Since SO many of you have kept telling me to finish this, I will. I actually might change Tess's name to Kate, for reasons unknown even to me. ANYHOO, I present to you... the long overdue chapter three! :D

"Hey, Tess, can you come with to the mall with me?" Will asked.

I looked up from my book. "Do mine ears deceive me? Will Stanton actually wants to go to the mall?" I feigned surprise.

"I have to get something for Gwen, and I don't know what girls like," he said, shrugging on his jacket.

"Ugh, do I have to?"

"Yes."

"I hate you."

"You love me."

"No point in using your Jedi mind tricks on me," I said, going back to Gone With The Wind. I could feel a pink tinge settling on my cheeks.

"What if I promised to watch Doctor Who with you tonight?" Will absolutely hates Doctor Who, and I just had to take advantage of this.

I looked up. "Toss me my jacket."

A few minutes later we were outside, waiting for the bus. And that was when I noticed the crows. They were gathering at a large oak tree near us, all cawing at the same time. More and more came, making the tree look like it had black leaves.

"Whoa," I said, "Do you see that?"

"Sure do," said Will, staring up at the tree.

Just then, brakes squealed. The bus had arrived, and the bus driver was looking a little impatient. I felt the heat rising to my face as we clambered on. I looked back at the tree as the bus pulled away. The crows were now fleeing, flying away from the tree. Weird.

"Okay, now this is cool," I said when we entered the Huntersville Shopping Center 15 minutes later. There were wide windows everywhere, allowing the bright sunlight to stream through. Everything was decorated in red and green and gold, even the little kiosks that sell cell phone cases and the like. It was packed with people doing some last minute Christmas shopping.

"Hey, let's get on the elevator!" I said excitedly, pulling Will by his wrist. "It's all see-through!"

"Wow. Okay," he laughed.

On the ride up, we passed by Santa's village. I grinned as I remembered Robin and Paul telling a six-year-old Will that Santa was actually an escaped prisoner from Canada. Of course, I thought it was baloney but Will totally bought it.

A jewelry kiosk caught my attention. "Hey, Will. Let's check out the stuff there," I said, pointing. "Girls like jewelry."

Will scrunched up his face, thinking. "Gwen doesn't really wear that kind of stuff," he said as the elevator doors split apart.

"It doesn't have to be fancy," I assured him, walking at a brisk pace to the little kiosk. "In fact, something like this would do." I took a simple, earthenware necklace from the rack and slapped it in his hand.

"Excuse me," rang a British voice behind us, and we jumped. We turned around to find a dark-skinned woman in elegant chocolate-brown robes. "Are you going to buy that?"

Will chuckled. "Sorry. Um, it's for my sister."

The woman smiled. "I see. Five pounds."

Will reached into his back pocket and produced the English notes. I watched as the woman put Gwen's necklace into hexagonagal box, and then wrap it in bright green paper.

"Thanks," he said when he got it back, and slipped it into his pocket.

"See how easy that was?" I asked as we made our way down the stairs. "But my gift better not be like that. I'm thinking of something Doctor Who related..." I mean, come on. You don't live in England and not know what Doctor Who is. Sigh. I cried so much when Rose went. Sorry, got off topic for a second there. Where were we? Oh, yes. Christmas shopping. Right.

Before Will could answer, a policeman caught him by the arm. Two of them, actually. Both policemen had on blue uniforms and quite similar haircuts. "I wonder if you wouldn't mind coming back with us?" one of them asked in a clipped British tone.

"Only we think that you may have left the store without paying for an item," said his accomplice.

"What?" asked Will, bamboozled. "No, I don't think so, I'm sorry…"

"Might just be a simple mistake, sir," said the first officer. "But perhaps you wouldn't mind accompanying us back to our office rather than dealing with it here in pubic."

Will looked at me. My confusion was reflected in his face. "Um, alright…" he stammered. He glanced back at me as the two officers led him away, and soon they were lost in the crowd.

I tried to be all nonchalant while I was waiting for him, but I just couldn't sit still. I paced back and forth. My eyes kept watching the large clock hanging above the elevator. The minute hand ticked ever so slowly across the large embellished numbers. I hit my head on the wall ten times for being such a horrible friend. A good friend offers to come along when their friend has just been detained by the police in a foreign country. But what did I do? Stand there and let it all happen.

I have never been more disgusted with myself.