Chapter 10: Mall crawling
Rei P.O.V.
Rei had gotten up early and called Minako, who was, surprisingly, awake, and told her to get down to the temple as soon as possible.
Arriving within ten minutes, and accompanied by Ami and Makoto, Minako burst in and looked around. "Rei, what is it? What's wrong?" She asked worryingly.
Rei poked her head out of the closet, suddenly dressed in her day clothes. "You have to get me out of here, fast. I can't get out by myself, but with you here, Grandpa will let me go." She rose up on her toes and looked out the high window into the courtyard.
Makoto took her shoulder. "What happened? Why won't your grandpa let you go?"
Rei turned back to her and crossed her arms. "Well, you know the wedding is a week and a half away and Wufei's mother was here all day yesterday, fitting me for all sorts of dresses and stuff..." Rei trailed off. "It was impossible! She didn't even let me leave the room for some fresh air! We just stayed here all day, trimming and measuring, cutting and thinning... I can't take it another day! But Grandpa knows she's coming over again today, and wouldn't let me leave. But with you here, I can just say you came over to get me because..." She trailed off again, searching for an excuse.
"There's a sale!" Minako suddenly shouted and raised her hand in the air like a cheerleader.
"Yes, your grandfather will have to let you go!" Ami said reassuringly.
A few minutes later, Minako was hauling Rei out of the temple, away from Rei's very confused grandpa, who was listening to the chatter of Makoto and Ami as they informed him of the 'totally incredible sale down at Hot Topic'. Minako stole Rei down the steps with Makoto and Ami a few paces behind and they were on high alert all the way to the mall.
Fortunately, Rei didn't see anyone belonging to the Chang family, who would alert her location. But once she was inside the mall, she relaxed. (There are so many people here; no way they could find me.)
They decided it was safe and split up, Ami going, of course, to the book store, Minako heading for Hot Topic, there really was a sale after all, and Makoto walked towards a sporting store, saying how she needed a new pair of shoes.
Rei nodded to them and continued into a small fabric store, wanting to get some fabric for her own dresses, hoping that proving she could make her own dresses would get Wufei's mother off her back.
Rei wandered the aisles, glancing at this or that fabric, but not finding anything that suited her. Suddenly, Rei jerked to a stop as a familiar laugh rang through the small store. Ducking down, Rei listened hard and heard the exact laugh of Mrs. Chang.
Rei poked her head out from behind a rack of cloth, and snapped back as she confirmed her suspicions. Mrs. Chang was in the store, and not only that, she was between Rei, who was in the back of the store, and the front, and only door. Rei dropped her head in her hands. (How am I going to get past her? If she sees me she'll have me in here until midnight with all the fabric here she can use!)
Rei scooted to the far and of the case and ran quickly across to the next aisle. Dodging the open spaces in the center walkways, Rei kept to the edge of the store and made her way to the front, but far corner away from the door. Mrs. Chang still didn't move from the register which stood right in front of the door.
Rei inched along the floor, silently thanking the manager who, luckily, didn't have many salespeople wandering around the store. Closer, closer, Rei was just a few feet from the door. Trying to be nonchalant so she wouldn't attract attention, she came a few steps closer. (Finally!) She was out the door and almost sprinting down the lobby.
She turned a corner and ran right into someone. She backed up a few steps, muttering apologies, and looked up at who she had run into. "Wufei?"
He looked up, regaining his balance after managing not to fall down. "Rei? What are you doing here?"
Rei searched for an excuse. "I..."
"Are you running from my mother as well?"
Rei looked at him. "Yeah. Are you?"
Wufei nodded slowly. "Yes. I love Mother, but I cannot stand her insufferable fittings!"
Rei sighed. "Same here. I thought getting to the mall would help me out, and of course, I happen to walk into the exact store she's in." Rei rolled her eyes. "What luck..."
"So what now?" Wufei asked, shifting.
"Well, I need a new purse, if you want to come and help me look for one?" Rei looked up at him, tilting her head a bit.
He hesitated. "Not that I want to or anything, but it is better than being with my mother."
Rei smiled and shook her head, taking Wufei's arm as they stepped out into the crowd.
So, how was that second half to this next installment? As you probably saw, the moods are just a little too different to stick these scenes together. Um, well, review me alright?!
Rei P.O.V.
Rei had gotten up early and called Minako, who was, surprisingly, awake, and told her to get down to the temple as soon as possible.
Arriving within ten minutes, and accompanied by Ami and Makoto, Minako burst in and looked around. "Rei, what is it? What's wrong?" She asked worryingly.
Rei poked her head out of the closet, suddenly dressed in her day clothes. "You have to get me out of here, fast. I can't get out by myself, but with you here, Grandpa will let me go." She rose up on her toes and looked out the high window into the courtyard.
Makoto took her shoulder. "What happened? Why won't your grandpa let you go?"
Rei turned back to her and crossed her arms. "Well, you know the wedding is a week and a half away and Wufei's mother was here all day yesterday, fitting me for all sorts of dresses and stuff..." Rei trailed off. "It was impossible! She didn't even let me leave the room for some fresh air! We just stayed here all day, trimming and measuring, cutting and thinning... I can't take it another day! But Grandpa knows she's coming over again today, and wouldn't let me leave. But with you here, I can just say you came over to get me because..." She trailed off again, searching for an excuse.
"There's a sale!" Minako suddenly shouted and raised her hand in the air like a cheerleader.
"Yes, your grandfather will have to let you go!" Ami said reassuringly.
A few minutes later, Minako was hauling Rei out of the temple, away from Rei's very confused grandpa, who was listening to the chatter of Makoto and Ami as they informed him of the 'totally incredible sale down at Hot Topic'. Minako stole Rei down the steps with Makoto and Ami a few paces behind and they were on high alert all the way to the mall.
Fortunately, Rei didn't see anyone belonging to the Chang family, who would alert her location. But once she was inside the mall, she relaxed. (There are so many people here; no way they could find me.)
They decided it was safe and split up, Ami going, of course, to the book store, Minako heading for Hot Topic, there really was a sale after all, and Makoto walked towards a sporting store, saying how she needed a new pair of shoes.
Rei nodded to them and continued into a small fabric store, wanting to get some fabric for her own dresses, hoping that proving she could make her own dresses would get Wufei's mother off her back.
Rei wandered the aisles, glancing at this or that fabric, but not finding anything that suited her. Suddenly, Rei jerked to a stop as a familiar laugh rang through the small store. Ducking down, Rei listened hard and heard the exact laugh of Mrs. Chang.
Rei poked her head out from behind a rack of cloth, and snapped back as she confirmed her suspicions. Mrs. Chang was in the store, and not only that, she was between Rei, who was in the back of the store, and the front, and only door. Rei dropped her head in her hands. (How am I going to get past her? If she sees me she'll have me in here until midnight with all the fabric here she can use!)
Rei scooted to the far and of the case and ran quickly across to the next aisle. Dodging the open spaces in the center walkways, Rei kept to the edge of the store and made her way to the front, but far corner away from the door. Mrs. Chang still didn't move from the register which stood right in front of the door.
Rei inched along the floor, silently thanking the manager who, luckily, didn't have many salespeople wandering around the store. Closer, closer, Rei was just a few feet from the door. Trying to be nonchalant so she wouldn't attract attention, she came a few steps closer. (Finally!) She was out the door and almost sprinting down the lobby.
She turned a corner and ran right into someone. She backed up a few steps, muttering apologies, and looked up at who she had run into. "Wufei?"
He looked up, regaining his balance after managing not to fall down. "Rei? What are you doing here?"
Rei searched for an excuse. "I..."
"Are you running from my mother as well?"
Rei looked at him. "Yeah. Are you?"
Wufei nodded slowly. "Yes. I love Mother, but I cannot stand her insufferable fittings!"
Rei sighed. "Same here. I thought getting to the mall would help me out, and of course, I happen to walk into the exact store she's in." Rei rolled her eyes. "What luck..."
"So what now?" Wufei asked, shifting.
"Well, I need a new purse, if you want to come and help me look for one?" Rei looked up at him, tilting her head a bit.
He hesitated. "Not that I want to or anything, but it is better than being with my mother."
Rei smiled and shook her head, taking Wufei's arm as they stepped out into the crowd.
So, how was that second half to this next installment? As you probably saw, the moods are just a little too different to stick these scenes together. Um, well, review me alright?!