Ann Lauren

1

Olivia Tyler was on a mission. A mission that involved a super sale at American Eagle, two $100 bills, and a pair of silver DKNY flats scuffling speedily across the beige tiles in Alder mall. It was as busy as any other day in the mall. People were walking slowly through the crowded corridors, some just hanging around the benches near the fountain. It, of course, smelled like every food imaginable. In Olivia’s left hand was a greasy paper bag with half a cinnabon in it.
As she approached the store, Olivia exhaled in relief and checked her Kay Jewelers watch; 4:18. She still had almost two hours to shop. She straightened up, rolled her shoulders back, and walked continued walking quickly.
Pushing through the modern glass doors, she got the familiar scent of designer jeans and silky tops. She couldn’t have felt more at home if she were sitting on her white leather couch at home snuggled up next to her mother. The radio played ‘Just the Girl’ by Click 5, and Olivia hummed along as she made her first stop next to the racks and racks of True Religion jeans. She had picked out four skinny and two boot cut when her Pantech slide buzzed angrily. She unzipped her shiny black snakeskin tote and pulled out her cell;

Emily: U there?

Olivia’s fingertips glided across her keyboard; she was a pro.

Olivia: Yup. @ A E (super sale!). Y?
Emily: There was a sale? Y didn’t you tell me? Does Ella know?
Ella was their friend.
Olivia: No, just tell me what u txted for!
Emily: You know cutie fruity smoothies?
Olivia: Oh, u mean the place we go EVERY DAY? I have vague memories.
Emily: Well, sorry! I was just meaning to say that its getting reconstructed. Its closed for all of April!
Olivia: Call me
Seconds later, the phone buzzed again, this time in a series of short vibrates. She slid it open.
“’Livia?” said a familiar voice. It sounded worried.
“I’m here,” sighed Olivia. “Are they seriously closing CFS for a remodel?”
“Seriously,” confirmed Emily, sounding just as whipped.
“Where are we going to go to chat and chill?” Olivia protested.
“Barnes and Nobles?” Emily suggested softly.
“Gag”
When they got off the phone, Olivia no longer felt that spidery rush in her stomach. It had been replaced with a painful ache that told her that something was wrong. She liked it when she had a place. Instead of choosing a different place every day to hang out, she and her friends had always hung out in the Cutie Fruity Smoothie shop. That was their throne! If they went anywhere else they would be ‘those girls over there’ instead of ‘those girls that always sit there’. To Olivia, there was a big difference between the two. That was why this was such a big deal.
She moved slowly through the rest of the shop, scarcely looking at anything. She was there in a physical sense, but her mind was totally adrift. She paid the cashier and walked out the door, not bothering to rush, even though her watch read 5:43. She had to be by the outside fountain in seventeen minutes. But Olivia didn’t care if she was late. Her mom would understand once she heard the ‘situation’.

“So why don’t you just go hang out somewhere else for a month?” suggested Addison Tyler to her daughter, as if it were that simple. Puh-lease!
“It’s more complicated than that, Mom,” explained Olivia.
“Why?”
“It’s difficult to explain.”
“I think you’re overreacting, sweetie.”
“I’m nawt!”
“You don’t think you’re overreacting just a little bit?” Addison said in a questioning tone. She responded by folding her arms and looking at down at the leather seat. Why didn’t her mother understand? Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal, but she could be a little sympathetic.
“Did you buy anything?” Addison asked awkwardly, sensing her daughter’s irritation.
“Yes,” she replied flatly.
“Don’t give me attitude or you can spend the rest of the afternoon doing chores, Olivia,” Addison warned. Olivia sat up straight, unfolded her arms, and gave a mannequin smile. “That’s better,” her mom said with a smirk. The rest of the ride was silent. In fact, No words were said until they had pulled into their driveway. Fudge and Cocoa ran out to meet the car, which started beeping angrily at the labs. Olivia giggled. Her mother hated it when the dogs ran around the car. “Gosh darn it!” Addison yelled, biting her lip. Olivia had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing. She knew her mom was going to say something else, but changed it.
As she slid out of the car, she inhaled the sweet smell of her mom’s zinnias. She climbed the steps to the front door, twisted the gold knob, and let herself in. ‘Single Ladies’ was playing in the background. She shuffled through the foyer, and then went into the office where her dad was working.
“Hi Daddy,” she said cutely, walking in. Brian Tyler turned in his office chair. In his hand he held a document of some sort; he was wearing his reading glasses. But he looked up and smiled at his daughter.
“Hey punkin!” he said cheerily. Olivia smiled. Her dad was always willing to say hi, no matter how busy he was. She hugged him, and then headed upstairs. Bursting into her room, she was met with the fragrance of coffee. She fell backwards onto her dark green and brown comforter. Her room was Starbucks themed. A sleigh bed sat in the corner next to a bay window, which overlooked a small wood.
She sat up in bed and looked out the huge window. The sun was shining brightly in her room, making her espresso colored floor shine. She suddenly felt really happy. Never mind that Cutie Fruity Smoothies was closing for a while. She would think about that later. She popped her custom CD in her stereo. ‘Beautiful Soul’ by Jesse McCartney started playing.
I don’t want another pretty face
I don’t want just anyone to hold
I don’t want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul.
Exhausted, she flopped down in her cloth beanbag chair (dark green). She inhaled the mocha Scentsy candle wax melting in her Scentsy melter. Suddenly, her cell phone buzzed angrily. She looked at the screen;

Ella: What up? I’m more bored than my floor.
Olivia: lol. Guess what?
Ella: Ur mom got a nose job?
She burst out laughing. Her friends constantly joked about Addison’s nose. It used to bother her, but then she realized they were just having fun.
Olivia: lol x 100. Nope. Guess again.
Ella: hmmm…. You met a super cute movie star?
Olivia: I wish! No, though. CFS is closing for April!!
Ella: … serizly? U sure? Source?
Olivia: Ems.
Ella: Oh. Well, we’ll talk 2morrow.
Olivia: K, bye.
Olivia sighed and slipped her phone back into her pocket. Then she leaned her head back against the soft cloth and let her thoughts run wild.

2

Ella Marks ran her fingers through her soft black-brown hair. She kicking an orange balloon over her head over and over again; a new game she had invented. She tapped it with her toes, letting it float upward slowly, only to see it sink back down moments later. It was about to get launched for the fourteenth time in a row when her door burst open and Cassidy, Ella’s sister, rushed in.
“What do you want?” Ella said wearily.
“An opinion” Cassidy grinned. “Which one should I wear to the par-tay?” She thrust out two different dresses, both which were covered in sequins. The ‘par-tay’ was a get together that Edward Marks’s boss was throwing.
“It doesn’t matter, Cass,” Ella said, groaning. “It’s a dinner party. Only old people will be there. I’m not even going.”
“You’re not?” Cassidy said, disappointed. Ella nodded, twisting her bangles. She was happy to guide her younger sister in a wise direction.
“Could you go now? I’m sort of busy.” Ella said dismissively.
“Doing that?” Cassidy said, snorting. Ella’s stomach churned. For being eleven, Cassidy did know how to make someone feel stupid.
“It’s a foot workout popular in Greece. Except, they use pig bladders,” lied Ella. She would not be harassed by someone almost four years younger than her.
“Really?” Cassidy wrinkled her nose.
“Yup; now leave, or I’ll punch you,” Ella fake-threatened. Fake threat or not, Cassidy hurried away, dragging the sequin dresses on the ground. Ella sighed. She was so bored. She wandered into her living room, turned on the Wii and popped ‘Rock Star’ in. She picked up the mic and selected the song Crushcrushcrush, by Paramore.
I got a lot to say to you
Yeah I got a lot to say
I noticed your eyes are always glued to me
Keeping ‘em here and it makes no sense at all

“Thank you, thank you.” Ella said to an imaginary audience. Since they were so enthusiastic she went on to sing ‘Paparazzi’, ‘No Air’, and ‘Holiday’.

"No!" Charlotte screamed in protest. "I absolutely, positively, will not eat that vile veggie!"
"Charlotte, mushrooms are good for you," coaxed Mrs. Bixby.
"I HATE them!"
"Just one mushroom! Please!"
"NO!!!"
With that, Mrs. Bixby gave up. She stood up from her chair and stormed out of the dining room. Charlotte looked after her in curiosity. She heard a door slam. Peering out the window, she saw the family car pull out of the driveway. Unhappily, Charlotte slouched to the ground. She didn't want to make her mother mad, but she was not going to eat a mushroom. She mounted the stairs to her bedroom and threw open the door. In her room she had a canopy bed with a fluffy pink blanket, a desk containing paper, pens and markers, a toy chest filled with memories, a dresser with a little merry-go-round on it, and a photograph on the wall. She also had a closet. She went to her desk now, and pulled out a sheet of blank paper. On it she wrote:

Mother-

I went to my quiet place. No use calling my cell phone. Don't disturb.

With that, she left. She didn't look behind her. She didn't understand how a mushroom upset her mother so much, but she knew more than to stay in the house while her mother sulked.