Chapter Fifty-Four

Shopping at the Mall

Saturday was here. It was now the last day of June. Kate remembered that a month ago she was outside with Melissa now, walking around the antique shops and finally buying the medallions that would forever change them. Kate had learned more than there was such a thing as curses in the last month. She learned to always be faithful and that lust was not the same thing as love, and to never, ever give into lust.

She also learned to not think about sleeping with her best friend's boyfriend.

Also, if Beckett becomes your couple's counselor, it probably means that God just wanted to have a laugh, but, if you kept on going through with it, Will would forgive you in the most romantic way possible – by kissing in the rain. Kate still smiled whenever she thought of that moment, along with goosebumps on her arms.

Melissa and Jack were waiting out on the front step for her as she parked on the street. Kate got out and walked up the driveway and waved at the two of them. Melissa waved back, whereas Jack gave one of his trademark smile.

"First mate!" Jack said, racing to the passenger's seat of Melissa's car.

"For the third time, the correct term is shotgun," Kate said to Jack, going into the back, taking the middle seat.

"I shouldn't let you sit there," Melissa said, fastening her seatbelt. "It's been a month and you don't know that what you're sitting in is called shotgun."

"I'd like to see ya try," he replied.

Kate rolled her eyes.

"It's the least I get fer goin' shoppin' with ya two."

"But it's two lovely ladies who are going with you," Melissa said. "What more would you want?"

"Three lovely ladies and no shoppin'."

Kate smacked his head.

"Abuse!" Jack said.

"No, that one you deserved," Melissa said.

"Did not," grumbled Jack.

At 11:20, the group arrived at the Galleria mall. Melissa walked hand-in-hand with Jack, while Kate walked by herself. She felt kind of awkward having nobody and quietly walk next to Jack. It felt like she was the third wheel and that she was tagging along with them, rather than them tagging along with Kate. She fingered the medallion pendant and thought of Will leaving the house for lunch with her dad right now.

They entered at an entrance near a restaurant called "Crave." Kate looked around at all the people passing by. Some of them were tanorexics in oversized sunglasses and too-short skirts, some of them were younger teen girls in a group, and some of them were just regular couples spending the afternoon together.

"See, Jack?" Melissa said. "Guys go here with their girlfriends."

Kate saw a bored looking man, about seventeen years old, carrying a few shopping bags and stopping at a store window what appeared to be his girlfriend.

"Very willfully, I see," Jack said, obviously spotting the same couple that Kate was seeing. "You and the brown-'aired lass o'er there should 'ave a li'l chat. I'm sure you'd get together quite well."

"Jack," Melissa warned. "Now, Kate, where would you like to go?"

"Victoria's Secret!" Jack said a little too loudly. A few people turned to stop and stare at them. There was a girl, about fourteen years old and with a group of five or so friends, who had two dark brown braids on either side of her, who gaped at Jack.

"Jack, I was not talking to you!" Melissa said. "And lower your voice! Look at all the people."

"We can go t' Victoria's Secret, right?"

"They don't have one here, that's why I picked this mall. But – "

The girl who was gaping at Jack looked like she was about to pass out. Her eyes were getting bigger and bigger. "Oh. My. God!"

Melissa stopped talking and looked at the girl. "Um...Kate, this isn't a –"

"Nightmare?" Kate said.

"No, I was going to say a fangirl."

"Fangirl!" Jack said. "Dani mention 'bout 'em at work! 'Owever, she is not dressed t' be a fangirl. If she truly was a said fangirl –"

"Jack, a fangirl has nothing to do with a palm fan," Kate said, starting to back up from the group of girls.

"Kate?" Melissa asked in a small voice.

"It's Jack Sparrow!" the fangirl screamed, making the heads of everyone with ears turn.

"Time to go!" Kate said, grabbing Jack's hand. She quickly looked at all stores. Which ones would be easiest to hide in? There were restaurant, some clothing stores, and a bed and bath store. She decided that the bedding store would be easiest.

She took Jack, who went limply into the bedding store, Melissa following behind them to keep an eye on the fangirls. Kate tried to hurry Jack up by running, but he obviously didn't know what dangers these fangirls could do!

"Hurry up, Kate!" Melissa urged. "The fangirls are getting closer!

"Well, Raggedy Andy here is no track star, either!" Kate said, entering the store and quickly looking around for a place for him to hide. She saw a small model bed further back and shoved him on it.

"Now, love, ye 'n' I 'ad our chance –" Jack said.

"Oh, do shut up! Get under those covers and hide unless you want to be attacked by teenage fangirls, which, believe me, would not be pretty."

Jack crawled quickly under the covers and went to a shelf near Melissa, trying to act casual and not like they had experienced a wave of teenage Mary-Sues.

"Can I help you ladies?" A man, about fifty years old came up to them. In Kate's opinion, he looked like he had never smiled a day in his life. He eyed the bed that Jack was hiding in.

Kate saw the fangirls coming into the store, obviously looking for Jack. Kate grabbed a small bottle of green colored bath salts off of the shelf. "Yes, do these come in lavender? Melissa's," she gestured to her, "therapist said that she needs to relax a little more. Her boyfriend is being stalked by all of these crazy people..."

Melissa gave her a "what?!" glance. None of this was true, of course. Kate was making it up as she went along.

"You see those girls right there?" Kate said, looking at the fangirls. "Her boyfriend has a restraining order against them, and they want to do all of these really weird things to him, like get him drunk and get stuck on an island with him. And they're stalking him! They're not supposed to go within a hundred feet of him." She reduced her voice to a whisper. "That's why we needed to hide him."

"Oh." The man did nothing.

"And I'm sure that if you don't do something, I could find a security guard, since technically, they're trespassing into the store and you're not doing anything about it. So, either you escort those ladies out, or I'm sure that security personal could give you a lecture on being a good citizen and removing criminals from this store of your's. Because, yes, they are indeed criminals. And you don't want criminals in your store, do you?"

"Oh." The man's eyes widened. "I-I'll get right on that, ma'am." He turned on his heel. "Ladies! No one under eighteen is permitted into Scandia Down without a parent! There are highly valuable things in here!"

"Like what?" the fangirl with the braids said. "Jack's precious heart that belongs to me?"

Melissa tried to hide a laugh. "Have a mentioned why I love you, Kate?"

"Mmm, is it because I can think on my feet and save your boyfriend's life?"

"You did not save his life, you just saved him the pleasure of meeting teenagers who are madly obsessed with him."

"Melissa! This is not To Catch a Predator!"

Melissa rolled her light blue eyes. "You can come out, Jack."

Jack slowly peeked his head out of the pink and white striped sheets. "Are they gone yet?"

The man was escorting the group of fangirls out of the store.

"Yes," Melissa said. "They are."

It's like being in one of those fanfics, Kate thought as they walked out of the store.

They walked into the halls of the mall. Kate looked around for any remaining fangirl ready to pounce on Jack.

"Alright," Melissa said, "where do you want to go, Kate?"

She stopped in front of a store called Dugo. The mannequins had casual dresses on them, and nice tops.

"Here," Kate said. "Dugo."

"Oh, that's perfect," Jack said. "Dress shoppin'."

"So you'd rather be with the fangirls than be safe with us and dress shopping?"

"Eh..." Jack chuckled. "Just kiddin'!"

Kate smiled and entered the store, some soft, relaxing music playing in the background. It was very Jennifer Love-Hewitt Ghost Whisperer-esqe with all the outfits, sophisticated dresses yet meant for young women. Kate fell in love with some of the dresses right away.

She walked over to a rack and looked through the dresses. Melissa popped up next to her.

"What about this?" Kate held up a short black dress with a thick belt in the middle.

"Mmm, good...not for summer," Melissa said. "Lets go with lighter colors. Like yellow."

"I look like a popsicle in yellow," Kate said.

Jack laughed. "Popsicle. Heh. What's a popsicle?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "We should have let him be mauled by those fangirls. You still have to teach him ice cream? Take him to Dairy Queen this week for lunch."

"A popsicle is what Kate looks like in yellow, apparently," Melissa said. "I happen to like yellow on you."

"I think I look horrible in it," Kate muttered to herself.

"What about this?" Melissa picked up a dress that looked like the pink lingerie shirt that she wore for Jack two weeks ago. Kate felt her cheeks getting warm.

"Uh...that's kind of see through, don't you think?"

"I don't think so." Melissa slipped a hand through the top.

"I like it," Jack said, teasing Kate so only she would know. "I'm sure that William would like it."

"No, I don't think that Will would like it, Jack," Kate said.

"Your sense of style is vanishing," Melissa chided.

"It is not! If you think it is, then..." she scanned the racks and pulled out a white eyelet A-line spaghetti-strap dress, "what do you say to this?"

"I say that I was wrong."

She smiled and checked the tag. It was her size.

"I'm going to the dressing rooms," Kate said. "You guys want to come with?"

"Yes, please," Jack said.

Melissa hit his arm. "Yes, we will."

They walked back to one of the changing rooms, Melissa and Jack waiting outside of the door. She slipped on the dress and looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was gorgeous, and she loved the eyelet and the length. It stopped right at her knees – not too short or too long. She stepped out of the small dressing room.

"Wow!" Melissa said. "You look...amazing."

"Really?" Kate said, a smile on her face. "You're sure?"

"Katherine Marie, look at yourself!" Melissa stood up and directed her to the three-way mirror. "That dress was made for you!"

"I look like I'm getting married."

"What you look like is a beautiful girl, right, Jack?"

"Huh?" Jack asked, standing up. "Sure! Beautiful lass, right there!"

Kate paused, her fingers caressing the soft fabric of the dress's skirt. She loved the dress. This would be the dress that she'd wear to wherever Will was taking her this weekend, but of course, being a girl, Kate needed to ask her best friend five times.

"You're sure you like it?" Kate asked Melissa.

"Of course!" Melissa replied. "I'm jealous that I don't have an excuse to buy a dress."

"You're absolutely positive?"

"All this o'er a dress!" Jack complained. "Can't we go?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely positive that you look beautiful in it. Will is going to love it!"

She smiled. "Okay. I'm getting it, then."

Kate had purchased the dress and was scanning the accessories (they were still in Dugo). She picked up some dangly silver earrings. Melissa was starting to crave a Starbucks right now. Wasn't there one there?

"Kate, Jack and I are going to look at the directory," Melissa said.

"Oh. I'll come with." She put the pair of earrings back down in the small woven basket she found them in.

"No, no, take your time. We'll just be a minute."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked, picking up the earrings and looking at them again.

"Are you sure?" she muttered, going out the door. Her and Jack walked down to the Pottery Barn and skimmed the directory there.

"When are ya goin' t' start 'ouse searchin'?" Jack asked her.

"I'll consider it on our one month, I told you. Which is tomorrow, by the way."

She felt his hand go around her waist. "I see."

Usually whenever Jack put a hand on her waist, her heart only beat a little faster. Why did it seem like it was going to pop out of her chest now?

"Any reason as t' why ya want t' buy a 'ouse so quickly?" he asked. "Do ya want yer parents not knowin' somethin'?"

"Well, I –"

She felt his hand slide further down and settle into the back pocket of her bermuda shorts. Oh, goodness...that had never happened before!

"N-No, of course not!"

"Oh, really?" Jack mused. "Nothin' ya want t' tell me? Nothin' ya desire t' tell me?"

What was this feeling?! Why did she want to start kissing Jack in front of all these people? Why was she suddenly okay with him having her hand in the pocket of her jeans?

Oh, gosh, did she want to have sex with him? No! She swore to wait until marriage! Is that why she wanted to move out and get a house with Jack? Because she wanted to do It?

"N-No. Look, the directory!" She walked to it and looked for the Starbucks. "All the way on the other side. Looks like we have an exercise ahead of us."

Something shiny caught Melissa's attention out of the corner of her eye. She looked to see that they were at Tiffany & Co. She smiled. She had always dreamed of going in there. Melissa saw two men at the table in the front. One had shoulder-length curly hair and one had shorter hair. They were being shown several different rings. The one with the curly hair was in the center, picking up each ring and looking at it. The one with the shorter hair was looking on and pointing to a certain ring and talking to the curly-haired man.

"Hey, it's The Whelp!" Jack said.

What was Will doing in Tiffany & Co.? And wasn't that Kate's dad with him? Tiffany & Co. was a jewelry store.

Wait...Tiffany sold engagement rings.

Will and Kate were going somewhere this weekend.

This weekend was 7/7/07.

He was going to propose!

"Oh, my gosh!" Melissa said. "Oh. My. Gosh."

"What?" Jack said. "Is it a fangirl?"

"No – Jack, Will's going to propose to Kate this weekend!"

"Weddings! I love weddings! Drinks all 'round!"

Melissa put her hands to her mouth. Her friend – only eighteen and having known Will for but a month – was going to be proposed to this weekend!

"We're going back to Dugo," Melissa said, walking back to find Kate. "You can not tell her that you saw Will or her dad there, Jack. Do you understand? Do not say a word!"

"Don't say a word about what?" Kate asked, coming out of the store, just as the two of them were going into it.

"Oh," Jack said. "Tiffany's is out o' business."

Did Jack just lie to Kate for her benefit? What kind of a crazy day was this?

"Tiffany's? Out of business? No, they can't be. It's Tiffany's! They never close."

"Well, this one closed," Melissa lied (surprisingly good with no stuttering).

"Oh. That's a shame. Say, did you find Starbucks?"

"On the other end," Melissa said. "Start walking now!"

Kate walked slightly ahead of them, checking her cell phone. "Pirate," Melissa mouthed to him.

Kate's Blog Entry

I got my dress! I'm so excited for this weekend! In a week we'll be there – where ever "there" is.

XOXO,

Kate

Melissa's Blog Entry

What was that feeling in the mall I got with Jack? Is that love? Or is that realizing that you want to do something with someone more than kiss? I'm so confused! I don't want to think about it any more – I'm going to wait 'till I'm married, I swear!

Speaking of marriage, I can't believe Will was shopping for an engagement ring! For Kate – my Kate that I've known for twelve years! This is crazy! I hope that everything works out okay for them – by that, I hope that she accepts. They should wait a few years, though. I mean, they are only eighteen. But I'm having not-so-virginal thoughts about my boyfriend when I promised I would never do such a thing, so who am I to give advice?

Love,

Melissa Rose