Chapter 78j: Money Makes the Memories (6 July 2003, window shopping beneath the burning sun)

"… but when I invited him, he said he was 'busy'. Busy with what? It's summer!"

Setty is complaining. Again. Or is it still? It is so hard to tell sometimes.

As I wrap my arm around her shoulder, we saunter further into the shopping centre and its anthill of people and illuminated trademarks.

"Reeeelax, worrywart! I get it. I really do!"

As she gives me a mildly suspicious 'can you not just let me vent some more' eye, I continue as if I hadn't seen it.

"You've been seeing him for several hours every day for several weeks now, yet now that there's no Cain and only your annoying sister dragging you along, you are afraid of losing him all over again. You'll see him again tomorrow."

As I try to steady her heart, she giggles and pokes her elbow right into my ribs.

"Nee-san, stop treating me like a little kid. Playing the distraught Nee-san won't shift the subject away from Cain or make me stop talking about him. He's him, you are you. Besides, he's way better at playing pathetic than you are."

She laughs in a gloating fashion as I pinch her skin between my fingers in response, making her yelp. "That's not cute, you know. It's just bratty."

"But it is true!" she blurts out, seemingly dissatisfied for a few seconds before her eyes wander towards the shop windows with interest, at which point she nimbly ducks away from my arm to gawk. "Wow! Aren't those tops cute? Nee, come look at those ribbons on the shoulders."

As I wander after her and take a look, I find myself nodding in agreement. "Not bad at all. Too bad you need to grow a bit more before that will fit you, though."

Her reflection in the window betrays the upset scowl half a second before she turns around and kicks my calf in dissatisfaction. "Do you need to rub it in?" she mutters, her expression oddly cute to the point where the misunderstanding itself becomes utterly hilarious. I struggle to silence the bubbling laugh that wants to get out.

"Geez. That's not what I mean. Look. See how long it is? If you'd wear it, it would go so low as to hang over your knees, even for what is the smallest size. It is simply meant for people a bit taller than you. You'd look only slightly more refined than if you'd just put some white sheets over your head."

As I receive a bit more of her unhappiness, she eventually acquiesces as we wander beyond the window and into the department store proper.

It is about two hours later when we find a little restaurant to kick back on. After once again spending far too much time making up her mind, she opts for ice tea with a slice of apple pie. I'll make due with a nice frappuccino; that's enough of a guilty pleasure after all the fun we had so far.

"So. Any regrets yet?" I tease her.

"Nuh huh." she responds contentedly, her eyes challenging me as she sips her ice tea.

"You sure?" I continue to probe her, giving her a teasing smile.

"Yes!"

"Really?"

"God. YES! How many times do I have to tell you?"

She stuffs her mouth full of a bite of her apple pie as I try to savor the moment. Cain isn't competition, not really.. but those stupid lessons he has with her are truly getting in the way of our sisterly shenanigans. I wonder when we can have a free afternoon like this again…

"Fine. But you kept saying the pink was too childish and the red was more mature."

I can't help it. I need to egg her on like this. I just have to! She was torn on a simple color choice for over fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes! She's just asking for it being that cutely indecisive!

"Well, I wouldn't have needed to say that if you'd just thrown in a couple of pounds so we could get them both. We could have shared them just fine."

As I glance at her with amused disdain, I take a sip of my delicious caffeine-infused treat.

"And? I don't like those colours. So it would still be just you using them. Besides, aren't I already treating you now?"

"Well, you have more money. So of course you should do that. And more than that." She sticks out her tongue in challenge, and I find myself laughing together with her.

"But you still went for the 'childish' shade of pink." I respond in counter-challenge, still going straight for that older-than-her-age pride she's been building up so much.

I can't help it. I just have to do it! How long will it be before the word 'child' will stop being a most delicious fuse to set her off?

"Yes! I picked the pink! God! That red polish might be more mature, but it just reminds me of old wrinkly ladies playing cards in one of those smokey lounges. Yuck. That pink shade is more 'me'." Her eyes glare cute little Setty-daggers at me as she tries to put an end to this. "And I'm happy with it! Now will you puh-lease stop it, Jellybelly?!"

My laughter angers her just a bit more, but after I earnestly promise that I will in fact knock it off, peace soon returns to our little table of sunshine and shopping reflections. Eventually I find my purse and go inside to pay; the servers have their hands full and I don't really feel like waiting another twenty minutes to pay.

Setty bought a nice blue summer dress and some sandals with just a little bit of lift using the shopping money mom gave us. My 'little-nee' just can't grow up soon enough. Well, whatever: mom said she could buy whatever she wanted as long as it wasn't too ridiculous. Deliciously vague as is her style, but I think we made it work. There's no heels nor platforms and plenty of fabric besides that, so these should make both mom and Setty happy.

The money mom gave me wasn't nearly enough to match Setty's shopping, though. She's pretty adamant I should pay for my own clothes given that I've got a job. It's just a convenient excuse if you ask me; she's just frustrated my closet can't fit all my clothes anymore. Putting my socks in the free spaces in my bookcase on top of the books isn't acceptable either, but she prefers it over me stashing my underwear there.

I can just hear her voice screeching in my mind: 'You never know when you'll have a visitor in your room! And what kind of example is this to show to Setsuka? Clean your room, young lady! On the double!'

As if I'd bring any guys to our house. Hell no. The only thing worse than interrupted intercourse is when it is family doing the interrupting!

I'd sooner do it in one of those dirty cars from the 80s! Hell, it'd have some style!

Finally - there's a chance for me to pay, and I find that the total cost of this little treat manages to barely exceed how much I spent during our trip this afternoon. Which leaves me to wonder: is that hairclasp I saw for sale too pricey after all, or is it just that these drinks are way overpriced?

As I wander back, I see her fiddling with her other purchase: she is applying her new gloss to her lips for what I think is the third time since she bought it ninety minutes ago.

She's really growing up, huh?