She starts to eat.  “To be honest…” she begins after a few bites, “This isn’t all that good.”  She makes a weird fact to show her distaste.

“Yeah, their food isn’t that great,” you agree, motioning at the restaurant where she got it from.

            “How about the pizza place?” she asks, pointing at the Italian Kitchen.

            “No.”

            “How about the burger place?” she points at Burger Shack.

            “No.”

            “How about…”

            “Let’s just get this out of the way,” you interrupt her, “This mall has the crappiest food court in the entire state. Nothing is good here.  It’s pretty much flavorless.  Unless grease is a flavor.”

            “You couldn’t have told me that before?”

            “I don’t know.  I figured you’d like it.

            “Why would you think that?” she asks.

            “Well, they don’t seem to mind,” you say, motioning to the other people in the food court, seeming contempt with the bland, cheap food.

She exhales, poking her fork at a piece of chicken. That is chicken, right?  It’s…kinda hard to tell.  Ugh. Gross.  “The malls in Bremerton are way nicer,” she mentions.

            “True,” you agree, “This one used to be nice, too, but it’s all junky and run down now.  Most of these stores sell crap and usually end up closing within a few months’ time.”

            “Are these seriously the only places to eat here?”

            “If you mean in the mall, yes.  Well, there are a few pricey restaurants that are…sort of okay, but it’s expensive.”

            She pouts, still poking at her food.   “I guess this is okay, but it just tastes kind of gross.”

  “Is this seriously the only mall in this town?” she asked, “It totally .”

“You mean in Moore?”  She nodded.  “Well, South Square is in Moore, but…”

“You mean there’s another mall nearby?” she interrupts.

“No, no, no, I never said nearby.  I mean, it’s kind of far…” you explain.

“It’s still in Moore, though, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Food court any good? Or is it crappy like this one?”  Her eyes are wide as she stares at you, interested in your answer.  You look at her and tell the honest truth.

“The food there is amazing.”  Amber stands up and pushes in her chair.  You look up at her.

“Well, come on,” she says to you, “Get up.  Let’s go.”

“Wait, wait, wh-what?!” you stammer, confused.

“Let’s go so I can eat,” she tells you.

“We’re going to South Square?”

“Why?  Is that a problem?”

“Well…it-it’s far,” you stutter, looking back towards the bathroom.  You are gonna have to use it if the two of you are going to make the long trip.

“So?  It’s Saturday.  I don’t have anything to do, do you?”  You shake your head in response to her question.  “Besides, I already told my parents I’d be out all night anyway, and…”

“I’m not going to hang out with you all night,” you snap.  You just met the girl.  If she thinks she is going to drag you all around the world, she is out of her mind.

“I never said you were.  I’m just saying that I don’t have a curfew tonight,” she responds, giving you a grin.  That grin says, “Hahaha, my parent’s let me get away with a lot more stuff than you.”  That is pretty much the case with everyone around your age.  They all get to do whatever, whenever, and you haven’t so much as ever been to a sleepover.  Unless you count that sleepover that you told your dad you were at last night, when you were really at the party instead.  That party was your first time doing something social with peers outside of school with no parents around.  Meeting Amber at the mall is your second time. 

“Well, Kevin is supposed to pick me up, and he won’t like it if I surprise him and tell him we’re all the way at South Square,” you protest.

“I can take you home.”  You bite your bottom lip.  You mentioned earlier that you aren’t okay with letting her know where you live.  “, you don’t have to worry about me, honest.”

It’s something about the way her voice changes when she says that, the way it becomes light and gentle on the word ‘honest’ that makes you look directly at her.  You can tell by looking at her eyes, that she can be trusted with this.  You are starting to feel a little excited inside about South Square.  After all, you DO love it there and rarely ever get to go.  “I have to use the bathroom first,” you tell her.

“So, we can go?” she asks excitedly.

“Sure, as long as I’m home before five thirty.”  You get up.

“Why five thirty?”

“Well, I think that’s when Kevin will probably leave the house to come get me because none of the malls let kids under 18 hang around unsupervised once six o clock rolls around, so…” you string out.

“Yeah, sure, five thirty, no problem,” she agrees, smiling.  Spoiler alert: you are going to be out WAY past then.

________________________________________________________________________

“It’s probably like, an hour drive, tops,” you tell her.

“I don’t care.  I don’t have anything to do,” she responds.

            “Well, I’m not really that good with giving directions.  I don’t really know the names of the roads; I just know where to go when I see stuff I’m familiar with.”

            “I have a GPS, remember?” she says, “I take it with me pretty much everywhere.  Comes in handy.” 

You are outside, about to step off of the sidewalk and cross over to the parking lot.  You are mentally trying to convince yourself that Kevin won’t mind that Amber and you are doing this.  Amber is old enough to drive, after all.  Also, Kevin doesn’t know that you had just met her.  All you had said was that she was a friend.  He isn’t familiar with your friends.  For all he knows, you could’ve been friends with her ever since you changed schools, or even longer.  Besides, he’s probably glad that you’re finally hanging out with someone. As long as we stay safe and make it home in time, I’ll be fine, you tell yourself. 

 Kevin’s really lenient with you anyway.  He’s cool like that.  You know your mom wouldn’t be okay with it, though, but Kevin isn’t one to tell her random stuff like “’s hanging with a friend” or anything.  Your dad wouldn’t mind, he wants you to be more social.  Well, he actually would mind, and you know it.  One look at Amber, and he would freak out on you.  One, she’s Asian (author’s note: This only applies to non-Asian readers, because the main character in this story has a dad that is against Relationships.  He is meanie :(  If you are Asian, too, then just ignore that part, since it doesn’t apply).  Two, he’d quickly peg her as a lesbian and lose his freaking mind.  That’s why you like staying over at Kevin’s place.  He cares for me like your parents do, but he’s way more open minded when it comes to stuff like this.  Kevin doesn’t care what ethnicity she is, or that she has short hair and baggy clothes.  You told Kevin she is your friend, and that’s all he cares about.  He has absolutely no problem with her. 

            You are halfway across the road when you hear Amber say, “Hey, hold on a sec,” and you feel her pat your shoulder.  You look back; she is heading back towards the mall.  But, why?  Oh, oh my god!  What the hell is she doing? You think as you watch her.

She is going up to some gross bum that is sitting on the sidewalk near the plus sized clothing store.  Ugh, what the hell?!  Is she crazy?  That’s it, now you officially know she’s crazy. Why in the hell is she trying to bother him?  You’re