Love Will Find A Way (Sequel To Sands of Time) ~Complete~

Chapter 14: Mall Mayhem

The next month was very hectic for everyone. Exams for the term started a week after Atem had went to Atsuko's home. Needless to say that her father wasn't very impressed with the behaviour that she had displayed in front of her little sister but understood that she is a teenager and these things would happen. When exams were done it was December 23rd, two days before Christmas!

Atsuko had warned Banning and Asher that she was going to try and sneak out so she could go and get some Christmas gifts without her father realizing. She knew that if she came home with a bunch of bags her father would get nosy and try and figure out what she had went to buy. Thankfully, they agreed to stay behind and help make her father think she was still home but she had to send them updates every 15 minutes when she got to the mall. She snuck out the window of her study and with only her wallet and her motorcycle gear, making it less possible for someone to see her leaving. The closest mall was about 20 minutes but she purposely went to one that was about 45 minutes away, making it less possible for someone to recognize her. For some reason her popularity grew over the month of December, possibly due to her father's company obtaining many overseas contracts.

Atsuko wasn't surprised by the number of people at the mall, doing their last minute shopping or, if they were like her, just starting. Her exam schedule was so hectic she didn't have any time to do her shopping during the exam weeks. Her first stop was a jewellery store for her sister, buying her some new additions for a bracelet that she had. That stop went quickly. The second stop was for her father, grabbing him an antique watch that she noticed him looking at a few months back. Again, another quick stop. The third stop was for Banning and Asher, who would be receiving some new workout clothes since that's all she has ever really seen them do outside of watching her. This took some time since it seemed everyone else had that idea for whoever they were buying their gifts for.

The stops for Shou and Yoshirou didn't go as well. When she was picking up her gift for Yoshirou, a new carry-on bag because he was incredibly unstylish for an associate director of their father's company, the clerk noticed her immediately and began trying to sell her almost everything in the store. Then customers were asking to take pictures and such. She politely asked people if she could do so another time because she was in a hurry and she didn't want anyone to be left without what they wanted. Many understood but when she left the store she heard some people mumble 'snob' and 'prissy rich girl'. Those people followed her to her last stop, causing a large group to form around her. In one of her updates to Banning and Asher she said that she might end up on the news and asked one of them to make sure their father wasn't watching TV. They offered to come and get her but she said she had it under control still, so it was unnecessary. Shou was getting a pocket-sized projector, again something that he was eyeing since he was starting to get sick of all the troubles he was having when going to companies that didn't have proper cords and such.

With that, she quickly made her way to the parking lot, putting the items in the compartment of the motorcycle and starting it. However, she wasn't fast enough. There was a large group of people around her and she couldn't get out without having to do something a little risky. She asked politely a number of times for people to get out of the way but no one would budge. She had to take the risk and she started moving her bike toward the thinnest part of the circle. Some people moved out of the way but others didn't seem intimidated at all. "This is the last warning. If no one moves, I will drive through without hesitating." She said, much more authority in her voice than she would normally talk to people.

Revving the engine, she hit the gas and drove through the crowd, parting if like the Red Sea. She turned around to see if there was any damage but, instead, she was met with headlights. Some people had gotten into their cars and were following her. What is wrong with these people? She thought as she hit the throttle harder, causing her to speed off and to have to weave in and out of the traffic to try to lose them. There was one car, however, that had a very experienced driver, keeping up with her no matter what she did. I'm going to have to ditch the bike she thought sadly, knowing she would have to hide out somewhere until she would come and get the bike after she had lost her tail for certain. Quickly she moved to the an underground parking garage by her school and hid her bike in the corner, making sure no one could jump it and that the compartment was locked well before running off. She sent Banning and Asher the emergency text code they had determined before she left and ran for her life.