Our relationship was short and sweet. The two of us being fifteen and innocent. I catch his gaze, smiling in a friendly manner before turning to Candice who tugs on my arm.
"April is here, you can go hang out with Riley if you want."
I raise a brow, looking to see Riley watching us curiously. "I'd rather not, " I say with a laugh. "But I will go to the bookstore."
She nods, pulling out four twenty dollar bills from her wallet. "I'll let you know when I'm done." She hands me the money.
"Okay, thank you!" I say with a grin, waving at her friend who waddles with her hand over her very large bump.
The topic of kids tends to become sensitive real quick. I stopped bringing it up after Candice left the room crying, I was twelve and felt terrible afterward. Dad said it had nothing to do with me with a solemn expression.
I still wonder about it, since she's only thirty years old and she seems to adore children.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, Riley's name popping up when I slide it out.
You come here often?
His message causes me to roll my eyes although I laugh quietly to myself. Replying with a short response and heading to the second story if the mall.
The main hangout spot is where the entrance is. A lot of the smaller shops are upstairs, hidden and out of reach. Unless you know your way around.
I enter my absolute favorite place in this mall, the bookstore. It's a decent size and holds a lot of newer novels with a good amount of classics. The smell of new books satisfies me for some reason.
It's like an immediate reaction to want to sit inside on a rainy day with a book in your hands.
I have a bad habit of reading the first and last page of every book before deciding if it's worth the read or not. Most people hate spoilers but I can't help but turn to the end.
After a good twenty minutes, I decide on a series to start. There are five books but can be read separately from what I can tell. I only pay for the first one, not willing to drop fifty dollars without at least reading the first one.
I pause on my way to the escalators, seeing two familiar faces. They stand by an apple store, appearing to be discussing something.
I don't get the chance to turn the other way when my name is being called.
Asher and his sister, Emily, have their eyes trained on me. I haven't seen her in a while. Ever since she left for college out of state.
"You look beautiful, how have you been?" She beams, pulling me into a hug.
I return it politely, blushing at her compliment. "I've been good, how about you?" I pull back to greet Asher with a small smile.
Emily is absolutely stunning, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her skin is perfectly bronzed, the opposite of her brother yet both attractive people.
She tells me about college and how she's only here for the weekend because it's their mothers birthday.
She checks the time on her phone before gasping loudly. "I have to go to Victoria Sec–"
Asher cringes, stopping her from completing her sentence. "I'll meet you at the food court." He says, a look of disgust on his face.
She giggles, swatting his shoulder. I smile at their encounter before promising not to leave without saying bye to her first. She leaves us alone with a wave over her shoulder.
His attention lands on me, a lazy grin covering his face. "Who are you here with?"
"Candice."
He nods, eyeing the bag from the bookstore. "You still read a ridiculous amount." He notes with a chuckle. "What did you get?"
My eyes narrow at his words, "You should try it sometime." I say before holding it out for him.
He takes it from my hands, flipping the book over. "Do you still read the last page and spoil the entire book for yourself?" He lifts his head with a teasing smile.
"Maybe." I smile, taking it back from him.
I spot a tattoo on the inside of his wrist, and one on his bicep. They're both in cursive and hard to make out at first glance.
We walk around for a bit, talking about when we would beg to come here. Before Melissa moved here Asher was basically our fourth guy. James never complained about being the only guy and it was even.
It wasn't her fault that we all became distant, it was actually just due to us entering high school. Our schedules were different and we made new friends. I was the only one desperately holding onto our friendship.
Melissa and Asher's fallout was the icing on the cake. After that, we never spoke again.
"Are you leaving soon? Or can you join Em and me for lunch?"
Candice and April shopping for baby clothes equals hours of being here.
I pretend to check my non-existent watch, his eyes trained on me. "I have time, " I say with a nod.
He rolls his eyes with a lopsided smile. "I'm honored to be fit in your busy schedule."
We meet Emily at the food court, two bags in each arm. She's pleased to see me joining them. Asher orders their food and I managed to pay for my own. Sliding a twenty into his fist before he could refuse.
"I'm surprised to see you that you two are friends again, " Emily admits with a hint of disbelief.
I cock my head to the side, wondering if she's aware of the mess that happened between us.
She sees my questioning stare, "Did you drop her as a friend after she li–"
A tray of food is placed in front of us. I try to keep her gaze, confused as to who she's referring to. The conversation is dropped and I don't bring it up.
I devour my burger instead, managing to talk in between. Emily keeps things interesting, her lack of filter only making it better. Asher stirs the conversation away from her boyfriend, complaining about how gross they are.
"Do you remember the drawing you made Zoey?" She asks Asher with a teasing smile.
I gasp, "The one to get back at that girl in our class?"
"How could I forget my first heartbreak." He shakes his head at the memory.
I laugh, remembering how dramatic we were at eight years old.
Emily bursts into a fit of laughter. "You actually tried to make that poor girl jealous only to be exposed by Zoey." She wipes her eyes due to how hard she was laughing.
Asher sighs with a glare directed at his sister. "I thought she would come running into my arms and confess her love. Instead, I was tackled and humiliated." His lips purse together at the end of his confession.
I glance at Emily making her laugh even harder. He cracks a grin, raising his eyebrows at me. Once she's done embarrassing him we talk more about her and how California is treating her.
It sounds so simple, to pick a career and move away from the place you once called home. I know it's more complex than that.
And I can't see myself moving to a new place on my own. I'm basically stuck here until I stop being dependent on others.
Unfortunately, I have to leave which makes her pout. She gives me a hug, after typing her number in my phone.
"Bye, Zoey!"
I wave at the two of them while walking to Candice who is waiting for me. We spent a good amount of our day at the mall. I hadn't expected to run into them or to enjoy being there.