An Evening out…

I walked in the front door and was greeted by mom and dad.

"We have something to show you." Mom said, and then turned and went up the stairs. Dad motioned for me to follow mom up the steps and then he followed behind me. Mom stopped outside the door to my room, which was open when I had left for Riley's that morning. We had been slowly moving things out of my room and into the spare room so that we could finally turn Allen's old room into Zoe's room. Mom opened the door and my jaw dropped. The walls were now panted with pink and white vertical stripes. The dresser had been replaced with a white dresser that was larger, my desk had been replaced with a white desk that looked like it had more storage space, and there was now a vanity that contained all of my hair stuff. My bed had been replaced by a slightly larger bed. This one had four posts and a white mesh canopy. The bedspread had been replaced with a pink bedspread that had purple butterflies on it.

"What do you think, Zoe?" Mom asked.

"I like it." I said. Mom and dad smiled. I went in and laid on the bed. Looking at the canopy. I propped my self up on one elbow. "Where did all of the other stuff go?"

"We put it all in storage for now. We're going to move your dad's office downstairs into the basement. There is a second entrance to it, that way he can bring work home and not have to bring people through the house unless he needs to, and then we're going to turn the office into a spare bedroom."

#
I was sitting there, playing around on the computer at my new desk when there was a quiet knock on the door. The last time I had seen my door, it was open so I turned and looked and saw Riley standing there. She wore a baby pink v-necked sweater dress and dark grey tights, her feet encased in a pair of boots that were similar to mine.. I had a similar sweater dress, but mine was a turtleneck and was a light grey color. I still hadn't worn it, and was looking for the right opportunity to do so.

"I like what you've done to the place." She said, coming in and sitting on the bed. I walked over and sat next to her.

"Well, I didn't do it, mom and dad did, but I really like it."

"It reminds me how my room looked when I was eight." Her room hadn't changed much in five years... "You're missing something though." She said. I looked around the room trying to figure out what it was.

"What am I missing?" I asked, unsure of what was missing.

"Stuffed animals. You pretty much are an infant as far as being a girl is concerned, and you need some stuffed animals."

"Oh." I said quietly. I hadn't thought of that, and then I realized that she was right. Even at thirteen, she had a sizable collection of stuffed animals. Heck, at fifteen, Heather still had a sizable collection.

"But for the real reason why I came by..." She smiled and placed her hand on my denim covered leg. It had been cool and rainy that Saturday morning when I had gotten dressed and I had elected to wear a long sleeved shirt and jeans as I hadn't planned to go anywhere. "I was wondering if you wanted to go see a movie tonight? Mom said that if it was ok with your parents, she'd pick us up and drop us off."

"What would I wear?" I asked.

"You're such a girl..." Riley stroked her chin and then walked over and opened my closet. She looked at the contents before reaching in and pulling out the sweater dress that I had no clue where I was going to wear it. She sat it on my bed, and then turned to my dresser. It took her a few moments, but she pulled out a pair of thick black tights, and laid them on the sweater dress. She rummaged around in the bottom of my closet and pulled out my boots. "There, outfits complete..." she smiled at me. "Now lets go see if you can go to the movie tonight with me." She grabbed my hand and, practically pulled me from the bed, and then the room. We went down to the office where mom was camped out, working on some kind of brief for work. I gently knocked on the door and then heard mom's voice.

"Come in." I opened the door and Riley and I walked in and looked at mom.

"Hey Riley, what can I do for you girls?"

"Mommy," I started. Mom raised an eyebrow. I only called her mommy when I wanted something. "May Riley and I go see a movie tonight?" Mom looked from me to Riley and back.

"How are you getting there?"

"My mom said she would take us and pick us up. I also thought that maybe Zoe and I could do some window shopping." Riley said. Mom nodded and grabbed her purse. She pulled out forty dollars and handed it to me.

"Zoe, Do everything you can to be home by eleven. And you had better call if you are going to be later than that."

"Yes, Mommy.' I said a grin on my face. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm going to get back to work, Your sister is staying at Carly's tonight, and with you out of the house for a few hours, I might get this done before midnight... Let me know when you leave." I nodded and Riley and I left the office so that she could continue working, and I could get ready.

#
I opened the door and let Riley back in my room. I had changed out of the jeans and shirt and put on the sweater dress, tights and boots. Riley looked at me and smiled.

"I love the way that dress looks on you." The dress hit my knees and felt like it would be warm when we went to the movies in a little bit. I grabbed a black purse out of my closet and put my phone and the money that mom had given me in it and then slung it over my shoulder. Riley smiled and took my hand. "Lets go over to my house so that mom can take us to the mall." We went down stairs and I knocked on the door to the office and then opened it. Mom was now surrounded by books that were open. She looked up at me.

"That's cute, Zoe. Did you pick it out or did Riley?"

"Riley did. I was waiting for a good time to wear it and to the movies is as good of a reason as any."

"Ok. You girls have fun." Mom said, and then buried her self back in her books. I shut the door and then helped Riley put on her coat. She returned the favor and we both stepped out in the cold world of outside. Because I hadn't been out at all that day, I didn't' realize that it was as cold as it was. The air smelled like it did before it snowed, and, given that it was early February, it was still possible that it would snow. Riley and I walked to her house at a faster pace than we would have if the weather was warmer. I hoped that her legs were encased in thick tights like mine, as if they were the normal thin ones that they sold her legs would be kind of chilled. I knew that her coat and sweater dress would keep her warm, as my upper body was a lot warmer than my legs.

"It's cold out here." I said to Riley, and making a mental note to get a hat and gloves. Riley smiled at me, her cheeks flushed. I thought the look was cute on her, and I imagined that I looked much the same.

"I know, but that flushed look is cute on you." She said. I was right, and did look much the same as her.

"It's cute on you too." I replied, giving her a peck on the cheek. We walked up to her front door and went into her warm house which smelled like cookies. Her mom poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Hey girls. I have some hot cookies and milk..." Riley and I looked at each other and smiled. Her mom always seemed to be baking something, and what ever was baked was really good. Riley and I took off our coats and hung them in the closet, and then went into the kitchen to attack the cookies.

"Hot cookies sound really good." Riley aid.. We each got some cookies and a glass of milk. I could feel the warmth returning to my cheeks and nose, and could see it happening to Riley.

"After I the cookies cool and I get them put away and everything cleaned up, I'll take you guys to the mall."

"Thank you, Mrs. Edwards." I said, after swallowing a cookie.

"You're welcome, Zoe. But it was really Riley's idea. Complete to what you have on now." I looked down at my dress, and then at Riley, who was grinning like the cat that had just eaten the canary...

"You've been looking for a reason to wear that dress. Now you have it."

"Thanks." I said quietly, but still with a smile on my face.

"I love the way the grey makes your eyes pop out. They were a brilliant blue before, and now they are just shining. I'm so glad that shine returned. I missed it when it disappeared from Allen's eyes." She reached across the table to take my hands in hers. "But I have the shine back, and I have Zoe and a new best friend." Riley and I smiled at each other. We had grown closer than we had ever been in a short time, and I think she was my girlfriend or might as well have been at least.

#
Riley's mom dropped us at one of the doors of the mall. "Call when you girls are ready to get picked up."

"Ok, Mom." Riley said, climbing out of the back seat and out into the colder air. Now it really smelled like it could start snowing at any minute.

"You girls have fun, and stay out of trouble." I heard Riley's mom say.

"We will, mom." Riley said, her cheeks already starting to flush from the cold. She shut the door and then we linked arms and went into the warmth of the mall. It wasn't the same mall that mom and I had gone shopping at, but it was a lot closer to home and had pretty much the same stores. Her mom waited until we were inside the mall before she drove away. Once inside, Riley spotted Megan, who we hadn't planned on being there.

"Riley! Zoe!" She all but shouted and jogged over to us. "You guys look nice." Riley and I looked at each other.

"Thanks." We said at the same time. Megan smiled.

"You guys are like sisters..." Megan giggled. "What brings you to the mall?"

"We were going to see a movie..." Riley said.

"And do a little bit of window shopping." I added. Megan smiled.

"I've been here for the last hour and I haven't come across anything overly interesting. I did notice that Tween Us had the outfit that we all have with the berets in blue and with short sleeved tops now. Zoe, I think that the blue would look beautiful with your eyes."

"Really?" I asked, letting the thought trail off. I grabbed Riley's hand and started dragging her toward the store. Along the way we passed a store that had a mannequin in the window that was wearing a corset.

"That looks painful..." Riley said, staring at the mannequin.

"I bet it improves your posture..." I replied to her. That was something that we both had in common, bad posture. Our parents had been trying for years to fix it in us, but we somehow always ended up slouching.

"Still looks painful." We passed a few more stores, and finally arrived at Tween Us, and I found the outfit that Megan was talking about. I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture and sent it off to mom's phone. Mom sent a message back about three minutes later saying that we would come up the next day and take a look at the whole outfit. She liked the way the blue looked... Riley and I looked around the store and I noted that even though it was cold enough to still snow, the stores were preparing for summer. They had already put out some swimwear and had several pair of shorts already on display. Most of the stuff that would be deemed winter stuff was already marked down about twenty five precent. Riley and I moved on to a few other stores, some of which had things that I wouldn't wear, and that if I were a parent, I wouldn't let my kids wear out of the house.

#
Riley and I walked out of the movie theater and noted that the mall was pretty deserted. That made sense, it was after ten and most of the shops closed at ten on a Saturday night. Riley pulled her phone out of her purse and called her mom, who said that she would be at the same door that she had dropped us off at in about twenty minutes. I sent mom a text message and told her that. Riley and I went over to the doors that we had come in. While we were waiting on her mom to show up, a security guard walked over to us and smiled.

"Good Evening, girls," She said. Her uniform did little to flatter her, but she did have some stunning green eyes... "The mall closes in twenty minutes, If you don't have a ride on the way, I'd suggest that you call for one." Riley smiled at her.

"My mom is on her way and should be here any minute." Riley said. The guard nodded.

"Ok, I would hate to have to toss you guys out in the cold while you waited for your ride to show up. I wouldn't want you girls to get sick." Riley smiled at me, knowing that I was probably warmer than I'd been in a while. I glanced at her and smiled back. Riley's phone started ringing and the sound of 'Born this Way' by Lady GaGa made us both jump. The security guard chuckled as Riley answered her phone. I looked out the window and saw that Riley's mom had pulled up. I pointed out at the car and Riley nodded, and then said "Ok, We'll be out in a second." Riley smiled.

"She's here." Riley said.

"I know..." I said. The guard chuckled.

"You girls have a good night." She said, opening the door for us. I felt the cold air blow in make my legs cold. Riley and I walked outside and got in her moms car.

"How was the movie?" Her mom asked as we buckled our seat belts.

"It was good, but I don't think it was Zoe's style. She may be a girly girl, but she likes action flicks..." Riley smiled at me.

"Hey, I liked it." I said before breaking down into fit of giggles.

"Ok, So Zoe likes almost everything out there..." Riley said, giggling.

"Do the two of you have any plans for tomorrow?" Riley and I looked at each other.

"Not that I'm aware of. Mom said something about coming over to the mall tomorrow and doing some shopping for me again. We found the skirt, beret, purse set in a blue color. Riley thinks it will set off my eyes, and apparently mom thinks so too..."

"I do, I think it would look very pretty on you." Riley said. For some reason I thought the drive home was shorter than the drive to the mall. It seemed like no time at all and we were pulling into my driveway. I gave Riley a kiss on the cheek and got out of the car.