Jen of the Future
Chapter Ten: what sets you apart…
It was Monday, 4.30 pm. Keely took Jen to the mall. Keely had already started to accept that Phil, his best friend, a rich guy from the 22nd century had a girlfriend, Jen who also was rich and from the 22nd century. She also finally accepted Jen as her friend. Although it seemed like they were friends from the start, when she knew that Jen was Phil's girlfriend, she considered her as some kind of competition. She also accepted that she would never win the competition and decided that upon the rule 'Phil's friends are my friends and my friends are his' and decided that she should get to know Jen more; thus, the shopping spree. But her acceptance did not diminish the feelings she had for Phil. In fact, they grew steadily. Just like they did before she met Jen.
"So malls are for… shopping?" Jen didn't understand the concept of actually going out of the house to purchase clothes and stuff. She bought the clothes from New York she had through the 'concierge' in the apartment she lived in. She just called and said 'I want the best shoes, best clothes and the best makeup. You know my size. Money's no problem'.
"Yes, here's were we buy stuff… how did you guys shop in the future"
"Virtu-shopping" Jen said perkily.
"virtu-shopping? Jeez, the future must be so full of… virtues?" keely laughed at her own 'joke'
"yeah… just like when we study but we look at clothes and stuff instead"
"ooh.." keely knew how they studied. Phil had told hem before… they would ware 'sunglass-thingies' as she referred to them and they'd be in school. Just like in the videogames.
They continued to walk…
"But how do you know they fit? How do you know they look good on you? How do you try them on?" The idea of not trying things on to see how one looks in them bothered keely. She had to try everything she liked before she bought something. She would usually try at least ten tops on before she bought one.
"Holograms, silly we use life size holograms"
"ohh…"
They continued to walk… looking through store windows. Occasionally entering a few shops, holding at least two paper bags each when they got out
"Jen, look there! Sweaters!" Keely pointed to the store straight ahead
"Yeah…"
"C'mon let's go! It's a half-off sale!" Keely pulled Jen's arm and started walking to the shop
"Sale? Oh, no, no, no!" she twisted her arm free from Keely's grip.
"What's wrong?"
"Well keel, it's a sale!" Jen's rich girl attitude surfaced
"Yeah… I don't know what sale means in the 22nd century but in this one, sales are good. You get stuff, you know like clothes- good ones if it's a good sale at a good store, by the way- at a cheaper price. And I happen to know that Yvonne's has great sweaters!" Keely was proud that she got to explain the importance of a good sale.
"First of all, sales are the same no matter what century you're in. Second: you used 'clothes' and 'cheap' in the same sentence – cheap clothes! And Third: a sale means they're getting rid of the old stuff to make room for the new! It means that the clothes are about to be out-of-season! Come on, let's go look for good, non-sale clothes" Jen explained as she took keely by the arm and went the other way
"Wow, I knew they were making room for new stuff but it never came to me that the stuff they sell on sales were old… I just never thought of it that way" Keely thought aloud
"That's what I'm here for!"
They finished their shopping and were now drinking smoothies at the food court. Keely realized that in the few hours she spent with Jen, they had pretty much a lot of things in common: music, shopping, their taste in clothes bags and shoes, modeling stuff they bought when they got home, and smoothies. They finished their smoothies and hailed a cab to take them to the Diffy's. In the cab…
"So Keel, the Jam session we were talking about… when do you want to do it?"
"Anytime's okay with me… we don't have a lot of homework… but I don't know about Phil"
"I'll just ask him later…"
When the two got to the Diffy's house, Phil playing with his wizard; it seemed like he was doing this for a long time already. He set up all kinds of decorations in it and with a press of a button, all the decorations transferred themselves onto his room. He did a desert theme, than a disco theme and an outer space theme before he noticed Jen and Keely were already there.
"Hey! How'd the shopping go?" Phil asked cheerily
"Phil, have you ever thought that the things people get rid off on sales to make room for the new ones are actually…old?" Keely sat on a chair and put the bags on the floor
"Yeah Keel, that's why they have sales…they get rid of the old stuff… hey, how was the mall?" he quickly shifted his attention to his girlfriend and gave her a smack on the lips.
"Well, I actually went out to buy stuff… anyway… Phil… why were you decorating your room?" Jen asked after her kiss with her boyfriend…
"Well… I was bored…"
"Then you should've come with us!" Jen said as she put the bags beside Keely's and sat down on Phil's bed.
"And watch you and keely try a million stuff on? No thanks! I'd rather decorate my room a hundred times in ten minutes!"
"Phil! Get your butt down here! It's dinner time! Oh and Jen and Kelly too!" Pim yelled from below the stairs
"Coming…"
After dinner, the three sat down on the porch. Keely could see that she was unwanted said she wanted to start trying on her new outfits and excused herself.
"She's very nice you know… a bit ditzy, but nice" Jen inched herself closer to Phil
"You're ditzy… and nice… you're like keely, you know…"
"Yeah I am aren't I?" Jen lowered her gaze from the stars to the grass
"There are many nice, ditzy blonde girls out there, you know…"
"Yeah I guess…" she didn't shift her gaze…
"But you know what makes you special?" he put his finger on her chin and lifted up her head so that their eyes would meet.
"What?"
He stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers "I love you" and planted a short, sweet kiss on her lips
"But what keeps you from loving the other nice, ditzy blonde girls out there?" she looked at the stars again
He makes her face him again "Because you're you. You're unique, I don't know what it is, but you have that special something… anyone would be crazy not to pick you over the other girls…"
"You know, there are other brown-haired cute guys with beautiful eyes and wicked smiles out there…"
"Then why me?"
"Because…you!"
He understood what she said and kissed her again… longer this time. This was another reason why he loved Jen, they both understood what the other one was trying to say… even if one was inarticulate…
Keely's POV
The third wheel again… I don't really feel like trying clothes on… she looks outside the window… oh they're kissing again… I really don't have a chance… But I know what I'm feeling's right… maybe it's just not right for him… oh god I just wish this would all go away… it's so hard to be the third wheel…especially when you're in love with the guy… wait…wait… did I just say…'love'? Oh great…before I just said 'like' now I love him? And he still has a girlfriend… nice one teslow…a tear falls from her eye…you love your best friend who has a girlfriend you can not possibly compare too! Great job… she wanted to beat herself up after this realization… not now… Jen and I are friends… Phil and I are friends…oh brother… I just hope I find a really great guy in the future… great… guy in the future- Phil… oh… everything just has to remind me of him don't they she looked up as if she was talking to the ceiling. Another tear falls down her cheek…
"Keel, are you okay?" at the sound of Phil's voice she wiped her cheek "yeah…what's up?"
"Nothing... it's just that… you were crying…" he sounded worried
"I wasn't crying… I was… yawning…"she does a fake yawn "I get teary-eyed when I yawn…"
"oh…"
"Hey Jen, did you ask him about the jam session yet?" She changed the topic. She didn't want to make any more excuses. She wasn't comfortable lying to Phil… specially about how she feels... she usually tells him everything… but she couldn't tell him about her feelings now… of course…
"Oh yeah, Phil... When do you want to do it?" Jen asked
"Do it? I… I" Phil felt himself turn a little pink
"Yeah, when are you available? Keely and I are okay to go ahead and sing whenever…"
"Oh…yeah… do that… whenever's cool for me too…"
"Okay… good night" Jen kissed keely on the cheek and Phil on the lips. But not before giving him a knowing look…
do that... phillip diffyyou have such a dirty, green mind jen mumbled to herself
"what was that?" phil asked although he heard the words 'philip' and 'green mind' and probably figured it out...
"nothing... good night!"
she didnt answer... just like he thought...
A/N: wow… 5 pages… this is long…well… I did write/type this for 3 hours so…anyway… sorry about all of the shopping stuff… I just went shopping and a lot of stuff were on sale so… you get the picture… anyway… suggestions for the jam session are still welcomed, answers to the 'trivia' question too! And so are reviews!
chelsea