Being Taylor doesn't have to be suffering part 2
I let out a huff as I let myself drop on the cheap plastic chair of the food court. If someone told me last year that I'd be out shopping with two superheroes I'd have asked them what kind of drug they were on. But here I am.
Even after all these months I can't believe how well Amy and I clicked with each other. It wasn't an instant thing of course. At first we just shared lunch and talked about whatever cached our fancy, books, music, movies, etc. Anything but cape stuff. I've never been a social person and neither is Amy so it was quite a surprise when I noticed that we had gone from acquaintances to being friends.
And of course as Amy and Vicky are what you could say a package deal I had to become acquaintanced with the other Dallon sister. Don't get me wrong, Vicky is a very nice girl... in small dosis.
For an introvert like me she can be very tiring. And as close as they are I'm sure it is the same for Amy. Especially when she gets into one of what we, that's Amy and I, call 'hurricane Vicky' moods where she drags you around whether you want or not. Case in point this whole shopping trip.
Lately Vicky has been in a matchmaking spree organizing double dates for Amy to go on accompanying her and her boyfriend. So far Amy has managed to avoid most of them and the couple she couldn't avoid were unmitigated disasters. Unfortunately for me it seems like Amy used me as an excuse one time too many so Vicky took upon herself to organize not a double but a triple date. She with her on and off boyfriend and her sister and I with two of her boyfriend's friends.
When I raised the issue of not having any clothes worthy of being worn on a date, after all I've always given priority to comfort over fashion, and that I don't have the budget to get something in such short notice, she countered with the fact that my birthday is coming soon so my new outfit would be her early birthday gift to me.
And that is how I found myself here in the mall on a Saturday morning with a couple of bags filled with my new clothes. At least I convinced Vicky of not getting anything too revealing for me unlike what she choose for Amy. After all this time you'd think Amy would be more used to reign her sister in but given the resigned look on her face it might be that she knows that trying to resist 'hurricane Vicky' is an exercise in futility.
It was when she tried to drag us into a lingerie shop when I made my getaway with the excuse of saving us a table at the food court. I don't need lingerie, it's not like I'm going to let anyone see me in my underwear anytime soon. I didn't see the expression on Amy's face but I can imagine her betrayed look. Sorry Amy you might be my best friend, but in this situation it is every woman for herself.
I rested my head in my hands and entertained myself watching the comings and goings of the shoppers that were crowding the various fast food joints during the lunch rush. I might not have the best view of the food court but when eating in public with two celebrities it is better to do so in the most secluded table you can find.
After a couple of minutes a glimpse of red on the edge of my vision drew my attention. I narrowed my eyes when I saw who it was. Just my luck, of all the people I could've come across it had to be my former friend who for some reason still had something against me.
Really, I don't know what is wrong with Emma. After we parted ways last year I expected not to hear from her again. But for some reason she kept sending me emails and posting messages in my Facespace account that were anything but friendly. I had to block her but she kept creating more expendable accounts to keep harassing me. I don't know if I'm more flattered or disturbed for the effort she keeps taking on me... who am I kidding? I'm definitely disturbed. At least she has kept it on the internet only and hasn't gone full creepy stalker on me in real life.
Emma was here with that girl from last summer Sheila or Sophia or something like that, I know it began with an 's'. She had also another two girls with her and all four of them were surrounding another girl. From what little I could make of her from here she was rather short and brunette.
I don't know if Emma sensed me watching her or if it was a coincidence but she turned in my direction and spotted me. When she drew the attention of the other girls to me the brunette took the opportunity to bolt.
Emma didn't seem to mind as she made her way directly to me with a smirk on her face. For a second I considered just getting up and walking away but I wasn't going to let her run me out of anywhere even if it was just a table at a mall. So instead I straightened up in my chair and crossed my arms.
"Taylor, I'm hurt. You don't answer to the messages of an old friend." She said with a false sincerity as she took the seat in front of me. Both hanger-ons stopped behind and to either side of her while Emma's friend came to my side of the table and stood over me cutting my easiest way out in a clear attempt of intimidation. "Maybe you should get a cell phone to be more accessible. After all it should be all right for another year at least. Right Taylor?"
"What do you want Emma?" I asked gritting my teeth at the obvious reference to my mother's accident.
"But Taylor, I only wanted to reconnect with my friend." Answered Emma with an exaggerated gesture of being wounded.
"You made perfectly clear that you didn't want me as a friend last time we saw each other."
"Ok, you got me." She said rolling her eyes "I'm not that good at acting to fake caring for someone as pathetic as you."
"Great, then leave." I said giving her a glare.
"Oh, but I'm curious you see. First Clements now you. Is there some kind of sale for losers going on today or what?" She said eyeing my bags.
Before I could react the thug at my side nudged the bags towards Emma with her foot.
"Thanks Sophia." Said Emma taking my bags.
"Give that back." I said as I tried to get up only to be shoved roughly back into my seat by Sophia.
"Give that back." Parroted Sophia mockingly. "See Emma, I told you that the best thing you could do was to lose this dead weight." Sophia added squeezing my shoulder with enough force to bruise. I grimaced but other than that I didn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me react.
"Hmm, let's see." Said Emma taking some of my new clothes out of the bags "Not bad, not bad. But totally wasted on something like you Taylor. I'm sure I can find some better use for them even if they won't fit me. Unlike you I've got curves after all."
"Get your hands off me." I said trying to get up again and getting the same results as before.
"Trying to make a scene Taylor? Trying call the security guards attention? I wouldn't do that if I were you. You wouldn't want to get arrested do you?"
"What?" I asked totally confused by the turn in the conversation.
"Oh, I know you Taylor. I know you don't have a credit card. Your loser of a father can't afford it so you must have paid these in cash somehow." Emma said still rummaging through my bags. "And I know you always leave the receipts in the bags. So they must be in here somewhere. So if security comes who do you think they'll believe? The daughter of the respectable lawyer and her three witnesses who have the receipts or the unstable loner girl daughter of a dock worker who assaulted us and tried to steal the clothes I just bought?"
I glared at her with everything I had "you'd think that wouldn't you?" I said and got ready to scream and make the worst scene I could. Hopefully it would attract enough attention for Amy and Vicky to notice.
"What the hell is going on here? What are you doing to her?" Interrupted Amy's voice before I could begin. I turned to see my friend stomping towards us.
"None of your business, get lost." Said Sophia leaving my side and getting in her face.
"Like hell it is not. That's my friend there." Answered Amy scowling at Sophia. "You okay Taylor?"
At least one of the hanger - ons recognized her because she paled and took a step back before tugging on the other's sleeve and mouthing 'let's get out of here'.
"Yes, Amy."
"W... whatever, one or two losers. It changes nothing." Interjected Emma still not getting who she was talking to. The other two girls were already walking as fast as they could away from us.
"And what do you think you are going to do about it?" Said Sophia pushing Amy back.
"Get my friend's things back and making sure you won't be able to put a foot in this mall ever again."
Emma frowned after hearing Amy's confident tone. Not so sure anymore she looked at me.
"Oh, Emma let me introduce you to my friend Amy Dallon." I said and took my chance to get my things back as Emma was taken aback by my revelation.
"S... Sophia maybe..."
"Shut up Emma, she is just a healer I can take her." Sophia interrupted advancing on Amy.
"Yes, I'm sure you can. But..." Amy said totally unfazed and pointed to a security camera covering the area "how long do you think it will take for an underpaid employee to sell the recording to the highest bidding news channel or even better, put it on internet? I bet that before tonight you'd be famous as the girl who assaulted Panacea." This seemed to give Sophia a pause "And as much as I hate the nazis I bet that they'd put a pretty big bounty on your head just because of the color of your skin. Are you willing to put your family in danger to 'take me'?" Did I mention that when pissed off Amy can be pretty ruthless?
"They wouldn't. The rules." This in turn made Amy pause and arch an eyebrow in surprise.
"Rules that applies to capes. But I don't see any cape other than me here. Just my friend and a couple of idiots that doesn't know when to back off. " This time it was Amy who got in the face of Sophia and whispered to her barely loud enough for me to hear. "So go ahead give me your best shot."
"But you are a hero" said Emma bewildered. "You can't threaten her like that."
"I didn't hear any threat." I Interjected.
"When did I threatened her? " Added Amy "I'm just a healer after all."
"Ok maybe I can't touch you, bitch" said Sophia regaining her brabado. "But you can't stop me from working her over." She said turning to me while cracking her knuckles.
"No, but I can" came Vicky's voice from above us. There she was, throwing a murderous look at Sophia. I had been under her aura before, everyone who spent any amount of time with her had, but never unrestrained like this. Emma fainted but Sophia just staggered and scowled at her.
This was finally enough to attract the attention of the mall security and as Amy and Vicky as parahumans were involved it snowballed until the PRT intervened. We lost the rest of the day being interviewed by agents and repeating the same story again and again. Our parents were called. And at one point things got tense when Mr Barnes threatened with suing us unless we retracted our statements until Mrs Dallon intervened and pointed out that the evidence showed that our version of the events was more accurate than whatever story Emma tried to sell them.
"I'm sorry I involved you guys in this" I said to both Dallon sisters when they finally let us go. We were in the parking waiting for our respective parents to end with the paperwork.
"Hey, don't worry." Said Vicky from my left putting an arm over my shoulders "it was fun seeing my sister here cutting loose like that with that idiot."
"You are my friend, Taylor" said Amy bumping her shoulder with mine on my right "like I'm going to let some bitch harass you and do nothing. "
"Thanks." I said with a smile.
"And we were done with the shopping anyways." Added Vicky. "I can't wait for the date next weekend. You two are going to knock the guys out."
Both Amy and I groaned in unison.