(Kida)

Layton was growing on me, and he tried to make my first week as easy-going as possible but fun all the same. It made a change when Gabby came round just after breakfast so we could go shopping.
“Morning, Kida, I hope you’re excited. I am,” she declared.
I was just finishing a coffee. “Oh, yes I am. Thanks for inviting me.”
She swished her hand through the air. “Oh pish, it’s the least I could do as a welcome. Before I forget, I hope you don’t mind Ruby joining us, she needs some cheering up with the whole Zane thing.”
I remembered Lay telling me about it. “Not at all, it will be nice meeting more of the pack. Is there anything I should know before meeting her?” I wanted to make sure I didn’t say the wrong thing, I could do with some friends of my own.
“Try to avoid mentioning Zane or Jade. She’s looking forward to the baby although it’s a bit touchy.” I quite liked Gabby, she spoke her mind but in a sensitive way. “Anything you need specifically when we’re in town?”
“A mobile phone for starters.” Both our heads turned to face the kitchen entrance. Layton was leaning against the archway, his arms folded in front of his chest. “Anything else, I’m sure Kida can make her mind up.” He came over and kissed my temple then opened the fridge next to me and grabbed some apple juice.
“Morning, Lay,” Gabby said, there was a little trill in her voice. “I’ll see you outside, Kida.” She headed out, looking back at us and smiling.
I waited for the sound of the front door. “What was that about?” I asked first, then turned to look at Lay, he was halfway through swallowing a mouthful of juice.
“Oh, ummm... I didn’t want to tell you, it’s kind of awkward.” He took another swig of juice then popped it back in the fridge. Whilst leaning forward against the counter, he tilted his head back. “Gabby and I dated when we were kids.” His eyes glanced at me, keeping his head still.
I simply mimed the word “oh” at him then giggled. “Awkward because she’s now with Roan, you mean?”
His lips curled into a smile. I could only guess he thought I’d be upset but seeing how Gabby and Roan were together, I wasn’t worried. “You’d best get going, baby.” His lips were on my cheeks this time, as he slipped his hand into mine passing me something plastic. “Here, spend as much as you like.” It was his credit card. “I’ll see you out.”

Gabby was waiting by her car, a cream Audi A1, with Ruby. At a glance, Ruby had a slight bump showing but I could only tell because I knew she was pregnant, otherwise it wasn’t obvious.
Layton was in cargo pants and a t-shirt, slipping his sunglasses on. “I won’t linger, you have a good day. I’ll see you when you get back.”
I leaned over and kissed his cheek happily. “Thanks, Lay. You have a nice day too.”

*****
Gabby helped me pick a phone bundle, that was our first shop.
“There, now we’ve got Layton’s order out of the way, we can do proper shopping,” she stated, looking excited.
“Thanks, Gabby. I could do with some new clothes, new start and all.”
We met Ruby outside the shop, she seemed more at ease than in the car. “Do you girls mind if I pick the next shop?”
Neither Gabby or I minded where we shopped now, I did want some new clothes as did Ruby. In the next shop, Gabby helped Ruby pick some really nice maternity stuff for when she’s more pregnant whilst I looked at lingerie, tops and jeggings. My basket was getting a little full as I headed to the fitting rooms to find the girls.
“Awww that’s really cute, Rubes. Oh, Kida, look at this dress on Ruby.” Gabby tugged on my arm to pull me over. Ruby was in a dark red dress that fell to her knees, it had some lace detail and straps over the shoulders but no sleeves.
“That really suits you, Ruby,” I complimented her.
Lifting her head, she smiled at me via her reflection. “You’re so kind, thank you. You should get yourself a few dresses too.”
My eyes widened and I went a little shy. “I... I wouldn’t know what kind of dress to get.”
Ruby headed back into her changing booth just as Gabby took my hand. “Rubes is right, come on, I’ll help you pick a few out.” She practically dragged me halfway across the shop towards the dresses section. “I always go for colours that suit my skin tone and my eyes. So, let’s do the same for you.” She looked straight into my eyes. “What about pastel lilac and green?” she asked, holding up the same dress but in two different colours.
To my surprise, I was really enjoying spending time with Gabby and Ruby, we got on really well together. I also couldn’t decide between the two dresses Gabby was holding up, so I put both into my basket. “What’s Layton’s favourite colour?” I asked her. Seeing as she knew him much better than I did, I was hoping she could tell me a bit more about him.
“Oh, ummm, I don’t think he really has one to be honest, Kida.”
Ruby then re-joined us, the red dress she had tried on now in her basket. “Nice colours,” she remarked, seeing the two dresses I had in mine. “You should definitely get a little black dress, every girl needs one. Nothing too fancy, just something you can just slip into if there’s a party going on. And shoes,” she quickly added on the end.
As excited as I was getting, the other two were even more giggly and like two bubbly kids as we made our way along the dresses. They both picked out a few choices for me. I decided on a mid-length black dress, with little detail and the skirt flared out a little; I thought it looked really cute. We then headed over to the shoes section. Again, I wasn’t really sure what kind of shoes the girls had been referring to. Turns out, they meant the strappy kind of shoes with a few sparkles on, small buckles and at least three inches of heel on them. I ended up with a silver pair and a black pair. Ruby also picked up a black pair of wedge heels she had tried on.
I had thought this was the last bit of clothes shopping to do but no. One more thing both girls wanted to do was pick out some lingerie. This was even more new for me and I had no clue what to do. At first I just trailed Ruby around the section. Gabby was looking at bras.
“Aren’t you picking out any?”
“Erm, I wouldn’t know where to begin, Ruby. You seem to know what you’re looking for.”
She giggled again. “Sorry, I forgot this might be a bit new to you. Mainly, if you like the look and feel of something you see, just pick it out. Unless I’m looking for something specific then that’s really all I do.”
With a tilt of my head and a single noted hum, I turned a little away from her and popped my basket on the floor as I made my way through the various styles and fabrics of underwear. In the end, I picked out three new bras and a small pile of knickers; reminding myself that I was pretty much starting from scratch having moved in with Layton.
Just then, Ruby said she was feeling a bit off, blaming her condition, she passed Gabby her basket and asked her to pay for her items whilst she waited by the car. Ruby added she just needed some fresh air. A few minutes after, Gabby and I were waiting in line to pay for everything. She made me pay for mine first as I only had the one basket to deal with. The girl at the cashier seemed a little overwhelmed with the two baskets Gabby had placed on the counter. She explained to the cashier to go through one basket first and then the other. I placed my bags on the floor as I waited patiently. Gabby posed as though she was in no rush either, trying to put the girl at ease so she didn’t feel like she had to get through both baskets as quick as possible.
Once Gabby’s and Ruby’s shopping had been paid for and packed into bags, we headed out of the shop. Ruby was leaning against the side of the car, she looked better than she had earlier.
“You ok, Rubes?” Gabby called out, unlocking the car as we approached.
“Yeh, I’m feeling a bit hungry now. Could we get some lunch?”

We ended up eating in a nice cafe. It had soft, red leather sofas with coffee tables and dining tables dotted around inside. There seemed to be no pattern to the layout but it only added to the cuteness of the place. Ruby stated she had eaten here once before but Gabby hadn’t. We each ordered a toasted sandwich and a hot drink; I opted for cheese and ham with a milky coffee. For the next hour, the girls both told me about various characters in the pack (or the neighbourhood, if anyone came within hearing distance). Gabby briefly described when she and Roan bonded as mates but cut it short so not to upset Ruby. They both equally wanted to know a little more about me. It made it easier that they knew I wasn’t like them and it was reassuring to me that they didn’t seem to care about it. They treated me like an old friend and it was comforting to grow a closeness to them.

After lunch seemed perfect timing to head back home. We piled back into Gabby’s car; Ruby taking the front passenger seat whilst I perched in the back behind her. On our way home, we passed a hairdressers which clearly gave Gabby an idea.
“We should get our hair and nails done, Kida,” she exclaimed. A bright smile on her lips and penetrating her eyes as she glanced at me in the rear view mirror. “Don’t worry, leave it with me, I’ll sort it out. It will probably be next week now but I’ll let you know.”