All I never wanted

Part 1

It was Friday and I was at the mall with my best friends, Claire and Beth. We had decided to do something special that afternoon, because the school year was over and Summer had officially begun. We went shopping and later we were going to eat some ice cream and see a movie. I had really been looking forward to it the whole week.

"Guys, I really can't decide whether to buy this dress or not," Claire said, anxiously looking at herself in the mirror. "I think it makes my butt look big."

Beth and I exchanged an incredulous look. Claire looked beautiful as usual, but she would never admit that to herself.

"Are you serious?" Beth asked, rolling her eyes. "Your body is perfectly normal. In fact, you look like a goddess and it would be a crime not to buy it!"

I nodded in agreement. Blue was definitely Claire's color. It matched her eyes.

"Ok, fine, I'll take it. It's not expensive anyway," she smiled, convinced. We gathered our stuff and took it to the cashier counter.

After Claire bought her new dress and I paid for two T-shirts that I had previously found, we happily left the store and then stopped in the middle of the corridor to discuss what to do next.

"Let's go get something to eat," Beth suggested.

"Could we stop at Rossetti's first?" I asked. "It's just around the corner and I'll be really quick."

"Rossetti? The jewelry shop? Isn't it a bit expensive there?"

"Yeah, but my cousin is turning twenty-one in two weeks and we would like to get her something special. I promised my mom I'd check it out."

"Wow, I hope you do the same when I'm twenty-one," Beth laughed when we approached the store and gazed into the display window.

"O my god, look at all these beautiful things," Claire breathed dreamily. On white cushions lay a necklace, a bracelet and a ring from the same set, all made of white gold and blue heart-shaped glass. "I'm in love."

"You better not look at the price, then," Beth warned her with a smirk crossing her face.

"You're mean."

"Well honey, I swear I'll buy it all to you when I'm rich and famous. Let's go inside now."

They had even more beautiful jewelry in display cases inside the shop. There were necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches, charms and even little glass figures of all colors, shapes and sizes. I couldn't decide what I liked the most. I couldn't even memorize half of the things I saw.

"May I help you?" I heard a friendly voice and turned around to see a girl, not much older than me, coming closer to me from the cashier counter. She was wearing black clothes, a dark blue Rossetti bracelet and a badge with her name on it.

"Yes, please. I was wondering if you perhaps had a catalogue or something like that."

"Hmm, just one second," she answered and scratched her head thoughtfully. I could hear her murmur something to herself while she was opening the drawers and examining their contents.

"You know what, it's okay ..."

"No no, I found it. There you go. I'm sorry, I'm new here," she smiled apologetically and handed me the catalogue.

"Thanks," I smiled back and pointed at my friends. "We're just going to look around a little bit."

"Sure," she nodded and went to help another customer.

I was looking at some rings when Beth pulled my arm. "Did you see that guy?"

I shook my head and turned around. The man she was secretely pointing at was wearing a hoodie and a baseball cap which made it a little difficult to see his face. It looked like he was just randomly walking around the shop and that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Was he on drugs or something?

"He's hot!" she whispered excitedly.

"Are you serious?" I asked her, surprised. But then again, I thought, Beth always fell for the strangest type of men. She was the crazy one in our group.

"Yes, just wait 'til you see his eyes! They are like chocolate. And he has dreadlocks, isn't that cool?"

No.

"Ok. Anyway, look at this one, isn't it lovely?" I asked, but Beth wasn't paying attention to me or the jewelry anymore. Her eyes were still fixed on the same guy, who had walked towards us and stopped about four or five feet away on my right side. I still couldn't see his face distinctly and a tiny voice in my head warned me that something wasn't right. I made a furtive glance in his direction. He was talking to the shop assistant and I could suddenly see a frightened look appear on her face. I leaned a bit closer to them.

"Give me the cash," he ordered the girl quietly, causing her to jump a little. I wasn't sure I understood him correctly until I saw a gun in his hand.

I froze in the spot, unable to look away or move. I felt shivers go down my spine and I realized I was shaking. It was the worst nightmare I had ever had and I couldn't even wake up from it.

I heard Beth gasp behind me. The thief obviously did, too, because he looked at us and frowned. Seeing his sharp facial features and his cruel eyes was the only thing that could scare me more. He looked so merciless that I could easily imagine him shoot bullets through us without even batting an eye.

Just take everything you want and leave, I begged him in my mind and I knew the shop assistant was thinking the same as she opened the cash-register and emptied it with trembling hands. He grabbed the money impatiently and stuffed it into his pocket, then turned to me and Beth.

"Call your friend over here," he ordered in a low voice that didn't allow any disagreement. I hated the feeling that I was putting Claire in danger, but I had no other option.

"What's going on?" she asked, glancing at the robber. As soon as she acknowledged the gun, she covered her mouth and let out a muffled cry. I felt so terribly guilty because I knew that If anything happened to any of us, it would be my fault. It was me who insisted on coming to Rossetti's.

"Now stay here, count to one hundred and pretent like nothing happened or I'll shoot your friend." With that said, he took my hand and forced me into a tight embrace.

Everything became a blur and I could barely stay on my feet. It felt like having a swarm of bees in my body.

"Wait!" exclaimed Beth.

"What?! Do you want me to take you with us?" he threatened her and I could see she was actually thinking about it. Both me and Claire gave her a horrified look, although I had to admit to myself that her company would probably comfort me a little. She wasn't easily frightened.

"What are you going to do with her?"

I nervously bit my lip in expectation.

"Nothing - if you obey me. And don't even think about calling the security or police," he hissed and dragged me out of the shop.