Incomplete

Incomplete chapter 17

Incomplete: Seventeen.

     "C'mon, let's go already!" Lyssa yelled with one foot out the door.

     "I'm coming, coming!" I yelled back, shoving my arms through my jacket sleeves. I rolled up the sleeves to just below my elbows, zipped up the front about 3 inches, then walked out the door.

     "I don't get why you're wearing a jacket," she laughed. "It's, what, sixty degrees out?"

     "Hey! ...Fifty-eight," i stuck my tongue out and she burst out laughing. Smiling, i wrapped one arm around her waist and we started walking in the direction of the mall.

     "I'm so glad i live so close," she mumbled, leaning her head on my shoulder as we went. I just nodded as we passed another couple - a boy and a girl - on the other side of the street. They were staring at us.

     I looked away from their judgmental eyes, fixating on the streets ahead of us. I did not - would not - let go of Lyssa. Especially not because of people like them: people that couldn't handle our type of relationship. Still, their eyes on us made me shift a little away from her, feeling uncomfortable. Lyssa noticed, and i pulled her closer again.

     "Something wrong?" She asked. I smiled at her.

     "Not at all," I lied.

--

     Hot Topic was about as crowded as it will ever be at one time. Two or three shoppers walking around, glancing at different items, but never reaching for a thing. I didn't think i'd ever seen anyone actually buy anything here, besides people i was with. I had bought plenty of stuff, i guess.

     Lyssa had immediately rushed towards the back of the store, towards the band T-Shirts.

     "Auden, look at this one!" She yelled, pointing towards the top. I smiled and walked back to her.

     She was pointing to an Avenged Sevenfold shirt at the top. It had a skull with wings coming out of it on the front. It was almost like looking through shattered glass, and there was red splotches all over the shirt. Blood, maybe?

     "This is really cool," I told her, smiling. She nodded.

     "Do you like any shirts here?" She asked.

     I let my eyes roam the different selection: Lady Gaga (what the hell?), 3OH!3 (more reasonable), Paramore (hell yes!), Avenged Sevenfold (of course), Lamb of God, Sublime, Blink 182, etc. Nothing that really grabbed my attention.

     "Ehh, not really my cup of tea here," I answered her, turning to look at the belts. I really needed a new one, and i loved the ones here.

     "Suit yourself," she shrugged, walking over to the body piercings. I smiled as i watched her sifting through them, no doubt trying to find something normal for her ears. She didn't have any gauges or anything, just a few holes going up her ears. Four, maybe?

     I put my hand up to my own ears: two piercings on either one. I sighed, feeling boring as ever, as i began to look through the belts.

     I always found the same belts here: green squares with black lines, rainbow squares, white...and then the bullet belt. That one always made me laugh when i saw it.

     "Auden! Auden!" Lyssa came running over to me.

     "What is it?" I asked, giving her a hug.

     "I have an idea," she answered, smiling.

     "And that is...?"

     She put her finger to her lips. "A secret." Then she grabbed my arm and pulled me out of Hot Topic, running down the halls, weaving through the crowds of people.