Shopping
Johnny didn’t notice it at first. More specifically, he doesn’t know what to notice. But that’s not his fault. He’s never raised a tween before. He doesn’t know what they need.
But because of his inquisitive and paranoid nature, he does eventually notice when they’re at the laundry mat, and he sees that most of the clothes in the bag are his. So he starts to think about it, and he realizes he’s only seen Squee in maybe two different outfits, not including his pyjamas.
He watches Squee as he throws a load of laundry into a dryer. He cocks his head curiously. Why wouldn’t he point out he needs new clothes? Should I ask about it? What if it’s not a big deal? Of course it’s a big deal. He can’t just live with two outfits.
“Hey, Squee,” Johnny says, “do you need more clothes?”
Squee glances at him with surprise then looks back at the dryer. “Um… yeah. Maybe.”
Johnny sighs. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just… I don’t know… I didn’t want to trouble you,” Squee mutters.
Johnny groans and rubs his head. Of course he would be worried about me. He’s so damn selfless.
“If you need things, you can tell me,” he points out.
“But I know you don’t like shopping and stuff,” Squee says, “I don’t want you to… force yourself.”
Johnny groans again. “Squee, you know, you’re allowed to be a little selfish once in a while.”
Squee looks at him with surprise.
Johnny stands up and stretches his arms to the ceiling. “When the laundry’s done, we’ll go to the mall. You can get anything you want: clothes, accessories, whatever. Don’t worry about a thing.”
“Really?” Squee asks.
“Yeah,” he nods.
Squee smiles brightly, and Johnny has to look away, lest he be blinded.
After they finish the laundry, they drop the bag off at home and drive straight to the mall. Johnny parks the car in the parking lot and takes a second to glower at the offensive building beside them before heading inside.
“Alright, you can get anything you want,” Johnny repeats, “so lead the way. Go wherever you want to go.”
Squee takes a second to look around. He squeezes Shmee’s arms nervously before going in the direction of a nearby clothing store.
The boys spend the next few hours at the mall, moving from store to store. Johnny keeps his promise; he buys Squee whatever he wants. But of course Squee doesn’t buy anything outrageous. He picks out lots of different clothes: jeans, dark-coloured t-shirts, a few sweaters. He buys other things too, like new sheets and a quilt for his bed, a new lamp, and hygienic things too like a new toothbrush, shampoo and conditioner, and a hairbrush.
Despite being at the mall, Johnny doesn’t hate the whole situation. He actually kind of enjoys spoiling the kid, especially when he sees how happy it seems to make him. And Squee is indeed quite happy. He’s never been spoiled before. But even more than that, he loves spending time with Johnny.
After a few hours, the boys stop in the food court. They pick a small table and collapse on the chairs, enjoying the release on their legs.
Johnny looks around, surveying the area as he rests the shopping bags on the floor.
“I’m gonna go to the washroom real quick,” he says as he stands up. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” Squee nods as Johnny walks off. He rests Shmee on the table top and smiles contently.
