Shopping Spree

Lily, Brandon, and Rose invited us to go out shopping with them. As we were free in the evening we agreed with the permission of Ms.Morgan. She just warned us to come before ten and for me to always stick with Kyle. However, my fellow ex-classmate was thrilled about going out and also for meeting Brandon; I guess he texts him more often just like how I do with Lily. Well, I was excited too because I'd never hung out with any girls other than my best friend in high school, Arya. And surprisingly Lily and Arya were similar in many ways which made me comfortable with her very fast. I like Rose too but I'm a little overwhelmed talking individually with her as she always emit that powerful unapproachable aura but I knew she liked chatting with me too.

We completed our duties half an hour before they asked us to meet them at the mall. We spent few minutes getting ready.

Kyle was pulling on his socks while I tied my long hair into a high ponytail leaving annoying strings to cascade my face. I turned around after applying lip gloss which Shelby kindly gifted me a day before, and sneaked into my sneakers.

"So, Kyle Miller?" I asked.

He looked up standing up from his green bed.

"Alisa Walker?" he smiled.

"I guess I have to get used to that" I rubbed my forehead a little frustrated by the change of the names.

He chuckled, "Just be careful not to slip our real names out"

I nodded and mindlessly followed him out of the room down the hallway. But on the weirdest note, the one portrait which is supposed to the sea god's had one head poking out, and even weirder, the portrait winked at me. I shook my head and looked the portrait again over my shoulders but there wasn't anything. I guess I'm going haywire or something.

We walked out of the entrance and saw Chase walking into the building with a cool skateboard under his arm. He waved at us with a wide grin.

"Hey, you too," he exclaimed, "Going for a hang-out?"

"Yeah, friends are waiting" Kyle answered for me.

"Friends?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes?" Kyle gave a what-did-you-think-then look.

"I thought-"

"Oh sorry, we gotta go. See you, bye" Kyle exclaimed suddenly and pulled me along with him leaving a very confused Chase.

I knew exactly what he thought. The rangers had taken a little interest in our strange relationship but I was hast to cut it out before getting anything serious. Can't blame them though. They didn't know that my chocolate-haired companion was already taken.

We took a bus and reached the park at the entrance of the said mall. Lily texted me that they were already there and is in a coffee shop inside the mall. I showed it to Kyle and he leads the way saying he knew the place.

Just when Kyle opened the door for me to step inside and I gave him a judging look, Lily shouted out loud from their table near to the door.

"YOU'RE HERE!"

"Finally," added Brandon sipping his latte, I think.

"What took you so long?" asked Rose who was apparently on her phone and just looked up.

"Sorry, we're a bit late," Kyle apologized with a sideways glance at me who just shrugged.

"Bit?" asked Lily, "That's Brandon's third-order" she pointed to the poor guy who cluelessly looked up from eating his cake.

"Hey!" he protested with a stuffed mouth.

Everyone laughed. They paid the bill and together we started exploring the mall.

Rose wanted to purchase some new clothes for school reopening but Branden had little patience waiting for the dress selection of his girlfriend's so he dragged Kyle to the gents' section who was weirdly unhappy to leave me behind. He even suggested that I go with them but I rejected him bewildered at the idea of walking through men undergarments and…stuff. So, he'd to go without me leaving me with the girls.

Looked like Brandon was right about Rose's shopping. It took almost an hour to decide what to select as finalists among a set of clothes Lily gathered. She kept shaking her head to whatever Lily showed her and decided to select for herself. Wasn't she like filthy rich? Why was she shopping from a mall in the town? Maybe she's very humble and generous like she never boasts about her money or anything, so I guess that's the case. It only increased my respect for her.

"I'm confused," Rose mumbled to herself while walking out of the dressing room with two sets of tank tops and skirts in her hands, followed by a very exhausted Lily.

Poor girl.

I chuckled internally.

Rose abruptly turned to me, "Alisa!" she lifted both the hangers in the air displaying it to me elegantly, "Tell me. What should I chose?"

One was a simple white top with yellow small flowers on the left shoulder with a pencil-thin check shirt giving off a cute girl aura while the other a dark red sleeveless top paired with a bright yellow fluttering skirt emitting a charismatic persona.

"Uh, I guess the red top and yellow skirt?" I pointed unsure of my dress selection.

"Oh yess! That's what I thought too" she shrieked putting it in front of her and posing upsetting some of the customers, "Thanks!"

She walked inside the dressing room…may be to try it on for the hundredth time?

Lily wearily came towards me and plumbed down on the mini sofa on which I'd been seated for the past 40 minutes.

"You okay?" I asked her with a light chuckle.

She dramatically wiped the invisible sweats on her forehead and sighed heavily, shaking her head, "I'm used to it, hun. She's always like this"

"Really? Hats off to you then," I chuckled patting her shoulder.

"I know...but she's my best friend right?" she heaved another sigh, "Got no choice"

I just shook my head at her.

Brandon and Kyle came out of nowhere laughing at something and stopped in front of where we were sitting.

"Isn't she over yet?" Brandon dragged his hand over his face bored and frustrated, "We've been gone for hours? Is she shopping the whole mall?" he exaggerated.

I heard a chuckle from Kyle.

"Okay, let's go pay!" Rose came out of the dressing room with her selected clothes, which is a lot, "You guys're here!" she smiled wide.

"Is your majesty satisfied?" Brandon asked in a weird voice.

"I am," she replied passing by him flipping her hair on his face.

We passed by a book store while walking to the food court. I longingly looked through the glass with a pout. If I was with my mother she would've bought me at least one book but I can't ask Kyle, he had done enough for me already by talking even to Ms.Morgan into buying three of them.

I heaved a sigh at the thought.

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked me while walking beside me.

"Yeah…" I mumbled looking away.

"Thought about your family?" he guessed which was partially right.

I nodded.

"It's alright," I heard him say to me which made me looked at him, "I'm here"

I raised an eyebrow in amusement when he went forward and patted my head.

He just gave me an innocent smile.

"Mhmm, now this is life," Brandon mumbled munching on his double cheeseburger with delight.

"Food is your life?" Lily joked, "That's the most Brandon'est thing to say"

"You know I live for food, my little sis," he pointed a ketchup dipped French fry at her.

"What about me?" Rose put down her chicken nugget with a raised eyebrow, "You told me just yesterday that I was your life."

"You're only after food," he ignored looking at her, "Food's always first"

"Why am I not even surprised?" Rose just sighed going back to her nuggets.

"Couple things," Lily shook her head rolling her eyes earning a grin from me.

We're sitting in the park at the entrance of the mall. Brandon and Kyle sat a little away from us probably discussing international news judging by their facial expressions while Rose, Lily discussed the love story of our power couple Brandon and Rose. Honestly, I was really surprised when I heard that both of them were dating. When they told it, it wasn't much of a deal but after getting to know them better, I didn't know what to say. They're from two different departments and I haven't seen them being any lovey-dovey, they seemed normal? I can't even guess what attracted them to each other.

"He is a comedian!" remarked Lily.

"Yeah, that's what leaned me to him," Rose folded her arms raising her shoulders.

"Listen here, Alisa. As his twin sister and her best friend for years, I'd told her a billion times not to propose to him. But who listens to me-"

"You proposed him?" I asked surprised.

"Yes, you know I've got balls for that," said Rose with dignity holding her head high.

In my country, girls rarely ask boys out. They wait for the boys to ask them first. It's almost like a tradition that feels like only boys have the right to ask girls out never vice versa. That's why in most of our movies boys go behind girls and say that they're complicated blah blah blah. Well, the weirdest thing is that people appreciate and encourage that.

"And my brother agreed," Lily sighed.

"He already liked me long ago since when you introduced me to him," Rose shrugged.

"My fault," Lily shook her head tsking.

"Why?" I was confused. What's the problem with that?

"Alisa, boys were flocking behind this girl right here," Lily pointed at Rose who rolled her eyes with a scoff, "who is pretty beyond anything but she decided to ask my stupid of a brother who's the school clown"

"Don't call Brandon stupid," Rose warned while retouching her dark red lipstick, "and I love him and you know I don't care about those playboys"

"Whatever. Just know that you had many options,"

"I don't care and I can't sacrifice my love life for you to boast that your best friends date some popular dude and will be invited to so many parties" Rose winked.

"Yeah yeah," Lily tsked.

Oh, that's why! I was thinking why Lily was so against both of them dating guess that was the case. I mean it'll be a jackpot of course because you'd be invited to many parties if you date someone popular at High School. What I'd read only in books is not a lie then. I can't believe I'll be going to an International High School in a couple of weeks.

"What about you, Alisa?" Rose abruptly threw a question at me.

"What about me?" I tilted my head a little.

"About you and Kyle" Lily finished.

"Oh! There's nothing," I shook my head, completely dispersing that thought, "Like he said we're good friends from childhood"

"Only good friends can become good couples," Rose stated with a creepy smile.

"No, there's nothing like that-"

"When I first saw you guys, I thought you were a thing" Lily looked at Kyle who was busy laughing at a fresh joke cracked by Brandon.

"Yeah, you look good together too" Rose shrugged.

Suddenly I caught three women staring at me with twinkling eyes. They were sitting on the same green pf patch opposite us just a few feet away, continuously gazing at me causing me to shift uncomfortably in my seat. They looked really old judging by their wrinkled skin which could be seen even from my distance and their huge designer hats covered half of their face, their eyes only visible when they lifted their head but when they did all I saw was a black hole in the eyes' place. Their constant dark gaze filling me with the same dread I felt when I saw the two hoods at the coffee shop.

OH MY GOD! This can't be happening again.

"I guess it's time for us to leave," Rose checked her phone and pointed at her car pulled at the entrance.

"Yeah, nearly nine," Lily got up swinging her bag over her shoulder.

I got up along with them with my hands sweating hard. Kyle and Brandon soon joined us as they bid goodbyes and we walked in opposite directions. Somehow, I didn't need to look behind me to know that those creepy women's following us. Kyle, oblivious to all this, started talking about all the jokes Brandon shared with him. I glanced sideways at my companion, engrossed in talking with a smile on his face. We took a turn and now the place is completely deserted except for a bunch of lean tall trees by the sidewalk.

Their heels clicked against the cement pavement and echoed the void night.

"Kyle, three women are following us," I whispered inching closer to him.

I saw his irises widening. "What?!" he exclaimed.

"Look back," I told him struggling to catch up with his hurried walk.

He did as I said and immediately looked to the front fastening his pace even more. He reached out and grabbed my hand pulling me after him to run.

"Why are we running?" I panted.

He didn't answer. I turned back to see them gliding towards us even more swiftly. Kyle saw the same and started panicking, his hand against mine starting to tremble.

"Who are they?" I tried again.

"They're Hades' servants," he replied grabbing me when I tripped but started running again.

"You mean Hades? As in God of Underworld?" I asked horrified.

Don't tell me he's real!

"Yeah," came his low voice.

I held my breath. "Why are they after us?"

He didn't answer instead he rushed us towards a deserted place. Why does everyone do that? Does a deserted place appear out of nowhere?!

A ball of fire went past me. Kyle twisted me towards him colliding us together. He shielded me from the fireballs by asking me to lower my head and coiled his body against mine. He pushed my back against a tree with his hands on both sides of me and leaned towards me shielding me from the upcoming fireballs hitting on the tree and its impact.

I held a scream in my throat when a particularly huge fireball hit the tree, little fire particles lighting up the air beside us.

"Stay here, got it?" he whispered against my ears.

"But where're you-" I grabbed his shirt.

"I'll be back" he assured before loosening my grip on his shirt with his hand.

What I saw afterward was unbelievable.

He grabbed a twig from the tree and thrashed it on the ground below him. A green mist flew out of it as it grew a big trunk and caught up to his height to fit his hand. With a simple wave of his hand, twines of the trees slithered to form a protective cage around me while I backed away to the tree with wide eyes and equally wide mouth.

He gave me a small smile.

What the actual hell?!