New Life

The Mall

The bus slowly stopped and more people flooded in, great now I most likely won't have a whole row to myself. I quickly put my headphones in to avoid any conversation someone might try to initiate with me. I play my favorite playlist with all my older songs like Frank Sinatra and One Republic. I close my eyes and lay my head against the cold glass surface, which felt so nice compared to the heat of Los Angeles. I didn't open them again until I felt a tap on my shoulder at the next stop. Slowly and reluctantly I took my headphones out and looked up.

"Um hello, I don't mean to bother you but do you know the stop for the library?" A girl who looked a few years older than me. She wore a college jacket that was most likely at least a size too big for her small frame. She also had some grey sweatpants on and her black as night hair in a messy bun. She looked at me through her small thin glasses and looked visibly uncomfortable about asking me a question. Noticing this I give a light smile and answer.

"It will be in three stops, do you need to know where it is from there?" I ask.

"No, thank you! I actually know my way around L.A. I just haven't ever actually ridden the bus before." She explained. Giving a smile she sat down next to me and pulled her backpack in her lap.

After another stop mine was next, this seemed like a long ride yet so short at the same time. I get up from seat and squeeze my way out of the aisle and finally out of the bus. I walk down the sidewalk for about two blocks to the mall. It's a good sized mall, it has at least 150 stores and 20 places to eat, including five sit down restaurants.

I walk in a look around thinking about where I want to go first. I'm slightly hungry but I think I should wait till I go to at least two stores. I walk into the first clothing store I could find, Charlotte Russe, it isn't that big and honestly I know where I find the best clothes already so I go there first. I stroll around feeling all the fabrics and looking at the arrange of colors presented to me in the shelves and racks. I find a few things: a black short dress, a yellow tight crop top, a floral skirt, and a few pair of high waisted pants. After trying them on I pick two of the four pants I found and buy everything.

I wander around the mall some more trying to find a new shop that entices me when I feel my stomach rumble. I start to head to the food court and quickly make my way there. It packed, of course, and the lines are impossibly long so I decided to go with the store with the shortest line so that I'm not waiting in line all day.