Drive-Thru

Shopping

"For the nth time, Kars, can we please just go home?"

Erik, who was slumped in a chair, his back resting on a shoe rack, complained for the nth time as well. Paper bags sat beside his feet. Mostly hers. He had one, although that contained food (that only lasted for about a second, since Kars started munching it all due to her exhaustion). And even the word exhausted did not encapsulate what he felt. He just wanted to curl up in his bed and sleep.

"And you said no complaints," Kars grinned.

"I swear, I'm starting to regret that I used that cheesy pick up line. It's backfiring me," he argued, his arms crossed.

"Yep. And you can't leave me."

"Power dynamics."

"Hey. You promised, Erik. That we'll reserve this day for shopping. Now get your ass up and we'll try a bunch more."

She walked towards his direction. He was pouting, that's for sure. She snooped down and pinched his cheeks.

"You are so cute!"

"I'm not a baby!"

"That's right, because you're my baby."

That put a smile on his face. "And now it's your turn to use cheesy lines, huh?"

"That's right." She held his hand and pulled him to stand up. And when he did, she crashed on his chest. She forgot how tall he is and how he looked like a tower beside her. "Not here, dork."

"And now when I'm being clingy, you're being pushy. Indeed, the tides have changed," he noted. But Erik pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Kars held his hand and pulled away from the embrace. "So, no more complaints, mister?"

"Ha. You wish."

She rolled her eyes as she grabbed three of the bags. He also did the same. "How could I make you like shopping?"

"Ha. You wish," he repeated.

"Come on! We're breaking stereotypes here," she argued, "like we shouldn't be the typical couple when the guy doesn't like shopping and the girl wants to!"

"But I do hate shopping and you do like shopping, regardless of the stereotypes," he retorted. They walked past the shoe section and continued to the bags area. "This section, I could tolerate."

"You and your obsession with bags."

"Hey, I'm not using your shoe collection against you. Stay away."

"Fine. We're staying at the middle ground," she said. "Hmmm, if I bought you a bag, would you buy me a pair of shoes?"

They stopped at a rack full of backpacks. Kars knew it was his fatal flaw--he loved minimalistic backpacks, especially the red ones. She pointed at the middle one. "Like that one?"

Instead, Erik gave a straightforward answer. "No."

"What?" she said, her voice too loud that the other shoppers noticed her and stole a glance. She pulled him and hid behind the rack. "Why not?"

"I know what you want. It's too expensive." They were thinking the same thing--an plain orange Vans sneaker that she wanted to put some paintings on it. She doodled three of her shoes now, and it was the cutest thing ever. She did one on Erik's shoes as well.

"But it's on sale!"

"But it's 700!"

Kars faced him, raised her head, and rested her chin against her chest. "Please?" she said, mustering all her pleading voice appealing enough that he could not resist. "Please please please?"

"In two conditions."

"I'll do anything!"

Erik grinned. A small part of her brain thought, God, I have good taste in clothes. Since she picked his clothes for today--a Gryffindor dry-fit shirt paired with knee-length shorts and lopsider shoes that she bought for him on his 21st birthday. Random thoughts about him even on this situation. Really, Kars? she thought.

"First, you're not gonna buy me a bag, but we'll eat at S&R. Your treat."

"Today?"

"Uh-huh."

"Like, now?"

"Right after this conversation, we'll head there."

"And you'll buy me that sneakers?"

"Uh-huh. As a congratulatory gift for you being one of the top students in your college."

"Yay!" she screamed and hugged him tightly. "I love you!"

"You only love me when I buy you things," he said, with the tone like it's a matter of fact.

"No!" she argued. "I love you because you're you, Erik. And that you make me happy."

"This is getting cheesy."

"Uh-huh."

"And people are staring."

"Let them be. Envious bitches."

"Don't say that."

"What part?"

"Envious bitches."

"It's because they are." She pulled away and held his hand once again. They walked away from the bag section and towards the exit of the department store. "They're envious because I have a very handsome boyfriend."

"Keep on complimenting me. I like it."

"Oh, I'm just getting to your good side."

"Is that so?" Erik said. "Remember, I said I have two conditions."

She growled. "Fine. Spill the beans."

"We'll go home right after."

"What?" she shrieked. "This early? It's only 1PM!"

"We'll go home, cuddle, and watch another Friends marathon."

"Indeed, the tides have changed. Now you want to cuddle."

"I thought we're breaking stereotypes here."

"Yes! But we only bought a few clothes..."

"I'm tired, Kars. Let's just go home. I want to hug you all day instead."

Kars blushed. She gripped his hand tightly.

"It sounds like a good idea, now that I think about it."

"So, we're gonna eat and go home?"

She sighed. "Fine."

Erik and Kars walked along the hallway of the mall. And what mattered the most is that they're together.