Chapter 31: I Don't Want to Shop!
Popularity gets you pretty far in life. People want to be like you, people will bend at the knee for the opportunity to do stuff for you, people will shower you with praise.
You'll be on top of the world, and never want to come back down.
Uuuuunfortunately, when it comes to high school, the boons of popularity are tied to a timer, interrupted by a sudden drop in temperature and the deprivation of contact with fellow students.
For now it was winter break, and what that meant for Erin Dark is that she was now trapped in that prison she called home reaping none of the benefits she had sown in the first months of high school.
Nope, she was just a normal girl cursed with above average intelligence, looks and charm, forced to either lay on her bed and fiddle around with her phone or get dragged into whatever deeds her mom cooks up.
She was sprawled out atop her bed with her usual choice of clothes on, but right now the colder temperature really wasn't cutting her any slack.
She could've swapped out her tight top for something looser but warmer, but she loved the attention it gave her so much that she couldn't stop thinking about it even when no eyes were on her.
And plus…it's not like she's got BETTER options.
She glared at her closet so hard it was like she had X-ray vision, seeing all of the misaimed brightly colored shirts her mom had splurged on lately.
Blue? Green? PINK?!
She had outgrown those colors YEARS ago, both physically and mentally. And the cute animals and logos were just…tacky consumerism bullcrap.
But a 16 year old girl could only have so much control over her rightful destiny.
If she had her way, her walls would be painted deep crimson instead of this raunchy, light shade of brown.
She'd rip down the curtains and replace them with a black set with bats cut into them!
She'd hang an upside-down cross from the ceiling and grin at it in the morning!
Hell, she'd probably be laying on her bed in her underwear right now!
But nope, not happening.
Her excitement at exploring the possibilities being kept from her was always going to die at the mere thought of her mother's presence.
She seemed to have gotten this idea that just because she's the only parent who decided to stick around it gave her the power of both roles.
And that manifested in making her and Alex do increasingly mundane and boring tasks like…cleaning the dishes, vacuuming under the floors, taking the dog out for a walk…
ok that last part she didn't mind
But why the hell were they being forced to do everything else around the house?!
"I got shit to do!" She cried out as she laid atop her bed doing nothing.
After puffing a breath with the full force of her chest behind it, she sat up and stared at her belongings. An entire bookshelf of her favorite novels stared at her back, the one thing she'd keep in a theoretical room more to her liking.
With a pert sigh she kicked off her bed and laid a finger atop the middle shelf, gliding along the backs of the books without even needing to look at them until she picked one with a rough and delicate binder.
"Discord of the Bibliophile" It was a top 10 best seller back in 2055, depicting a five year timeframe of a girl who buried herself in books and slowly dealt with overwhelming anxiety by learning to share her interests with others.
It was a bit rushed at points, and arguably the use of the main character's voice was inconsistent at times. But the last five chapters were some of the most gut wrenching, heartfelt feelings ever put into a book.
But it ended on a positive note.
Erin's finger twitched on the corner of the book and she slowly dragged it out, biting her lower lip until the book was out and she quickly snatched it in her hand and dove head first back onto her bed.
There was a brief glint of a more innocent girl in her eyes as she first pried up the book and began to read.
"Eeeeeeeeeriiiiiin!" Came the playful, grating cry of her mom, shattering that illusion of innocence and returning her to that bitter, rebellious teenager.
With a plump scowl Erin turned and groaned loudly, "What?!"
"Come here please!"
"Why?!" Erin yelled.
"Just come here~" She said, playing up her playfulness with that stupid sing-song tone of hers.
"Uuuugh…" Erin slammed her book shut and threw it atop the bed before dragging her feet out to the living room, where her mom was currently sprawled out, one leg atop the back of the cough and the other on the arm.
Her shirt was slacking loose and revealing her belly button, and she was CLEARLY not wearing a bra today.
Shooting a beam of disbelief and jealousy at her mom's sloppy posture, Erin mumbled bitterly, "Alright, what's SOOOO important, mom?"
Her mom craned her head up and forced out a yawn, "Ooooh, I just remembered that we need stuff at the store for dinner."
She then pulled her arms back behind her head and let out a "tired" moan, "But I'm feeling reeeeally tired after my nap. So I'm going to send you there instead."
Erin flinched and immediately bit her lower lip in disgust, "Are you serious?!"
It was pretty easy to dismantle her excuses, "You sure had plenty of energy when you pulled me out of my room, mom!"
Her mom smiled and proudly jutted her chest out, "Well! I do have a strong set of lungs!"
But then she slowly sunk back into the couch and faked another moan, "Oooooh, but my back…and my legs…"
Her dedication to stage performing was paying off in the most irritating of ways.
Erin squinted with her mouth spreading wide in further disgust. Then, in the spur of the moment, she decided to beat her at her own game.
"Ooooh…!" Erin hunched forward and put her hands on her back, "I got back cramps too…!"
Her mom paused with a raised brow and a wily smirk, remarking in a more natural, reprimanding tone, "Niiiice try, honey. But I know a lot more about back pain than you, and THAT…is not back pain."
Erin immediately shifted upright and threw her fists down, "Oh so when I make excuses, it's wrong! But when you make excuses, it's fine!"
Her mom laid back against the couch and curled her lower lip, "Ooooh, but I really am soooore."
She then threw out a quick and sharp whistle and their corgi ran on over to jump onto her belly and snuggle in, upon which she gestured her hands at him and said, "And look, he's getting all comfy cozy now!"
Erin hung forward with her jaw slack and her right eye twitching.
She then raised her hand and started turning for the doorway, "No. I ain't doing this crap. Unlike SOME people, I'm young! And I have better things to do than be your errand girl."
With a sharp eye and even sharper tongue, her mom dragged out her call out, "Suuuuch as…?"
Erin froze on the spot, slowly turned her head back, and could hardly create a believable enough expression to justify her attempt at confidence, "I'm…reading a book?"
Both her mom AND the dog tilted their heads.
Erin shook her head, then continued to leave the living room, "Besides, we have plenty of food…"
"Oooook, then." Her mom was being way too accepting of this. Erin knew this had to be a trap, and fought her legs with every fiber of her being.
But the pull was too great and she turned and ran back into the living room, finding her mom with the phone out, scrolling through something.
"...What are you doing?" She mumbled quickly.
"Looking through some old pictures. Oh, how time flies…" She turned the phone around and on it, Erin saw her unwanted reflection staring back.
A much shorter, messier haired girl with glasses and overalls, and a little bit of acne, standing next to Serra whose only difference was that she looked younger.
Serra was holding onto her back and guiding her towards the camera, and Leo and Alex were somewhere in the background with Uncle Mew's leg just out of frame.
Her mom then sighed deeply, "I bet Serra would looooove to see this."
Erin's eyes bulged as she grit her teeth and scowled, "You wouldn't…"
Her mom's finger jumped straight for the message option while she kept the same carefree smile on her face.
Erin's face was ripe with embarrassment as she was reaching her limit on patience, "I can't believe you're trying to bribe your kid into doing your chores! This HAS to be illegal!"
Her mom confidently strutted her own brain a little, "Last I checked, it's not."
"W-Well…!" Erin thrust her finger back towards the hall and shouted, "Why me?! You HAVE another kid!"
She didn't realize that Alex was actually walking down the hallway at the moment, raising a peanut butter apple slice before his mouth while wearing a Spongebob t-shirt.
Both mother and daughter looked at the son staring at them both with his mouth agape, making a few awkward noises before very slowly trying to get out of here.
Erin stomped after him, grabbing him by the shoulder, and pulled him into the living room, at which point Alex dropped his snack onto the plate.
"Alex, mom wants you to go shopping for her." Erin said boldly.
Alex shrugged and said, "Oh, sure. No problem."
"Ah ah ah," Her mom wagged her finger, "I appreciate it, but I asked Erin."
Alex looked back at his sister and murmured, "Is that what all the yelling is about? C'mon sis, it's just a shopping trip…"
Erin glared at him and growled, "Whose side are you on?"
Alex took a quick glance at his snack plate and then pointed at himself, "Uhhh, mine?"
"Ok, Alex, c'mere for a moment." Their mom wagged her finger at herself, and Alex set his plate down and kneeled down beside the couch.
There, the two had a quiet conversation, with their mom nodding her head along proudly.
When it was over, she smiled and leaned in to give Alex a kiss on the cheek, "Love you, son."
Alex stood up with a huge smile and a blush on his face, then picked up his plate and started to leave.
Her mom then turned to Erin and asked her, "Pop quiz, honey. Where would you find the hollandaise sauce?"
"Pffft, that's easy. In the…" Erin's mind suddenly hit a brick wall, and with a quick stink eye towards her mom she remarked, "Wait, you just made that up."
Her mom closed her eyes and smirked, "Nope! It's a condiment made of egg yolk and melted butter."
"Shit, that sounds delicious…" Erin then shook her head wildly and regained her composure, "S-So what?"
Her mom then asked, "Do you know the difference between a potato and a yam?"
"...Is this a joke?" Erin said, dismissing the question entirely.
Her mom opened her eyes and her gaze was sharp, being more firmly motherly than playing around anymore, "You need to be more like your brother and learn your way around a store and kitchen. And I think…there's no better opportunity than right now, when you've got aaaaaall this time to fill."
Erin crossed her arms under her chest and huffed, "I said. I was reading."
"And your book will still be here when you get back." Her mom was putting the final touches on her say on this matter without getting outright blunt in her methods.
She again hovered her finger over the "Send picture" button on her phone, and as Erin quivered with a scowl, she pulled out a written list from her pocket and wagged it out.
Erin stepped up and snatched it out of her hand, but not before pointing a finger at her and saying, "You are such a…!"
Her mom slanted her brows with a rough smile, "Go on."
A chill went down Erin's spine and she had to constrain all her frustration internally for now.
She then marched out and picked up her mom's card along the way. The first step out the door, she was struck by a swift wind that felt like an ice floe smacked her in the face.
"Gggggg…!" She turned around, went back to her room, and grabbed her jacket.
The good news was that it wasn't slippery enough for her not to ride her motorcycle to the store.
Along the way, she mused over her mother's condition and was glad that she had some of her spunk back.
It probably wasn't easy having to run the house by herself on top of being a professional singer. If only she wasn't so…her about everything else.
It didn't take long for her to calm down and tell herself with a hint of respect, "Honestly, you're such a pain, mom…"
But going to the store still sucked ass.
She eventually found her way to a parking spot and locked down the motorcycle with the alarm set up.
She then tossed the keys into her jacket and pulled out the list. There were only eleven items to get, but she didn't know where half of these were, nor did she recognize the other half. Except the milk, obviously that would be with the other liquids.
With a roll of her eyes she made her way inside and figured she'd get this done eventually, it would just be a massive pain in the butt.
And plus, she had her phone on…
"..." She patted her pockets and only felt her rattling keys, "Ooooh my god…"
She slapped her forehead and with a heavy growl she considered doubling back to get it, but she could just imagine it now.
"You forgot your phone? Oooooh ho ho ho HO!" Her mom's laughter echoing like a bat's cries in a cave.
With a cringing expression Erin bit her teeth and chose to just wing it, "How hard could it be to find…"
She squinted at the list and mumbled to herself, "Roasted sesame oil…? Ok, I swear she's just making shit up at this point."
But she was enough of a glutton that she's probably eaten at least one of every food in existence.
"...Haaaa…" Erin tucked the list away for now, grabbed a small cart, and headed inside.
She couldn't remember the last time she was forced to endure one of these stores. The sterile lighting, the lukewarm temperature, and wage slaves standing around really doing little of anything…
It really made her reflect on life and realize, "Wow, thank god I don't work here."
She quickly forgot what was on the list and pulled it out again upon reaching the produce section, "Ok, so first item on the list is…celery."
Erin curled her lower lip with confidence, "Shit, I know that."
She walked over to the vegetables and picked out the green stalks bundled inside of a plastic bag and threw it into the cart.
With a hint of a smile she scratched that item off the list with her fingernail and continued on her way, "Ok, maybe this'll go quickly."
She then reached the main aisle and saw that there were at least a dozen more aisles she'd have to browse through if she wanted to get everything.
"Oooough…" More and more, she regretted not going back to get her phone. At least she'd be able to distract herself with some heavy metal.
"At least it can't get any worse."
Oh ho HO, but it definitely could.
"Pal-in?!" Came the one voice capable of breaking her wits entirely and turning her into a frozen statue: Serra's
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and then kept pushing forward, playing the part of an ignorant, distracted soul.
But Serra quickly came running directly in front of her cart, taking a hit to her gut with a big grin on her face despite barely being fazed. She was wearing a slightly puffier version of her normal jacket.
She then grabbed onto the front of the cart and with an energetic hop, stopped her in place and remarked, "I didn't know you went shopping! What a coin-in-dense!"
Erin squeezed her eyes shut and looked up at the ceiling, "Kill me."
She let out a groan and then forced herself to face Serra, giving the cart a little nudge to try and shake her off, "Yes, and I want to get out as soon as possible, so could you scram?"
Serra's eyes lit up like a miniature fireworks display and her smile tightened, "How about we work together then?!"
Erin spat at the thought, "No way. I can do this myself."
Serra bounced back and pumped her fists, "I'm sure you can! But if you're in a rush, I can help speed things up! I know my way around the store!"
Erin paused and raised a brow in doubt, "YOU do?"
"Mmm hmm!" She bobbed her head in a fevered pitch.
Erin put a pin on her annoyance being around her to raise a calculating, devious smile, "Wait, then I'll just use her to speedrun through this crap. Perfect!"
"Suuuure, you can help!" She said, her tone laced with barely subtle wickedness.
"Awesome!" But this came at the cost of Serra having free reign to jump her and put her arm around her back, "It's been a long time since we teamed up, Pal-in!"
Erin blushed and grit her teeth with a glance the other way, "W-We never teamed up…"
Erin then shrugged her off and pulled out her list, "Ok, so is roasted sesame oil actually a real thing?"
Serra nodded, "Yep! Leo uses that all the time for his stir fry! Follow me!"
Erin followed her like a cop would their police dog until arriving at the oriental food aisle, where Serra leaned down and grabbed the bottle she needed, "I think he uses this brand! But if you want to take a look around-"
"Sesame oil is sesame oil," Erin said in a haste while pointing at the cart, "Just toss it on and let's go."
Serra blinked a few times and then took a couple steps back to fling the bottle in like making a three-point shot, "Yes!"
Erin rolled her eyes and pushed the cart along. The only downside to using Serra like this was having to endure her antics.
"God, couldn't you have grown up a little?"
She pulled out the list, "Next up is…mayonnaise."
Serra proudly declared, "That's the condiment aisle!"
Erin followed her along and upon reaching their destination, Erin reached down and grabbed the first bottle of white sauce she saw and tossed it into the basket, only for Serra to pause and give up a confused stare.
"Uhhh, that's Miracle Whip." She said.
"Miracle Whip?" Erin grabbed the bottle out and with a shrug, tossed it back in, "It's white. What's the difference?"
Serra remarked, "Miracle Whip tastes bad. Mayonnaise tastes good."
Erin smirked, "Huh. Never thought I'd hear that."
Serra looked blank in the eyes, "Hear what?"
Erin laughed, "You disliking something."
Serra grinned, "Ha ha! I dislike a lot of foods, Pal-in! Like brussel sprouts, garlic, and walnuts."
"Shiiit, walnuts get stuck in your gums, and it hurts like hell." Erin then flinched and quickly put the Miracle Whip back and got the mayonnaise in.
"Nextitemonthelistis…" She squinted at the list and murmured, "Applejacks cereal? Oh…Alex."
It was cereal. That was easy to find. After that, Serra helped her find a few more things, with Erin briefly impressed by her focus, "You actually know your way around."
Serra turned around and grinned as bright as the sun, "Heh heh! I used to run around here all the time when pop was shopping!"
"Figures," Erin said boldly, "Ok, the milk…I can get that."
She started heading for the drink aisle when Serra told her, "Hey, the milk isn't that way!"
Erin paused and when she looked back she found a few people were looking at her funny.
Erin tried to salvage the situation, "O-Of course it is! It's a drink!"
Serra laughed in a playful way, but it came across as insulting, "Yeah, but it spoils if it isn't kept cold!"
"I-I know that shut up!" Erin declared with her cheeks flushed.
Serra had a look of relief as she settled down, "Oh good! Cause you're really smart, Pal-in!"
And yet, Erin was forced to confront that she was just about to make the most idiotic move ever.
She slowly pushed the cart away from this aisle and tried to pretend like she knew where she was going, hoping that the milk would just "POP" into view anytime now.
And fortunately, she saw the creamy white drink in the coolers around the corner and went, "Oh thank fuck."
She sped towards the coolers and grabbed a gallon and tossed it into the cart. Serra grabbed a couple gallons herself.
"Ah milk! The building blocks of our bones!" Serra cried out with joy.
She then leaned over the cart and remarked, "You probably oughta get more milk, Pal-in!"
Erin turned and glared at her bluntly, "Trust me, I get PLENTY of milk."
For a moment, she felt a cold sharp sensation on the back of her neck that made her turn around.
"Who the what?" She didn't see anyone though.
"..." She then continued using Serra to get the remaining items on her list, dealing with her obnoxious peppiness.
She could bark back, but every remark slid off her like she was made of slime.
She was treating this like them hanging out in their younger years all over again, but Erin didn't want that time back anymore.
Who she was now could only see her frail self as a shadow she was constantly walking away from. And eventually, she'd escape it.
…And yet, she couldn't stop looking at Serra smiling.
Erin glared at her until her expression felt softer, and a smile of her own began to form.
Then the girl turned around and wondered, "Hey Pal-in, anything else?"
Erin flinched and then pulled up her list to cover her smile, yelling bluntly to her, "N-No! You did your duty, now beat it."
That cold feeling hit her from behind again, "Ok seriously…who-"
She turned around and saw Serra's grandmother Auris hanging around close by, her brows slanted and her smile pointed.
"...Hey, did you come with someone?" Erin wondered.
Serra peeked around her and chuckled with embarrassment, "O-Oh yeah! I was having so much fun with ya I forgot about Granny!"
Erin glared back at Auris but the moment the woman nudged her brows ever slightly, Erin felt like she was getting cut down where she stood.
"The hell's her problem?" Erin uttered, sensing that something irritating was about to happen when the woman came closer.
Her beauty was sublime. But haunting as well. Everytime Erin was around her, she felt something tugging at her chest, like a rickety set of fingernails.
Auris held onto her smile and aimed it at her granddaughter with warmth, a basket of dessert ingredients under her arm.
"I got everything we need. Could you check out for me, Serra?"
"Sure thing, granny!" After Serra and her did a little exchange with the milk, Serra took the basket under her arm and headed off, "We should hang out later!"
Erin scoffed, glad to see her finally out of her sights for hopefully a few more weeks.
Auris then tossed a glance out the side and said, "You really should."
Erin rolled her eyes and took this opportunity to try and pass her, "Not happening."
Auris clamped down on her cart and made her yield. Erin looked at her and pouted.
Auris turned around and tapped her fingers along the cart's edge, that sole inch she had over Erin's height feeling like a wide gulf.
"You've grown up. Physically. But your maturity has regressed." She said, lacking the hesitation that any other adult had given her.
Erin trembled with anger and on top of everything else she's dealt with today, she pushed her cart with greater force and said, "I am not doing this."
Auris had her on lock and glared at her harder, "Who do you think you are to have earned this ego?"
Erin leaned in and growled, "Back off you glossy lipped relic."
"Oh you're precious," Auris laughed, showing a bit of her warrior's edge, and fittingly she sharpened her tongue, "I will be glad to make this quick."
"Serra took time out of her day to help you, and you couldn't even offer a thanks in return?"
"She forced herself into my business like she always does. Thanks? No thanks."
Auris shook her head, "Where did you get this rotten attitude from?"
"Rotten? Oh god, get off your high horse you lecturing old woman."
"Shall I use more blunt language then? You're being bitchy. You're acting entitled. You are-"
Erin quickly lost patience, "You want me to run you over? You're not my parent, so I don't have to take this crap!"
Auris put the intensity of her gaze at full force and her tone became slow and grizzly, "That's right. I'm not. So I am not going to treat you with kid gloves. This crappy attitude of yours stops here, or so help me I will pay a visit to your home and give both you AND your mother a piece of my damn mind."
Erin felt fear crawling up her spine, "W-What is your damage…?"
"I have lived long enough to see darkness in every shade, and I am not going to let myself live to see another person succumb to the sheer weight of their ego and threaten the peace we've worked so hard to obtain."
Erin continued to tremble as the sheer force of Auris' resolve made her feel like a stupid, pathetic child, a feeling she knew all too well and despised, "Y-Yeah…! Well…! Maybe if you let me live life my way I wouldn't be so angry!"
"Oh?" Auris raised a brow, "So you think you're an adult?"
Erin shouted proudly, a crack in her voice, "I am."
"Ha…!" One laugh. So simple, so disarming, it genuinely left Erin feeling ready to cry.
Auris brushed the back of her hand against the milk gallon and ridiculed her, "You couldn't even find milk."
She finally let go with a final remark of, "May we never have to have this conversation again."
Erin gestured the cart at her with a growl as she walked away.
And Erin was forced to carry the frustration of that stupid conversation with her as she checked out, bagged the groceries, and tied them down to her motorcycle.
Rage. Rage. So much rage it made her soul twist and scream.
She just wanted everything she deserved. She had the capability and drive to succeed.
Serra entered her thoughts, "But you always have to keep coming back into my life…!"
She flashed back to when they were younger, and she was pulled up by the hand and made to run around the yard until her feet were sore and she was too tired to read.
Her heart shook, she cried into her helmet.
Still, there was so much rage, and her voice cracked with anguish, "God damn it…!"
She made it back home safely, marched inside, and dropped the bags on the table in front of her mom before wanting to just retreat to her room and slam the door.
"There, that's everything!" Were her parting words.
"Hold it!" Her mom raised her voice and called her back into the living room.
She then rifled through the bags quickly and ended on a smile. She stood up and approached Erin, who froze in place and winced at her mom's hand coming closer.
Her mom patted her on the cheek and then leaned in to kiss her there.
Erin recoiled with a hint of disgust, "Eeewww, mom…!"
Before her heart was attacked like a flood dam bursting.
Her mom stepped back and raised a thumbs up with a wonk, "I knew you could do it!"
Praise…it felt good.
"Y-Yeah…it wasn't hard," Erin said, turning her head with a rough pout, "But I am never torturing myself again."
Alura shook her head and turned around, immediately pulling out the yogurt to enjoy on the comfort of her couch.
Erin shook off her blush and stared. Her mom was all by herself, yet kept her spirits up.
Erin pointed her rage at the image of her father in her mind and squeezed her fists.
"It's unfair…! None of us should be waiting for you…!"
With a hint of pity in her heart, Erin approached her mom and shyly remarked, "M-Mom…?"
She popped the spoon from her mouth, "Ya huh?"
"...Let's watch a movie tonight."
Her mom's eyes popped right open and she wiggled her fists in celebration, "Yes! Family movie night!"
"I'll make dinner, you and Alex can pick out a movie!" She grabbed the groceries and floated over to the kitchen while singing a new Christmas jingle she was working on.
"Put me to rest on a bed of crimson snow~"
Erin shook her head and then Alex walked into the room, quickly surveying the aftermath.
"So did you two make up?" He asked.
"Eh." Erin shrugged.
Alex looked her square in the eyes and told her, "I don't get why you had to be so rude, sis. You can do anything. Easily."
Erin crossed her arms under her chest and scoffed, "Duh. But menial labor is a waste of my talents."
Alex shrugged, "Fair. But go easy on mom, alright?"
Erin glanced at him, "Don't you start on me too."
Alex rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry."
"Whatever. Let's just enjoy dinner and a movie." Erin patted him on the shoulder and pulled him closer to the DVD shelf.
It was definitely going to be a long winter. But whatever. At least Erin could try and endure it with the rest of her family.
Next Time: The Stormfall