I woke up from light hitting my eyes. I slowly sat up with my eyes closed and stretched. For some reason my slumber felt very comfortable.
“Puppy Eric?” I mumbled
No answer.
My eyes snapped. “Puppy Eric!”
I quickly clamped my mouth shut when I realized where I was. I was in a room with a soft bed and everything.
I raised my hand to my face. “So it wasn’t a dream. That’s good.”
I got out of the bed and made my way into the hallway and down the stairs.
‘You really thought this was a dream?’
I nodded when I got to the base of the staircase. “Hey…do you know where a couch is, or a dinning table, or maybe even a kitchen?” I asked while mumbling.
I could feel Sofia sigh. ‘Forward is a kitchen, left is a living room, and right is a dining room.’
I nodded and went forward to the kitchen.
When I entered, the first thing I noticed was an island with bars tools. I quickly made my way to one of the stools and sat down. Then I laid my head on the counter top of the island.
‘Umm, are you okay?’
I nodded. “I just…it’s so much to take in.”
Sofia heaved another sigh. ‘Yeah, you found your mate yesterday, found out he was the alpha, leading to which that you are the luna.’
I lifted my head and nodded. “Hey, just wondering, is there cake in here?”
Sofia began laughing. ‘Really? You’re thinking about cake when we were just talking about our mate? Gosh, you’re pathetic.’
“Hey! I’m sorry if Christopher ate my cake yesterday. He had no right to-“
I was interrupted by the sound of a doorbell.
“Where’s the door at?”
‘Back where we came from, beside the staircase.’
Oh right, I knew that.
I retraced my steps until I was at the front door, then I slowly opened it.
Immediately a body slammed against mine and began squeezing the air out of me.
“W-what? Melanie.” I choked.
She pulled away and began smiling. But that smile soon faded away when she looked me up and down.
“So,” she said slowly. “You already moved to that stage in your relationship?” She asked while crossing her arms and cocking her eyebrow.
“What are you talking about?”
She coughed and pointed at my clothing. I looked down and began blushing. I had completely forgot I was wearing Christopher’s clothing.
“I-I-I had no pajamas, so he let me where his clothing, and-“
She raised her hand and began laughing. “Cool it. I was just teasing you.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
Before I knew it she pushed me inside and marched on in.
“Here,” she said while digging through her bag and tossing me some clothes. I held them out in front of me and observed. An orange shirt that said Camp Halfblood, Long Island sound, then a pair of jeans and some flip flops.
“W-what?” I looked up at her with a questioning look.
She flipped her hand at me and smiled. “We, my friend, are going shopping for clothes just for you for school.”
I gaped at her. Shopping? Today? But I have like a week until I go to school.
“Wait wait wait,” I said. “Don’t I have until next Monday to go to school?”
Melanie rubbed her neck. “Well, I talked to Brent yesterday, and it turns out he got the date wrong. It’s actually this Monday, so tomorrow. Mr.Thatcher knew the correct date, but he was probably zoned out again while informing you. So, in conclusion, we only have today to get you some clothes and school supplies.”
Did I hear her right? Brent got the dates wrong? How did he manage to do that?
“So, we’re going to have to shop all day because of Brent?” I questioned, making sure I had all the details.
Melanie nodded. “Yupp, pretty much,” she said while popping the ‘p’.
“Ok,” I responded. “Let me change first.”
She nodded and I quickly ran up the stairs and into my room. I made sure to run quietly though because Christopher was still asleep.
When I entered my room I quickly stripped off Christopher’s clothes and hurriedly slid on Melanie’s. Then I quietly ran back down the stairs to meet a waiting Melanie.
“You ready,” she asked.
I nodded and she opened the front door. Then we began to walk down the stone path until we reached a car. And let me tell you this, it was nice.
“You have a car?”
She giggled before unlocking the car and hopping in. I followed her lead by doing the same.
“No, it’s my parents’ convertible. They let me use it from time to time,” she said while giving me her bag. “Hold this?”
I nodded and we both buckled up. Then she started the engine and we headed off to wherever we were going to shop.
Ten minutes into the drive and I was already bored. I was looking out the window at the trees while they zoomed by. I don’t know if it was real, but I think I saw some faint movement in the bushes. It looked like rustling, but it could of easily been the breeze. Nothing to worry about.
“Hey Melanie?”
It took a moment before she replied. “Yeah?”
I heaved a sigh and turned towards her. “Where are we shopping at?”
“We’re going to the mall thirty minutes out. They have like the best clothing items there. It’s the best.”
“Okay,” I sighed as I turned back towards the side window. My head nearly hit the ceiling of the car when I shot it up. I swear I just saw a wolf staring at the car.
“You okay there?”
I nodded. “Umm, yeah, I just saw a, um, squirrel. Really cool.”
Melanie laughed. “You’re horrible at lying.”
I turned towards her with a look of mock hurt. “What! What are you talking about?”
She laughed then turned on the radio. Then, out of no where she turned it up really loud and began singing. I had no idea what the song was though because of the three years without the newest music hits from my old radio.
While she continued singing I continued to look out at the trees. I couldn’t see the wolf anymore, but the idea if it staring at this car frightened me. I just hoped it was one of Christopher’s scouts or a hunters or anything apart of this pack.
When the mall came into view, my eyes widened. The thing was huge! It was like an international mall. Welcome! To the international mall of the universe! All is welcomed! Yeah, I bet there’s a sign that says that.
“Well, we’re here,” Melanie said as we parked. She reached over and took the bag from my hands and exited the car just as I did.
“So what are we going to do first?”
She looked at me and showed me a toothy grin. “Clothes shopping of course!”
I giggled as we began walking towards the entrance. I don’t know why, but this was exciting. Going shopping after three years of wearing the same clothes, it was refreshing.
My eyes widened when we entered the mall. It was terrifyingly big, with hundreds, and I mean hundreds of stores. If the outside looked huge, the inside was one hundred times bigger. Yeah, that big.
“W-where do we start?”
Melanie grabbed my wrist and began pulling me towards a store called Hot Topic. “I’ve got to take care of some business here first.”
I nodded even though she couldn’t see.
‘I wonder what business she has there.’ Sofia said.
Yeah, I thought, me to.
When we reached the doorway to the store, Melanie stopped right in front of a girl who was playing on a phone and was leaning on a window that had Hot Topic engraved on it.
The girl was about my height with hazel eyes and auburn hair with purple highlights underneath. She wore ripped jeans, combat boots, and a purple hoodie that had SPQR on it along with a wreath circling it.
“Hey Roman!” Melanie shouted at the girl.
She looked up and gave a wicked smile at Melanie before replying. “Hello Greek.” Then she pushed herself up off of the window and walked the rest of the way towards us.
“So,” she said while observing Melanie. “I’m guessing I won the bet.”
Bet? What bet?
“Actually, no, I won the bet.”
The girl cocked her eyebrow. “Really, prove it.”
Melanie nodded her head and pulled out her cell phone. The she began flipping through her pictures until she landed on one of her. Actually, it was a picture of her from yesterday. She was wearing the same exact clothes and everything.
She showed it to the girl, which caused her to mumble under her breath.
“Great,” the girl said. “Well, you wore purple, so I lost. Did you bring the shirt?”
Melanie nodded and began digging through her bag. A moment later she pulled out another Camp Halfblood, Long Island Sound T-shirt that was identical to mine. She then tossed it to the girl who had slipped off her SPQR hoodie. The girl then hurriedly put the orange shirt on then slipped her hoodie back on.
“Hey!” Melanie exclaimed.
The girl shrugged. “What? I lost the bet, so I’m wearing the shirt.”
Melanie shook her head. “That’s not the point! The bet said that if I won you’d have to wear an orange Camp Halfblood shirt so that people know you lost to Greeks!”
“Yeah, well that’s not my problem.”
The two continued to bicker, leaving me out if the conversation. I wonder if they forgot I was still here. Most likely.
A cold chill went down my back, causing Sofia to freak out.
‘What was that?’
I shook my head and turned around.
I don’t know.
I scanned the crowds of people walking around, checking out the stores. But no one seemed suspicious.
It must have been nothing.
‘Yeah, but I haven’t felt something like that since-‘
I felt someone tap my shoulder, so I quickly turned to a smiling Melanie and the girl, who was now just wearing the orange shirt, that was now narrowing her eyes at me.
“Oh, umm, hi?”
The girl ignored me. “So I hear that you’re Melanie’s new Greek recruit. You got the shirt to prove it.”
I nodded. “Uh, yeah, sure.”
She began to circle around me, like she was taking in every detail. “I eat Greeks like you for breakfast!”
My eyes widened. She-she’s going to eat me?
A couple seconds later the girl began to crack up. Then she held out her hand. “I’m Kate Shillings, the Roman. I work here at Hot Topic, and don’t worry, I’m apart of the pack to”
I shook her hand hesitantly. “I’m Diana Jones…. The knew Greek recruit?”
She laughed and was joined by Melanie. “Yes,” Melanie said while pointing at me. “You’re the recruit! My recruit.”
We all laughed until Kate brought up shopping. “So, you need clothes and supplies for school?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but how’d you-“
“Melanie told me.”
Of course. Why am I so stupid?
“Alright!” Melanie exclaimed. “Let’s get shopping!”
I don’t know why, but we all cheered like little kids when Melanie said that. And then people started giving us looks like we were weirdos.
We all linked arms, like the weirdos we were, and began marching to a store called Macy’s.
Nine hours. Nine hours from trying on clothes, buying things, and having one snack break. And boy was I exhausted. It felt like someone took a bulldozer and ran over my feet a thousand times.
After we were done shopping, we said our goodbyes to Kate and hopped into Melanie’s car. But before Kate left, she promised that tomorrow she’d hang out with us at school and show me around a bit with Melanie.
“How you feeling?”
I sighed. “Exhausted. Was that worth twenty bags of clothing?”
She laughed and tapped on the steering wheel as she drove. “Of course! You got like a whole closet filled with designer clothes now.”
I giggled. “Wait. How am I suppose to pay you back?”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’ll have Christopher pay me,” she said while shaking her head. Then she reached over towards the radio and flipped it on. Music started blaring and she began to sing with it. But I didn’t. No, I laid my head back and closed my eyes, drifting into a peaceful sleep.
“Diana, wake up.”
My eyes fluttered open to see a smiling Melanie. “Huh?”
She laughed. “We’re here. You go on inside. I’ll go ahead and get all the bags.”
“Thanks.” I said tiredly while nodding my head. “Wait. What time is it?”
She checked her phone. “Eight thirty seven pm.”
I sat up quickly. “Didn’t we leave at around ten am?”
She nodded. “Yuppers! So we’ve been gone for a total of, wait for it, ten hours!”
“I thought nine hours.”
She laughed. “Yeah, well, you were asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you. So I uh, I made a pit stop and got a slushy”
I laughed and got out of the car at the same time Melanie did. Then she popped open the trunk and started lifting bags as I began to trudge my way up he stone path to the front door.
Every step I took ached. It felt like needles kept pricking the soles of my feet.
When I reached the door, I was about to knock. Key word, about. Before I could even lay my hand on the door’s surface, it flung open and a muscular body slammed against mine and began to embrace me.
“W-what?”
Christopher’s masculine voice whispered in my ear. “Where were you, you had me worried.”
Worried? Someone was actually worried about me?
I hugged him back. “Sorry. I was shopping with Melanie. It turns out Brent got the dates wrong and I have school tomorrow and-“
“Ssshhhhh, just please, please, don’t worry me like that again.”
I nodded. “Don’t worry. I promise I won’t ever again.”