AN: I know this is rather short, but to make up for it I posted 2 chapters at once! Lame excuse, I know. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this story!
Saturday at the Mall
The next morning Phoenix drove to Ally's house at 10:00 to pick her up on the way to the downtown mall. Ally told her parents she would be home by 8:00, and then hopped into Phoenix's Ford Explorer. "Ready to shop?" she asked Phoenix.
"Only if you are," Phoenix replied. "Here," she passed Ally her CD case, "pick out a CD."
"Okay." Ally flipped through the disks while Phoenix drove out of her neighborhood. Finding one she liked, Ally pulled out the CD and asked, "Linkin Park alright?"
"Heck yes," Phoenix agreed.
Ally popped the disk in the CD player and cranked up the volume. Both girls smiled as the opening notes of Linkin Park's third major album, "Meteora", played. When the song "Don't Stay" started, they both sang along:
Sometimes I need to remember just to breathe
Sometimes I need you to stay away from me!
Twenty minutes and six songs later they pulled into the mall parking lot near the JC Penny entrance. Phoenix found a vacant space near the middle of the lot and parked her Explorer. As the girls entered the mall through the JC Penny front doors, Ally asked, "Where do you want to go first?"
"Hot Topic," Phoenix said decidedly.
In Hot Topic Phoenix and Ally browsed through shirts, wristbands, and socks with various metal and rock band logos and other patterns on them. After searching and rocking out to the store's music for about half an hour, they purchased matching checkered socks and Phoenix bought a My Chemical Romance wristband as well. When they emerged from Hot Topic, Phoenix slipped on her new wristband while they walked to Rack Room Shoes "just for the randomness of it", as Ally put it. Needless to say, they didn't buy any shoes.
They wandered around the mall for a few hours, going into different shops, sometimes buying items, but most of the time just looking around. At about 3:00 after an extremely loud rumble from Ally's stomach, they decided to go to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch/dinner, and then go over to the nearby theater to see a movie. When the girls left the mall, Phoenix had bought the socks and wristband from Hot Topic, some strawberry lip gloss from Bath and Body Works, and a book called Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (AN: this is an excellent book!) from Barnes and Noble. Ally had bought the checkered socks, an Armor for Sleep CD from Barnes and Noble, and a braided hemp sailor's bracelet and blueberry chap stick from Kohl's.
Ally and Phoenix ate like growing teenage boys at Sweet Tomatoes, then drove to a 4:30 showing of "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." They both immensely enjoyed the fantasy movie and talked about it in the car the entire ride home.
Phoenix dropped Ally off at her house around 8:00, just when her parents were expecting her, and then headed home herself. It had been a fabulous day all around.
AN: Next chapter shall contain more marching band related matters, in case you're not into the social lives of Ally and Phoenix. Out of curiosity, does any one listen to Armor for Sleep? And reviews are highly appreciated! Thanks!