Do Mind Maps Ever End?

Chapter 8

Light rimmed the dusty dirty looking curtains that just about hung from a rusty curtain pole.

"Morningggg." Gale said without much expression. I smelt hot bread and I walked into the kitchen to see Gale had come back with a long French stick. It looked good as he ripped a bit off the top and took a bite. He held the bread out to me and I ripped a bit off.

"Freshly made this morning."

I nodded. I knew pretty well that Gale had not paid for the roll, not that it bothered me at all.

"Plans for today? Shopping!"

"Don't you need money for shopping?" I asked blatantly.

"Not this kind of shopping." Gale said with a chuckle.

He poured us both a glass of yellowish looking water from the tap and I washed down the bread which was like heaven that melted sweetly on my tongue.

"You need clothes anyway, police will be after you if they see you roaming about with a uniform."

I just stared at him hardly registering what he was saying. I was looking forward to seeing this, I was looking forward to the thrill of taking something that did not belong to you. Gale described it as borrowing for a while because when we work and pay taxes we will be paying it all back. I liked the way he thought. I didn't want to admit it but I liked Gale. I liked the way he lived and he was almost a type of inspiration for me.

Gale and I walked straight into the busy City Mall. From the other shoppers view we were probably a young rebellious couple ditching school. Just two more kids destined for unemployment. I hate judgement. Judgement can get you into thoughts and worlds that you did not even anticipate.

"Here's a shop. Go pick something nice and then I'll show you the ropes."

I walked into a huge store. I had been here with my mum once. She had grabbed me by the hand and pulled me round the shop, sighing at the price tags.

I flicked through the rails not really seeing anything to match my new image. Then I saw it. It was something I never would have wore. Tight, revealing, black. I picked a black dress with buttons all down the front. The bust was tight and low and the skirt was short and flowy. I picked it up and admired it. It was so cool. I put the dress over my arm and picked up a pair of black laced boots at the shoe "heaven."

"What took you so long?" Gale looked at me as I walked up to him.

He looked down at the dress and smirked.

"What?"

Gale shook his head.

"Just show me what to do, idiot."

Gale put his hands up in mock defence.

"Watch and learn." He said maliciously.

He looked around and ripped the label off the dress, it fell to the floor and he kicked it under the stand where a unclothed manikin was watching us. He looked around him and stuffed the dress under his t-shirt and walked away out the door. He mimed something to me and I looked down at the boots in my hand he told me to put them on. I went into the corner and slipped my shoes off and kicked them under the clothes. I pulled the label off the boots and stepped into them. They were so soft and fitted me perfectly. I then walked out swiftly trying not to look guilty.

"Easy!" He said with a smile. He ushered me towards the toilets and shoved the dress into my hand.

"Try to use the door this time, not the window." He said with a wink.

I took the dress and went into a cubicle. As I removed the uniform I wondered where I should put it. I wondered if it would be the right thing to throw it in the bin. I slipped the dress on and it fit like a glove. I ran my hands down my hips and found curves. I stepped out of the cubicle, quickly throwing my uniform in the bin and I walked over to the full length mirror.

I was shocked. I looked amazing. The dress fit my figure perfectly and I looked at least five years older. I walked out and Gale was leaning against the wall. He looked up and shock came across his face.

"WoW." He said as he wolf whistled.

I hit his arm hard and told him to stop being an idiot.

Gale rubbed his arm and laughed.

He put his arm round my waist and slid his hand down lower. I then grabbed his wrist with my nails and twisted his arm so he was looking straight at me.

"Im not that kinda girl." I said hissing through my teeth.

Gale's eyes filled with fear.

"Sorry dude."

"Yea well don't try anything like that again." My eyes fixed on him I sent him the message that I meant it and he knew it.

Gale "picked up" a few things throughout the day. He told me how you should never go over the limit of five and that you should never be seen twice in the same shop in one month. He picked me up a pair of awesome black skinnies and black converse and a cheap black t-shirt from Penney's which had a skull on it. We amazingly never got caught or even no second glances. I noticed how Gale's eyes always lingered a bit too long on my chest area and I was starting to regret my dress choice. Gale was so intriguing he told me about his life with Leo and how they were close but he was gone a lot. Gale and Leo's parents had died when Gale was seven and Leo was ten. They had been put in a foster home which had gone wrong, how he didn't say, but Leo and Gale had ran. We really were so much alike we had shared so many experiences which brought us to this point of hatred and not caring.