Chapter 25: Evading the enemy


    "Are you crazy?" I ask my visibly crazy bestfriend. Sheughs as I try to wriggle out of her grasp,


    knowing that I can''t. Because the truth is that even if I work out seven days a week, Spencer will still be


    stronger than me, always. It''s something I''ve epted over the course of our 15 years of friendship.


    "Can you chill? Loosen up a bit, and have some fun." By now we are at the entrance of Victoria Secret


    but I have not given up just yet. I''ll keep distracting her by taking and try to get away. Brilliant n


    Emerald. I mentally give myself a gentle pat on the back for being so smart. "Can you stop fussing?"


    Spencer continues, her eyes wandering down to my arm where I am wiggling like an earth worm.


    "There''s that Alex guy!" I shout in desperation and Spencer''s head snaps around. I take this as the


    perfect opportunity to get away. Free! I run even as I hear Spencer''s frantic voice calling me, more like


    shouting that I should ''get back here!'' For the first time, the crowds in the mall actually have a good


    enough purpose. Spencer will never find me in this heavy crowd. I run to the bathroom and stand in


    front of one of the the stalls, somewhere Spencer will never find me. She knows how much I hate


    public bathrooms. They''re disgustingly filled with all types of germs and bacteria. Nope, I''d rather die


    from diabetes after eating too much nute. I get out of the stall and look at myself in the mirror, trying


    not to go too close to the washing basin. Ib through my hair with my skinny fingers ignoring that


    one maverick loose strand sticking out at the side of my head. I decide I look good enough to go out in


    public and leave the bathroom before anyonees into the bathroom. As I leave the bathroom, I spot


    a familiar face. "Emerald!" Alex says and a smile instantly appears on his face. "Hey." I return the


    greeting. "You work here?" I ask after observing that he had on a shirt that brandished the name of the


    mall on it. "I didn''t mean it in a bad way though." I ramble. Alexughs, making me feel less


    ufortable and awkward. "Yes, I do work here. And I did not take your statement as a form


    discrimination." Heughs again. We started walking and then he stopped and turned to face me. "How


    are you?" He asks and I tell him I''m doing fine. He nods, then starts telling me how he just moved here


    from Manhattan, and how he''s enjoying his work so far in here in one brief synopsis. After he''s finished


    we start talking about random stuff, like the weather and other things. "Oh, I want to apologize about


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    apologize." He says and I think about how kind Alex is. "Did you hear what I said?" I look up at Alex


    and his cheeks ming red. Is everyone built like a tree or am I just getting shorter? "Sorry. I didn''t


    hear." I tell him sheepishly. Heughs. "I was just asking if you wanted to grab coffee this week. If you


    want to, I understand if you have ns and-" The poor guy''s rambling his head off. I guess this is the


    least I can do, since he has been so nice to me. I push the nagging voice of Spencer to the back of my


    head, put it in a box and nail it shut. "I would love to." I say and he smiles that bright, warm smile. Like


    bread. "There you are!" A voice behind me snaps and I freeze. Maybe it''s the police. I close my eyes


    and turn around with hands in the air. "I''m sorry I took a cupcake from the Lucky Pucky Cupcake Club


    when I was ten, even though the age limit was eight years old." I confess. Ever since that day, I have


    been looking over my shoulder, and now that the police have finally caught me I feel free, in a way


    atleast. Damon had convinced me I was going to go to hell for that, surprise surprise. I hear augh


    and open one of my eyes to see my bestfriendughing her heart out. I put my hands down and stare


    at my bestfriend, who doesn''t even realize that Alex is standing right behind me. I was kinda hoping


    that it was the police; seeing Spencer is much worse than spending a few months in a jail cell. Spencer


    finally stopsughing and somehow she sees Alex behind me. Her smile vanishespletely and I


    gulp as Spencer barges after Alex, letting out a animal like growl.