THE MANOR

  CHAPTER ONE AND A HALF

  Meanwhile . . .

  The final bell at school rings, Olivia and Lola walk home together, as their houses are in the same general direction as opposed to our protagonist's home, which is in the opposite direction. Olivia has her face practically glued to her Iphone 5s while Lola is actually looking forward and making sure Oli doesn't trip or bump into anyone.

  "Pfftt! Srnk! Hgngh! AHA- Ahaahaha!!! No wway ahaha...!"

  "Lo-Lola! Girl, look at this doge meme!"

  "Doge Meme? I must have seen fifty billion of them already..."

  "But this one's freaking HILARIOUS! It's so fucked up!"

  "Fifty Shades of DOGE! Such kink. very sex! wow!"

  "Pretty sure I seen that one..."

  "What? No way! It's a new one! Isn't it. It is!"

  "....Right?"

  "I don't think so... I think I seen that a few months ago."

  "What? Shit... but my friend posted this yesterday! You're saying this is a repost? a LATE repost?"

  "That's what i'm saying."

  "That's fucked up...."

  "...."

  "......"

  "Hey... do you think she'll be alright? She seemed kind of stressed."

  "Who?"

  "Oh. I think she was being kind of a dick!"

  "I don't think that's fair. Something was stressing her out... I could tell."

  "Well, I GUESS. Buuut, come on she was being a dick!"

  "She didn't have to get all angry at me like that!"

  "You agree, right?"

  "...."

  Silence fills the air for a few long minutes. Neither of them willing to speak in the awkwardness. Finally, Olivia stops in her tracks causing Lola to stop too and look back at her, wondering why she stopped.

  "Yo, girl... Want to go to the mall? I don't feel like going home right now."

  "Ah? Um, sure. Is there something you wanted there?"

  "Nope! Like I said, just don't feel like going home. You in?"

  "I am. I don't see any reason not to."

  "I suppose there's a few things I could look at too."

  "I've saved up for a few months now so it wouldn't hurt to look for new clothes or something."

  "Awesome!"

  They walk past their houses down to the local mall in their area. After about a half hout walk, they finally arrived there. It was this slick, shiny cross-shaped Shopping Center. It had tons of old stores that have been around for quite a while now. They decided to go to the Sears first. Or moreso Olivia decided.

  "The Sears?"

  "Yeah, you never know when we'll lose Sears! Shit's not looking too good for them..."

  "I wanna get all the discount shit I can from them before they croak!"

  "Could be next year could be about six years from now."

  "Plus you wanted clothes, yeah? Perfect spot!"

  "Yeah, you make a could point.... Though"

  "Thooouuuggghh?"

  "Ah, nothing. It's nothing. Forget it."

  "Aw come on tell me! I'm oozing anticipation now!"

  "Grr, fine. I was just saying how I was quite hungry and wanted to eat first."

  "You glutton! Food can wait, clothes first, yeah?"

  "Yeah. Of course..."

  "Your treat?"

  "Hell no. I never said THAT!"

  "Awwww come on!"

  "I already don't have a lot as is."

  "But you said you were saving for months!"

  "Yup. Months gets me about a hundred and fourty dollars.

  "Damn......"

  "Mhm."

  "My bestie is broke as shit...."

  "I don't see you with any more money!"

  "Nope! Except.... My mom's credit card I have on me!"

  "What the hell? Did you steal that?"

  "Maayyybe...."

  "Jesus Christ... Let's just go, Oli."

  "Aaallright! Shopping montage time!"

  The two go through the Sears. Scanning all around the sears at least two times. They both get lost in the fun of shopping that they pick dozens of outfits to try out in the fitting rooms rather then actually buying clothes. They must have spent at least an hour in the sears. Olivia especially took more clothes out without thinking while Lola was choosing more carefully what she wanted to buy. Lola tried out some sweaters, shorts, and hats while Olivia tried just about everything. In the end, Lola came out with cute fuzzy boots for winter, and a nonchalant purple coat. Olivia on the other hand, got absolutely nothing. She'd rather just take pictures in cute outfits she found to pretend she owned them.

  "So you just wanted to get clothes for the winter? I thought you were gonna get some cute outfits or whatnot!"

  "I never said that. I didn't know what I was going to get to be honest."

  "So I eventually decided that new winter clothes were what I needed."

  "Hey... You got nothing? I thought you were the one who wanted to come here first!"

  "Ahaha.... Well.... You know. Nothing interested me in there is all."

  "Uh-huh, is that all?"

  "That and my mom would kick my ass if I spent money on clothes."

  "So that's why you didn't buy anything!"

  "You were so cheeky before about using your mom's money."

  "I should have known... hah!"

  "Oh shut up!"

  "If I bought clothes AND food too she'd make me work to pay it all back!"

  "That shit could take FOREVER!"

  "Poor you... I actually work for my money."

  "I'd DIE if I had to have a job."

  "A part time job is not too bad... And I only work very miniscule hours a week."

  "Still too much.... STILL wouldn't do it."

  "Such a baby...."

  "Whatever. I'm starving! Let's head to the food court and eat!"

  They went down to the food court on the second level. Lola decides to get Thai food with vegetables and Olivia gets a burger, fries and a soda from a fast food chain. They both meet up back at a table together and enjoy their food.

  "Mmh...."

  "Hmm? What's up?"

  "I don't agree..."

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "About what?"

  "About her. She was probably just stressed and your attitude wasn't helping her. So she lashed out."

  "You're still on that? Come on!"

  "I am because I felt bad for her. I should have went and apologize."

  "You better go and apologize to her tomorrow!"

  "Fine! I will! Obviously! Damn!"

  "Good..."

  "Well that calmed you down quick..."

  "Way to make the mood awkward Lo..."

  "That's not what i'm trying to do."

  "You know her, she's..."

  "She's....???"

  "There was always more then one layer to her, you know?"

  "If you looked closely you could tell she was always thinking, but never say what about."

  "She's always been incredibly smart in History Class which I share with her and she once told me she's been learning Tagalog!"

  "I know it's to get her to open up to you but once she does you really learn how to read her better."

  "I knew something was up. I should have... I should have said something to her."

  "....Jeez you sound like you're in love with her or something."

  "Why don't you go confess to her and later have a happy marriage out in the city or something!"

  "Shut up! It's not like THAT! If you gave a shit you'd understand!"

  "I-I give a shit! Just.... Ehhh. I give a shit! Trust me!"

  "Sometime's im not so sure. Sigh..."

  "Listen, I get it! I'm just not a people reader like you...."

  "And I also don't fall in love with girls like you!"

  "Asshole!"

  "Hehehe, Worth it."

  "Sigh... Whatever. Do you have any other plans after we eat or are we going home?"

  "Wellll, the rest of the mall. What else?"

  "Of course.... Alright."

  "Well at least give me time to finish my food, alright?"

  "Sure! Yeah! Of course, I still can barely eat this damn burger anyway."

  "Damn thing is huge! Shouldn't have ordered the biggest one."

  "That's on you for not knowing your limits Oli."

  "Whatevs."

  The two of them continue eating their food without any more words being spoken among them. Afterwards they sip their drinks and trash their trash. Moving on to the rest of the mall, they check out each store as they go along. At least the ones that actually interest them. Eventually when they reach the center of the mall Olivia sees the whole square decked out in a christmas theme. With lights, wreathes and christmas trees all around. But the biggest attraction of it all of course was the MALL SANTA they have surrounded by plastic red trains sitting atop a big red chair over a huge red carpet, and a line of parents with their kids waiting to see him. Olivia is utterly disgusted.

  "What. The fuck?!"

  "Christmas?? It's hardly even November!"

  "Buh- fu-... Halloween JUST happened like a week ago!"

  "Now they're ready for CHRISTMAS?! WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE?!"

  "Sshh! Calm down, you're loud!"

  "You're gonna make people stare at us!"

  "No, but- Seriously. It's like, what? The sixth of November! NOVEMBER!"

  "At least try to pretend to still care about the fall season!"

  "How fast did they get all this up anyway???"

  "Not only will you have to put up with this for all of December, but NOVEMBER TOO?"

  "I swear when I was a kid I rememember never seeing a single holiday themed decoration until at least AFTER Thanksgiving!"

  "This is HONESTLY an outrage!"

  "At this rate you might as well start Christmas in October too! Jesus fucking Christ..."

  "Oli...."

  "Lo, i'm serious! You're telling me this is alright with you?"

  "Well.... Lately i've been noticing the demand for Christmas gets higher each year."

  "Realistically, real soon we'll be seen Christmas make it's way in as soon as Halloween ends."

  "Maybe even earlier."

  "No. Fucking. Way."

  "Yes way. To tell you the truth Oli, I think we'll be seeing Christmas come in WITH Halloween real soon."

  "I can't stand children. Honestly. It's all their fault!"

  "If it were just children wanting Christmas to come earlier I don't think anyone would be trying this hard."

  "So, you're saying that parents also want Christmas to come sooner?"

  "Yup, that's what i'm saying. The quicker Christmas comes the quicker busy people have time to plan and buy their gifts for their family."

  "Grrr, I can't stand busy people!"

  "Sigh.... You're impossible Oli."

  "Yet, you remain my best friend, Lo!"

  "Hehe."

  "For better or worse..."

  "Aw come on!"

  "Well whatever the case... Maybe it is time for me to start thinking about Christmas gifts for my family..."

  "Oh no, not you too!"

  "Hehe. Well, provided I have the money for it. That's why I save up!"

  "Uh-huh. Well I still have my Mom's credit card!"

  "I can't believe you actually used that. Won't she be mad?"

  "Ahahaha, I hope not!"

  "Jeez..."

  "Well, forgetting about that mess now!"

  "There's more I want to see! Come on!"

  "Fine fine. I'm coming..."

  The two continue onward, dearly traumatized by the prescence of Christmas and Santa all the way in early November. They go out to all kinds of stores and shops in the mall. Jewelry stores, cheap clothes stores and game stores and electronic stores. Olivia also wanted to see the Radioshack as Lola explained they weren't doing so well also. Immediately however Olivia was uniterested and they left in mere minutes. Eventually they were all mall'd out and they decided to walk home together before it gets TOO dark.

  "Jeez. I'm so worn out..."

  "It's not everyday you unexpectedly go to a mall with your friend for three hours."

  "I know right? It's EXCITING! Plus it's been forever since I've been! Must have been months!"

  "Same here actually, it's been at least a month for me."

  "At least? Damn I thought you were saving."

  "W-Well. I can't actually buy anything. I kind of window shop here from time to time."

  "Sometimes I people watch too... That's not- That's not weird is it?"

  "Hmm, let's see? You're poor, and a stalker. Nope that's normal for Pennslyvania."

  "Oh shut up! You don't even have your own money. You steal from your mom. Not cool..."

  "My mom's kinda rich. Small business and all that."

  "Still doesn't mean you can just spend hundreds of dollars on her account."

  "Y-Yeah... Well!"

  "Gotcha there, ahaha."

  "Grrr. You didn't GET me Lo..."

  "Sorry, I so did."

  "Untrue. Unreal. And unfollowed."

  "Hah, sure okay whatever you say girl."

  "Well. Whatever..."

  "Money isn't status anyway!"

  "Are you really going to preach to me about that?"

  ".....No."

  "Hm. Alright. If you say so then..."

  "Hmph..."

  "A-Anyways! Enough about money! Ahaha... Why don't we... Go again when it's December?"

  "Hmm?"

  "I'd like that. I'll keep a day open when Christmas draws near..."

  "Right..."

  "....Hey. Thanks for tonight. It was fun. And... I'm sorry for being a dick, and calling you poor..."

  "Oh? Where's all this coming from?"

  "Well! Agh.... It's just hit me all at once that i've been kind of an ass."

  "You put up with me a lot, so... yeah."

  "I'm sorry... And I don't think you're poor."

  "Hm. Well.... I accept."

  "Really?"

  "Putting up with you is a lot, sure... But I think i'll manage, ehehe."

  "Y-You don't got to put it like that! After I spilled my guts out like that....?!"

  "Aaaaggh..."

  "I think how I put it is pretty accurate."

  "Damn... you're harsh!"

  "H-How about next time... Uhh, I can treat you to food?"

  "Hmmm. I like the sound of that, deal."

  "Why'd you have to think about it first....??"

  "I can't wait! The spirit of Christmas is getting to you already."

  "Like hell it is!!!"

  "Don't tell me that you're gonna make me regret it!"

  "Why don't we invite her too when we go? I'm sure she won't decline."

  "I can convince her."

  "If you're sure. I don't see why not."

  "It's settled then!"

  ".... Do you think she's rich or poor?"

  "Oh come on, really?"

  "It's a joke Lo, it's a joke!"

  "Heh. I wonder how she's doing right now anyway... I hope she feels better than before."

  "I'm sure she does. Hell, I bet she's having the time of her life right now!"

  The two continue chatting as they make their way home with bags of items from the mall. Neither of them with a single clue as to what's happened to our protagonist. Oblivious and chatting away while she suffers... Lola gets home first leaving Olivia to walk the rest of the way by herself. About ten more minutes down as she reaches the doorstep of her house finally. After what feels like a walk that's taken forever. She recieves a phonecall from an unknown number.

  "What... the hell?"

  "Hello...?"

  "....."

  "Oh, you're her mom?"

  "......"

  "What....?"

  "What do you mean she hasn't returned home?"

  CHAPTER END