people.

• Lori and Melissa start a food fight in the food court.

• Lori and Melissa singing karaoke in front of a green screen, as they are displayed outside the Karaoke Shop on gigantic TV screens in the mall.

• Melissa going into the door of the Starbucks. Lori runs up to her and steers her away.

And then with the final chords of the song,

Montage Ends

Lori was standing between the racks of clothing, looking through her choices – a pair of jeans, two skirts in different sizes, and a blouse. She turned and headed toward the change rooms at the back.

“Wait!” cried out Melissa. She ran up to Lori and handed her two more items. “I told you I’d find a blouse to go with this skirt!”

Lori looked at Melissa’s choice. “Okay, we’ll see,” she said doubtfully.

As they approached the change rooms a sales clerk in an enormous pink ball gown met them.

“Did you want to try those on?” she asked pleasantly.

Lori looked up at the familiar voice. “Wendy!” she screamed, throwing her arms around her good friend as best she could without getting any hangers snagged in the pink tulle fabric of the gown.

“Lori, it’s so nice to see you!” Wendy said happily. Then with a conspiratorial wink she asked, “So how did you enjoy your little side trip to Wolfgard?”

Lori got a mortified look on her face. “Oh Wendy! I’m so sorry. I think I may have messed up your story!”

Wendy smiled. “That’s all right Sweety! The only important thing in that story is that Eric and Lori are soul mates, eternal lovers. I’m sure there’s nothing you could have done to change that.”

Lori grimaced, and decided to change the subject. “So are you here to help me get back home?” she asked.

“Of course!” Wendy told her. “It’s easier than you could ever imagine. But you want to try these on first, don’t you?” The sweet tone of her voice took on a bit of an edge as she added, “I work on commission you know.”

“Oh, sure!” Lori said. She handed the items to Wendy.

“Now let’s see here,” Wendy said sweetly as she examined the items. “One pair of jeans, I love this skirt, two blouses, two more skirts…”

Wendy stopped. She went through the items again, and her attitude changed completely.

“You’ve got six items,” she said with a trace of annoyance in the tone of her voice. “The sign clearly says, No More Than Five Items in the Change Rooms!”

Lori was taken aback by Wendy’s sudden change of attitude. “I – I’m sorry, Wendy. Can you just put this one back for me?”

“What do I look like, your mother?” asked Wendy, starting to get worked up. “You think I’m going to spend my day, picking up after you, putting your things away?”

“I’ll just put it back myself!”

“You girls think you can just walk in like you own the place!” Wendy fumed. “The sign says five items, you get five items!”

Wendy raised her wand and pointed it at Lori. Lori found herself falling toward a swirly thing…

Bloop!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: This was my one chance to go shopping with Wattpad friends. Of course I took it! (And I'm sorry Wendy, please forgive me!)

Tommorow's chapter is a story many, many of you have been asking for!