1:03 p.m. - 2009-07-24
partway through Yellow Roses
I need to go back through this and fix the verb tenses. I know I missed a couple. I'll do it later.
It's snowing. Finally. Halfway through January it decides to snow. A single flake landed on my cheek and melts. I wiped it off and sniffle. Before I could even knock, she opened the door.
"Becky!!"
"Anne!!" I yelled back sarcastically, shaking the snow out of my ebony hair.
"Come on in, Becky Lynn," I heard Anne's mom shout from the kitchen. My real name is Rebecca Lyndon, but she likes to call me Becky Lynn. She thinks it's clever. I just see it as endearing. I didn't notice right away, but now I smell cookies.
"Trying to sell the house, Mom?" I shouted back. I closed the door behind me and begin peeling off layers of scarves.
"What's that dear?"
"Nevermind." Down to jeans and a sweater Anne had given me for Christmas a few years back, I looked around. Spotless. Not a throw pillow out of place.
"She was up a five this morning," Anne said as she hung my jacket in the closet.
I nodded. Mrs. Penway usually woke up early on Saturday. It was her 'clean the house and do all the errands' day. "When are we leaving?"
"Probably in about an hour." Anne sighed. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah." I headed upstairs. "Why do you keep asking?"
Since this isn't the 'beginning' beginning, Becky's getting sick of Anne constantly asking her if she's okay. You'll find out later in the story why.
"Beck, I'm just trying to be nice," Anne said defensively. I rolled my eyes. She pretended not to notice.
Twenty minutes later, Mom knocked quietly on the open bedroom door.
"Cookies?" I asked.
She set down a plate of fresh out of the oven peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies on the bed between Anne and myself.
"Cookies!!"
Mom looked over at the clock. It read ten thirty. "We'll be leaving in fifteen minutes. If you girls still want to come, that is."
Bewildered, I stared at Mom. "Want to? Mom, this is tradition!"
"Yes, I know. But today you girls have your own." She bent down to kiss us each on our foreheads.
Shadowcat suddenly jumped up onto the bed. We all jerked back in surprise, then laugh. Anne picked up her black cat and began scratching her stomach.
"How about this," Mom begins. "I'll run all my errands except grocery shopping and meet you at the market at, say, four. After that, we can go out to dinner or something."
Anne and I exchanged glances. I shrugged.
"Sounds great."
Mom smiled her sweet smile and went back downstairs, closing the door behind her. Looking back at each other, Anne broke out into a wide grin and shoved the rest of her cookie into her mouth.
"Let's rock."
Blazing down Center Avenue in her flashy red Mustang, we reached the mall in record time. I had brought the rest of the cookies in a plastic bag, but now there was only one left. I offered it to Anne.
"You can have it." Anne shook her head. "I don't need the calories." Normally, I would've taken offense, seeing as we were both a size six. But I just shrugged and put it back in the bag for later.
Once inside the mall, we brush the snow from each other.
"Wherever shall we start?" I say in fake British.
Anne laughed. "Let's start at this end." She pointed to the left. "First, though, we need to ditch the coats."
We made our way over to the information desk.
"Hi Doug!" Anne said in her usual bubbly voice.
"Bonjour," said the man with broad shoulders in an bad French accent. "What shall I take for my favorite madamoiselles?" He flashed his perfect smile, brilliant green eyes sparkling.
"Coats," Anne started.
"And hats, gloves and scarves," I finished. I grinned back at the handsome twenty-seven year old. We handed over the goods, wave au revoir and set off.
After walking past several candle and trinket shops, kids' clothing stores and one leather store, we spotted the devil himself. Anne's ex-boyfriend, Justin, just walked into a lingerie store with some fake-breasted slut.
"She's probably going to help him find the right color bra to match his complexion," I said in bitter sarcasm.
"Come on," she said, pulling my arm. "I have an idea."
I sighed and let her drag me into the forest of lace and satin.
We headed for the nearest rack. (no pun intended) She pretended to paw through the teddies, but I knew she was just trying to find Justin. I looked over her shoulder. My eyes widened as I looked back at her.
"You know, Ken would probably like the red one better," I said loudly.
"I kind of like the black one better." She held one up to herself and spun, careful not to make direct eye contact with the devil.
"Actually," said a whiny voice. I shuddered. Voices like that made me vomit. "Neither one would look good on you."
We both turn to see the fake-breasted slut Justin had walked in with. Her name tag read 'Nat'. I laughed to myself. Nat. Yeah, and her voice made her sound like a gnat. Justin walked over and put his arm around her waist.
"Well, hey, if it isn't the orphan!"
I felt my face turn bright red. Anne reached over and squeezed my hand.
"Justin, you are so inconsiderate!" Anne shouted. She turned on her heel and stormed out, pulling me behind her.
In later drafts, Becky goes off on Justin. And cries. But I don't know where it is.
