All Is Silence - Deserted Lands #1

Chapter 15 - Part I

LIZZIE PUSHED THE MALL DOOR open at the entrance to the food court by the movie theatre. Her nose scrunched; the big open seating area smelled like rancid grease and old pizza. Gone was the heavenly scent of cinnamon rolls. She heard skittering noises and saw a flash of dark fur as they came in. “God, I hope that was a cat.”

Spike wouldn’t come in. Something about all the glass seemed to set him off.

The short ride had put Saj to sleep in the car seat. Zach carried him in and set the car seat down outside the entrance to the theatres. Then he raced in and vaulted the concessions counter. “Soda? Popcorn? Only a hundred dollars.” He dumped popcorn kernels into the popper.

Lizzie laughed. “We’ll take like two mega-super-gigantimous sodas.” She grabbed Nev’s hand. “It’s like our first date.”

Nev squeezed her hand back. “We haven’t decided what to see, yet.”

“What about Star Wars Episode IX?” Zach offered thoughtfully. “Or something romantic, what do you think, young lady?”

Zach leaned over the counter conspiratorially and whispered in Nev’s ear. “You wanna get a kiss at the end of the date? I’d suggest the new Nicholas Sparks film.”

“Oh, I’d love that,” gushed Nev.

Lizzie broke character. “The kiss or the movie?” She felt warm inside. “Do you know how to run a movie, Zach?”

“Don’t know. Never tried.” He grabbed soda cups. “What kind do you want, girls?”

Lizzie answered, “Coke. Classic. Or Vanilla.” The smell of popcorn got her mouth-watering. “We should try.”

“Try what?” Zach handed her the giant cup.

“Starting a movie.”

“I want a diet Coke,” Nev said, “I know it’s weird; I like the flavor. No ice. I might chew it.”

“You know what they say about girls—” Zach grinned and raised an eyebrow as he poured the soda. “Maybe I could—”

Zach was the same old Zach again. His pissy attitude had degenerated into teenage lust.

“Zachster.” Nev took the diet Coke and sucked loudly on the straw. “Keep dreamin’, buddy.”

Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Besides, she’s my date.” She pulled Nev into a hug. “We came here to shop.”

“Okay,” Zach said. “You girls go shopping; I’ll see if I can get a movie going.”

“You sure?” Lizzie asked. “The baby? Saj?”

“Leave him here.” He nodded toward the sleeping baby in the car seat. “If he wakes up with a messy diaper, I’m calling you.”

“Keep him with you.” Lizzie thought of the dogs and the shape she’d seen. “Keep him with you, okay?”

Zach caught her drift and his face turned serious. “I will.” He picked up the car seat and a drink and headed into the theatre.

Lizzie turned to Nev. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“What’s the most expensive place here?” Nev sipped her soda as they walked out of the theatre.

“You’re asking me? I don’t shop here.” They rounded the corner past a jewelry store—one of the few with closed doors, it looked like someone had tried to force it, but, unlike most of the other stores, it had withstood the assault.

“Okay, well. Let’s find one. Race you.” Nev put her soda down on the floor and ran.

Lizzie glared at Nev as she raced away. Nev had always been slim and had never filled out like Lizzie. “Bite me.” She hadn’t beat Nev in a foot race since they were twelve.

Nev ran back towards her. “Come get me.”

“What the hell.” Lizzie set her soda down by Nev’s and took off after her. Nev let her catch up as they entered Macy’s at the end of the mall.

Nev piled a cart full of clothes. She kept squealing and holding things up against Lizzie. “Perfect,” she would say. Or, “This is exactly what you need to set off your eyes.” Lizzie wondered what she had gotten herself into. They went into the handicapped changing room with the entire cart.

Half an hour later, Lizzie and Nev both had new clothes—perfect fits, clean underwear. Lizzie had to admit she looked nice in the clothes Nev had picked. And Nev looked even better. Even if the clothes were terrifyingly normal. Nev had classy taste and trying on clothes for her gave Lizzie a warm, safe feeling.

Lizzie pushed the cart out of Macy’s; alarms went off as they passed the doorway.

Nev took the cart. “Better get those stupid plastic thingies off so we don’t have to cut them later.” She pulled the cart up to the checkout counter and tossed everything up there. With a practiced motion she pulled the clothes through and removed the security tags.

“Wow,” Lizzie marveled. “You’re good.”

“I worked last summer at Wet Seal in the Capital Mall. Helped pay for books and fees.” Nev tossed the clothes in the cart and they passed through the security sensors without any alarms.

They’d found outrageously expensive and sexy bras at Victoria’s Secret with the threat to torture Zach later. Lizzie grinned at Nev. Only at the end of the world would Lizzie be found shopping at a mall instead of a thrift store.