Feather After // Chapter 39 // Shopping And Tea

Aria's POV

"Aria, come out!" My mother ordered while I tried the seventh evening gown in a store near the main market and the posh area of Seattle. While my mother showed the same energy and the same enthusiasm, my confidence in finding a good gown for today's Seattle official royal society meet, Ballare, was going down.

The Seattle's official Royal society's meet gala was organized by one of the richest elites in Seattle. It was a ball which was held every year for all the rich people to meet and greet but I think the main purpose of the masquerade was to show off the stocks you owned or the expensive jewelry and dresses that you wore. It was silly and stupid.

"It looks nice but not great," she said the same thing again when her eyes fell on the blue dress I was wearing, it was strapless and made up breast look like watermelon while in real life they were not that big. They were the size of a lemon. She looked at Nanna, shook her head from left to right direction indicating it was a no and then shoved another dress on my hand and myself into the changing room.

The shopkeeper, after realizing that my mum had a good budget and that she was willing to spend a lot on the dress, she changed her color like a chameleon and insisted on giving an opinion on whatever I wore. My mum offered her the best polite smile she could and Nanna just pretended that she wasn't there.

I took a deep breath and tried the red dress mother had given me. It was long and my breast looked normal in it. The red color of the dress made my skin glow and the thin straps of the dress made it look pretty. I picked up the hem of the dress because I didn't want to tear the dress in half with my sports shoes and walked out.

"Ma'am, this dress looks absolutely stunning. You should buy this one. It is also in a discount. You get 3 percent discount!" She raised her voice when she said three percent as if she was giving us the dress for free. Even when I was not looking at my mother, I knew she had just rolled her eyes and crossed her legs. She leaned her head back and pressed her lips. I knew she was trying to be polite and was finding ways to shoo the sales girl away. I know if she would have been alone, she would have sent the sales girl, running, scared out of her wits out of the showroom, of the boutique.

"If we need your assistance, we'll let you know," my mother looked at her and gave her the finest diplomatic smile I had seen. The sales girl still did not get the clue and remained rooted at the place where she was. My mom like owed at her again and I mentally facepalmed. She didn't know but she was playing with fire.

"Come in Aria, let's leave," mother sighed and I panicked. If she hadn't noticed I was still wearing the damn red gown, she threw the other gowns she had selected on the couch she was sitting on and started walking on the other direction, towards the gate.

I quickly ran into the dressing room because I didn't want to be stuck there anymore. I ran and a tumbled. The sales girl looked at me and after realizing the whole situation, she ran in the opposite direction, towards mother because she couldn't see her golden credit card walking off her shop while she left me there, caring less if my mouth turned as red as the dress.

As I ran/ walked towards the cash counter, I heard some fighting more of a pleading going on. "Ma'am we are so very sorry, we really and wholeheartedly apologize for the mistreatment my employee had done towards you."

My mom looked at her and continued listening to her mule and talk about things like for instance what she found wrong with the sales girl who was supposed to it was assisting us five minutes ago, "we're done looking, thank-you."

Mother started walking out of the shop and Nanna and I followed. Then mom stopped again and turned around. Oh god, I wished mother won't insult her. Knowing my mom, I knew anything in this world would be possible. I won't be surprised if she threatened her, to buy her boutique. I remember Nanna telling me, that when I first went to primary school, the caretaker fed me peas. And I didn't chew them but I swallowed them and by the time night rolled in, I had this bad stomach ache and I had to be taken to the hospital. My mom had literally fired the principal, the secretary and everyone who was involved in that. Nanna said that whenever she was around me, she had the natural motherly instincts which made her fire the whole damn department.

"When the leader isn't great, what would you expect out of the employees? Get off that phone and start working, maybe then you won't have to blame everything on others," she said and eyed the sales girl. She turned around and walked, leaving Nanna, the sales girl, the owner and I with our mouths hanging open.

Damn it, mother was out of this world.

"Where are we headed?" I asked her while Nanna and I tried to keep up with her pace. Even with the 5 inches heels, she was faster than a panther.

"We're going to find something for you, we have so much to do, we have to find you a dress, a clutch, a pair of good heels, a good necklace, oh yeah, I almost forgot your hair!" She put her hand up in the air and rolled her eye, "oh my god," she explained and continued, "we have to be quick, come on, follow me," well, she looked nothing but a guide taking and leading the tourist from one place to another. She started walking again, and our two bodyguards following us, making us look nothing but a small parade marching from one place to another, lost and having no place to go.

I knew we were grabbing the attention of the locals because they haven't seen three ladies who were peculiar and two giant human males, following them around in black. Men in black 3, the Seattle version.

We got into another shop and then another shop and then another, my legs felt like they would fall apart any moment but my mom seemed oblivious to it. She was like a mad woman on that sales day trying to but everything and anything that she could grab. "Come on ladies, let's get going," she said and tapped her left foot on the ground. I looked at her and for that one moment, I reasoned out why she was my mom, as in after visiting every shop I felt my energy draining out and hers increasing. She looked more determined and I just wanted to bang my head on the wall.

"Can we please go and buy something to eat? I'm dying here."

She looked at me and narrowed her eyes, I knew what her answer would be but there was no harm in trying, I guess, "fine, but just five minutes okay? Five minutes break before we start this again," she rolled her eyes and I gleamed with happiness.

"I'll be back," I ran across the road before she or Nanna could say anything. There was a small cafe and I guess I could get something to eat there. Beggars can't be choosers. I turned around to look if anyone was following me, Nanna or mom or the two bodyguards but I was all alone. It was a good sign.

I looked at the cafe door to see if the cafe was open. Seeing no close sign anywhere I entered into the cafe and when I pushed the door, the small bell near the door jingled. There was nobody in the room expect two women working behind the counter. They looked at me and smiled.

I sat at one of the chairs and dig my hand into the pocket to see how much money I had and what all I could afford there. I opened the menu card in front of me and I smiled. Suddenly someone cleared their throat and I saw Mariam standing there. "What are you doing here? I never knew you worked here," I smiled when I looked at her.

"Well, schools pretty expensive and till mom gets a stable job, I'm here," she said and smiled. She was one girl who was truly beautiful. I knew if I wore a Hijab, I would look like a potato wrapped in a silk cloth.

"That's great, Anyways, I'm not sure what I can order here, can you help me pick something out since I don't know this stuff," she looked at me and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Well, how about a chai, it's a kind of tea which has milk and a lot of herbs, you can try that too. It's specially made here," I looked at the menu and looked at her.

"Well, then I like to have five cups of tea, please pack them if that's possible."

"What size?"

"The medium please," I smiled and planned on giving the other cups to the member who was part of the small parade.

I dug into the pocket to find more money when I came across a small paper, in my pocket. I pulled it out and opened it. I had to straighten it a lot and pressed it between my palms to make it look less crushed than it already was.

I tried to make your days colorful,

Even when mine were blue.

Helped you fight your fears,

When I didn't have the strength to wipe my tears.

Motivated you to do things,

Even when I had broken links.

That's what I had written. I further read what the other writer had written. He/She completed my poems. She/He was everything that I wasn't.

Everyone does that for someone,

You do it for him,

He do it for her,

Even,

someone does it for you.

Open your eyes and see,

Please don't weep.

You cry for him,

Even someone cries for you.

Life is about finding the one,

Who wouldn't mind long runs,

Who would find fun,

In getting your things done.

Before I could say anything, I heard Mariam approaching me. I quietly shoved the paperback in my pocket and looked at her. "Are we done?" I asked her and she shook her head a no.

"It'll be done in a few, if you don't mind, I can give you company till then," she looked at me and I smiled at her, taking it as a yes, she sat down.

"This place is nice," I told her and she nodded.

"This is a new cafe when people will start coming here, it will become popular. It's everything that a regular American cafe doesn't have. No offense though."

"Not taken, so you just don't work here but you guys own this place."

Her eyes widened, and she was shocked. "Yes, we do. We just don't have enough people to you know?"

"We can make it famous, we could stick some posters around the school, maybe we ask our friend to post about this on social media," I suggested. I did not want to step my boundaries by saying something that he didn't want to hear.

"Why would you do that to me? You're nice, may Allah bless you," she smiled.

"We'll meet in school and we a discussion about it," Mariam nodded, she got up and handed me five packed glasses.

"The bill is on board."

"No," I shoved a twenty-five dollar bill in her hand, "this café needs this." With that, I walked out of the cafe.

MTTBB WAS RANKED #15 IN TEEN FICTION!