Intermission

The mall building was like the ones that I've been to before in Palisia with the main differences being the layout, furnishing, and store selections. Well, come to think of it, isn't that the main point? Since the day's objective is for me to buy clothing for my female body, Erith led us over to the escalators that took us up towards the upper floors of the mall.

"We're going to the third floor and starting from there," Erith said as she gazed at the monitor on her phone that displayed the map of the mall that she had acquired upon scanning a QR code at the entrance. She then pressed the lock button on her phone, causing the screen to dim and fade, and slipped it into her school bag.

"You come here often?" Noah asked her, looking up at her on the escalators as he leaned against the moving handrail.

"Yeah," Erith responded.

"Erith and I would come here to buy clothes," Luna said with a smile on her face. "This place has a pretty good selection of clothing."

"You think they also have some nice looking men's clothes?" Zaksus asked. "I'm looking to buy a new jacket."

"Winter's almost over," Noah said, looking in the opposite direction as before and down the escalator at Zaksus who was standing on the step underneath him.

"It'll still take a few weeks," Zaksus responded. "I can still wear it next year."

"What about a possible growth spurt?" Loyd asked. "You thought about that?"

"I mean I still need to have something to wear, right? It's not like I'm looking to buy one that's worth tens of thousands of Vil," Zaksus responded.

Amidst this banter between the others, I looked nervously up the escalators and at the second floor that was becoming closer and closer to us. In my mind, there was a growing sense of anxiety as I am still unprepared for shopping for women's clothing. In theory, it shouldn't be that bad cause how different can it be from shopping for men's clothing? But what I am worried about is the more trivial things, things such as the most recent fashion and how to wear certain types of clothing. Wearing a skirt is somewhat self-explanatory. All I have to do is bring it up my legs and zip the zippers up on the side. But what about other types of clothing? Clothing like a tube top or other types of strapless clothing. How do I wear those? And then there's the makeup section. What are those things even called and what are all those color selections for lipsticks?

After stepping foot on the second floor, I followed close after the others as Erith led us to the other escalator that led us to the third floor, which is the floor that Erith suggested that we begin on. After arriving on the third floor, I could see why. There were four different wings of this floor that branched out in a plus sign shape, and in each wing, there were women's clothing stores, accessories, and other miscellaneous women's product like that. It would appear that this floor's main demographic is women.

"This is all girl's stuff," Zaksus whined upon approaching a clothing rack that was lined with casual dresses.

"You can still try it on," Noah snickered as he picked up the hanger and observed the clothing item that was on it. "This one looks pretty good." Noah then pressed the hanger up against Zaksus such that the dress was against Zaksus's body.

"Hell no," Zaksus pushed the hanger away.

"I'm just kidding," Noah laughed as he replaced the hanger back on the rack.

"Hey cut it out," Loyd whispered as he looked over at the store attendant that was walking over from the corner of his eye.

"How may I help you?" the young store attendant asked with a pleasant smile on her face.

"We're just looking around," Luna responded and rejected the store attendant's offer for help politely.

"Why'd you reject her?" Noah asked.

"You don't understand," Erith looked over her shoulder while holding a sweater in her hands. "Having store attendants recommend clothing hinders your own creativity."

"I don't understand," Zaksus whispered to Noah.

I don't either, I thought as I wept in my mind.

"Alvelyn," I felt a gentle tug on my sleeve and looking over, I saw that it was Irina. "Let's look around and pick out something for you."

"R-right," I nodded and allowed Irina to gently pull me away from the entrance of the store that we had entered.

Walking through the rows of clothing racks, shelves filled with clothing, and white mannequins standing and posing in fashionable looking raiments, I became even more confused about the whole scenario. There were winter clothing being sold, but there were also spring clothing on display, which, I suppose, is to accommodate the fact that the spring season will be soon upon us. However, this added selection made things even more difficult for me as I am unsure about some clothing about whether they are for winter time or spring time.

"How about this one?" Irina asked me as she put on a black wool coat.

"It looks pretty good," I answered honestly.

"Alvelyn, you try it on," Irina smiled enthusiastically as she stripped herself of the wool coat she had tried on and skipped over to me, helping me to put on the coat.

"A-alright," I stuttered somewhat as I stretched out my arms behind me so she could slip on the sleeves.

"Irina," Muria's calming voice halted Irina's actions. "Alvelyn can put on clothes herself. You're rushing her."

"Right," Irina laughed in an apologetic manner and took a step back after allowing me to grab hold of the coat.

"It's not your fault," I smiled and said in response while trying on the winter coat. "It's a size too big..." I said as I looked down at the somewhat loosely hanging coat.

"Sorry," Irina apologized. "It fitted me so I thought it would also fit Alvelyn."

"You are a few centimeters taller than her," Muria observed.

"I'll go look for a size that'll fit you." Irina then went off to where she had retrieved the wool long coat in search of a smaller size that would fit my frame.

"Hey," Loyd's voice called over, gathering our attention. "We'll be on the fifth floor to look at men's clothing."

"Okay," Irina smiled and acknowledged them.

As the others went on choosing and selecting clothing items they preferred and would like to try on, I stood there and gazed over at the escalators, watching as the boys slowly ascended up to the higher floors where they would probably soon engage in a similar activity of picking out and trying on clothing. In my heart, there were mixed feelings. I was glad that they were no longer in the mix, but then this leaves me with the rest of the girls, meaning that the conversation from now on would be girl's talk, something that boys have never have the chance to take part in. So before, when I thought that shopping for women's clothing is unknown territory, where I am now is an unknown world when compared to the previous one.

I quickly looked around the store and the floor in general. The demographics in sight were mostly female, with the occasional male that is accompanying either their lovers or family members while shopping. Therefore, my fear for a girl's talk is increasing in likelihood to become true as there is mostly just girl's present at the moment. However, I'm hoping that having to pick out clothing would prevent it from occurring.

"Hey," Luna gently tapped my shoulder. "See anything you like so far?"

"Not as of now," I responded.

"I'm sure you'll find something." When she speaks, Luna seemed to be shuffling her feet somewhat, almost as if she was nervous or unsure of what to say.

"Um...is something the matter?" I asked her, intrigued and confused at the same time by her odd behavior.

"N-nothing," she tensed up and quickly shook her head. However, based off of her facial expression alone, I could tell that something was on her mind. But, whether she wanted to tell me or not, that is her choice to make and not something that I want to force onto her.

"Is that so?"

I began to turn away from her, doing so in a slow, controlled motion to give her plenty of time to backtrack on her decision if she wanted to. Upon seeing this gesture on my end, a look of regret appeared on her face as she seemed to self-consciously reach out her hands towards me, almost as if trying to stop me. However, she restrained herself, pausing those hands in midair before they truly made contact with me and slowly allowed them to fall to her sides.

"So um..." she began speaking. "How is Alevian recently?"

"Alevian?"

I was surprised when I heard my name being muttered by her and was thus unprepared for a response. At that instant, my brain immediately started brainstorming, trying to build and flesh out a false story with the information that I am given.

"He's doing fine," I answered her in the most simple way as possible, hoping that it would kill the conversation then and there and that I would not have to use the fake story that I had come up with.

"So...when would he be back?" Luna seemed to blush somewhat when she spoke.

"My guess is in a month?" I answered her. "He is visiting relatives... "

Wait a minute, I thought. Even though no one has called me except Loriana, what would happen if someone were to call "Alevian's" phone number? Would anyone pick up?

"Is something wrong?" I frowned in a concerned manner. "Is there something you would like for me to tell Alevian?"

"N-no," she sighed. "It's...well...just forget about it."

Then, she turned away and returned to Erith's side where Erith enticed her to try on some clothing in the story.

Weird, I frowned. What was it that she wanted?

My train of thought was interrupted when I felt something being brushed against my side. Looking over, I saw Irina's big smile. When I looked down, I saw that she had picked out an outfit for me already.

"Let's go to the fitting room and try it on," she said with a smile on her face.

Fitting room?