Chapter 7 - Shopping!

Chapter 7

Rocky felt nervous as he slipped into the passenger side of the front seat. Stephanie got into the back and grandpa in the drivers side.

The summer air was breezy and fresh. It felt good to get out again! Rocky had money left over from last summer from when he worked at little arcade by his house.

He got a job there because his dad knew the owner.

He works there from time to time and the best part is, he gets to play some of the arcade games for free!

Rocky thanked grandpa for the drive when they got to the mall. He dropped the two off at the front entrance and walked in together.

The mall was busy as usual. Rocky was starting to feel nervous while the two walk through the long hallways of the building with tons of shops.

He felt his stomach grumbling for food and he glanced over at Stephanie who's eyes were twinkling with excitement. It was almost as if she has never stepped in a mall before!!

"Would you like to get a snack?" Rocky asked, already turning towards the cafeteria.

Stephanie turns to rocky and agreed.

"Sure I wouldn't mind a snack but I'm more thirsty right now. It's really hot today!"

Rocky agreed and motioned her to follow them. They got to the cafeteria and managed to find a small table in the middle of the court.

Stephanie kept their table while Rocky went to fetch them a drink and a snack.

While he was gone she couldn't help but feeling an erie sensation and thought that someone might be watching her closely. Glancing around the cafeteria, she found a pair of eyes boring into her.

She didn't know why but the longer she stared

at the stranger, the more uncomfortable she felt and though she also felt a sense of familiar about them.

She couldn't see their face clearly since they were so far away but she could tell they had spiked brunette hair and a tough, strong built and they were a male.

Stephanie felt her insides boil with fear and anger at the same time and yet she couldn't quite understand why she was mad at this stranger. Why was he looking at her with dagger eyes?

She tapped her fingers on the table and looks around the place to find Rocky. He was front in line at the pizza take out. He turns towards her and gives her a big smile, waving happily. She returns the gesture and when she looks back to see the strangers Erie eyes, he was no longer in that spot anymore!

At that discovery Stephanie felt a little bit uneasy and turns her gaze to focus on Rocky. Rocky was now at the other end of the counter, waiting for his order. He waved at her when he found her gaze and gently smiled back at him.

When he got back to the table, Rocky gave her the things she ordered and immediately started munching on his food.

"Are you ok, Steph? You didn't eat a lot." Rocky pointed out, the look of worry clearly spread on his face.

Stephanie didn't reply right away. She still had a gut feeling a pair of eyes were bearing into the two and watching closely; it made her very scared and worried.

She was unsure if she should tell Rocky or not.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I was just thinking about something." She answered. Rocky didn't question any further and they continue through the mall, hitting all the girly clothing boutiques.

Rocky would walk around the shops with Steph and help figure out her size and sense of style.

They both picked out a ton of clothes and Rocky would wait in the change rooms while she tried them on. Rocky personally didn't like clothes shopping, but for some reason he found it entertaining this time.

His heart flutters every time he saw Stephanie walk out of the change stall in a piece he really adored on her.

She would start posing and making silly facial expressions that made Rocky laugh. They decided on some outfits together and went to pay for them.

"Thanks again, Rocky." Stephanie said at the check out counter, almost in a whisper.

Rocky smiled beautifully at her and nodded his head.

"No problem!" Stephanies smiles back and Rocky took her bags. They kept walking around the mall a little longer, going into the stores Rocky wanted to check out.

Stephanie would glance over her shoulders every once in a while, because she swore they were being followed and Rocky took notice. They then decided to call it a day and Rocky went to a pay phone at the far, quieter end of the mall.

"Here, Steph you can sit on the bench while I call grandpa." Rocky said, searching through his pockets for a spare quarter.

He set the bags down on the empty bench and Stephanie took over the other end, watching Rocky walk away. She suddenly got shivers rolling down her spine and she had a familiar sense of fear building inside her.

She was getting more anxious and she kept her focus on Rocky! She then felt someone sit down on the bench behind her and she slowly turns around.

It was the same person from the cafeteria! They are glaring at her and she can tell they were angry!

Suddenly, the person spoke up, but was almost whispering to her.

"So, you thought you could escape, huh?" The man said angrily.

At that Stephanies eyes widen in pure fear and the voice was so familiar she sprung up from her seat, grabs her bags and ran to Rocky's side at the phones before he could say anymore!

She was so scared and didn't pay attention to where she was going she fell right into Rocky.

Rocky almost lost his grip on the telephone.

He said goodbye to his grandpa and hung up, and then put a hand on Stephanies shaking shoulders.

"Hey." Rocky said and Stephanie squealed a little and hugs Rocky fast, taking him by surprise.

"What's the matter? Are you ok Steph?" He thought he could hear her...sniffling?

Stephanie wipes her eyes and shook her head.

"I-I'm ok!" She lies. Rocky could feel it in his bones that she wasn't telling him the truth and he looks behind Stephanie, towards the direction where he saw her staring at before and found no one there.

He wraps his arm around Stephanie to calm her down and he told her they can go to the front of the mall to wait for grandpa and his brothers to pick him up.

Rocky didn't know why Stephanie was shaking so much and upset. He tried calming her down all the way to the entrance of the mall.

Rocky finally spoke up, worried that Stephanie would make herself sick from crying so much.

"What's the matter, Steph? You know you can tell me anything! I know we hardly know each other but I want you to know we are friends and I want to help you out!" Rocky admitted, he brushed his fingers through her long hair and soothes circles around her back.

Stephanie cleared her eyes again from the continuous tears and took a few deep breathes.

"Ok, I'll tell you...it started when we were at the cafeteria lounge and you went to get us our food."

Stephanie gulps, replaying everything that happened in her mind as she spoke out loud. Rocky was listening to every word.

"I was glancing around looking at everyone and then I found these pair of dark, angry eyes staring right at me and they belonged to a bulgy, strong looking brunette man.

He was sitting on a stool at the far end of the cafeteria and he was...glaring at me for the longest time and I didn't know why. My body was afraid of this guy even though I don't know him I felt like...I knew him from somewhere. I was terrified of him." Stephanie explains, feeling slightly calmer now.

Rocky was shocked and upset to learn that someone had made her frightened and yet he was curious to know more and more about her past.

He wondered if this mysterious person had some kind of traumatic past with Stephanie? Maybe they were connected some how?

"I'm sorry he scared you! I do know ninja, so if anyone tried to mess with you im always here to protect you." Rocky said, almost in a whisper.

He didn't know why it but his body was leaning closer into Stephanie and he kissed the top of her head unexpectedly. She seems to calm down even more after that and she snuggled into his chest as they waited to be picked up.

Grandpa drove into the parking lot and Rocky waved him over. He kept Stephanie close to his side and they climbed into the back, for colt occupied the front seat.

Rocky put their shopping bags on the floor on the vehicle and they drove back to the cabin.

"So, how was shopping!" Grandpa piped up after a half an hour of the drive being completely silent.

Rocky turns to Stephanie and discovered she was fast asleep against him, her hair blowing everywhere against the summer wind.

She put his arm safely around her and held her closely.

"It went good. We found lots of stuff for her." Rocky answered, finally. Colt was looking up at the view mirror and could see Rocky holding tightly onto Stephanie and he smirked.

He has a feeling his older brother has some kind of love interest towards this new, strange girl.

He was thinking of ways to tease Rocky later.

~~~~~~~

Authors note: yay finally an update!! Sorry for the long wait again! I wanna say thank you for all the views and comments friends, I really appreciate it!! Who do you think that stranger guy was? Do you think he is some how don texted with Stephanie?! Wasn't that a strange meeting or what?

If I don't reply to your comments right away I'll reply my next update! Hope you all are safe and happy and healthy these days, friends!!!

Xoxoxoxoxo