The drive to the mall is uneventful and smooth. Bloom stares aimlessly out the window as she plays with the small strands of her fiery hair. Her mother, Vanessa, is driving while humming a random pop song on the radio. A song that's overrated and grates her nerves. If it was her father driving, then she would've been hearing sports, which is also annoying but more merciful. Unfortunately her father has work every weekday to "bring home the bread and bacon". And the twins were lucky to meet with some friends.
Those twerpy brothers of hers never have to suffer via shopping spree like she does; has to be a setback of being the only daughter.
As they drop off the twins, Bloom turns to her mother pleadingly.
"No." Vanessa automatically denies before her daughter could say anything, her eyes professionally trained on the road.
Huffing, Bloom crosses her arms and pouts, pointedly ignoring her brothers' snickering as they exit the van. It was futile, but worth a shot.
Vanessa quickly finds a parking space, then mother and daughter enters the mall. Vanessa looks exuberant while Bloom looks as if she's being led to death row. Vanessa does not even have to glance at her daughter and she taps Bloom's nose. "Quit sulking, dear."
Easier said than done, but it is not like Bloom has any other choice. So as the bell tolls in her gloomy imagination, she trudges behind her mother to begin the dreaded shopping—killing—spree.
As per done every year, Bloom follows her mother and allows the woman to direct and choose everything needed. She only puts in her input when she does not fancy the suggestion of magical-girl themed supplies or the fairy backpack (looking back, it was such as cruel, cruel irony). The changing room had to be her least favorite part of the entire annual expedition. It did not help that her mother kept trying to make her wear these frilly blouses and skirts. It was these endeavors that Bloom actually wished that there was a uniform dress code at school – but even then, skirts would be an option.
Thankfully it was time for lunch, so the two women ventured to the food court. As Vanessa went in line to order, Bloom stayed behind at their chosen table, surrounded by a bunch of shopping bags practically trapping her in a cage. Glancing down at the frilliness of a dress, she groans. Some of these outfits are too girly for her liking, but how could she say no when her mother shamelessly gushes at how beautiful she looks? Resigned to her future outfits, Bloom looks about the area: from the gossiping girls two tables away, to the children laughing at the play area, and a couple of daters cuddling it up to the point that she's starting to feel the green sickness of envy.
Being summer, the waiting lines are quite long, so her mom is going to be a while, long enough for the gossip girls two tables away to notice her.
One girl, with long black hair and triangular glasses, looks over her chair and smirks. "Well, well, if it isn't Fire Head." She and her posse gets up and approaches.
Bloom groans, seriously not in the mood for this. "What do you want, Mitzi?"
Mitzi slaps a hand over her heart, feigning hurt. "Is it now a crime to say hello to an old friend?"
Bloom glares. "We've since been below old friends, forever enemies is more appropriate."
Another girl with chopped violet-red hair looks down on Bloom. "What did you expect? Mitzi stepped up to a higher class, so naturally she needs friends of her league, especially a better redhead." She flips the long strand of her hair.
Bloom snorts as she crosses her arms. "Yes, and the mommy-I-can-do-it-myself hairstyle is the fad these days, huh Darma?"
Darma sneers and is itching to jump over the table, but Bloom gives a dangerous glint that dares her to try it. Flinching, Darma huffs to cling some dignity.
The third girl with long dull violet hair just rolls her brown eyes and files her nails.
Bloom spares a glance at the quietest of the snobby trio. 'Always silent, that Sally.'
Mitzi scoffs to regain Blooms attention. "I'm going to have a party next weekend." She gloats.
But Bloom only blinks, appearing unimpressed. "Good for you."
"Everybody who's anybody is gonna be there." Mitzi pretends to check her nails.
Bloom leans back on her chair. "Uh-huh…"
"You might have a place there, if you ask nicely."
Playing along, Bloom gasps. "Oh, Mitzi, you mean you actually want me there… you finally picked a maid's outfit for me." She finishes in a deadpan.
Mitzi snorts. "If you'll be like that, you must be happy with your loser status."
Bloom smirks then. "More so I'm happy with a life of dry feet. It must be a pain, stepping on shallow puddles all the time, especially with those heels."
Looking genuinely offended, Mitzi begins to sneer.
"Mitzi?" Vanessa returns back with a full tray.
Mitzi's back is to Bloom's mother, so she had time to regain composure and turn around with a preppy facade. "Mrs. Bixby! Hi!"
Bloom groans as the two shares a hug. She begrudgingly listens as they compliment how well they looked and asked how the other was doing. She rolls her eyes at how Mitzi is milking it by expressing utter 'delight' over hearing how much the twins have grown.
"Well, me and the girls should go." Mitzi ends the small-talk and look towards Bloom with a smiley face that's just too friendly. "By Bloom, hope to see you at my party!" She waves as she and her party walks away.
"A party?" Vanessa sits down in front of her daughter. "Mitzi invited you?"
Bloom tries hard not to roll her eyes this time. "Doesn't matter, I'm not going."
Her mother actually looks surprised. "Why not, sweetie?"
Bloom sighs as she reaches for her pizza and hot sauce. "Mom, it's been six years, surely you noticed by now."
"Honey… you and Mitzi used to be close friends." Vanessa softly says.
Bloom shrugs. "That was before her dad got a better job and exchanged the quality of real friends for the quantity of fake friends." She finish squirting a spiral of hot sauce on her pizza. "Besides, I do have friends - real friends, so I'm not lone wolf or anything."
Vanessa sighs as she opens her salad. "Roxy and Selina are nice girls, but I just don't understand how you and Mitzi could just fall apart like that. She was the very first friend you ever had, it's just sad that it ended the way it did."
"I tried to keep it, Mom, but Mitzi made it clear what's more important to her." Bloom earnestly states, effectively ending the conversation.
Mother and daughter quietly eat their food, restocking on energy for the next round of shopping.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I figured the idea of Mitzi and Bloom having been friends once upon a time would be more interesting than Mitzi always having been the bully. Because a lot of us have been there, right? We made friends as kids and we think we'll be friends forever. But with time things change and we change and all of a sudden that friend is not a friend anymore, sometimes that so-called friend becomes an enemy.
Lord knows I've been there, and it wasn't fun.