Chapter 4: Abundance of Fat Cats

The following morning Elena woke me up at ten a.m. claiming that I need some clothes, and knowing Elena, some clothes would mean a whole new closet.

I sit up groggily in bed with a slight frown on my face, dominating the exhaustion clouding my features.

As I stretched my limbs to ease away my cramped muscles, Elena connected her phone to my portable speakers, blasting a bunch of tunes that I don't recognise in such a drowsy state.

Noticing my lack of cooperation, Elana dance-walked to me, showcasing a couple of hip thrusts and butt wiggles until she reaches up to the end of my bed, still buzzing with excitement.

"Lighten up baby, we have a lot of work ahead of us!"

She dragged the 'y' in baby, streching it into different syllables and making sure that she sounded like a typical black American -no racist jokes intended- as she literally hauled me to bathroom.

I pause when she doesn't bother to return back into the room, to her suplosedly imaginative pole dancing.

I mean, I've known her ever since I was a lonely little girl with no friends and two void spaces where my upper incisors should've been, but its not like I expect her to help me out of my clothes, or worse even, shower me.

So I stand still as I stare at her reflection in the mirror, waiting for her to get the hell out of my toilet and back into my room, but no, she seems to have her very own plan.

"So, are you going to get out so I can proceed with my plans of emptying my bladder and getting rid of my dragon breath or do you plan on spending the entire afternoon chilling in my bathroom?" I quirk an eyebrow, my poker face still intact.

Rolling her eyes and quirking back an eyebrow of her own, she retaliates,

"Oh yeah? So you really think I'm that stupid to leave you on your own in your bathroom, still carving the comfort of your bed and possibly dreading our trip to the mall? Just when I offer to take up some of my rather precious time, only to help your sorry ass in buying any kind of relatively feminine clothes for you not to get mistaken for a guy. So again, I'm sorry, but I'm not that dumb."

Am I the only one or was that just a little bit too much to take in?

Blinking back into reality, I focus back to what she had just said.

"One, yep, I totally think you're that stupid. Two, thanks for the offer but I've never complained when I got mistaken for a guy just because of how I dress, you of all people should know that. And three, precious time? Really? Says the indecisive girl who spends hours and hours in a clothing store, struggling to chose between two items and is dumb enough to get both. So puh-lease, would you mind? I'd like to take a piss."

I smirk triumphantly when I end my refutation part, knowing very well that I've hit bullseye.

I watch as Ellie struggles to form a suitable comeback and miserably fails when she fires back,

"Fine, but how do I know that you won't ditch me for using the toilet seat as a pillow just like you did last time?" She crosses her arms, shifting so that she leant more on one leg.

Using the sink behind me as a backrest, I hide behind a long curtain of tangled hair as my cheeks unintentionally combust.

"Okay, okay, I promise I'm wide awake. No toilet naps again, I swear."

Narrowing her gaze, she searches for lies as if they're written all over my face, and when she makes an act of motioning two of her fingers to her eyes as she insists on keeping an eye on me, I roll my eyes and brutally kick her out of my bathroom.

Holy, its not like I'm ever going to sleep in here again. It gave me a fricking neck-ache.

Inhaling a deep breath, I quickly manage to take a loo, shower, and brush my teeth until I'm sure they're pearly white, before I unlock the door and get back into my room.

Elena is nowhere to be found, probably brewing some coffee for the both of us and meanwhile braiding Mads' hair.

Honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if Madeline grew up to be a walking replica of my best friend. With her great interests in all the beauty pageant stuff, things I've never even heard off except in movies, I bet she would easily bring Victoria's Secret models to shame.

Cutting of my train of thoughts over my little sister's bright future, I slip into a pair of jeans and an oversized red sweatshirt paired with white converse.

I know I would be lectured later on on my awful choice of clothing, but the fact that I reluctantly agreed to hitting the mall with her will be enough to shut her up.

So sliding my phone into my pocket and garbbing mom's emergency credit card, I take the stairs to the living room, before coming to an abrupt halt by the mirror hung at the side of our kitchen, so I could check the tangled mess on my head.

Concluding that I infact, forgot to comb it, I use the black elastic band on my wrist to tie my hair into a low ponytail before I grab dad's discarded baseball cap that mom would've thrashed about if it weren't for me, and I use it to cover my untamable hair.

Plus, it will of course shield the sun from my eyes so that's just a bonus.

When I'm done, I trot into the kitchen and fix myslef a quick breakfast as Elena had already forgotten about me when she helped herself with a bowl of oatmeal.

Yuck.

Ten minutes later and after gulping down the last drops of coffee in my mug, I help Ellie in placing the dishes in the dishwasher.

When we were sure that the kitchen looked cleaner that it did when we first entered, I hook my car keys around my finger and we make our way to my aging little car before starting the long journey to the main mall.

"Do you think I should go out with Luke Anderson on a date?" She asks while scrolling through her phone.

I took the first left and glanced at her when we reached a red light, "Someone asked you out already?" I ask her.

Elena is definitely of the prettiest girls in our school and she always has men running after her. While she is a fashionable blonde who stood out with her overly positive self, I am that girl who preferred sweats over skirts and burgers over salad. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not what Giselle would call a tomboy, I just don't like the idea of having to be all dolled up only for men to get me.

When I personally think that if someone would really like me, he would like me for who I am not for what I wear, y'know? Nevermind.

"Yeah, he asked me out at lunch today but I don't think I should go." Elena replied back, her fingers moving across the screen like slender noodles, quick and smooth.

I furrow my eyebrows at that cause let's face it, she never really lets anyone down, even if it's just a dinner. She would at least accept the offer for the night, but not that she's an easy lay.

She's a really kind person if you think about it. I mean she would hurt a bug for life.

"Why wouldn't you? Luke Anderson is the goalie in our school's football team, he is a nice person, and the kind of a good boy I guess." I say while making a u-turn.

She switches off her phone and looks back at me, giving me her full attention.

"It's not that he's a good person or something; I know for a fact that he is. I just think that Anna David has her eyes on him so it would be such a bad move if I went out with him. I'm pretty sure she has one hell of a crush, maybe I should set them up."

she shrugs, fishing out her phone, already working on her new plan of turning into a matchmaker.

See? She's absolutely amazing. "That'd be good." I nod.

~~~~~

"OMG you should try these, these, no the hot pink one, the skirt, this bikini...oh and you need a sundress!"

Elena have been putting every fine piece of cloth in the tote bag I'm holding throughout the entire time, and the fact that I'm the one carrying it is tempting when I can easily slap it right into her face and make a run for life.

But I simply chose to bite my tongue instead, but only for the sake of our friendship.

I already feel really sorry for my mom since I'm using her credit card.

"Elena I have a sundress already."

I tell her in a monotone voice, thinking back to the navy blue one dhe bought me last summer, which is now probably thrown in the back of my closet, still in its own ticket.

"Yes , but you do need a white one." She gives me a pointed look and making me sigh, knowing I'd lose the argument anyways.

After what felt like an eternity, Elena ushered me to the fitting room so I can try everything on.

And by everything, I'm mean a lot of things which means that I'm stuck in this room only for the next few hours if I'm lucky.

"Turn around, perfect." She hums aprovedly, nodding her head at her work. I beg to differ.

I swear the skirt I'm wearing is really pretty with its clean cut and vibrant shade and all but I don't think it looks good on me.

When we arrive to the fifth shop, I'm pretty sure my hands are swelling from all the bags I'm holding and my legs are bleeding from all the walking we've done!

Overall, we've bought three bikinis, a sundress, two skirts, a tube top, turtle neck tops, black heels, sliders, shorts, and two evening dresses.

And I'm not wearing any of these for all I care.

"Last but surely not least, lingerie!" She jumps slightly as she claps her hands in enthusiasm.

"Ellie why the heck would I need lingerie on a cruise trip? I am beyond grateful to have undergarments."

I narrow my eyes at her, trying to figure out the mischievousness in her eyes.

"Sure you'll need lingerie, you're going on this trip with the hottest boy in our grade. Heck, in our town! Might as well make a show!"

She winks at me, the glint lightning her brown eyes and making them turn almost honey in the warm yellow light.

Rolling my eyes at her stupid suggestion, I told her,

"I hate to break it to you Ellie but Leonardo and I don't really like each other."

"Yeup, that's why you'll show him what he's missing out." She wiggled her eyebrows at me,

And with that she dragged me into Victoria's Secret and I swear I hate that store.

After three more agonizing hours of more shopping, and another three of Elena trying to talk me into buying lingerie to which I forcefully agreed to only cause she won't shut up about it, -though we both knew I'm not wearing any of them- we finally went to grab some lunch.

She even offered to pay them, after I swore not to spend a single dollar on any of the see-through materials, so I let her. Its not like I'm using any of those.

And after having another small argument of either grabbing Pizza hut or Mexican fast food, I grinned triumphantly when she gave in after I reminded her of how she forced me in a lot of things.

And food's on her, so I guess that made up for the past few hours. Plus she's buying me an excessive amount of chocolates as an apology, so that was only fair.

I mentally gave myself a high five.

When we entered the Mexican restaurant, we sat on the only empty table in the hectic looking place. Only minutes later when a young man in roller blades, who seemed in his early twenties came to take our orders before skating back into the kitchen.

When our orders were ready ten minutes later, another woman brought them to our table. And I didn't wait when I licked my lips before taking a very large bite of my burrito while slowly sipping on my lemonade.

"You are so weird," Elena states with a quiet laugh, making me look at her over my lemonade with a huge grin on my face.

"It's Mexican food baby, the best!" I shimmied a little in my seat, in a pathetic attempt to make a happy dance which only made Elena burst out laughing.

"Oh gosh, I swear a lot of people eat to live when you live to eat L. One time you'll get a stroke from being excessively overweight and that's when you'll try to reach over to grab your phone so you can call me or whatever but then you'll die from all the exertion." she shaked her head at me, her smile as wide as ever.

"Maybe, but that didn't stop you from being my best friend."

I shrug, I mean I understand that I might eat a little bit excessively but she put up with me all those years so I think I' m fine.

She nods at me and says,

"Touché but you practically eat like a pig and your future boyfriend -that would be a miracle if you even had one- wouldn't." she reaches over to pat my back pitifully,

"You don't think I'll have a love life Ellie?" I ask feigning hurt.

"At least you have a chance to gain one with Leonardo." She winks at me and I couldn't help but faked a gag even if he's abnormally hot.

"Never," she smiles at me knowingly and I know that smile all too well but I don't think I'll see anything in that guy anytime soon. Or even forever.

"You and me both know he's pretty attractive," she challenges, taking a sip of her bottled water.

Well he is, but I'm never admitting it to anyone's face. At least not to him.

"Are looks all you take notice of in a guy, Ellie?" I ask her, adamantly changing subjects and even if she noticed she doesn't mention it.

"Yeah maybe, but it's important!" She reasons before continuing, "Imagine kissing an ogre."

"You are going to die alone, Ellie." I tell her with a straight face while shaking my head, clasping my fingers together after finishing the last bite of my burrito. "Alone...with cats."

"Take it back," She growls at me, slamming her hand on the table as her face turned a bright shade of crimson red.

"An abundant amount of fat cats."

×××××