"Vic, seriously, I don't know what the problem is. I mean, you saw me pry open the door yesterday, right?"
Garfield and Vic were standing on the road near the sidewalk, trying to figure out what was wrong with Vic's car.
A light drizzle had recently washed the roads and buildings of Jump City. With golden bands, the sunlight slowly dragged vibrance back to the town— young kids returning to their play outside, people continuing their afternoon jog.
"I did, man," Vic exhales deeply. "I don't want to have to pay a locksmith to open this door."
"Of course, I wouldn't want to pay over a hundred dollars for a service I can get for free." Garfield agrees, attempting to pry the car door open with a wired hanger.
"On top of a car door that won't open, we've got a dead battery." Vic claimed.
Garfield responds. "Well, the battery is an easy fix with a jump start."
"I know, but this is the worst luck I've had in a minute. Because my car has an automatic car starter, after not using it for a while, the battery can die out. With a dead battery, you can forget trying to open the door manually."
Vic had been on vacation for a couple of weeks. Even though Garfield took the car for a couple of spins, the car still contracted problems.
"I've gotta get a roadside assistance kit. I'd hate for this to take a bite out of your wallet, when I can probably fix it myself," Garfield lightly tapped the surface of the car, shaking his head. "When do you need the car?"
Vic reasons. "As soon as possible, and let me know how much I gotta pay up."
"V, the whole point of me doing this for you is because I want to. Also 'cuz I don't want you to pay for any of this. Please, lemme take care of it, you won't have to drop a cent."
"You sure, G? Ion know, I feel kinda bad putting you through all this trouble and not giving you some sorta pay."
"It's fine, dude. I gotchya." Garfield reassures with a smile.
"Thanks, bro," Vic daps up his best friend, then begins to depart. "Keep me posted, and maybe we can hit the racetrack this weekend."
"Heard that. Later, V."
Garfield sighs, wiping a film of sweat from his tan forehead. Perspiration has saturated through the undershirt he's wearing, both front and back.
"Phew, I need me an ice-cold glass of somethin'," Garfield begins to close his toolbox, then pauses. He picks up a fifty dollar bill that was in the container. "Smart ass. Vic dropped it in here when I wasn't lookin'." Garfield chuckles to himself, puts the bill in his pocket. He made a mental note to thank his friend later.
Garfield tidies up his tools in his garage, then starts to head into his house for a drink. Just then, Mr. Roth and Rachel pull up to their house. Rachel's hands are full of paper bags of groceries.
She's wearing a sleeveless black crop top, a black, pleated mini skirt, with a black belt adorned with chains.
Rachel's got on a choker, a silver necklace, black fishnets, and ankle length, leather boots. Her dusty, black eyeshadow was a killer along with her candid persona.
She's hot as fuck, Garfield thought to himself.
He's snapped out of his fairytale by the girl's father.
"Garfield! How's our boy next door?" Mr. Roth questions.
"I can't complain. My friend's been havin' car trouble, so I've been dealing with that for a while. If you ever have any of that, you know where to find me,"
Mr. Roth laughs heartily and advances into his house. "You'll be the first I'll call. We'll catch up, I'm on the run."
Rachel motions for Garfield to wait one minute. She drops off the bags inside her house then comes back out.
Shs grins softly, fixing her skirt. "Hey."
"Hey, there. How's it going? I haven't heard much from you lately." Garfield can't help the smug smile on his face.
"Nothing much, just work and settling in. Not much different from the last time we saw each other."
Rachel seems a little timid and distant in response to his question, but she shrugs it off.
He rests his t-shirt over his shoulder. "I see."
"We should catch up," Rachel suggests an afternoon out at the mall, and without hesitation, Garfield approves.
He asserts. "I gotta freshen up, but I won't be longer than ten minutes. The audacity for me even to look like this in your presence is a hate crime."
He winks at her, she laughs.
Garfield and Rachel arrive at Marlborough Center, a well known mall in Jump City. It was an unparalleled mix of restaurants, shops, entertainment, events, with an open area.
They do play a game of catchup: Garfield tells Rachel about Vic's car trouble, and how he's considering and researching a mechanic shop to work at. Rachel tells her stories about work.
The tea shop she worked at was so peaceful and the customers in the area were kind. Then, she states how her and her family are mostly done unpacking besides a few boxes. Next, she says she can't believe how lively Jump City is. The place where she lived before was nearly a ghost town. As a quiet person who liked quiet things, Rachel actually found a liking towards the buzz of her new town.
"They have Hot Topic here? And Barnes and Noble?" Rachel is observing the mall directory. "Okay, can we go to Hot Topic first? Wait… maybe Barnes and Noble, I need books. Right. Now. Can we—"
His heart softens. Rachel's so excited, she doesn't even know what to do with herself. Not to mention, her coming out of her shell was just about the most precious thing Garfield's ever seen.
"Easy there, Rae," He takes her hand gently, holds it. "We can go anywhere you want, we've got all day."
The way Garfield looked at Raven; his tender eyes and dim smile, had her feelings scrambled all over the place. She was sure he was aware of how he made her feel.
The pair ended up at Hot Topic first. Teens and young adults are browsing the merch from their fandoms. Juicy by Notorious B.I.G. is playing overhead. Garfield breaks into dance which of course makes Rachel giggle.
Rachel spots a red and white plaid skirt and takes it off the rack.
"Are there any fitting rooms here, Garfield?" Rachel questions.
"Nope." He replies.
"Well," Rachel slips the skirt over the one she's wearing.
"Rae!" Garfield whispers harshly.
He turns away in case she flashes anything.
"What? There's no fitting room, so I'm making one."
"I don't think that's…"
"Oh, stop it. You're acting like you haven't gotten down on me before."
Garfield runs his hand over his sleek, long hair, failing to hide the blush that rose on his cheeks. He then nervously toys with the rings on his fingers.
"Guilty. I jus' don't want you gettin' in trouble or anything."
"I make trouble, not get in it," Rachel smirks. "At any rate, I don't think there's a rule against this. Do you like it? I have a thing for plaid." Rachel spins in a circle to show off the article.
"Yeah, I like it. It fits you nicely."
Rachel keeps the skirt in her hand.
"Thank you. If you want anything from here, we can go look."
Garfield goes to the section with anime shirts.
He picks up an Attack on Titan shirt, then another, and another.
Garfield's size wasn't in stock, so he settled for an Inuyasha shirt and a Jojo's Bizarre Adventure shirt as well. He remembers that Rachel loves thrillers, so he shows her a Death Note shirt. She says she'll read the manga before watching the animation, then she'll buy the shirt.
Barnes and Noble is their next destination. They spent about an hour there. Garfield took over the manga and comics section, and Rachel found her place in the thriller fiction and mystery novels area. It was a pleasant while to say the least.
Both Rachel and Garfield exchanged interest.
Garfield showed Rachel his favorite series and panels, some of which had been animated. Rachel informed passionately about her favorite thrillers and how she wished they were movies or at least a series on Netflix.
Afterwards, the pair, with paper bags full of their favorite goodies, look for something to eat. They move smoothly through the sea of shoppers, consumers, and very few first time visitors.
"How do you like the mall so far?" Garfield asked.
The faint smile on her face and thread of light in Rachel's eyes told him more than enough, but he wanted her to voice for herself.
Rachel says. "I love it. We've gotta come back soon."
"We most definitely can. There's this Japanese place that I love, it's called BB.Q Chicken. Wanna give it a try?" Garfield suggests.
"I've never had Japanese food before."
"You won't be able to say that by tomorrow."
Rachel smiles, and Garfield returns the favor.
To be honest, the girl wondered how he was so good at making her get out of her comfort zone.
"I'll give it a try,"
Rachel ordered Maple Butter Chicken and White Rice, and Garfield ordered Ddeok Bokki. He reinforced to his neighbor about his preference of leaving meat out of his diet. Ddeok Booki was perfect; a serving of rice cake, cabbage with sweet and spicy chilli sauce. Garfield makes another stop right next door, buying them both boba and mochi donuts. The vegan version for Garfield, of course.
Garfield brings Rachel to the open, grassy area in the center of one of the mall complexes. People are laying across picnic blankets, sitting in beach chairs, eating, conversing, and reading books. The cool breeze felt just as good as sweeping away cobwebs.
"Sorry I never brought a blanket with me for us to sit on." Garfield sighed as they sat on the grass.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it. Thanks for the drink and donuts by the way, I'll pay you back." Rachel replies.
"No need, that's my treat to you,"
Rachel and Garfield sort themselves out and begin to eat.
"Ooooh. This boba drink thing tastes really, really good," Her lips bend into a gentle smile as the sweet sensation settles on her tongue. "Ah! One of those little circles just shot up through my straw."
She laughs, and Garfield does, too.
Garfield notifies, chewing on a forkful.
"Tapioca pearls. They're always at the bottom of boba and are safe to eat, don't worry. They're actually pretty sweet and add to the flavor of the drink."
"Interesting. This mall feels like New York City. So many things to do you can't even get bored."
"I've known this mall for years and there's plenty of stores I haven't been to. Maybe it's because I go to the same stores every time?" Garfield chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Rachel's tone is sprinkled with sweet sarcasm. "That solves it. Talking about stores, I went to Book Culture the other day. I can always depend on myself to spend my whole paycheck on hardcover books."
"What hardcover books are to you, are what sneakers are to me."
Garfield's lips angle into a soft grin, then he lays his head on Rachel's lap. She doesn't mind it at all, in fact, her silver fingers comb smoothly through his long hair. He lifts his head slightly to meet the warm face of sunlight and closes his eyes.
Rachel accidentally drops her half-bitten mochi donut on Garfield's face and he goes— Ouch! I just got hit and run by a damn dessert.