New Friends; Old Flames
It was the last week of June, and a nice warm Friday afternoon. Mina was at the shoe store, known as Mal's Shoe Store, located at the Peaceville Mall. She had spent a whole twenty minutes in there, picking out any shoe that was in stock to add to her shoe rack. It felt so good using her own money to purchase all the things that she wanted to buy now that Trina and she no longer went shopping together so Mina could attend to the pink-haired girl's needs and buy her everything she wanted with her own money. Mina inhaled the fresh scent of the atmosphere and smiled, "Smells like freedom," she said. She picked up a lavender- colored, sequined moccasin that had nice soft, white faux fur on the inside. Looking at the price tag, her eyes widened, "$8.00? Wow, that's pretty nifty." Feeling her glasses starting to slide off her nose, she adjusted them. With all the money she earned from last Thursday's "Fart-a-thon" inside the Riffin's garage, she had enough money left to buy twenty of these sequined moccasins, plus sales tax.
"Well, well, well," Mina heard a voice say from behind, "Look what the cat dragged in." Mina rolled her eyes and sighed, turning around to find Trina, standing a foot away from her, with her arms folded. But something was surprisingly different this time, Trina was be accompanied by two other girls, one on each of her sides. The first girl, she noticed was a pretty girl with short, wavy red hair. She wore white, round rimmed sun glasses that sat nicely on top of her head. She had a nice waistline, and wore a nice lavender-colored, buttoned-up cashmere sweater with nice pearls for buttons. At the bottom she wore a red, silk, pleated skirt. She also wore black socks and brown moccasins. With her at her side, was a nice red, leather purse. The second girl Mina looked at had dark, tanned skin. She had short, hot pink hair that was combed over to the left side of her head and wore three small, gold hoop earrings on each ear. Her ensemble consisted of a periwinkle belly shirt that exposed a pierced navel. At the bottom, she wore a denim skirt, black knee-high socks, and brown combat boots. She also wore a red, plaid winter jacket that was wrapped around her waist just below her pierced navel. She carried with her a small turquoise-colored, leather purse. Both girls looked bored out of their minds, like there was no soul residing in their bodies but they didn't look fatigued, they were shifting their eyes to different areas of the room, so she could tell that they were still awake. "Okay," Mina thought, "I know for sure that these two girls look way too cool with be hanging out with Trina. Why and how did she get these two girls to be friends with her anyway?"
"Hey, dork-face," Trina said, "If you're done staring can you, like, get out of my way?" Mina drew her eyes back to Trina who was standing with her arms crossed, looking very annoyed. "Um, Trina," said Mina, "If you don't mind my asking, how exactly did you get new friends so fast?" "What do you mean "how did I make new friends that fast"?" asked Trina. She proceeded to flip her long pink hair, looking as prideful as ever, "I'm the most popular girl in Peaceville. Who wouldn't want to be friends with me?" Mina saw the two girls look at eachother, rolling their eyes and smirking, then looking back at Mina. "Yes, because everyone loves hanging around a bossy shrew," Said Mina. Mina looked away for a moment, "I can't believe I stayed so devoted to one," She thought. She looked back at Trina, who was still standing there, looking peeved at the insult and clenching her fist. "Whatever, loser" Trina said rolling her eyes and walking past Mina. She pushed the bi-speckled girl to the side, "I know people enjoy my company, and I don't need you and your pathetic self anymore, so why don't you step off my way?" Mina almost fell into the clothes rack beside her but she quickly regained her balance. "Come on ladies," said Trina, "I have some new clothes that I want you to buy." The two girls rolled their eyes and started walking behind Trina. Mina went over to them and touched the shoulder of the red-headed girl, stopping her. The girl with the short, hot-pink hair stopped as well, "What?" Mina leaned close to them, "I hope you two don't mind me asking, but, what are your names?" Mina whispered. "Well, I'm Tracy," the red-headed girl whispered back. "And I'm Lacy," The short haired girl whispered, slightly raising her hand. "Are you both really friends with Trina?" Mina asked, still whispering. "Well," said Tracy, gesturing to herself and Lacy, "We're best friends, but not really with Trina." "Yeah," said Lacy, wincing and giving a feeble smile, "We don't even really like her. She's kind of…bossy and mean. We're just here with her because she said that she would pay us $50.00 a day to be her best friends, and we thought it would be a nice part-time gig for the summer." They lifted up the cash to show Mina and gave a sheepish grin. Mina pulled back and smiled, nodding her head, "Okay, that's all I needed to know." The two of them nodded as well, returning the smile. "Girls, I said get over here!" Trina yelled, "Don't keep me waiting!" The two of them were startled. "Sorry," said Tracy nervously, "We got to go," She leaned over to Mina, tapping her finger on her wristwatch, "Time is money." Tracy quickly walked done the aisle to catch up with Trina. "Nice meeting you," Lacy said waving at Mina, before turning around to trail behind Tracy. "You too," said Mina, "Good Luck." They would need it. Mina turned around and made her way out of the store, dropping the lavender, sequined moccasins to the side. "Suddenly I don't feel like buying new shoes," She said, "I'm gonna go get a smoothie."
Sal's Smoothie Shop
Mina stood in line, searching through her purse for loose change, so that way she'd be prepared to pay the cashier once it was here turn to order. She didn't want to use all her dollar bills because they looked so nice in her purse that, it would be a pity to spend it all without taking more time to feel the wad of cash in her hands. She got out sixty-two cents and slipped it into her pants pocket. She stood there with a smile on her face, but suddenly something caught her attention. "Okay, Core," she heard coming from the far side of her right, "What do you want to talk about?" Mina looked over and saw Trina's little brother, Corey Riffin and his girlfriend, Laney Penn pulling up chairs to sit down while they drink their smoothies. Corey took a sip out of his strawberry mango smoothie, and licked the green straw before putting the drink down on the table, "Laney, I don't know how to better say this, so I'm just going come right out and say this as best as I can." Laney nonchalantly took a sip of her banana-kiwi smoothie and shrugged her shoulders, "Okay, what is it?" Corey pursed his lips looking away from her for a moment, then made a serious face and turned his head back to her, "Laney, I'm breaking up with you," He said with a confident nod. Laney's eyes widened while she slowly placed the cup onto the table, "What? You're breaking up with me? Why?"
"Lanes, don't take this the wrong way," said Corey, "But I've been feeling," He looked away for a moment to try and find the right phrase to use, then he looked back at Laney, "I've been feeling a little 'bundled-up'." "Um, 'bundled-up'," Laney raised her eyebrows, "What do you mean by 'bundled-up'? What? I've been suffocating you, is that it, you feel suffocated? What is this?" "No, no, no," Corey said, gesturing for her to stop with the questions, "That's not it." Laney gave him a look signaling that she wasn't buying his answer. "Okay, that is it," said Corey, "But for good reasons." "Like what?" Laney asked, looking at him with an unemotional expression on her face. "I'm just looking for girls with a little more…flavor," Corey said scratching the back of his head, " Maybe a little more Latin flavor, maybe a little bit more Mexican-Polynesian flavor, perhaps." Laney sat back and stared at him for a moment, then she rolled her eyes, "You want to go on a date with Amy Suarez, don't you?" Corey slowly nodded his head, "Yeah. No offense to you, your still beautiful and I'm sure some other guy will want you someday and all but I-." "Corey, just go to her," Laney said, slowly shaking her head with a face of disgust, "Just shut up and go to her. We're through." Laney got up, grabbed her smoothie and headed out the entrance wiping away her tears. Corey sat there looking after her and also looking a little guilty. He looked over to the line of people and spotted Mina looking at him in the crowd with a disappointed look on her face. Mina shook her head and turned away, and took a step forward once the line moved. Corey looked away, grabbed his drink, got up from the table and headed out the restaurant as well.
Mina looked back at Corey as he walked out of the restaurant. She wanted to go on and say something to him, maybe see if she could help, but she didn't want to intrude on something that wasn't her business, so she shrugged her shoulders and turned her head back to face the back of the customer in front of her in line. The line moved and she stepped forward. A couple minutes passed and although Mina had taken her mind off Corey and Laney, she still couldn't take her mind off of Trina. The thought of those girls being with Trina because the girl paid them was beyond sad, and she couldn't help but feel that the pink-haired broad was going to show up at the Smoothie shop within a few short minutes.
Suddenly, she heard from way in the back, the incessant chattering of a girl that sounded a lot like Trina. A couple seconds in she heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to her side. The customer in front of her received his smoothie and then went out of line and went to go take his seat at the table. Mina stepped forward to order while the cashier ducked for a moment to pick up a quarter she dropped. Just then, a flash of voluminous pink hair smacked Mina in the face, nearly knocking off her glasses. Mina caught her glasses in time and placed them on her face, but she felt something bump her back into the customer behind her. It was Trina, slightly looking over her shoulder with her left hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. She was practically posing as if she was a supermodel with the way she was standing. "Oops," She said with playful tone of voice, "Didn't see you there, Minsky." The cashier popped up right after that ready to take her order, "Sorry about that," He said with a sheepish grin on his face, "Had to pick up a nickel. May I take your order, Miss?"
"Yes, you may," said Trina, stepping closer to the counter, "I'd like a strawberry-banana smoothie and one blackberry swirl. And make it snappy, dork-face; I have a very important appointment at 2 p.m." The cashier made a disgusted face, "Right away," He said with an annoyed tone of voice, then he turned to call out to a female employee working the machine behind him, "Two smoothies: one strawberry-banana and one blackberry swirl!" "Coming right up," said a female employee with short, reddish-brown hair.
Mina felt a combination and disgust about to rise out of her. She looked over to the right side and saw the two girls she met from before standing with their arms crossed as they were talking amongst themselves. She turned back to Trina who was now facing her while leaning her back against the counter. "Trina, how dare you," Mina said, "You know I was next in line to order something and you had the nerve to cut in front of me?" "Yeah," Trina said in a calm voice. She sounded more mature this time unlike her usual squeaky high-pitched, girly voice, "I know you were next in line, loser, I just wanted you to know that I should always be first in line."
Mina clenched her fist and took a slow deep breath, "You are so immature; I can't believe you. No wait," She took a second to think again, "I can, actually. But you know what," Mina unclenched her fists and crossed her arms, looking Trina dead in the eye, "I'm not going to take that junk from you anymore. I am going to have my drink and you will get out of my way!"
Trina rolled her eyes, crossing her arms while her back was still leaning against the counter, "I already ordered my smoothie, stupid! What do you mean you'll order first?" Mina took an exasperated sigh while she straightened out her neck, then she relaxed her shoulders and took another deep breath, "I mean…I mean that I will be the first in line next time and you won't cut in front of me and get your stuff first." Trina placed her hands on her hips and chuckled, "But how would you know that I'll be in the same place next time you're at the mall, huh, Ms. Smarty-Pants?" Mina rolled her eyes then leaned in closer to Trina, "Look, next time, do you dare cut me in line. I'm sick and tired of you having the nerve to disrespect me like that. I'm not you're little slave anymore, so I expect to be treated with respect."
"You're so silly," said Trina, slowly shaking her head, "Treat you with respect, after you walked out on me the way you did, two weeks ago? Give me a break." Suddenly a voice from behind Mina piped up, "Ugh! Can we please get on with this line, please? I got a meeting at 2 o'clock!" Mina turned around and saw a man, who looked like he was in his early 30s, glaring at her with his arms crossed. He wore a business suit and a nice black and red striped tie. "Oh, sorry, Sir," said Mina, "I'm just waiting for her to finish getting her order so I could go," She pointed to Trina. "Here's your drink, Miss," said the cashier, placing Trina's drinks on the counter, "That'll be $4.50, please." "Girls, pay the man!" Trina said, raising her right hand in the air and snapping her fingers. Both girls quickly came over to the counter to pay the cashier, and then they file in a small line behind Trina as she stood up with her arms crossed. "Well, I'm off to my date with Hunky Nick Mallory," said Trina with a musical tone to her voice. Just as she was about to walk about she paused for a moment, looked at Mina and smirked. "But before I go, I wanted to give Mina a drink to make up for cutting her in line," She turned around, took the Blackberry-swirl off the counter and handed Tracy the strawberry-banana to hold for her. Then she turned back to Mina and rose her cup over her former-friend's head and poured the drink onto Mina's nice, green locks. The smoothie covered all of Mina's glasses and spilled onto her shirt while Mina squinted her eyes and gave off exasperated sighs as she clenched her fists again. Mina huffed, "You…did…not…just… do that!" "Oh, but I did," said Trina in a faulty Minnesotan accent and a grin plastered all over her face, "Toodles!" Trina smiled and walked away while the other two girls followed her, looking at Mina with expressions of pity. "Tracy, hand me my smoothie," Mina could hear Trina said from far away as they girls were leaving the smoothie place. The cashier looked at Mina from behind the counter with shock and pity, "Um, ma'am," He said, "Do you want make an order?" Mina slowly tried opening her eyes; trying to make sure she wasn't letting in any drips of blackberry smoothie enter her cornea. She then widened her eyes and looked behind her. She saw the man, now looking at her with pity in his eyes and pursed lips as he kept his arms crossed, then she casted her eyes to everyone behind him who also remained silent with expressions of pity. People sitting at their tables were staring silently at her too. Mina sighed and turned back to the cashier, "No, I don't want a drink right now. I'll come back another time." She stepped out of line and turned to the next guy in the business suit, "You're turn," then she turned around and walked quickly past the line of people and out of the smoothie shop, tears strolling down her cheeks.