Chapter 25: Evading the enemy
Chapter 25: Evading the enemy
"Are you crazy?" I ask my visibly crazy bestfriend. She laughs as I try to wriggle out of her grasp,
knowing that I can't. Because the truth is that even if I work out seven days a week, Spencer will still be
stronger than me, always. It's something I've accepted over the course of our 15 years of friendship.
"Can you chill? Loosen up a bit, and have some fun." By now we are at the entrance of Victoria Secret
but I have not given up just yet. I'll keep distracting her by taking and try to get away. Brilliant plan
Emerald. I mentally give myself a gentle pat on the back for being so smart. "Can you stop fussing?"
Spencer continues, her eyes wandering down to my arm where I am wiggling like an earth worm.
"There's that Alex guy!" I shout in desperation and Spencer's head snaps around. I take this as the
perfect opportunity to get away. Free! I run even as I hear Spencer's frantic voice calling me, more like
shouting that I should 'get back here!' For the first time, the crowds in the mall actually have a good
enough purpose. Spencer will never find me in this heavy crowd. I run to the bathroom and stand in
front of one of the the stalls, somewhere Spencer will never find me. She knows how much I hate
public bathrooms. They're disgustingly filled with all types of germs and bacteria. Nope, I'd rather die
from diabetes after eating too much nutella. I get out of the stall and look at myself in the mirror, trying
not to go too close to the washing basin. I comb through my hair with my skinny fingers ignoring that
one maverick loose strand sticking out at the side of my head. I decide I look good enough to go out in
public and leave the bathroom before anyone comes into the bathroom. As I leave the bathroom, I spot
a familiar face. "Emerald!" Alex says and a smile instantly appears on his face. "Hey." I return the
greeting. "You work here?" I ask after observing that he had on a shirt that brandished the name of the
mall on it. "I didn't mean it in a bad way though." I ramble. Alex laughs, making me feel less
uncomfortable and awkward. "Yes, I do work here. And I did not take your statement as a form
discrimination." He laughs again. We started walking and then he stopped and turned to face me. "How
are you?" He asks and I tell him I'm doing fine. He nods, then starts telling me how he just moved here
from Manhattan, and how he's enjoying his work so far in here in one brief synopsis. After he's finished
we start talking about random stuff, like the weather and other things. "Oh, I want to apologize about
last night. My bestfriend gets carried away sometimes. " I say to him. He shakes his head. "No need to
apologize." He says and I think about how kind Alex is. "Did you hear what I said?" I look up at Alex
and his cheeks flaming red. Is everyone built like a tree or am I just getting shorter? "Sorry. I didn't Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
hear." I tell him sheepishly. He laughs. "I was just asking if you wanted to grab coffee this week. If you
want to, I understand if you have plans and-" The poor guy's rambling his head off. I guess this is the
least I can do, since he has been so nice to me. I push the nagging voice of Spencer to the back of my
head, put it in a box and nail it shut. "I would love to." I say and he smiles that bright, warm smile. Like
bread. "There you are!" A voice behind me snaps and I freeze. Maybe it's the police. I close my eyes
and turn around with hands in the air. "I'm sorry I took a cupcake from the Lucky Pucky Cupcake Club
when I was ten, even though the age limit was eight years old." I confess. Ever since that day, I have
been looking over my shoulder, and now that the police have finally caught me I feel free, in a way
atleast. Damon had convinced me I was going to go to hell for that, surprise surprise. I hear a laugh
and open one of my eyes to see my bestfriend laughing her heart out. I put my hands down and stare
at my bestfriend, who doesn't even realize that Alex is standing right behind me. I was kinda hoping
that it was the police; seeing Spencer is much worse than spending a few months in a jail cell. Spencer
finally stops laughing and somehow she sees Alex behind me. Her smile vanishes completely and I
gulp as Spencer barges after Alex, letting out a animal like growl.