Chapter Fourteen: More Mall Troubles

"Come on," the skunk innocently turned around to look at Carol, flashing beady-bug eyes at her, "what could a rough looking tomboy like yourself be doing in a place like this?"

Carol had bought a different gumball, and started chewing on it. It was green-her other favorite for obvious reasons. "Look. Kid. ...First off, where are your parents? Aren't you a little young to be running around the store by yourself?"

"Pff, look who's talking. I know aaaall about you~"

Clearly not intimidated, Carol leaned back against the gumball machine, pulling on the piece of gum that she had in her mouth like it was a piece of yarn. "You really don't want to."

"I know your last name~" The skunk girl swayed from side to side, holding onto a small handbag.

"Try me."

"It's Tea, isn't it~?"

"..." Carol's pupil's dilated. Her heart skipped a beat. How in the lord's name did this little kid know her surname? What's more...what else did she know? "...How?"

"Oh, isn't this just great~?" The skunk jumped up and down, "Now you're stuck on whether or not you should lay smack talk on an innocent kid or run away like a pussy cat with your tail between your legs in a fake attempt to be mature. Aren't trap situations so beautiful~?"

By now, a small group of shoppers were looking their way. Carol started to sweat. What would be the best way out of this situation? "..."

Meanwhile, in the dressing room, Lilac and Milla had been trying on dresses for the past ten minutes. Their selection was massive, and the options they had to choose form made it difficult.

"What do you think, Lilac?" Milla exited her dressing booth wearing a modest black and white, horizontally striped dress that ran all the way down to her feet.

"Wait me, first!" Lilac came out of her dressing room wearing a short black dress with black, mesh stockings, and black mesh gloves that ran up to her arms.

"..."

"Oh. My. Gosh."

"You look great!" They both said in unison, holding each other's hands while they looked into the mirror.

"Hm...but black makes me feel too...vampire," Lilac said, looking herself over. "Edgy, and all that, you know?"

Milla, however, held a different opinion. "But you look great!" she insisted, "black really suits you!"

"Heh, it suits you pretty good too," Lilac commented, giving Milla a good look, "You look like you're twenty!"

Milla gasped, "Do I really look mature?"

"Pff, more than some people I know."

"Like who?"

Lilac giggled in response, "You know~"

Milla got the hint and giggled as well. Then she looked into the mirror again. "Hm...I wonder if Carol is ok..."

The thought of Carol losing her mind from the unbearable senses of the women's department sent Lilac into a state of worry. "Maybe I should go...no, no, she can handle herself," Lilac shook her head, dismissing the idea that Carol could be in danger. "Knowing her, she probably scurried off to the dojo equipment store."

"Yeah! But I wonder why she doesn't like dresses..."

"Well, she's always been like that," Lilac explained, "ever since we were little, she hated anything girly. And she would always hang around other guys. That is, until we became friends."

Milla had been ruffling through other dresses until she found herself a short, blue princess style skirt that went just past her thighs. "I'd like to know more about how you two met, sometime."

Lilac had also changed, switching into a white formal ball gown that trailed on the floor and had no coverings on the shoulders. "Trust me, that's a looooong story."

And again, Milla posed in front of the mirror wearing a fitted, mermaid style sapphire dress. "I'd listen!"

Another dress for Lilac, this time an emerald green poofy princess dress. "Heh, maybe I will tell you sometime."

Meanwhile, on the floor of the women's department, Neera Li- "Shh." -A panda woman wearing casual clothing was walking around. A purse slung over her shoulder. While she was looking through the jewelry section, the situation between Carol and the little skunk had caught her eye. Two things weren't right about this.

Who was that?

And what was Carol doing here?

"Oh boy, here it goes..." She rolled her eyes, keeping a keen watch over the scene, blending into the crowd as if she were just a civilian.