Last Time Around

"Did you finish all your homework?" I asked Leah.
"Yes ma'am." She nodded.
"Okay, but whatever you take off, you have to put back neatly."
"I know, you taught me well." Leah laughed and hopped away to play "dress up" and try on many outfits.

I work at the Wet Seal in the Westlake Mall. It's a really small mall but it has your basics. It's not as busy because there is a much bigger wall in San Antonio with a nice river walk only a few miles away. But all the people that attend my high school at Westlake would come here on a regular basis. It wasn't too busy today so I was the only one working the floor and the cash register. My co-worker Kaleigh comes to take her shift around six. With only an hour left, I straightened up some clothes on the shelves and restocked a few shirts.

Leah comes back after every outfit to show me what she's come up with. As cute as she looks in all the clothes, I don't have the money to buy any of those for her. I sigh and reach into my bag to see how much money I did have on me for dinner. No cash. I guess I can cook for Leah when we get home.

After I restocked jeans, Leah approaches me and asks me for my cell phone.

"What for?" I ask.
"To check the internet."
"Why can't you use your phone?"
"My battery died." She looked at her feet.
"Okay, don't go on anything bad." I warned her and handed her my cell phone.

I was changing the music that was playing in the radio above when Leah comes back up to me.

"Sam, you have a new text."
"Who's it from?" I ask fixing the jewelry rack that sat on the counter.
"Connor. He wants to know if you are still at work."
"Tell him yeah, and ask why." I said really eager.
Conner was the guy I was madly into. We have been friends for about two years and we have grown pretty close. He has these ice blue eyes that are so gentle and when he flips his dark black hair out of them, I swear I melt.
But of course, no one but Leah knows about this. Jessica suspected it, but I always deny it.
"He said he's at the mall and wanted to stop by to talk." Leah pulled me out of my daze and I focused in on her. "Oh, he wants to talk to you." She smiled and mocked me.
"Oh get out of here." I laughed, trying to hide my blushing cheeks.

It was nearly five thirty and between now and the text, I glanced between Leah, for any new texts, the entrance, waiting for Connor to stroll in, and the small mirror above the sunglasses rack to see if I looked okay.

Finally, Connor strolled in, looking absolutely stunning. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a black design on it, and faded washed jeans.

"Hey," Connor smiled and flipped the hair out of his eyes.
"Hi there," I smiled back and stepped out from behind the counter to hug him. He followed me over to the shoe section. After small talk, he finally turned his voice serious.
"So, I kind of have to talk to you about something."
"Okay?" I turned to meet his eyes and they were shining kindly. I felt my heart skip a few beats. "Shoot."
"Well, you know, you have always been an amazing friend to me and you are the closest female friend I have too. I look to you for almost anything." He stumbled over his words. Connor's eyes were on the ground so I caught a glance of Leah hiding behind a rack of sweaters to ease drop on us.
"As I feel the same way about you." I chuckled.
"Yeah. So, I just wanted to run something by you."
"Alright." I smiled. Will he finally ask me out?
"Um..." Connor ran his hands through his silky black hair. "Do you think, I should uh, ask Jessica out, to like hang out sometime?" He finally spit it out and my heart dropped. But I quickly recollected myself.
"Uh, definitely. I don't see why not." I said now stumbling over my words.
"Cool." Connor smiled. A smile that used to make me melt.
"Well, I got to get back to my customers." I glanced around the store. Thank God for the few people in there. "I'll see you at school."
"Oh, okay. See you later." He said and waved as he walked out.

"Oh my goodness," Leah said, pushing the sweaters to the side to crawl out. "What an idiot." She said. "Why would he even do that?"
I tried hard to swallow the tears gathering in my throat. "Little Leah, there's so much you don't understand."

Unfortunatley, neither did I.