I want to thank all the people that have helped me edit and critique this story. They are Angel O'Hare, Stacy Miller, Karen Page, Robi, Paula Dillon and especially Maddy Bell for allowing me to join her universe and giving me permission to write in it.

Based on the story Gaby, Book # 4 - Once Upon A Time In America By Maddy Bell

All Characters portrayed in the story are copywrited to Maddy Bell for her Gaby series found at Maddybell.com

Scene 20

Malling It:

Saturday:

“Wake up Em, we're here.”

“Um … oh … ah, thank you for waking me Mary.” I looked around and saw a large indoor shopping center sitting in front of us. I noticed it was snowing even harder here and the snow was sticking to the road. I hope Drew is alright? He did say he was going bike riding this morning with a woman called Erin, and a group of people with Diane and Derek; something about a local cycle club. I sure wouldn't want to be cycling in this type of weather; I'd freeze. “How long has it been snowing this hard?”

“Oh, for about the last twenty minutes.”

“Will this cause a problem for getting back home?”

“Not at all. You'll see. Lets go in and start having fun.”

We went into the center, and it's not quite as big as Meadowhall, the shopping center we're used to back home, but it'll do. At least it's an indoor center.

“I'm sorry, I forgot to ask after your practice. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, I could do with a bite.”

“Well let's head over to the food court then, shall we?

She led the way. I noticed a lot of boys and some men were looking me over, as we went through the mall. This is so cool, I'm being noticed; smiling to myself.

At the food court, there was quite a selection to choose from. I noticed one of the fast food storefronts was a Japanese style fast food called Sakura's Japanese Restaurant. Their specialty was Teriyaki Chicken with fried vegetables and either steamed or fried rice. The vegetables sounded delicious. The woman in front of the counter was giving out free samples, since it was chicken I passed on it, but Mary tried it and said it was delicious.

I asked, “Could I just get the vegetables put over steamed rice?”

They told me it wouldn't be a problem, so I had that. They fried the chicken and vegetables in front of us and then put it all over a bed of fried rice for Mary and steamed rice for me. We both got the extra teriyaki sauce poured over everything. The meal was delicious. I wish we had something like this back home; I would eat there quite often.

I noticed some of the boys in my homeroom class were sitting at a table across from us. They saw me and came over to talk.

Mrs. J said “Hi boys.” to all of them.

They said “Hi. How are you doing Mrs. Jones? Hi Em.” As they looked at me and blushed a little.

Back home no one would go out of their way to say hi to Rhod, so this sort of unnerved me. I was cordial, however.

I said, “Um …hi guys. How come you guys are here?” I smiled at them.

“Oh it was so nasty out, and we didn't have anything else going, that my mother decided she wanted to do some shopping with my sister. I had asked if we could come along and she said sure. So I called a bunch of the guys, and here we are.” Roger said.

“Mar … uh Mrs. Jones, these boys are in my homeroom class. Um I don't know all of your names, I'm sorry.”

“Oh No problem Em, This is Matt, he is Sam and I'm Roger.” Mrs. J smiled.

They all said, “Hi Em.”

“Oh I know them Em. You don't need to introduce them. I've known them for a while. They are nice boys.” The boys blushed at that admission. “Roger, you said your mother is here with your sister Cathy?”

“Yes, ma'am. They were doing some shopping for material for some class project. I think she has to make her own prom dress or something.”

“Oh she must have Mrs. Pryce for a teacher in Home Economics. She is having her students learn how to sew and they have to make a gown.”

“Yes she does, I think that is what she is getting the materials for.”

“Well, maybe we will be lucky and run into her, while we're here.”

Roger was cute, he actually got the courage and asked me, “Would you like to go to a movie with me sometime, Em?”

I giggled and smiled, “Let me think about it, ok? I can't do it today we have a lot of shopping to do. Maybe we can do it at a later date?” turning him down politely.

I saw his eyes light up and a smile form on his face.

“Sure Em, we can do it on another day. I'll ask my mom if she can take us. Um … my treat.” He gave me a large smile. “Take care Em, see you in school.”

“Yes Em, you take care, ok?” The other boys said, as they smiled and started to walk away.

I saw one of the boys hit Roger on the shoulder and they were laughing.

“Roger is a good boy, Em. I'd trust him. I know his mother well. They are a nice family.”

“Well that's good to know. I was kind of putting him off, hoping he would forget. I really didn't want to go out with any boys.”

“Why ever not? Don't you like boys?”

“Well it's not that, well ok, I guess they do scare me a little.”

“Well, if you want to go out with him, I could chaperone for you two, if his mother can't do it.”

“Well, let me think about it.”

“Ok, you just let me know, and we can arrange it.”

Do I really want to go on a date with a boy? He is cute though. What would Ally say? I'm sure she'll be none too happy.

After the lunch we did some serious shopping. Mrs. J called it power shopping. Mrs. J kept pulling me into one dress shop after another and she wanted me to try on all of these beautiful dresses and gowns. I couldn't understand why she wanted me to try them on actually. I had nowhere to wear them. She was having fun however. I guess she got a thrill when the saleswoman came up to us and complemented her on her beautiful daughter. Especially when they realized she was shopping for me.

“Em why don't you try on this delicious red dress.” The dress was gorgeous.

“What do you think Mary?”

“Wow Em, that dress is you. I want to buy it for you.”

“Mary, I have no place to wear this.”

“Yes you will, there is always the end of your trip party that's coming up. Or you can wear it on a date some time.”

“Mary this is quite pricey, I can't ask you to buy this for me. I'm not sure I'm ready to date, to tell you the truth. I need an excuse not to go.”

“Hush Em, I want to do this.”

“Ok, thank you Mary, this is a beautiful dress and it fits me so well.”

“Yes it does that, doesn't it?”

“She is absolutely wonderful looking Madam. Do you wish me to wrap it up?” said the saleslady, shining up to Mrs. J. “Your daughter will have the boys stupefied, they'll not know what to do. They'll flock to her like bees to honey.”

“Well in that case, maybe I shouldn't buy it.”

“No, no, madam, this dress was made for your beautiful daughter. Just look at the evidence in front of you.”

Laughing, and with me giggling, Mrs. J said, “Oh alright, we'll buy it.”

I could see the saleslady start to relax. I think she realized she may have miffed the deal with what she had said.

“She really looks mature in that dress. Very elegant, quite the young lady if I may say so.” The saleslady was trying to back peddle and save face.

“We'll have to stop and get you some heels to go with that Em, Some hose, bra and panties to match, some jewelry.”

“But Mary?”

“Hush Em, I haven't had this much fun in a long time.”

Wow she's really getting into this. I never wanted her to buy me such a lovely dress in the first place, now she wants to buy me heels, bra, and knickers, jewelry and whatever else, probably a bag too? I was beginning to worry about what Sandy would think of all this?

I went back into the changing booth and took off the dress. I must admit I do like the dress. After leaving the changing area, I handed the dress to the saleslady that was there, she took it to the cash register, and Mary paid for it.

We were leaving this store, and a thought came to me, “Mary, have you done this with your daughter Sandy? I mean take her out shopping like this? I'm sure she would love it.”

“Well, not exactly. She usually does her own shopping for clothes and stuff.”

“Why don't you do this with her?”

“Um … well … I guess she would prefer to do this alone. I guess?”

“Really? I find that hard to believe. I mean you are so alive doing this with me, you really should be doing this with Sandy, she'd love it.”

“I don't think she would Em, she is a bit self reliant.”

“Have you ever asked her?”

“Well … um … not exactly, to be honest.”

“Well don't you think it is time you did? I know she would love to go shopping with her mother.”

“Um … I'm not so sure Em.”

“Please promise me you'll ask her to go out shopping with you soon and do the same thing you have done with me. I think you may be surprised that she'll love it and so will you. You have such a beautiful daughter and she wants to learn from her mother.”

I could see this made Mary stop and think. I could tell she was deeply thinking about this. We walked right past the shoe store, before she realized we had passed it. When she realized we walked passed it, she apologized and took me back to the store. I got a pair of red, two-inch high-heeled shoes to wear with that dress, as well as a cute red leather handbag they had there. I was starting to feel embarrassed; she was paying for everything.

We went to a store called JC Penny and we stopped in their lingerie department. Before I knew what was happening, she was shooing me into the changing room to try on some red satin knickers and a red satin bra.

“You know Em, Sandy has a lot of clothes that may fit you in the guest bedroom room closet. Why don't you look through there and see what fits. If it fits you it's yours. Sandy was supposed to drop those clothes off at Goodwill or the Salvation Army, but she never got around to it. Maybe it's a good thing. She had a lot of nice clothes.”

“Yes I know she does, I already looked. I wore her little black dress, that first time we all went to Mountain Jacks, remember?”

“Oh was that hers? That looked perfect on you.”

Smiling, “Yes, even she said it looked better on me than her.”

“Well, what is in that closet is yours, if you want it.”

“Shouldn't I ask Sandy first though? After all, they really are her clothes.”

“True, I'm sure Sandy won't have a problem with it.”

“Wow, I'll have to get another suitcase if I take all those clothes. Probably many suitcases.”

Mrs. J was smiling.

As I turned around in the lingerie department, I noticed that there where cute nightgowns there. “Do you know Sandy's size at all?”

“Yes I do, she wears a size eight. Why do you want to know?”

“I want to get her a nighty, for tonight, a cute one.”

“Why tonight?”

“For the sleepover.”

“Oh right, I'm sorry I forgot about that. I sure hope her dad isn't going to see it. He'll go ballistic.”

“What about? Wearing her nighty? Or about having the sleepover?”

“Well, both I fear.”

“Why should he get upset with a bunch of thirteen year old girls having a sleepover?”

“Oh … uh … well let's just say he might. I can't explain it.”

“He is just too weird Mary. Oh, Sandy asked me to ask you if we could stop somewhere and get some snacks for this evening, some crisps and diet pop, or whatever else we can think of.”

“Well, we can stop to pick that up at the Food Lion, in Grottoes on the way home.”

“Ok, I'm game for that. What color does Sandy like Mary?”

“I honestly don't know Em.”

“You don't know your daughters favorite color? I would've thought you would, I mean, after all she is your daughter.”

Mary looked a bit embarrassed. “I guess I really don't know my daughter all that well, do I?” Mary started to have that far away look in her eyes again. It looked like her eyes where starting to mist over. “I really am not doing that good job as a mother, am I? I'm so ashamed.”

I realized Mary was going to cry, so I pulled her into a hug before she lost it. “Oh Mary don't cry, I'm sure you're doing the best you can. No one is perfect.”

“Em, you are beyond your years. It should be me consoling you, not the other way around. You are opening up my eyes to the things I should really know about my s … eh … daughter. I don't know her nearly enough like I should. I do need to take her shopping one of these days.” as she wept on my shoulder.

A sales lady saw us and came over and asked, “Are you two ok?”

I smiled at her and said, “Yes we're alright, she just got into one of her emotional moments is all.”

“Yes I can understand that, I have them from time to time also; Darn hormones.” The saleslady said.

About this time Mary composed herself and pulled a tissue out of her handbag and dabbed her eyes. “I must look a fright. I need to find a ladies room to check my makeup.”

“I think I saw one over here, Mary.” as I pulled her to the loo.

“You must think I'm a horrible mother.”

“No I don't, what ever made you think that?”

“Well, I mean … I should be helping you and here you are helping me. I don't know my daughters favorite color, I don't even know what type of styles she likes. I barely know her measurements.”

“Hey we all grow up, and our sizes change daily, so why should you know her measurements. I've trouble remembering mine sometimes.”

“Your funny Em. You're so together, so well adjusted.”

If only you knew Mary, if only you knew. You probably wouldn't be saying that.

“I wish you really were my daughter, we could have so much fun together.”

If we lived together fulltime, I am sure you'd treat me the same as Sandy, if and when you found out about me of course. I sighed.

“Why the heavy sigh Em?”

“Oh it's nothing. I was just thinking about … home, and my mother, Mary.”

“Is this your first time away from her like this? You must be missing her, don't you?”

“Funny you should ask that Mary, Yes it is the first time that I'm away from her by such a great distance, where I couldn't return to her in a couple of hours. Yes, I do miss her. I would love to talk with her again.”

“Well, if you want, you can call her anytime, just don't talk for too long, for it's quite expensive.”

“Thank you Mary, I may take you up on that offer. Yes I miss my mum very much. She is always there for me, and she protects me, almost too much.”

“Yes, my mother was over protective of me when I was your age and it just cramped my style. I guess I was a bit rebellious because of it. … You just made me realize something Em, I was rebellious to my mother when I was Sandy's age. I swore I'd never do those things to my child. Good Lord, I'm truly turning into my mother. I'm doing the very things I swore I'd never do to my very own child.” After some thought and some retrospection, Mary hugged me without a warning. “You know, you being here has really opened up my eyes, not only to Sandy, but to everyone in the house. Thank you again Em, you really are a Godsend.”

“Well thank you, I think?”

I looked through the nightgowns, and short nighties, and I found a couple that I liked, not only for myself but one for Sandy too. I wanted to pay for them, but Mary would hear none of it.

She said, “Please don't give the nighty to Sandy, until after the party, like tomorrow night. I think it is a bit risqué for tonight's gathering. Are you sure you wouldn't rather have the longer nightgowns? They will be a lot warmer, especially on these cold nights.”

I said, “Mary, I like these beautiful satin nighties, with the cap sleeves, with matching panties and I think this green will look good on her, don't you think so?”

“Yes, I guess it would. But are you sure that you want the shorter nighties? I mean, it can get quite cold in the apartment.”

“I want to get this one for my sis, this is the one I think she'll really like.”

She finally relented. There wasn't much she could say, unless she wants to explain about Sandy's little secret and the fear that this nighty could expose her.

Which is why I wanted to buy this for sis, FOR tonight's party, even though Mary told me not to give it to her until after the party. She said it was too short. If only she knew about the enhancements Sandy now has, that would be too funny. If she would come over tonight to see what Sandy will look like, I'm sure her eyeballs would pop out on their stalks. Sandy will not look any different than any of the other girls there, which will also cement the fact that she is a true girl.

With that we continued and finished up our shopping, with her buying me some costume jewelry, but it still was quite expensive and I tried to talk her out of it. She again would hear none of it.

Well at least I got her to buy something for Sandy. I really do feel embarrassed, I think Sandy never went shopping all that much with her mom, and when they did, it was always practical styles, and not sexy styles they ended up buying.

I would love to go shopping with both of them and see if Mrs. J truly has turned over a new leaf. Will she help her daughter become the beautiful butterfly that she truly is? Or will she still suppress her?

We took all of our purchases to the car. It had really come down a lot since we were in the center. She started the car, to warm it up, while we brushed the snow off of the car. I hope this isn't going to cause problems heading back home?

Fortunately, the roads were well maintained by the salt trucks, with the big snowplows on them. The journey home was uneventful.

We stopped off at the Food Lion grocery store to pick up tonight's food and snacks. We got some fruit to be healthy as well as the popcorn. It took a while for Mrs. J to figure out what I was talking about, when I referred to potato chips, as crisps. She thought that was funny. I failed to see the humor in it myself, but oh well. Again she paid for everything.

We arrived home and Sandy saw us pull up. She came down to help us carry all the stuff upstairs. She looked at all of the bags and stated, “Did you two buy out the entire mall?”

I looked at her and started giggling. “It seemed like it, and your mother wouldn't allow me to pay for any of it.”

“Well that figures.” I could tell that she wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that bit of news, I saw her frown.

“Anything the matter Sandy?”

“What? Um … no … ah … no, nothing at all.” I detected something, and I didn't like what I was detecting in her tone of voice.

“Oh, ok then.” Looking around and seeing her mom bringing up some of the clothing we had bought today.

We finished putting everything away and Mary said, “I'll have dinner ready for us in about thirty minutes, if you would like to join me?”

“Ok mom, we'll be over in about thirty minutes.”

“See you later Em, I had a great time with you today.” I blushed and smiled. Sandy just looked at me, and I could tell she wasn't happy about something.

Mrs. J left. Sandy went to the kitchen window to follow her mum over to the main house. Once she was in the main house she rounded on me and said, “Did you have fun with her?” in a very sarcastic voice.

“Um … yes I did actually. Is there something wrong?”

“Well, she never took me shopping like that. I had to basically buy all of my own clothes. They wouldn't buy me a thing.”

“You're kidding, right?”

“No I'm not kidding, I'm dead serious. I'm pissed actually.”

To be continued:

Joni W 20.03.06 © 2006
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