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There are times when all you want to do is kill your friends because they are being too annoying. That was the situation with me when I went shopping with Lia.

"No Lia. I won't buy this. Just look at the neck. It's so deep."

"Okay, how about this one?" She showed me another shirt. "Don't you think it's a little small? I mean it won't look good-" she cut me off. "Yeah, leave it. Come! Over there." She dragged me towards another shelf. "Wow Sophia!! Just look at this shirt. Oh my god it's so pretty." Lia squealed.

"Yeah but-"

"No buts! You have to buy it!" I nodded and searched for some other 'non-nun-like' clothes as Lia puts it. We bought capris that I can think of wearing, jeans that were my favourite, shorts that I will never wear and stylish tops. Lia just wants me to look like a slut!

"I think we should buy some dresses too. What do you say?" She piped. "I think that's enough clothes. I know you won't listen to me anyway so what's the point in asking?" I wanted to go home already.

"No! How do you think this-" she looked towards the shopping bags in our hands, "-is enough?"

"Lia, I have clothes at home too!" I rolled my eyes.

"Soph! Do you really want me to drag you there?"

"No, no. I'm fine. Let's go dress shopping!" I said, faking enthusiasm. She made me try 35 dresses out of which she chose only two. I didn't know dress shopping was this difficult. "Thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight. I have to try three more dresses?"

"Yeah! Wait, these black ones too. They are classy." She handed me two more of these and pushed me towards the try room. I was trying to close the zip of the extremely tight royal blue dress she gave me.

"You know what Lia? Tutoring trouble would have been easier than this."

"Hahaha! I'd love to see you tutor him wearing these outfits." I rolled my eyes so much that they strayed to hurt. Next, I came out to have her opinion on my dress. "How does this look?"

"Oh my god! You look so freaking hot!" She exclaimed.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you are definitely going to buy this!" She demanded. I didn't object. I myself liked it a lot.

"Go checkout the black ones." I went inside the try room and opened the zip of the dress.

"Oh god! How do girls wear them?" Whispering, I put it back in the hanger. I decided to wear the shiny black dress first.

It was very fit. Very very fit. But Lia wouldn't be happy if I didn't show it to her so I started to zip it up. It went up easily at first but then it was stuck in the middle.

Oh god! Can it be more difficult than this?

When I was trying to figure out how to close the zip an alarm rang loudly.

Okay, now there is some kind of emergency. And I am stuck inside because of this tight dress.

"Sophia! Come on! Come out quickly. I don't know what has happened but these people are evacuating the mall. God! What's taking you so long?" I heard Lia shouting on top of her lungs.

Fuck the dress!

I decided to change into my own clothes and get out of this fitted dress. I tried to pull the zip down.

Pull....

Pull.....

Pull.....

Urghhh! This would neither go up nor down!

"I'm waiting outside the shop, Sophia! They aren't letting me stay here!" Lia's distant voice rang.

There was bedlam in the shop and I could hear the voices of people yelling at each other. Some were fighting and some were searching for there kids. The alarm continued to ring creating more chaos to the situation.

"Please evacuate the area as soon as possible. Leave all your belongings here and leave the mall." A voice boomed from the speakers. But I was stuck there. I couldn't go out from the room as half of my body was showing.

I sniffed the air sending something strange. I could smell something burning but before I could figure out anything else somebody banged on the door. Very loudly. "Sparkle! Open the door!" Came Carter's demanding voice. Saying that I was utterly shocked would be an understatement. How did he come here?

"I can't.... I'm changing."

"How much time does it require to change?! Are you opening the door or should I break it?" He barked.

"Cc-Carter, the zip is stuck. I can't pull it down or even up."

"Open the f*cking door Sophia!" There was only his voice now. Every body had left now and we were alone in the shop. I couldn't help but get scared.

I opened the door slightly and peeped outside. "Oh God Sparkle! It's just me!" Carter pushed open the door and turned me around. His hands reached up as he removed my hair from my back sending chills throughout my body. He pulled the zip upward in order to close it but due to his over efficiency the zip broke completely.

A giggle escaped my mouth. "Are you crazy?! Your life is in danger and you have the audacity to giggle?" He brought a scarf from God knows where and wrapped it around the exposed part of my body. I felt protected and safe.

"Ll-ife in danger-" I started.

"Shut up and come with me!" He pulled me harshly along with him as he took me out of the shop. My breath got caught in the middle and my eyes widened. There was fire. Everywhere. The whole building was burning. I gulped as my grip tightened around Carter's hand who was looking around. It was getting immensely hot there. To watch something was extremely difficult due to the amount of smoke.

He pulled me closer to him as he spoke, "just relax, okay. I'll figure the way out!" I gave him a single nod. "Mom!" Our heads turned towards the cry of a kid.

"Shit!" Carter exclaimed as he dragged me with him. He ran towards the backside of the floor and there we found a small girl. Her mouth was curled downwards as she cried, "Mom! Mom, left me h-h-e-ere..."

Carter left me standing there as he went towards the girl, carefully. I felt unsafe without his presence beside me. "Climb over my back, quickly!" Carter told the little girl and she climbed over his back. "Good!" He came towards me and wrapped an arm around me as he walked slowly with the two of us sticking to him.

The fire had spread a lot more than it was before and there was no route out. We couldn't breath. It felt like I was going to die. Suicide was a total different thing but seeing death so close to me without any warning made me scared to the edge. "Let's go there!" He pointed towards the window. That was probably the only wall that hadn't caught the fire yet.

"Hey! We need a ladder!" He shouted after opening the window. "Oh my god, Sophia! Carter! Please come down! Fast!" Lia screamed from down. I sighed. At least, she was out!

A ladder was placed upwards. It was short and couldn't reach the window but was good than nothing. People held it from the ground and Carter forced me to climb down first. He sent the little girl above me and we both reached to the ground safely.

The girl ran towards who I assumed was her mother and hugged her tightly. Lia came running towards me. "Thank god you are okay! Are you really okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine but... Carter! Where is Carter?" I looked towards the window and what I could see were flames of fire. "God, Carter! Where did you go?" I screamed.

"Oh my god! Somebody go and save him. My friend is inside." I yelled but nobody moved. "Carter!" I called out again. I don't know what came over me! It just felt like I'm going to lose someone important. "Where are the fire extinguishers? Why aren't they here yet?"

Though he was my bully and we didn't like each other but I couldn't let him die like that. He saved me after all. I decided to go inside the mall. Lia came running to me. "Are you crazy Sophia? Do you want to die?" She grabbed my arm.

"Lia, Carter is inside! We must help him Lia. He'll die!" My heartbeats were faster than ever. I couldn't breath properly. But I couldn't let him die this way. There might be something I could do.

"You, will help me?" I heard Carter from behind me. I turned around and saw him smirking. How could he smirk in such a situation?

I went to him and did the most unexpected thing. Without thinking I slapped him hard on the cheek. "Owww!" He said. I heard every body around gasped.

"Where did you go?" I asked him, my voice demanding. Did I tell you, I can slap really hard? The pain wouldn't go for days. His hand reached up as he rubbed his cheek with it while he gestured towards an old lady standing beside him.

But then I registered what I had done. How can I do that to him? How can I slap Carter Reece?How?

He is going to kill me.....

I should say sorry.....

Say sorry Sophia!

"S-s-sorry..." I hugged him, tightly but he pushed me back.

"Are you okay, Sparkle? You are acting very.... un-Sophialy?"

"No, I think I've gone mad. I don't know w-what I'm doing-I just-ukh-Thank god, you are safe!" I sighed. "I don't know what's coming out of my mouth. Alabalalalalasas....atapolakilalalasrisata... ...mananadasadana.......look I don't know what I'm speaking."

Oh god what's happening to me?!

The lady beside him chuckled. "Kids these days..." I couldn't make eye contact with anyone of them but I could see from the corner of my eye, Carter had an amused smile plastered on his face. The lady kissed him, "God bless you kid!" She said patting his head as she walked away.

"Sophia, I think we should go... did you call the driver?" Lia came behind me. I shook my head. "Wait! You know? I have a car too... "Carter added in.

"Oh my god! You have a car? How come? Wow! Sophia, did you hear? Carter have a car! Isn't that awesome?" Lia went on sarcastically. I mentally face palmed myself.

"I mean I could drive you guys home..."

"Sure, why not!" Lia told him and he started walking towards his car. "Sophia, be fast! The driver will have to wait otherwise!" Lia shouted receiving a murderous glare from Carter.

These two are never going to get along.

*****

Carter stopped the car in the middle of the road. "Don't tell me your fuel is finished!" Lia pointed at him. "No, no! I stopped because I couldn't drive like this!"

"Like what?"

"I couldn't drive controlling my laughter. I want to laugh!" And with that he erupted into laughter. We both watched him as he laughed out. "Owwch!" He held the side of his face, I slapped. I felt guilty.

What was I thinking when I slapped him this hard?!

But he recovered pretty fast and started laughing again. "You made a fool of yourself Sophia! God!"He stopped laughing and pinched my cheeks, making me blush red. "I really wanted to laugh at the mall but I controlled myself because of the situation. God it feels so good now!"

He is just trying to embarrass you more because he is bored and there's nothing else that he can do.......

"If you are done, would you like to start driving?" Lia questioned, her arms were crossed. "Yeah, I'm ready now!" He started the car. After dropping Lia at her house he took me to my house.

The ride was silent. He didn't say anything and I was too embarrassed to say something. "You know you owe me." He said as he stopped the car outside my house. "I do." I nodded. He saved me today and I really do owe him. "And I'm t-teaching you maths so now I ddon't owe you anything."

"That doesn't count!" He shook his head. "Then what c-counts?"

"Going to a party with me."

"W-what?"

"I'll take you to a party with me. Be ready at eight on Friday." He commanded.

"But-"

"You slapped me very hard, you know?........" I gulped. He wasn't going to let it go easily.

"Don't forget! Friday night at 8!"

How can he demand like that?

Who does he think he is?

Manipulative bastard!

I went towards my house. One thought was disturbing me. Why was he there at the mall at all? Was he following me?

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