Hold Me Close

Chapter Seven: Gift

-=Evan=-

It was about five fifteen when I decided to head off to the mall, grabbing my money clip out of my car door as I walked up to the mall's main doors. I saw a small brown rabbit run up to me. It was Amy.

"Hey Ev, what's up?" She said, catching her breath as she matched my pace.

"Nothing much. Any idea what you want to get Brandon for his birthday?" I asked, hoping for some inspiration. I still didn't know Brandon super well, but I wanted to get him something nice that he wanted.

"Well, I'm going to get him this chain that he wants, but if you're looking for ideas he really likes baseball." She said.

"Hey guys!" Jason called from a bench, where he and Alyssa were sitting. They stood up and walked over to us. "Ready to go?" He asked. Amy and I nodded, and we started to walk down the mall. We passed by many different shops, some selling clothes, some selling food and salons. Eventually we passed by a sports collectable shop.

"Hey, I'm gonna check this out, you guys go on and I'll catch up in a few." I gestued to the store and the rest nodded as they continued on. An employee waved to me as I came in, the motion sensor triggering a ding throughout the store. There was a heavy smell of air freshener as I walked down the aisles, gazing over signed sports cards and passing a rack of jerseys. Eventually I came by a shelf with a glass case that held about ten metal baseballs. One of them had. Boston Red Sox sticker on it, with a signature written on the metal. I looked at the price tag. Oof, $100. It was a bit expensive, but I was okay with it. I walked back up to the checkout desk, where the employee, a border collie, pulled out his headphones.

"Anything I can help you with sir?" He asked.

"Yeah, there's this baseball in a case that I want to buy." I told him.

"Okay." He said casually, walking out from behind the counter. I led him to the back where the baseball was. I pointed to it.

"That one please." I said. The attendant took the key from around his neck and unlocked the case, taking the ball out with a latex glove on. We walked back to the counter, where he run up the $100 dollars and wiped the ball down with a cloth.

"Want to buy a display case for an extra $15?" He asked, pointing to a glass cube on the shelf behind him.

"Sure, thank you." I said. Thirty seconds later I was walking back out into the stream of furs shopping. I switched the hand that I was carrying Brandon's gift in, being extra careful with it. I pulled my phone out, opening the group chat. A new message from Amy was there.

Amy: Ev, when you hurry your slow ass up we're at the Panera near where we came in.

Me: Coming rn.

When I got there, I saw the group sitting at a table. I walked over sitting down.

"I got you a sandwich Ev." Jason said.

"Thanks man." I said, picking the sandwich up and taking a bite out of it.

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-=Alyssa=-

I placed my spoon into my bowl, pushing my chair back as I stood up.

"Be right back." I said to the others, walking out into the mall without telling my friends where I was going. Truth is, I didn't know. Something had been bothering me for a while now, and I just needed a minute to think it over. Oh fuck it. I said to myself, unlocking my phone and texting Jason.

Me: I need to talk to you.

I looked around me to see where I ended up, spotting a row of vending machines.

Me: Go to the vending machines.

I waited for about two minutes before he walked around the corner. I waved to him and he came up to me.

"What's up?" He asked, cocking his head a bit to the side. I took a deep breath before looking him in the eye and answering.

"Jason...I like you." His emerald green eyes looked into mine, shocked. "I know you don't like me like that, but it had been weighing me down and I had to get it off my chest and out into the air." I added, lowering my head.

"I-I like you too." He said after a few seconds. My head quickly rose again to meet his gaze.

"Really?!" I asked. He grabbed my two cat paws, pulling me into an embrace.

"Yes really."

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-=Amy=-

What're those two doing? I asked myself. Alyssa jumped ship and a few minutes later Jason did as well. No sooner than I wondered was it answered. Both Alyssa and Jason came back into the restaurant...holding paws and claws or however the hell you'd say it. My eyes widened. I looked at Alyssa, then to her paw, to Jason, and back to Alyssa. Evan mouthed something that looked a lot like "What the fuck." They both sat down again, Alyssa winking at me.

"Ummm...care to explain?" Evan asked, breaking the silence.

"What does it look like?" Jason replied, a rather large grin on his face.

"Okaayyyy then." Evan said, finishing his sandwich.

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Hey, sorry this was a short and rather boring chapter. Just needed a quick filler to set up the next chapter, which will be extra spicy to make up for this one.