James pulls out a weird looking skirt. "Violet, this is so you!"

Wait, is it even a skirt?

"I do not wear stuff like that." She tries to defend her wardrobe.

"Yes, you do." James laughs.

"I do not." She smacks his arm.

"This is something she would wear. Right Jayda?" he asks me.

I shake my head and put my hands up. "Oh, no. I'm staying out of it."

"Are you gonna get something?" Violet asks me.

"I don't know. If I do, though, it won't be from here." I look around the colorful boutique store. There are so many colors and nothing black insight.

"We've been here for like two hours, are you guys almost done?" I groan.

"First of all, it's been thirty minutes," he corrects me. "And no, we are not. Fashion can't be rushed. It's an art,"

I groan louder.

"Why don't you go get a pretzel or something?" He suggests.

"I'll go do that." I stand up from that uncomfortable chair and exit the boutique.

I turn right and head down the escalator to the food court. I see a few familiar faces in the crowd—some kids from school. I don't want a pretzel now that I think about it. I think I'll get a coffee. I turn in a different direction and into Starbucks.

I love how it smells here. I love the way coffee smells in general. I haven't had coffee in forever. If I'm addicted to anything, it's definitely coffee.

"Next." The cashier says.

"Hi, I'll have a Grande Caramel frappe with extra caramel."

He types my order in "That'll be 5.22".

I reach into my back pocket, and before I can grab one of the $100 bills my dad gave me, an arm comes around me and swipes a card. I look up to see Ryder.

"What are you—" I turn back to the cashier. "Uh, can you decline that? I wanna pay with cash," I tell him.

"No problem." The boy says.

Ryder then takes his card and swipes it again. I look up at him, and he has this mischievous smile on his face.

I turn back to the boy behind the register. "You know what? I'm okay." I turn and walk out of Starbucks. I'm walking fast, trying to get away from him. Before I know it, he grabs my wrist. Again and pulls me towards him.

"Woah, Woah, Woah, slow down there." He says.

"Let go of me," I growl.

"What are you doing here?" He asks with my wrist still in his grasp.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Uh, it's a mall; I'm shopping obviously."

"You here alone?" He looks around.

"Uhh, no."

"I hope you're not here with that Caleb guy."

"No, I'm not. And if I was, that's none of your business." I state. "Why do you care?" I look up at him. He looks down at me.

"So who are you here with?" He ignores my question.

"Violet and James," I say.

He laughs. "The bitch who can't dress and the fag."

I gasp at his disgusting words. "What is wrong with you?" I yell and push him back.

"What do you mean?" He says.

"Do you think about what you say before you say it? Can you hear yourself when you speak?"

"I know what I said, and I heard what I said." He shrugs his shoulders

"Well, that makes it worse. You actually don't see what was wrong with your comment. You really don't understand how hurtful your words are."

"I know they were hurtful. I just don't care." he's still smiling like this is funny.

"Forget it." I'm able to pull myself free from his hold. I walk over to the escalator. He follows behind me.

"Are we going to work on the assignment later today?" He asks.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because Ryder, I'm busy."

"Busy doing what exactly?" He is still following me.

I stop walking and turn around. "That's none of your concern," I say.

He narrows his eyes at me. "Fine, whatever."

"Ryder." A voice calls; its Ashely. I look past him, and she comes out of a store; she has on skinny white jeans and a pink shirt with a gold necklace. When she gets closer, she looks at me then at Ryder.

"Hey, baby. Where did you go?" She wraps her arm around his, and he pulls away from her. I want to laugh, but I hold it back. They have a strange relationship. He doesn't answer her question. She turns to look at me.

"Jayda, I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you would have still been with that boy from the game, what's his name?... Oh yeah, Caleb." She has a grin on her face. She wasn't even at the diner yesterday, so how does she know?

"And why would I still be with him?" I state sarcastically.

She looks to Ryder and then back to me. "Well, Ryder said you went home with him." My eyes shift to Ryder. He looks down, not at me but to the floor. "He told everyone that you went back with Caleb. So I mean, I would expect you to still be with him. Or did he kick you out as soon as he was done with you?"

My eyes are starting to water. I turn round and walk away leaving, leaving Ashely with a cunning look on her face and Ryder with a look of shamefulness.

He knew I was going home. Why would he tell people that I went home with Caleb? Was he really that mad at the fact I didn't let him take me home?

No, there's no excuse for lying.

He doesn't care; he just said he doesn't care about people's feelings. So I know he surely doesn't care about mines.

...

"We have to find something for you... for Tonight," Violet says.

"No, no, I'm okay. There's plenty at my house for me to wear." I say.

"For some reason, I highly doubt that," James says sarcastically.

"Well, there is. I don't need anything else."

"Okay. If you say so," he shrugs his shoulders. "Well, I'm done. I think I got everything I need." He looks down at his bags. He has ten bags. There are five bags in each of his hands. How could he possibly have gotten ten bags worth of clothes at that store?

"Do you guys want to go to the diner?" Violet asks.

"Sure," James says.

"That's fine," I add; I really just want to go home—it's almost five.

I'm sleepy and tired. I don't feel like going anywhere else. But I don't want to ruin their fun.

What's one more hour?

...

"What are you kids having today?" The waiter asks. She's been working here for as long as I can remember. She looks exactly the same. But I know she has to be at least sixty, maybe older.

"I'll take some fries, with a vanilla milkshake," Violet says. She takes out her pad and writes down her order.

"And you, son?" she asks James. He stares at the menu. I didn't even know this place had menus. Has he not been here before? He continues to look at the menu. "Sweetie, there are only 10 things on that menu." The lady says. I look at her name tag. It says, Sherry.

"So you don't offer anything...healthy, nothing for vegetarians." He says.

She laughs and takes the menu out of his hand. "And you?" She looks at me.

"I'm okay. Thank you." she walks away from the table.

"Trying to save room for later, huh?" James jokes. I shake my head at him with a smile on my face.

"Has he texted you yet?" Violet asks.

"No, not yet, it's only. 5:30."

"Are you nervous?"

"No." I lie.

The next hour is spent with James complaining about how the diner should offer vegetarian meals and healthier food options. Then they both talk about our senior projects; they finished their chapters already. I know I should be working on mines also, but I can't work with Ryder. He's unbearable; I don't know how I'm going to be able to deal with him for the whole year.

Later on, Violet talks about how she's been planning on going to Yale and how she's been working on her essay's since the beginning of the year. Applications open next month.

She plans on going to Yale for Biological and Biomedical Sciences, whatever that is.

James wants to go to F.I.T in New York for fashion.

They asked me where I planned to go. I told them I was still deciding. Even though that is a lie. I'm not going to college. I won't be here to go to college, and I am okay with that.

My phone buzzes in my lap. They cease their conversation. "Is it him?" both of them say at the same time. I haven't even looked at my phone yet. When I flip it over, it is a random number. So I know it is him. I gave him my number; I didn't get his.

"Yeah." I slide open my phone and read the message.

*I'm going to be a little late... My coach called us in for Saturday practice, but I'm coming. -Caleb

*We don't have to do this still if you don't want to.

*I do; Ill text you when I'm on my way -Caleb.

"So, what did he say?" James persists. Violet's eyes are wide on me.

"He said he's coming, but he'll be late." I stand up from the diner booth.

"Where are you going?" James asks.

"Home, to get ready," I state.

"I can drop you off."

"No, it's okay. I got time...I'll see you guys later."

They say goodbye to me, and I head out the door.