Delinquent For Christmas

Chapter Nine

        Ever sine we left the shelter, and the whole ride to the mall, the only thing on my mind was Zachary. If I closed my eyes, tried to blink away the memory, I could only see one thing: him. They he smiled, and his green eyes sparkled, and he just looked peaceful, happy, carefree. He looked like a beautiful angel.

         Maybe that's just my mind's image...

        What can't I stop thinking about him? I need to! I can't afford to be thinking things like this. And he's not even the boy I'm supposed to be going out with!

        This is why I need things to work between Max and I. They just have to...

        "So, you ready to shop 'til we drop?!"

        "I don't really have a choice. I am shopping with you."

        "Meh!"

        Okay, now I see why we're friends...

        "So, where should we start? Least favorite stores, and work up?"

        "Moll, that's always the plan. And as always, it's a waste."

        "Good point. Favorite store it is!" She grabs my hands and pulls us into a run.

        The mall was busy with late Christmas shoppers and kids lined up to see Santa before he had to go off delivering presents. Packed in places, deserted in others, but Molly knew her way around a store-especially this mall-backward and blindfolded.

       We weren't in there maybe five minutes before Molly already had three "to die for!" dresses. I had an idea of what I wanted, but nobody is as good a shopper as Molly. There's no competition.

        I wanted something red. You know, for the Holiday. So I just skimmed the colors section for something to jump out at me. Molly kept going, "How about this one?" "This one?" "Ooh, this one's...nice?"

        Molly and I weren't even the same size, because I was so much taller than she was. We were the same shoe size, though. Something else that makes us both great friends. We both loved shoes...

        And clothes...but shopping was so much easier for Molly than it was for me. I'm just pickier, I guess...

        I was about to give up, just walk right out. I turned to leave, too. But I saw it, and all of my attention had been captured.

        It was on the returns rack. I ran to it, checking it out. My exact size. "Can I try this on," I ask the cashier. The lady spared me a sideways glance, shrugged, and went back to reading her magazine. Her feet wee kicked up on the counter, tapping to the beat of whatever music she listened to through her headphones.

        It was a perfect fit. I love the way it feels and how it stopped about halfway to my knees. It was a strapless red dress, sparkly on the top half, and had a black belt on it, with a bow. It was "the perfect" dress. I was "in love."

        I walked out of the dressing room, stopping in front of Molly. "This one," I tell her.

        She looks up. A smile of approval pops on her face. "That one," she agrees.

        We walk around the mall for an extra hour, just buying anything we liked. Molly and I had gotten all of our Christmas shopping done weeks ago. We tend to get it done early, so we can shop more for ourselves later. Well, it's mostly Molly, but that's her motto...

        We went back to her house, I got changed, and let Molly do some "light" make-up.

        We were just chilling in her room, but a huge crash rang through the air. We exchanged looks.

        "Where did that come from?"

        The boys is the only thing I could think as I leaped to my feet, ran out of the bedroom, rn down the hall, down the two flights of swirly stairs, through the main hall, out the door, down the hill, and throw open the storage room door. First thing I notice are the metal storage units scattered around the floor and dog food pellets everywhere. Then the two boys standing across from each other in the middle of all the mess. They looked a mess themselves, like they'd been wrestling maybe? Which would explain a lot...

        Then there's Zachary, just standing there, staring down at his hands. He cradles one in the other. It was red and swollen, irritated. Like he'd punched something. Something...Hopefully not someone.

        Molly strolled in, taking in the condition if the place. "Whoa What the Hell happened in here?" She looks from the floor, to one boy, to the other, and to the floor. Max shoots a look at Zachary, like "yeah, what did happen here?"

        That's all I needed.

        I navigated my way over the mess cautiously, stomping over to and stopping right in front of Zachary. "Go home," I demand, slamming my car keys down hard into his tangled up hands.

        He just looks down at the keys now in his hands, like he couldn't believe what was happening. Then his gaze slides to me, a begging look, unbelieving. Like, "are you serious?" I shoot  look back, "dead serious."  He shakes his head in disbelief, fisting his hands together hard, scoffing, turning away from me, breaking my heart. His eyes sift to Max, who smirks. He scoffs, growling in frustration and trampling off-while trying not to trip on the way out.

       It takes a lot more than self control and everything I have to make myself stay, to keep myself from racing after him. Max just stands there, arms crossed, watching him go. A pleased smirk of a smile on his face.

        Irritated, I slam things out of the way in an attempt to pick up. "I don't know what happened, and I don't care, okay? Just get this place cleaned up."

        It took us two hours, but we finally got the stock room to being-well, close to-as good as new. It was close to four in the afternoon. Molly and I went back to her room. I collapsed down onto her bed with a deep sigh. I was tired. And still thinking about earlier...

        "Wanna just stay here tonight? Parents will be back later tonight Max and I are supposed to get the house "presentable," then everyone is going to do the decorating and baking for tomorrow night."

        "I would love to help you guys. I would love to spend the night with you. I do not feel like returning to The Land of Craziness tonight."

        "So, you're staying?"

        "Yes, I'm staying."

        I pull out my cell to call my parents. The battery was low. Great. So I text my mom, instead, and have just enough juice to send it, before the screen blinked dead.