Giggling, the two girls raced across the platform and up the stairs past the disapproving glances of disgruntled grey-clad commuters. “Where to?” asked Xandra panting when they reached top. “Where else?” replied Joanne coming reluctantly to a stop beside her friend. Xandra could never understand how Joanne always had so much energy. Xandra had to lean against the wall to catch her breath, while Joanne was clearly ready to go her black and purple curls bouncing up and down as she hopped from foot to foot impatiently. “Of course” grinned Xandra, “The Disney store”. At sixteen both girls were a little old for the Disney store, but it was a guilty pleasure of theirs. No trip to the mall was complete without a visit. Finally able to breathe properly again, Xandra linked her arm with Joannes and together the girls made their way past the brightly lit store windows towards the gold awning in the distance.
“Uh-oh” said Joanne as they got closer “What?” said Xandra looking around “Oh” Looking around she spotted the three people she least wanted to see. Stephanie James and her groupies Janis and Christine were seated on a bench sipping Ice Capps and comparing purchases. Christine and Xandra used to go to daycare together and had been friends once, but when the girls began school Christine started to hang out with Xandra less and less. Befriending Joanne seemed to have been the last straw as Christine had revoked Xandra invitation to her birthday party, telling her that if she wanted to spend all her time with weirdo’s like Joanne she might as well leave her alone. “Let’s come back later” she whispered to Joanne. “Why? We can’t let them control our lives. Thats means she wins” Xandra knew she was right, but cringed at the thought of letting Stephanie and her clones find out she still shopped at the Disney store.
“Oh look who it is” cooed Stephanie as they drew level with the little group “The weirdo twins”
“Not feeling your best today Steph?” retorted Joanne, “Weirdo Twins? C'mon you can do better”
“Whatever loser, it’s not like your opinion matters anyway. Where are you two off to? There’s no Goodwill here”. Janis and Christine twittered appreciatively at this witty remark until Janis spilled her Ice Capp.
“Way to go” snorted Stephanie meanly as Janis fumbled with her napkin before the brown liquid seeped into her blouse. “Here” said Xandra holding out a pack of Kleenex to the flustered girl, “Ugh, I don’t need your help”, sneered Janis as yet the sugary substance continued spread across the right side of her top. “Right, we can see your doing wonderfully here on your own” said Joanne dragging Xandra towards the store with her, leaving the three blondes arguing amongst themselves.
“What is their problem? I was just being friendly” “Exactly” said from behind the curtain, “They can’t believe that you would still do anything nice for them after everything they’ve said to you. Their bullies Xan, they make themselves feel more superior by trying to break you. Accepting your help would’ve meant you were the stronger one and they can’t accept that” “It was just Kleenex”, laughed Xandra. ten years of friendship and Joanne was still surprising her with her sage like moments of insight. “Well what d’you think?” asked Joanne emerging from the dressing room. “Oh – My –Gawd” gasped Xandra between laughs. Joanne was dressed in full Cinderella princess gear, from the wand to the little matching tiara. The only thing out of place was the purple converse on her feet. “Yeah, the shoes didn’t fit” she said, following Xandra’s gaze, “Here, you try ‘em” she said handing Xandra the shoes. “These are so not going to fit” Xandra said eyeing the sparkly silver slippers on their tiny pink display clip. “Just try” prodded Joanne, poking at Xandra with her ridiculously bejewelled wand. Sighing, Xandra sat down on the ground and slid them off the clip. “Go on, or Ill have to turn you into something nasty” warned Joanne. “Ok, Ok” She stuck her foot into the toe of the right one, expecting resistance. Oddly enough, her foot slid right in. “That’s strange” she muttered under her breath. Confused she reached for the left shoe, it felt oddly warm in her hand, she quickly puit it on and looked up at her tule-clad friend. “Well, happy now?”, but Joanne just stared at her. “What?” asked Xandra standing up to look in the mirror , “C’mon there’s no way I look nearly as ridiculous as – Oh” Instead of the flimsy silver slippers she had put on, Xandra was wearing a pair of shimmering clear heels. They looked like they might be made of glass, but that was ridiculous, no one made glass shoes. Not in real life anyways. “How? What? It’s gotta be the mirror. That’s cute.” “Uh, no Xan, I see them to” said a stunned Joanne. “Jo, give it up, it was funny yeah, but now you’re freaking me out” But looking down Xandra saw that it wasn’t just the mirror; she really was wearing the mysteriously warm, shimmery shoes. “K, well Im done here, lets go to the food court. Hurry and change so we can check out before the line gets to long Jo” “Ye-yeah” said Joanne rushing back into the cubicle. Xandra kicked off the shoes, but when she went to pick them up they were made of fabric once more. What was that? She wondered. Did I imagine it? But Jo saw it to? Maybe it was the lights. Mall lighting always does weird things. Joanne came out dressed in jeans once again and they made their way to the counter near the front of the store. “Good afternoon ladies” Smiled the guy behind the counter He young looking with blonde hair styled in a fake mohawk like many of the guys at their school. His name tag said James. “We’re having a contest today. For every 30 dollars you spend your name goes into a draw for a free trip to Walt Disney World for you and one of your friends!” Joanne had three younger sisters and worked part time at her father’s health store so she got two entries, but Xandra’s total only came to $29.95. On a whim she reached for an overpriced chip and dale chocolate bar sitting at the counter. “You really want to be in that draw don’t you?” laughed James as he bagged her things, “Well good luck to both of you”. Later, under the bright lights of the food court and the comfortable influence of lots of trans fats both Xandra and Joanne agreed that the “deal with the shoes” must have been a trick of the light and by the time she got ready for bed that night Xandra had forgotten about it.
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