Dawn stood outside in the cold, bundled up. "Where is he?" She muttered under her breath, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "He should of been here by now." Uncrossing her arms, she paced around the seventh time.
The door behind her opened and closed. "You keep pacing around like that and you're going to start making a hole in the ground." Her Mom teased.
"Sorry,"she stopped. "I'm just waiting for Ace. He should of been here by now." It really isn't like him to be late, she started to get worried. What if something happened?
"He probably just got stuck in traffic." Her Mom broke her train of thought. "It is the holiday season."
"I know," she started to relax. "It's just that he promised to pick me up an hour after school." This was one of those times she had one of those phones that told her the time. Something to tell me the time.
As if she could read her mind, her Mom answered her question. "He's only five minutes late." Only five minutes? That's so unlike him.
Sitting down on the steps, she sighed. Where is he? "I thought your Dad was taking you out today?" Her Mom sat down next to her, close enough to Where their arms rubbed up against each other.
Biting her lip, she sighed once more. "No," Dawn lowered her head. "He forgot." Even through layers of clothing, she could feel the touch of a hand on her back. "At least I can still go." She muttered.
"I know you were really looking forward to going shopping with him." The hand started to rub her back.
"I'm okay Mom, really." She smiled slightly. "I'll still have a fun time with Ace."
Her Mom chuckled. "Of courses you will." The hand stopped rubbing her back and had disappeared. Now she was getting jabbed in the arm softly. "He's a real cutie, isn't he?" Her Mom teased.
"Mom!" Her cheeks were warm. "I-its not like that!" She began to stutter.
Her Mom laughed. "Sure it's not."
Dawn opened her mouth to say something but the thinking of a horn interrupted her. "Hurry up, the heaters running!" Ace's voice made her cheeks go from warm to burning.
"Have fun you two!" Her Mom called out.
Dawn opened the car door, slipped inside, and buckled up. "Dawn, why is your face red?" Is it red? She wished she could see her face, or hide it.
"Because I've been waiting outside in the cold for you." Crossing her arms, she huffed. "Really Ace, it's not like you to be late." A part of her wanted to be caught lying. Only a small part though.
His tone went a few notches down. "Sorry, didn't mean to make you wait." What did he just say? She uncrossed her arms. "Where did you have in mind?"
The car started up. "I want to go to the outlet mall." She rested the palms of her hands in her lap.
"The outlet mall, why?" The swaying was her only indication that the car was moving.
"I just want to do some Christmas shopping." She sighed. "Is that to much to ask?" The burning in her cheeks was gone. That's a good sign, right?
During the rest of the car ride, they rode in silence, and was still silent when they parked at the mall. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she opened the door and stepped out of the car. A breeze blew across her face, nipping at her skin. Why does it have to be so cold? Keeping one hand on the car, she made her way around, careful not to trip over the beam.
"Here." Ace broke the silence and put something metallic in her hand. Immediately she wrinkled her nose. My cane, she hated carrying it around.
"Do I have to?" She knew the answer, but she asked anyway.
"You have to Dawn, you can't walk around without it." Jerk, she bit her tongue.
"Yes I can." I'll do anything to walk around without this thing.
"Oh yeah, how?" He seemed to challenge her.
"I don't know," Dawn admitted. "But I'll try anything." She truly meant it.
The cane was ripped out of his hands. "Fine, you don't want to walk with the cane?" She shook her head violently. "Then you have to stick by my side." The words didn't fully process. "Promise me Dawn."
"Okay, I promise to stick by your side." She wasn't fully sure what she was promising, but if it meant not having to carry around the cane she would gladly do it.
He grabbed her hand, and once more, warmth bloomed in her cheeks. "Okay, lets go!" Before she could say otherwise, he was dragging her to the mall. Not that she was going to object.
"So, where to first?" His voice was drowned out by the voices of many people in the crowds. There's so many people here. She shouldn't of been surprised, considering it was the holiday season. Yet, it was overwhelming. What does it look like?
Her thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked into her. Landing on the ground, she winced. "Sorry about that." They pulled her up, but kept a firm grasp of her hand. That actually hurts.
"I'm here for you like I've promised." Her heart froze as she recognized the voice that was whispering in her ear.
With eyes wide, she gulped. "Who are you?" She whispered back, afraid of the answer.
"Dawn, where are you?" Ace shouted her from somewhere distant.
They released their grip on her hand before whispering in a voice that sent chills down her spine. "Everything will become clear soon."
Someone else grabbed her hand, but this hand was much more gentle. "I told you not to run off!" Ace started to scold her, but she caught him off.
"I'm sorry, I'll stay by your side." With what just happened, she didn't want to leave his side. Didn't want him to leave her side. She squeezed his hand and started walking. "Come on, before all the stores close!"
