PlatKat.com: Short Story

Short Story: Mall Brawl

"Oh my God!" Sheri chirped into her cellular phone as she sped through a stoplight. "I totally can't believe you called! It's been like, a million years.

"Oh, I know," said Amber. "I've been super-busy with cheerleading and stuff, you know?"

Amber looked distantly out her bedroom window as she twirled the phone cord around her fingers. The afternoon was sunny and her father had just given her half the contents of his wallet; the day couldn't be more perfect.

"So do you wanna go to the mall or something?" asked Amber.

"Sure, it's like, the most beautiful day. We have to go shopping," said Sheri as she made a shaky left turn, narrowly missing a parked BMW. "So, like I'll be over in a second, I just need to drop off my dry cleaning and stuff."

"Okay. Bye-ye!" said Amber. She hung up the phone and pulled open her walk-in closet door to select an ensemble. After following her extensive hair and make-up routine, she sat by her living room window to watch for Sheri's red LeBaron convertible.

Moments later, a big red blur screeched into Amber's driveway, almost crashing into her closed garage door. Amber leaped from the window-seat, snatched her purse, and ran out the door.

"What's u-up!" Amber chimed, the bright sun shining on her long, bleached locks.

"Like, nothing at all," replied Sheri.

Once they had gotten on the road without too much hazard, Amber said, "I am so totally excited about homecoming. Let's shop for dresses or something!"

"Yeah, we totally should," agreed Sheri. "The dance is in four weeks and I have no clue what I'm going to wear!"

"I know," moaned Amber.

The girls traveled in silence for a little while. Sheri grew bored and turned on her CD player. To fully enjoy her new Spice Girls album, Sheri turned the volume knob all the way to the right. Dirty looks were abundant as the they stopped shortly before a busy intersection.

"I LOVE THIS SONG!" shouted Amber.

"YEAH, ME TOO!" hollered Sheri. "I GOT THIS CD LAST NIGHT WHEN I WENT OUT WITH DOUG!"

"WHO?"

"DOUG-" she screamed, "-Richards," her voice level dropped as the song ended.

Amber shut off the stereo.

"You went out with Doug Richards?! Oh. My. God!" she shrieked incredulously.

"I know. He is like, the cutest boy," smiled Sheri.

"Totally," concluded Amber as they entered the mall's parking lot.

Due to Sheri's unorthodox parking methods, the girls obliviously dented the parked cars alongside them when they opened their car doors. After slamming them shut, they raced to the junior's section of Marshall Fields where the dresses of their dreams awaited.

"Oh my God! This would look so cute on you!" and "I absolutely love this color!" and the occasional "Ew, that is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen!" were the common dialogue as the girls scoured and inspected the crowded sales floor.

Arms full, they made their way to the largest dressing room. In unison, they dumped their assortment of evening-wear on the large bench that ran alongside the far wall. They undressed and re-dressed over two dozen times, turning and studying, criticizing and swapping. Then finally, they were down to the last dress: a long, black velvet gown with rhinestones on its spaghetti straps - the "in" look for early fall.

Amber cautiously eyed her exact definition of elegance as she removed a tangerine slip-dress that Sheri had chosen for her. She had hated it to begin with, but tried it on anyway, just to show her appreciation for Sheri's efforts.

Before Amber had a chance to reach for the black gown that she had found, that she carried back, Sheri nonchalantly picked up the dress and pulled it over her head.

She gathered her peroxide-potent hair on top of her head and ordered, "Zip me."

Amber obeyed, then stood back to watch Sheri twist and turn in front of the three-way mirror, secretly praying that Sheri would find something horribly wrong with the dress and disdainfully toss it into a corner of the dressing room as she had done with the others.

"Oh my God, this dress is like, perfect for me!" exclaimed Sheri with gleeful conquest in her voice. "Isn't it totally fabulous?"

"Yeah, fabulous. That's just what I was thinking when I picked it out," Amber replied tightly.

"Thanks Amber. You have the best taste," said Sheri, smiling sweetly at Amber's perturbed reflection behind her. "And it's only 279 dollars! That's like a total bargain!"

"Yeah, my bargain 'cause I picked out and it's the last one, so let me try it on," Amber demanded in a high-pitched, whiny tone.

"I'm so sure. Like just 'cause you grabbed it, it's yours? Puh-leeeaze," retorted Sheri as she changed back into her street clothes.

"You know, you're always stealing other people's stuff," accused Amber, "Jessica told me about the time you borrowed her Moodily Mauve lipstick and never returned it and I know that Oasis CD in your car was lent to you by Brad four months ago. I was there when he handed it to you, but he can't remember so he just thinks he lost it and you never told him the truth!"

Amber's face was flushed from her improvised confrontation. Sheri just gazed at her with surprised amusement.

"I don't care," she said airily. "I'm still buying this dress. If you have a problem with it, you can find another ride home!"

"Fine!" screeched Amber as tears welled up in her eyes. She lifted a pile of dresses in search of her purse. She saw its leather strap sticking out from under the hideous tangerine sack that Sheri thought would look "so adorable" on her. She angrily tugged it free from the pile and charged out of the dressing room, slamming the door.

"You're such a loser," muttered Sheri as Amber exited.

With that, Sheri left the room behind her and approached the register to make her costly purchase. She watched Amber round the Calvin Klein section and pass through the double doors.

"As if," she thought aloud as she lay the dress on the counter.

The sales girl rung up her item and lifted it for folding. The dress caught on a nail on the opposite side of the counter, snagging it half-way up the skirt-portion. Sheri wasn't paying attention, so she didn't hear a ripping sound or notice the guilty look on the sales girl's face as she bagged the dress and told her to have a nice day.

Sheri then left the mall with one more dress and one less friend. She was somewhat saddened by the day's events, but figured Amber would get over it.

In the sanctity of her room, Sheri opened her bag to admire her dress one more time before she added it to her vast array of social attire. Outraged, she discovered the rip.

Dress in hand, she rushed downstairs, through her front door, and to her LeBaron. But instead of driving back to the mall to return her damaged goods, she drove to Amber's house.

Sheri parked her car crookedly in Amber's large driveway and sorrowfully approached her doorstep. She rang the bell and Amber flung open the door with a look of surprise.

There Sheri stood with the dress, her dress, lain across her arms like a dead goddess, the rip purposely in plain view. Sheri began to apologize, expecting Amber to forgive her, so they both could have a nice laugh about it afterward.

Instead, Amber's surprise turned to fury. She said nothing, but threw a pair of black velvet pumps and a matching purse at her former best friend and slammed the door.

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Short Story: Mall Brawl

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