Shopping [ohthedespair!]

[d o l c e]

Isabella fawned her way through the crowded second-story floor in the 3-story floor mall. Downstairs mainly held little kid clothes, pet stores & knick-knacks. Ayden, Izzy's youngest son, was over at his friend's house for the day. So, it was just Izzy, Blake and Kendall for the day. A girls day out.

Izzy had woke up her daughters early in the morning and ordered them to get ready. They left the house at 9, with Ayden in tow, and reached the mall at 10. Izzy had showered the previous night, knowing very well what her plan for the day was. While Blake showered first (Kendall took a little longer in the bathroom), Izzy had applied Nair to her legs in her own bathroom and then paraded around her room in short cloth shorts and a cami. Kendall was down in the kitchen, making breakfast. After four minutes, Izzy had rinsed off the Nair and then continued to dress. She put on Hydralic-brand jeans that hung on her hips and conformed to the rest of her slim, tall body. She then had picked out a light gray shirt with red writing that said, "Rosie's Truck Stop" and a picture of a truck. She then grabbed her black belt with little guitars and old band names on it and wrapped it around her jeans.

As for her hair, Izzy had left it down, spraying it a little bit with curling spray to give her already-curly dark brown hair more bounce. Once the girls had finished getting ready and Ayden had dressed himself, they piled into Izzy's SUV and headed off.

"I want to go to Aeropastle!" Kendall said loudly as they weaved through the crowd, trying not to lose one another. She bounced next to Izzy when they hit clear ground, gripping her mother's arm. Izzy glanced down at her, giving her a warning look. Kendall stopped and walked along next to her mother, head down and eyes sad.

"I can take her there," Blake said, brightening up. "I wanna stop at some places anyway and I know that you want to get some of your own shopping done."

Izzy nodded, agreeing with her. She hesitated before letting them go off by themslves, but then kissed each of them and watched them dash away, laughing and cackling. Izzy's heart sank and she let out her breath, feeling alone again. Her mind drifted, thinking of how much she missed her husband. Sometimes she cried at night, but other times she wouldn't let herself. She had to be strong for her girls and her son. She had to make everything okay for them. Which is why she scolded herself when she looked at attractive men or thought about That Special Someone. That Person whom was her collegue and whom she found herself staring at or thinking about before she fell asleep. But, she always asked herself, was it possible to fall in love again so close after her husband's death?

[Mr.Blik]

Meagan had gotten up at nine this morning, planning on going to the mall. Her daughter, Hillary was with her father this weekend, so she was all alone. Meg drank her coffee quickly and taken a quick shower. After she'd gotten out of the shower, she quickly put on some khaki capris and a white shirt along with a pair of white wedges. She'd pulled up her hair and swung her bag over a shoulder as she walked through the door.

Now, the teacher was at the mall, looking around over her sunglasses. Now what to do? She spied her favorite store, Buckle and walked in, shopping for a while. Finally, when Meagan came out she saw her friend, Izzy. Someone to hang with! She ran to Izzy, almost tripping a few times and trilled right in her ear, "Hi Izzy!"

Then, she noticed that look in her friend's eyes. The look she got when she was thinking about Gabriel. "Izzy? Hello, are you home?! Not thinking about you know who, now are you?" She laughed and set her shopping bags beside her while she stared at Izzy.

[d o l c e]

Izzy picked up her walking when her girls disappeared and aimlessly chose a path to follow. She danced around others, careful not to step on anyone or bump into anyone. She passed her favorite two stores, Forever 21 and Heritage 1987. She found herself in a daze and had to sit down, afraid that she looked helpless and a little... suspicious.

It wasn't until Izzy heard yelling, right in her ear, that she snapped out of her daze. She looked around and found her friend and fellow English teacher, Meagan Swan, next to her. She had heard the last part of Meagan's comment and reached over to gently push her.

"Shut up," she said, blushing and ducking her head a little bit. She looked down at Meagan's bags and looked at her own... well, she didn't have any. "Aw, shitface." Izzy looked back up and saw the signed for her two favorite stores a few hundred feet back. She groaned and turned around to look at Meagan.

"So, what's up?" She smiled and stood up, looking down the long and wide aisle.

[Mr.Blik]

Meg continued to watch Izzy until she snapped out of the daze. She giggled when Izzy pushed her and almost fell over. "Hey, Izzy, don't be all sour now! Oh, I got you something!" She trilled in her high-pitched voice as she rummaged in her Buckle bags. At Izzy's comment, she gave a small tsk.

Meagan finally came out with two hideously printed tophats. One was leopard, the other cow. On her own head, she shoved the cow printed hat and handed the other to Izzy. Meg cleared off a space to sit and flopped down beside her colleauge and friend.

"What's up? Well, my meathead of an ex currently has my daughter in his clutches. He'll probably try to turn her against me. Did I mention that I hated him?"

Meagan snorted and made a disgusted face. Quite frankly, she looked like an idiot in a cow splattered tophat.

[d o l c e]

Izzy moved over for Meagan to sit down on the bench. She watched the others in the mall pass by them, chatting and laughing, carrying several bags. Izzy glanced at Meg when she tsked. "I wasn't calling you a shitface," she told her friend. "I was saying it because I walked right passed my two favorite stores. Sooo, I just said shitface." She grinned at Meagan, loving to swear in front of Meg because she knew that Meagan hated it.

She nodded slowly, remembering that Meg had said something about hating her ex-husband. "Well, at least your kid still has a father," she reminded her longtime friend. She looked down at her hands in her lap and noticed that her wedding ring was still on her finger. She'd had even more trouble taking it off now after her husband's death than she did when he was alive. She fiddled with the expensive ring on her finger, spinning it around and around.

She looked up and stared into Meagan's face, frowning. "It's hard sometimes, you know?" she asked. She felt her eyes begin to sting and she turned away from Meg, clearing her throat. "I know that they need him... and miss him. I just don't know how to get through to them sometimes." She took a deep breath, hoping to ease her aches.

[Mr.Blik]

Meagan smiled to Izzy. "I know you weren't calling me the shitface. You'd only do that if you wanted an asswhoopin'," she said comically. "And you do know we can go back by there." She rolled her eyes. Sometimes Izzy was sooo dramatic. Again, she poked her with the hat, urging her to put it on.

Well, at least until Isabella started talking about her late husband. She knew what was coming and put the hat to the side. "Yeah, I guess she's lucky. Even if he's a royal....Well, nevermind." She frowned thoughroly. Oh, how she hated when her friend talked of her late husband. Izzy's eyes held only pain, misery and love. It was completely different when Meagan spoke of her own. She looked as if she'd kill someone.

Meagan frowned further when Izzy's eyes got moist. "Oh, Izzy! It's okay." She surrounded her friend in a hug. Isabella always got this way when speaking about him.

[d o l c e]

Isabella had to laugh at Meg when she said "ass-whoopin'". And, she looked ridiculouslly funny in that hat. She smiled lightly, feeling the warmth from Meg's body seep into Izzy's bones. Taking a deep breath, Izzy shrugged Meg off, wanting to get on with the day and leave her feelings behind. She cleared her throat and then stood up. She reached down to grab some of Meg's bags and then tugged at Meg's arms.

"C'mon," she said in a small voice. "Let's go." Letting go of Meg's wrist, Izzy began to walk down toward Forever 21. She let her hips sway a little more than usual, trying to shake off her bad feelings and her tears. She quickened her pace and then slipped inside of the store and began to wander around, flipping through pants and shirts of all colors and sizes, trying to pick out the best outfits. She sighed as she made her way through the stores, actually missing it when she used to shop for lingerie for her husband.

"Bah," she whispered under her breath. "F*ck me. I hate my life." Setting down some of Meg's bags, she pulled down some jeans from a rack and held them up, examining their figure, color and length. Nodding, Izzy folded them over her arm and then turned around to sort through some shirts, going for the brighter colors.

[Mr.Blik]

Meg laughed and pulled away on her own. "Fine, lessgo." She picked up the remaining bags and ran after Izzy. She almost fell down thrice when she got into the store and giggled shrilly. Meagan took all her bags, including the ones from her friend. She deposited them somewhere behind the counter with a smile and slight bend before scuttling back to Isabella just in time to hear....

"F*ck me," from Izzy. Meg completely ignored the second part and just went with the first. She stopped beside her and put on a sweet but cheeky smile. "Now, now, Izzy. Don't want people getting the wrong idea, do we? You don't need to be saying such vulgar things in public. Plus, I only know one person who wants to hear that!" She sblack personed as she walked away to the bargain bin, knowing she'd pressed a little button in her friend. But, what are you supposed to do as friends? Never dish out cleverly illustrated comments just to push their buttons? As if.

[d o l c e]

Izzy laughed wholly at Meg's joke. She smiled at her friend and then blushed when she mentioned Gabe. She could feel her face red & hot, so she ducked her head and continued sifting through the bright shirts. She picked out a long, bright blue shirt and folded that over her jeans, which she was still carrying.

When her face became light and cool again, Izzy snuck a glance at Meg. "I didn't think I would," she said in a low voice, leaning toward Meg, "but I really miss the sex." She blushed again, this time only slightly. She and Meg sometimes joked about sex and being intimate with someone, but Izzy had never told anyone about missing sex. She felt somewhat guilty, too; that wasn't her whole relationship with her dead husband, was it?

Biting her lip, Izzy worked her way down the row of shirts. She picked out many more, even grabbing a second pair of jeans.

[Mr.Blik]

Meg had been checking out a lovely set of wedges when her friend said something quite surprising. She put the black and white dotted wedges back on their shelf and walked over to Izzy. "Well, Iz, I miss it too. Hell, don't we all!" She laughed and then grew sour. "But my ex isn't. He's probably getting it on with that slutty little secretary of his." She rolled her eyes and went back to the wedges.

Suddenly, Meg turned around, almost knocking her hat off. "Oooooohhhh! Izzyyyyyyyyy! I found some shoesies in your size!!!" She pointed to another pair of wedges carefully illustrated to look exactly like Izzy's leopard hat. "Check 'em out!" She jumped up and down like a moron, still pointing to the shoes.

[SPOTLESS ™]

[If I were young and beautiful]

Maya Folten had been lurking on this fine day in August. Nope, not of her own will, but rather for the need of more clothing. This said, there was no doubt there was probably any place she would rather be than the overcrowded mall on this sunny Saturday. Most likely, there was quite a bit more she could do on her Saturday, as unbelievably the duration of summer had revealed quite a few friends. Yes, friends, willing to fill the enormous gaps of boredom that seemed to plague Maya's life almost daily. Now, as she had entered the mall that morning, she had no intention of ending up in the store she currently lurked in, spying at her English teacher through the gaps in the shelves. But, she supposed fate had drawn her to this store. Because not only was this her English teacher she now looked in upon, but one of her all around favorite people. The two had developed a fairly close relationship over the last four years, and Maya couldn't resist a small smile at the horrid profanities that she seemed to utter constantly. Actually, it wasn't really surprising.

Now, what did surprise her was the other woman who stood opposite Ms. O'Malley, holding up a pair of (somewhat ugly) platforms, and she spoke excitedly with a wild grin on her face. Maya couldn't make out what the two were saying, but studied their conversation for a moment longer. She wondered vaguely when to make her appearance. Ms.O was awesome. No doubt about it. But Ms. Swan? She taught tenth grade English didn't she? A brain fart. Yes, of course they were good friends. Both English teachers, both single mothers. Oh yes, this however unlikely partnership did make sense. With a grin, and a skip in her step, Maya made her way over to the two, smiling slightly and looking forward to seeing her favorite teacher.

Maya hesitated for a moment, hovering about the two before Ms. Swan realized she stood there. Maya smiled, sweetly, and very much fakely at the teacher, the same devious smile that let them know she was planning something and there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. But that was not the case in Ms. O's class. If anything, she would be helping Maya in her plans to overthrow the school administration. This was what Maya liked about Ms. O. The two could end of yelling curses at some random displeasing object together, but then Ms. O was as prim and proper as ever, telling Maya off for uttering the word "suck". So, with an enormous grin on her face, which turned genuine as soon as she laid eyes on the other of the two teachers, she said gamely, "Hey Ms. O, hello Ms. Swan." The expression change in her face when she said the latter of the two names was amazing. Her face soured over into a simpering smile, and her eyes glittered mischievously. As oppose, when she greeted the first of the two, her face split into a wide grin, and she greeted her friend with genuine happiness in her eyes. [/size]

[d o l c e]

Izzy was about to go try on clothes when another section of the store caught her eye. She was delighted to find skirts - dressy and casual - and shirts that would go perfectly. Walking away from Meagan, Izzy stepped closer to the rack full of skirts. There were all different kinds; long, short, dark, light, cloth/cotton, jean.... Although Izzy liked showing off her body, she preferred doing it in jeans and the sort. But, sometimes, she felt giddy and sexy enough to wear a skirt.

The dark brunette wandered around the rack and picked up a black silky skirt that stopped right about her knees. Looking around the rack, Izzy saw a light purple tank top when lace straps and lace right about the breasts. She snagged it, grinning to herself and then also snapped a button-up light purple shirt with 3/4-sleeves. She walked back over to Meagan and held up the clothes, grinning, when she saw Maya Folten, one of her students. Maya said hello and Izzy squeled.

"Maya!" she said excitely, reaching over to hug the younger girl. She had an odd relationship with Maya and she completely loved it! She grinned at Maya, her whole entire face lighting up. "What's up, choche?" The Spanish word was a dirty slang word that Izzy had learned when she was younger and she called Maya it - in a friendly way - and Maya called her it back.

[SPOTLESS ™]

[she was precious like a flower]

Maya embraced the older woman for a moment, and at her question frowned slighly, a mock disapproving look twisting her features. She said, completely seriously, "Goodness me, Ms. O'Malley, you ought not to use such dirty language."[/color] But, she was unable to hold this solemness for long, and broke into a wide grin. "Who cares, I certainly don't give a shit." Maya wholly enjoyed the shocked expression that came onto Ms. Swan's features, and she swung her arm around Izzy, still smiling. "So where've you been lately? I've seen your appearence with none other than Mr. Gabriel Kirisame. Do you have any explanations m'dear? Maya joked, her eyes glittering with mischeif. Actually, this tended to happen quite a lot, this whole 'mischeif glittering in Maya's eyes ting.' This was one of the reasons the two got on so well. They were so good at slipping out of trouble, and were never traceable behind many of the impish tricks they usually had a hand in.

Maya was still grinning, but her eyes had slipped from Ms. Swan's, continually shocked features, (most likely of this student's knowlege of Izzy's personal life,) and to a pair of skinny jeans that hung behind her. Quickly her expression transformed to one of utter excitement. Ms. Swan forgotten, she pointed in the direction, screeching, "I love those!"[/b] The only thing ironic about her statement was the fact that she seemed to be wearing virtually the same jeans as the ones which currently hung on the rack. Nonetheless Maya was stuck on them, and dragged Izzy to the pants, her fingers tightly gripping the other's hand. Maya looked back at Izzy grinning guiltily. "Er... got a little bit over excited... sorry about that," she said, her tones apologetic. [/size]

[d o l c e]

Izzy threw her head back and laughed at Maya, loving how free and energetic the young girl was. Izzy pretended to trip and fall into Maya's shoulder, gently bumping the girl over. She grinned and winked at Maya. Izzy also blushed when Maya mentioned her crush. Ducking her head, Izzy looked at the ground, staring at the tiling.

"Shut up, Maya," Izzy said, trying to hide her grin. She looked up and glanced around them, making sure that no other teachers, or students for that matter, were around. She turned back to Maya, grinning, her ice blue eyes sparkling with delight. "I have been spending some of my sparetime with Gabe, yes."

When Maya began to move away from Izzy, hypnotized, Izzy couldn't help but follow the girl. She looked beyond Maya and saw herself in the mirror, a pale face with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. She looked sad and sullen when no one was looking, but when Maya turned around and took a step toward Izzy, she slapped a happy face on and smiled. Izzy felt maya's light grip on her wrist and allowed herself to be dragged over to the jeans.

"Hon," she said, "you have problems." She laughed. "You're wearing those jeans! But, they are pretty cute."