Chapter 8: At the mall.
Everytime I come to the local mall, I feel out of place. No matter how hard I try to not seem like it to the many people who come here everyday.
Luckily I feel a bit more comfortable since I have my dog with me and my comfort clothes on. So I don't feel to bit out of place here.
I only came here to get some food for myself at the food court. Luckily my dad left me a credit card for me to use in case I needed something and he didn't want me to bother him about it. I guess that's how much he loves me. I guess.
As I chew on my burger from McDonald's, I observe the many people around. Particularly a teenage boy and his mother having a dispute at a nearby store.
" Oh honey you need to try it on." The mother sighs as she holds up a buttoned up shirt in front of him. But he pushes her away.
" Mom. I can shop for myself thank you very much." The teenager rolls his eyes. " Plus who gives a damn about how I look anyway?"
" That depends if you are satisfied with the person you are." I thought as I took another bite of my burger.
Toothless looks up at me and gives me that look of sadness as he leaned his head up against my leg. I know he knows how unhappy I am with myself. Even though he can't talk.
I scratch behind his ear. " I know bud. But I can handle it." I tell him. But he doesn't look satisfied with the answer I gave him.
" Well at least I have what I need for now." I said to assure him. " I'll be fine." I can't believe I am telling this to a dog.
I finish up my burger before I crumple up the remaining wrapper and stuff it in the paper bag. I throw the whole thing out into the trash bag and was planning to take off for home before my feet stop.
I don't know why. But I just don't want to go home right now. I usually do go home, but not this time. I don't want to do what I usually do this time.
I look up at the store the mom and her teenage son was in. It was a store that has clothes for young men.
" I can't." I tell myself trying to avoid this temptation. I know that I'm a boy at heart. But what if someone sees me? What can I do? I can't simply say that it's for my brother even though I don't even have one!
I look down at Toothless. He was yanking the leash. He yanking on it for me to go into the store. I know he has my best interests at heart, but in a way I wish he doesn't.
" I'll just look. That's it. Just look." I told myself as I head towards the store.
I tie my dog outside before I walk into the store. He's good about staying where he is, so I don't have much trouble with leaving him outside of a place.
I walk in and just see everything I want to be. The photos of young men I wish to be. The clothes that I wish I can wear perfectly. It makes me feel out of place but, at the same time, where I want to be.
I pick up a men's dress shirt. It was a simple long sleeve white shirt. I'm not the fancy type, but I would wear this in a heartbeat over any dress I would ever own.
" How may I help you?" A sudden voice said from behind me and I yelped as I almost trip on my own feet.
I turn around to find a young man in his twenties standing in front of me. He has a nice brown skin complexion and dark closed shaved hair. He has on a name tag that says, " Hi my name is Byron."
" S-Sorry! I was just looking at something for my…..brother!" I said the very lie I did not want to resort to but did anyway.
" Is it for a special occasion?" Byron asks gesturing to the dress shirt in my hands.
" Oh. Um….. yeah. I just need to get him a suit for the…. homecoming dance." I said. It wasn't a flat out lie. I did actually need to get something for the dance since my dad stated that I should go to meet new friends. What he says goes.
" Is there any style that he prefers? Maybe you should bring him here for a fitting." He said.
" My… brother….uhhh.. doesn't like to shop. He... sends me to do it for him….all the time. We're…..twins! Almost identical!" I said as I laugh nervously. I have no idea where these lies are coming from.
" Look if you are shopping here for yourself, don't worry. I have seen many girls come here all the time for some of our merchandise. That doesn't say anything about you." He said very calmly as I blush furiously. I kinda figure that he would see through my lie. It really was a bad lie anyway.
" Yeah…" I sigh tiredly. Still can't believe how embarrassing that was. Shopping for brother that has never existed? Seriously!?
" Well what are you looking for?" He asks me.
" Well.. I do actually need something for homecoming. I just don't want to wear a dress." I tell him truthfully this time. I hope he doesn't look at me weird
But he just nods thoughtfully as he said. " Alright. Let's see what we can do for you."
He actually was very helpful for me. He pulled out a nice brown vest and matching pants and the white dress shirt I was holding in my hands. He said that it should work for me. I try the whole outfit on in the fitting room. I came out to check myself in the mirror. I can't believe at what was I seeing in front of me.
I couldn't help but admire the way I look. I look like that David Tennant time lord from Doctor Who with the whole ensemble. But in a good way. The whole thing looked good on my tall lean frame. It was like it was made for someone like me. I feel right. I feel comfortable with myself.
But one thing that stood out in the wrong way was my hair. It was still there and I still hate it for being the picture. Maybe if I put it up in a ponytail it might look somewhat better.
I just didn't to be seen by someone I knew.
" Hiccup. Is that you?!" I heard someone. Someone that I hope was still in my head. But I turn around to see Astrid and Ruffnut standing there gawking at me!
I could have yelped but I didn't. I was too much in shock. What are they doing here!? They shouldn't be here! This is a men's store!
" Oh! Hey….. guys….." I laugh nervously as I feel like my usual self again. Awkward and Uncomfortable. Think Hiccup. Think. Oh how do I get myself out of this one? How!?
" Dude! I could have sworn you were a guy until I saw your face in the mirror! Why on earth are you wearing a suit?" Ruffnut raises an eyebrow at me.
" Why are you here at men's clothing store?" I asked back.
" Ah. Touche." Ruffnut said putting her hands on her hips. " If you must know. My twin brother needs to get his homecoming suit and sent me to try it on in his place while he is probably rolling in pile of mud somewhere with the family pet pig."
Well. What do you know? She has the same excuse as me and is actually legitimate. Makes sense since she and her brother practically have the same figure. But one thing sounds strange. Since when did they even have a pig?
" Now your turn." Astrid said as she crosses her arms as she raises her own eyebrow. Now I need a really good lie to cover this up.
I finally decided on one that made the most sense. " I…. took your advice Ruffnut." I smiled.
" What? What advice?" Ruffnut asked obliviously.
" About how women should be equal to men. I decided to wear a suit instead of dress to the homecoming dance this year." I said in a fake confident like manner as I tug on the dress shirt sleeve. Hopefully they might just buy it.
" Dude!" Ruffnut shouted in such happiness for the whole world to hear. " I thought you were my idol. But now you are my god! I should have thought of that!"
" Umm...Thank you." I said awkwardly.
" Well. It does create a statement. I give you that." Astrid said.
" I got! All three of us should go in suits! No more dress dominance over women!" Ruffnut suggested and both me and Astrid just chuckle at that.
" Just imagine. If women came in suits and guys came in dresses." I said and that sent them both in laugh at that idea. A disturbing idea.
" Ok now we have to do this!" Ruffnut declared. " I'm going to find a manager and hook us up!" She said as she runs out of the fitting room. Leaving the two of us alone.
I go back into my changing area and change out of suit and back into my baggy clothes.
" I have to go back home." I said to Astrid. " My dog has been outside of the store for quite a bit."
" That Newfoundland is yours?" She asked and I nod in response.
" He's really sweet. Has a couple of missing teeth though and part of a tail." She said.
" He lost them when his previous owner put a gun in his mouth and fired it. The owner also fired at his tail. He's lucky not to be dead." I explained. Astrid's face drops into shock.
" Oh gods how could someone just do something like that?!" She almost yells.
" Terrible people do terrible things to go animals." I said. " I call him Toothless. He's practically my best friend. Always has been there for me."
" I have a dog too. She's a Shiba Inu. Her name's Stormfly. She's also like my best friend." She said.
" That's a beautiful name." I told her honestly. " I have to go. Maybe you can bring your dog over when we need to do the project tomorrow."
" That would be great." Astrid nods at me.
I leave the changing room and go past Ruffnut, who has Byron carrying a lot of suits as he follows her, out of the store. Feeling like I have just jump over some bridges. A lot of bridges.
Toothless' story was inspired by a pitbull who was innocently shot in the mouth just because of it's breed being known to be very dangerous. It was so sad :( My opinion is that it's not the breed that matters. It's the person who trains the dog. I know a pitbull that's name is Sandy and she is a real sweetheart. It just proves that not all pit bulls are horrible dogs.
Also to the people who are sending me mean comments. Stop it. You are not worth my time. If you have a problem with how I decided to do my stories, that's your decision not to read them. I have a right to write them and you have a right to ignore and hate them. But you don't have the right to send outright mean messages just to make people feel bad about themselves for having an imagination they want to share to other people. So don't waste your time by sending another message to me.
Next Chapter is the after school project. It will might have some romantic moments in it. I don't know cause I am in the middle of writing it.
Please Review and see you later.
