7392 – Public Property
Bailey was excited, her voice high and fast on the other end of the phone. "Daddy just got the place for me! Isn't this great, Dallas? He's going to be paying for everything and I get to invite whoever I want on Saturday! It's going to be so fun! I can't wait! God, I'm so fucking excited!"
"Your dad did what?" Dallas switched his cell phone to his other hand. "You got him to pay for everything? Everything where?"
"Well… I did kind of have to make him feel guilty about some things first," Bailey sounded guilty herself before she pressed on in a rush. "But in the end he agreed! It's going to be at Xera's. Mom's kind of upset though. She doesn't like the fact that I went to him to pay for expenses and all that. But it's really retarded because I know at the same time she's really thrilled it's coming from his pocket." Bail's parents were divorced.
"What's this party for again?" Dallas asked, feeling a little wary.
"My birthday party, you dork. I'm turning eighteen, remember?"
"Your birthday!" he echoed, alarmed. "But that's not until next weekend."
"Next weekend I'm going away for the competition, remember?" Bailey sighed. "Geez, Dallas. You forgot didn't you?"
"Of course I didn't forget," he said indignantly. "I know your birthday is next week, I just didn't know you were having a party… so soon." Shit. He hadn't gotten her anything yet. "I mean, Saturday is in two days and you're just now dropping the bomb."
"I can't wait!" his girlfriend squealed, as if she hadn't heard him. "I'm gonna invite all these people… it's going to be so cool! You're coming. It's going to start at like… eight. Or is that too early, you think? Well maybe nine then. It's going to end at two in the morning, so maybe people might drop in later... but no! I don't want them to come late! I want them to come early. And maybe some people need to leave early, y'know? So should I stick to eight? That way if they have to leave at like, midnight or something at least they can have four hours!"
"Great." Dallas managed to slide in.
Only two days! Dallas felt his knees go weak. How was he supposed to think of something in two days? What was he supposed to get her? Had she said anything lately? Dropped any hints? Dallas racked through his head but he couldn't remember.
"—and they offer live music and stuff anyway, but you know what? After their little band performance, the people at Xera's said I get to choose every other song they play over the speakers and that's going to be so fun. Saturday is going to be the greatest. If you don't come, I'm gonna be so mad, Dallas, okay?" She giggled madly because she knew there was no way in hell Dallas would not come.
"Yeah, of course I'll—" suddenly there was a beep in his ear. Dallas pulled the phone away to check it. "Call you later Bailey, okay? Mike's on the other line."
"Ohmygosh, tell him about my party, okay? Tell him to come!"
"Sure," Dallas said. "Love you."
"Love you, too. You're so coming!"
Dallas switched lines. "Mikey."
"Hey Dallas." The tone his best friend used was low and subdued. Dallas immediately knew something was wrong. "Listen, I can't make it to our plans on Saturday."
"That's okay," Dallas stood outside the public library, having gone there to meet up with a friend of his. "We've got new plans now. We couldn't do it anyway. Bailey's having her birthday party earlier than planned at Xera's and she wants you to come.
Silence greeted him on the other end of his cell phone. "Mike?"
"I can't go there either, Dallas. Tell Bailey sorry for me." He sounded almost angry. "I can't go anywhere for a week."
"What are you talking about?" Dallas felt his pulse quicken. "You know you've been putting things off for the past few months? What the hell is up now? Why the hell can't you come to Bailey's party? We haven't hung out in a while. C'mon, man."
Dallas listened to his friend's lame explanation. When Mike was done, he couldn't believe it. It was too stupid—too fucked to believe. He didn't even want to believe it. Dallas was pissed off as hell.
"What the hell do you mean you're grounded?" he yelled. "What are you? Twelve?"
"Shut up, Dallas. My mom and Rick are pissed okay? I mean, I just got my fucking eyebrow and smiley pierced and didn't tell them. Yeah, I think they have a right to be."
"I don't fucking believe this." Dallas manage to say; his anger suddenly making his face and neck feel hot.
Mike mumbled something.
"You know, Mikey, you're 18. You can stop rebelling now. It's not like you're 14." Dallas said sarcastically.
"Shut up, Dallas." His best friend muttered. "I'm not rebelling, you moron. It's something I want, got it? It's mostly my step dad anyway. He went apeshit over the eyebrow ring and smiley, which is just effing stupid. It's none of his fucking business. Fuck! Fuck him!"
"Yeah, what the hell is up with these piercings now, huh? I mean. Your eyebrow, fine, I can deal with that. But for chrissake, your wheelie—"
"Smiley."
"—THE FUCK IS A SMILEY?!" Dallas wanted to know, breaking off yelling again.
"You know, it's really none of your business." Mike was starting to get mad, too. "I can do whatever I want now, so shut your mouth. I'm 18."
"Yeah. 18 and grounded!"
Mike hung up on him.
Dallas couldn't believe it.
"Can you believe this?" he exploded, snapping his cell phone shut, resisting the urge to hurl the slim, silver phone across the library's front yard and vent out the anger, the frustration that had been building inside his chest for the past month now.
"Mike is an asshole." He raised his voice just to hear the tremors of rage that ridged his tone. It made him feel somewhat better.
"Was that Mike?" His friend Al finally looked up from where she sat on the library steps, a book tucked between her knees. A curious look glazed her usually dazed eyes.
She hadn't been paying attention. Not really. Dallas could tell.
"Fifth—fucking—time this month." He replied, furious. "Do you know what that—that retard did?" he was sputtering, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Dallas always stuttered when he was feeling particularly overwhelmed. It was one of his weaker traits, something he was not proud of. In fact, he hated it. He hated allowing anyone to witness it.
Al chewed her lower lip, waiting.
Okay, fine, except for Al, Dallas didn't care, didn't mind doing anything in front of her. Al didn't care either. Half of the time she simply zoned out on his ranting, which he would pretend not to notice. It felt good not being interrupted for a change. And the other half of the time, she would listen and then give her opinion. One opinion, only, which suited Dallas fine, too. He didn't like people who tried to overrun him with their opinions. He did notice that she never asked for his opinion, but didn't really care if he gave it anyway.
They were pretty cool together.
"I don't know what hell is wrong with him. He's always 'busy'. He's being a dick half of the time, and the rest he just acts as if whatever me and the other guys do just doesn't interest him any longer. Like what the fuck, I'm starting to think he's hiding something. Like he's fucking gay or something and doesn't want anyone to know. I can't believe this fucking shit—!"
"Can you pass me that bag of cheetos?" Al asked politely.
"Hunh?" Dallas stopped pacing to look over at his small, mousy haired friend.
Last week she had been a platinum blonde. And the time before that, she had been a head of lime green hair.
"Team spirit," Al had informed him good naturally. "And for my Great Aunt, who's dying of cancer. This is her favorite color!" Her original black hair, which she had grown long over the summer was now chopped off to her chin, and dyed to an odd shade of mousy brown that looked orange under the sun.
"I have no inspiration." She had sighed mournfully.
Now she sat on the steps leading up to the library, when he had found her, pursuing a horror book which was now wedged between her knees, wispy hair curling around her chin as she asked him for a bag of cheetos. An empty bag of hot cheetos sat crumpled beside her.
Alexandra Kylie Kook, or better known as Al to the people who actually really knew her, was an ADD scatter brain. He had to admit, she was one of the real loners and outcasts at Bowie High, and not like what others claimed to be.
Al was so scattered most of the time, she didn't bother to keep up with anyone anymore, and no one seemed to bother themselves with her. Her overactive and hyper personality turned people away pretty quickly. Not to mention that fact that when she opened her mouth, a high pitched, small voice came out. It was a good thing he had thought she had sounded funny and cute the first time he met her. She was a fucking good friend.
Even if Al hadn't been listening just now.
She was downright wacky, and forgot what was going on most of the time. Dallas had just forgotten for a second.
"The bag of cheetos," Al repeated, still polite. "See, it's over there right next to my book bag."
"Okay…" Dallas paused uncertainly before going to retrieve her snack, popping the bag open before handing it over.
"Gee, thanks." Al happily took a handful, briefly offering to him only to get turned down. "So. Mike isn't going to hang out with you?"
"No, he's not!" Dallas felt indignant, now that he'd cooled off some. He also felt slightly babyish and immature but he honestly couldn't help it. He hoped he wasn't whining, but with Al he didn't really care. She didn't care, so what the hell. "We were supposed to do something together. I don't know. Just hang out or some shit. I haven't seen him in forever. He said he'd come. He owes me already as it is. He's been putting things off with me and the guys, so we're supposed to be doing something Saturday because it's just—"
"He has more friends now," Al observed, munching on the end of a particularly cheesy cheeto.
"What? No!" Dallas sighed, frustrated. "I'll tell you what it is. I know what's going on. It-it's-" but for reason he couldn't find the words.
"Don't feel bad." Al said.
"I don't feel bad." Dallas huffed, knowing he was being a fucking girl. "But, God, it's like… it's like... he doesn't want to be friends anymore? As if he's outgrown me or something. As if I'm not good enough to hang out with anymore. He's got these new friends. There's this Jordan guy that I keep hearing him talk about—"
"I know!" Al broke off excitedly. "That's what I was saying earlier! He made a lot of new friends now. I saw him hanging with them like, last week! It was outside of the gallery and he didn't even say hi."
She lapsed into silence, thinking hard. "He usually says hi."
"They're screwing him up." Dallas mumbled.
"You don't like them?"
"No." he said vehemently, before sighing. "I don't care, actually. Not really. Hey, if that's what Mike wants to do. Fine. Bailey likes those kinds of things too. Guys like... that. I really don't know what I'd do if she started acting like Mike."
"I sit next to one of them in Theory of Knowledge, and we get along just fine." Al offered.
"I get along with them, too, Al." Dallas said. "It's just… you know what? Whatever. I don't need Saturday with him anyway. I got enough stuff to do." Like get Bailey something within two days. He grimaced. "You have any idea what Bailey might want for her 18 birthday?"
"I know what I want," Al replied. "I want to go skydiving!"
Dallas sighed, pulling out his cell phone again. "I don't think Bailey wants to skydive, Al." he told her as he hit speed dial.
"She's missing out then." His friend returned to her book.
"Hello?" Aaron's familiar, annoyed voice answered the phone.
"Aaron."
"Dallas? What."
"What are you doing?"
"Why?"
"What are you doing?" Dallas repeated.
"I'm busy!"
"You mean you're secretly watching the next episode of Beauty and the Geek again?" Dallas asked impatiently.
"Dallas!" his friend exploded. "You better not have told anyone!"
"I didn't."
"W-well—good!" Aaron sounded flustered. "Because I don't really watch that show anyway! I was flipping one time and there were hot chicks, so what was I supposed to do? It's not like I watch every single week at seven o'clock, because I don't—"
"Be ready in ten minutes."
"Huh? Why?" Aaron asked, outraged. "My show just started, man!"
"I thought you weren't going to watch Beauty and the Geek?"
"I'm not." Aaron began hotly. "I'm—I'm watching CSI something. CSI Bermuda or some shit."
"CSI isn't on tonight." Dallas replied. "Listen, just be ready."
"Why? Where are we going?"
"We need to go get Bailey's birthday gift."
"Why do I have to come?! I'm not her boyfriend!"
"Just come. I need … backup."
"You mean you want my money!" Aaron said accusingly over the phone.
"Aaron." Dallas struggled to hold onto his waning patience. "Why would I want your money?"
"In case it costs too much or something! And then you're going to tell me you'll pay me back, but then you won't pay me back. Well guess what; I don't have any money. My fucking dad stole my last five bucks for a pack of cigarettes. I swear, this family takes advantage of me. It's like, I don't really live here or something, y'know? It's like I'm the only source of income or something. I mean, I work at frickin Taco Bell, and my family thinks money grows in tacos or something and they come and steal all of my money and—"
"For chrissake, Aaron. This is like the fiftieth fucking time you're telling me your Taco Bell story! I'm not gonna steal your money, you dumbass. In fact, don't even bring your money. Just be ready!" Dallas hung up.
Al didn't look up, too immersed in her horror novel.
"Whoa..."
"Yeah."
"This is unbelievable." Aaron said hoarsely.
"We need to do it." Dallas reminded him.
Aaron gazed wordlessly at the store before him. "This is…" he swallowed, glancing over to where Dallas stood. "This is tough man."
"I told you."
"Yeah." Aaron sounded breathless. "I get why you needed me to come now. I mean, the frickin sight of it makes me feel…"
They both stood gawking at the entrance to Hot Topic.
Dallas shifted his weight. "So… uh, should we go in?"
"Dude, are you sure about this?" Aaron looked uncertain. "I mean, I hardly think Bailey's birthday gift lies behind these black tinted windows, man."
"They're not tinted." Dallas tried not to sound irritable.
Aaron shrugged. "They should be." He stopped mid shrug to ram his elbow into Dallas's gut. "Check that out! Look!"
While rubbing his side, Dallas followed Aaron's gaze as two girls walked past them and right into Hot Top. One of them wore red and white, right down to her striped stockings, and her friend wore black. They both cast glances at them but looked away quickly.
"Dude, this is so dangerous." Aaron whispered, giggling despite himself. "Oh man, oh man, oh man. We should probably like… stick close together or something."
Dallas felt ridiculous. "Aaron, shut up. Please." He turned towards his friend. "Listen, we'll just go in, get something for Bail, and get out. Easy as that. We don't need to linger or nothing."
"But why would she want something from here?" Aaron asked.
"Trust me," Dallas said, almost wearily. "She does. I've been in there before, you know."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Twice. With Bail."
"Awesome. How come you never told me?" Aaron demanded. "What happened inside there anyway?"
"Aaron—what do you think happened?! A nuclear war? Jesus Christ," Dallas ran a hand through his hair. A common gesture to confirm he was nervous. "Let's just go in there, okay? Nothing is gonna happen."
"You know, this kind of reminds of something that happened to me at Taco Bell," Aaron began in a low voice.
Dallas gritted his teeth. "Aaron."
"Fine. Geez." Aaron folded his arms sulkily.
"All right, let's go." Dallas said, forcing himself to move. "It's not like we're not allowed in there. We can shop there if we want. It's not like we're shopping for ourselves, anyway."
"Right," Aaron enthusiastically agreed. "It's a free country after all. And who cares what we look like. Who cares about the fact that you're blonde, and I'm blonder. Yeah. Free country, baby."
Dallas inwardly winced at his friends words, however.
They both walked steadily towards the small store, but at the entrance only a slight hesitance formed before Dallas brushed it away. It wasn't the case with Aaron, who stopped walking entirely. Dallas turned, grabbed the sleeve of his friend and yanked him inside the store.
"Dude! For fucksake, I wasn't chickening out, you know!" Aaron yelped.
"Shut up!" Dallas hissed, quickly letting go of Aaron's shirt. Two people near the jewelry wall stared at them, snickering under their breaths.
They both moved through the store, trying to be inconspicuous, but it seemed wherever they went gazes followed them. Dallas moved to the jewelry section in hopes of catching sight of something Bailey might like. Five minutes later, he still couldn't find anything, nor could he concentrate. Aaron stood by his side, giggling to himself.
"What?" Dallas demanded, when he finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Dude," Aaron whispered. "You're like, wearing a fucking Hollister shirt, and I'm here in Abercrombie and the looks these people keep giving us are just so effin' awesome."
"Come on," Dallas snapped in reply, turning to move somewhere else when he bumped into someone.
"Hey dude, how's it going?" It was one of the staff members. His hair was blonde, except for the part where he hawked it, that was black. His head bobbed up and down in greeting. "You guys having any trouble with anything? Need any help, man?"
"Nah," Dallas gave a quick, easy grin. "Just trying to get something for my girlfriend."
"Stellar." The guy rambled off.
Aaron and Dallas exchanged glances.
"See. They thought we were lost or something," Aaron said disdainfully. "Like we're in the wrong store or something."
But Dallas didn't bother to reply, having caught sight of the clothing wall. There were dresses! He hit Aaron lightly on the shoulder. "C'mon." they weaved through the small displays to the back wall. His face slightly fell. The clothing seemed a little over the top. There wasn't one decent dress that screamed Bailey the way her Pacsun dresses did.
Dallas picked up some ripped garment off a display rack. "What the hell is this supposed to be?" he held it up, briefly confused. "Oh! Dude, look, it's like fucking S&M gear." he gestured a little gleefully at the ripped fishnet and haphazard amount of straps.
"Kinky," Aaron smirked. "Are you sure Bail's gonna like that, or is that something you're hoping she'll wear for you?"
"Yeah," Dallas said, almost disappointed. "I don't think she'll like it either."
"You could use it for foreplay," Aaron suggested, still smirking. "Like, she can be this seductive gothic chick, and you can be… the killer or something—" his friend broke off with a snort of laughter.
Dallas felt his cheeks flush, all of a sudden embarrassed. "Aaron, let's just go—"
"—and then you can pretend to attack her or something, pretend to be someone who's turned on by violence, or something—"
Dallas turned away quickly, wanting to save himself from embarrassment, knowing Aaron. "Let's go."
"—and then rip off her clothes, yeah? Goes well with the messed up fishnet. And then you guys can go all out—HOLY JESUS FUCKING HELL!" Aaron suddenly shrieked. Dallas whirled around in time to see his friend jump a mile high and promptly collided into an entire display of beanies sending it crashing to the ground.
He never got a chance to ask what was wrong, Aaron started yelling and swearing like crazy, scrambling to his feet, ignoring the fact that an entire display lay knocked over on it's side beside him and the ground he stepped on was littered with hats and other accessories he might have to pay for.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Aaron yelled, looking freaked out.
"Aaron!" Dallas grabbed his friend by the shoulder, trying to restore some calm into his hysteric friend.
The entire store was quiet.
Aaron gestured to a guy Dallas just noticed standing nearby. "He just fucking tried to fucking scare me!" he pushed Dallas off of him. "He was like, fucking hiding or something! And then he just fucking popped out from behind those fucking clothes! And he grabbed me, man!"
The guy, who had multiple piercings littering his face and a shaved head, had a grin quirking the corners of his mouth.
"You nearly pissed your pants, son." He said almost loftily. Here and there a snort of laughter or two was sounded.
Aaron flushed with anger. "You're fucked," he yelled. "You are so fucking screwed, it's not funny. What the hell was that? Hide-and-fucking-seek? Grow up, man!"
"Aaron, calm down," Dallas ordered. He felt embarrassed, weary, drained, and most importantly, he wanted to just leave the stupid forsaken store all together. Coming here was a mistake. Coming here with Aaron was a disaster.
Suddenly the staff member who had approached them earlier sauntered up, a swagger in his walk, hands buried deep into his baggy jeans.
"Dudes, all of this disruption, man, and I'm gonna have to ask you guys to leave the store." His gaze abruptly fell upon the fallen stand of hats and he did a double take. "Dude! That is so not cool! You're like destroying public property! Who's gonna pay for this, man? This is a shop, not the effin mosh pit, man." He shook his hawked head as if in bewilderment. "This is so not cool. Dude, I'm gonna have to put all of this together man. That's a shitload of hats, too. You guys really need to learn how to behave in public areas, man. This is just so effin nuts, dude—"
"I'm sorry, we-"
"-I can't get on my hands and knees to do this shit, man. I got like... back ache. Like a disease or some shit. Like it kills to bend over."
"Listen," Dallas tried. "We don't mind helping-"
"So I'm gonna get my ass kicked because of a bunch of amateur shoppers." the guy just wouldn't quit. "This isn't a party, man. This is a store. It's just effin nuts, people these days, y'know? It's unbelievable."
Dallas gave up, grabbing Aaron and dragging him away. They both somehow managed to quietly slipped away as the Hot Topic staff worker rambled on.
"…people think life's an effin concert or something, man…."
A/N: Sucka. That dude's real, k. He works at the Hot Topic at my mall. heee.
Thanks lovies;
Winter's Replica :: Whacked :: JojoAnn :: Manganime :: Fatestraik :: Chi Yan :: Miele :: wolfiel :: BlackOleandor :: RANDOM :: starved N sl33py :: limbo-gal :: Orient Fox :: Unbirthday :: broken fedora :: EverTheCrazyCynic :: darknesslivesinu :: crazyhelga :: what a dreamer :: .fantasy :: pinkrose0724 :: Kjersti :: Headphones :: aphroditeeyes :: Kylie1403 :: Jaz108 :: Ellabella :: Daydreamer723 :: Sara :: Jynxling :: MUNCH :: SundayFaith :: lostinrhapsody :: G :: Angela :: Creative :: Prisoner of Today :: Cindy :: Camisado :: Smilesheartbreaks :: Cooties :: Shaina :: My Sadistic Reality :: Lady E :: Instant Ninja :: eisley :: Demonsdisciple :: Drops of Jewpiter :: Marea :: Anh-Dao :: Envinus :: Nahjan :: so-divine :: arachibuttyrophobia
Pneumothorax: I know what you mean about it seeming as if they just popped right out of the ground. I tried drawing it out, but I guess it didn't work. Haha. I'll have to try harder next time. But thanks for pointing that out even though I was hoping no one would notice, lol.
Bleeding Air: You've reviewed at least once to each and every one of my stories. It's so sweet. I love yo reviews, man. They mean a lot to me. :)) You think I write better in the humor area? I try. But I also want to focus on serious stories and whatnot and... -shrug- But yeah. Thanks, mofo. I love reading your reviews.
Satan's Widdle Hell... : I know what plugs are, I just didn't really think Dallas would know what they were called, y'know? Haha, it would have been pretty weird if he just went, "The guy had dyed black hair and wore a size 8 plug on his left ear." He's supposed to be pretty naive about everything, see? But it was very nice of you to tell me either way !
Kiss The Carpet: It's a love/hate situation, doll.