looked back at me one more time and said, “I hope you and I can be friends, Avery. I’m not so bad once you get to know me.”
“Yeah, sure,” I mumbled, glaring at her back as she left the room. What could possibly make her think I was interested in ever being friends with her? She wasn’t any different from anyone else that had come before her. She would be out of our lives soon.
Chapter 11
“You know I hate shopping,” I said as I followed Molly and her mom toward the red brick facade of the Willowbrook Mall. As soon as we passed through the sliding double doors, an assault of scents hit me all at once: tacos, pizza, popcorn, new clothes, and those body washes from that bath store on the other end of the mall, which were so strong the smell permeated the entire place.
“I know,” Molly said, slipping her arm through mine and pulling me further into the mass of people moving in disorganized lines down the main corridor. “But you love me, so deal with it.”
Molly was on a mission to convince Corrie to buy her a new widescreen monitor—because Molly had nearly destroyed her last one while trying to take it apart and reassemble it. For no other reason than to prove she could. Which it turned out, she couldn’t.
“Oh,” Corrie said, distracted by the scent of hot pretzels in the Twisty Shop. “We should totally stop for one of those on our way out.”
“Tons of salt,” I told her. “Don’t you already have high blood pressure?”
Corrie shot me an annoyed look. “You’re not a doctor yet, Avery. If you hope to live long enough to become one, you’ll stay out of my way when it comes to hot pretzels.” She wagged a finger at me in warning.
Molly and Corrie pointed out random things as we walked through the mall. They were a lot alike, both easily distracted by food or shiny objects. I couldn’t help thinking about my own mom as I watched Molly with hers. My mom loved to shop, back before she began spending days and weeks in bed. We used to come out to the mall almost every weekend, sometimes to browse the newest sales without buying anything. Other times we’d leave with bags loaded down with new clothes.
The last outing my mom and I had gone on together before she left was to the mall, three weeks before she took off. I didn’t realize until years later after reading my medical books that her behavior change indicated some type of depression. I only knew at twelve years old that she didn’t act like my mom anymore and I wanted her back. The mall was the only place I could think of that might bring back the person I’d always known.
But it hadn’t worked. She had been like a zombie that day, shuffling through the stores without really looking at anything. And now I hated coming to this place. The sights and sounds and smells assaulted my senses, making me feel sick. My stomach churned and my head reeled.
Molly paused outside the electronics store when I pulled away from her and turned to look back at me. “You coming?” she asked.
Corrie and Molly were like the mother and sister I didn’t have. Molly’s mom had accepted me warmly into their life and home from the first day Molly invited me over. But today it hurt too much to be around them.
“I’m going to wait out here.” I gestured toward an empty bench behind me.
Molly studied me for a moment. “You okay?”
I nodded, waving a hand to brush off her concern. “It’s allergies or something. Too much going on in here all at once.”
Corrie dug around inside her giant purse before coming up with a bottle of antihistamines. “Here you go,” she said, tossing the bottle toward me. “These always help me. I couldn’t function day to day without them. My little lifesavers.”
I curled my fist around the small bottle and forced a smile. “Thanks. You guys go ahead, I’ll be right here.”
“I’ll try to keep her browsing to under an hour,” Corrie told me, winking as she followed Molly inside the store.
I sat
“Yeah, sure,” I mumbled, glaring at her back as she left the room. What could possibly make her think I was interested in ever being friends with her? She wasn’t any different from anyone else that had come before her. She would be out of our lives soon.
Chapter 11
“You know I hate shopping,” I said as I followed Molly and her mom toward the red brick facade of the Willowbrook Mall. As soon as we passed through the sliding double doors, an assault of scents hit me all at once: tacos, pizza, popcorn, new clothes, and those body washes from that bath store on the other end of the mall, which were so strong the smell permeated the entire place.
“I know,” Molly said, slipping her arm through mine and pulling me further into the mass of people moving in disorganized lines down the main corridor. “But you love me, so deal with it.”
Molly was on a mission to convince Corrie to buy her a new widescreen monitor—because Molly had nearly destroyed her last one while trying to take it apart and reassemble it. For no other reason than to prove she could. Which it turned out, she couldn’t.
“Oh,” Corrie said, distracted by the scent of hot pretzels in the Twisty Shop. “We should totally stop for one of those on our way out.”
“Tons of salt,” I told her. “Don’t you already have high blood pressure?”
Corrie shot me an annoyed look. “You’re not a doctor yet, Avery. If you hope to live long enough to become one, you’ll stay out of my way when it comes to hot pretzels.” She wagged a finger at me in warning.
Molly and Corrie pointed out random things as we walked through the mall. They were a lot alike, both easily distracted by food or shiny objects. I couldn’t help thinking about my own mom as I watched Molly with hers. My mom loved to shop, back before she began spending days and weeks in bed. We used to come out to the mall almost every weekend, sometimes to browse the newest sales without buying anything. Other times we’d leave with bags loaded down with new clothes.
The last outing my mom and I had gone on together before she left was to the mall, three weeks before she took off. I didn’t realize until years later after reading my medical books that her behavior change indicated some type of depression. I only knew at twelve years old that she didn’t act like my mom anymore and I wanted her back. The mall was the only place I could think of that might bring back the person I’d always known.
But it hadn’t worked. She had been like a zombie that day, shuffling through the stores without really looking at anything. And now I hated coming to this place. The sights and sounds and smells assaulted my senses, making me feel sick. My stomach churned and my head reeled.
Molly paused outside the electronics store when I pulled away from her and turned to look back at me. “You coming?” she asked.
Corrie and Molly were like the mother and sister I didn’t have. Molly’s mom had accepted me warmly into their life and home from the first day Molly invited me over. But today it hurt too much to be around them.
“I’m going to wait out here.” I gestured toward an empty bench behind me.
Molly studied me for a moment. “You okay?”
I nodded, waving a hand to brush off her concern. “It’s allergies or something. Too much going on in here all at once.”
Corrie dug around inside her giant purse before coming up with a bottle of antihistamines. “Here you go,” she said, tossing the bottle toward me. “These always help me. I couldn’t function day to day without them. My little lifesavers.”
I curled my fist around the small bottle and forced a smile. “Thanks. You guys go ahead, I’ll be right here.”
“I’ll try to keep her browsing to under an hour,” Corrie told me, winking as she followed Molly inside the store.
I sat
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