Chapter 17: Insecurities Part 2

*Meadow*

I met Sheila, and we both decided to get lunch at the Mall. I sighed, I didn't want to be hours walking there especially since I would be tempted to buy things and I was on a tight budget. But after what Caleb told me about her, I felt compelled to just do whatever she wanted and let her enjoy the day.

I grinned, she was a salad girl and picked up one at the same time as I did. We both laughed and got some fries just to make a balance with our food.

We talked about what else to do, and where to go. I was glad to hear she only wanted to see a few stores, then she didn't mind leaving for another place. I wasn't sure where to take her so I thought maybe she would enjoy visiting the Zoo. My mother always said that animals were the best therapy for a broken heart. She would tell me "If you break up with someone, get a pet that fits your personality, pour your love there and you will heal faster." I never dated someone long enough to actually be hurt with their departure, and we were not picking up a pet either, but maybe the walk and new sights would help her out.

When we were looking at the last store, I noticed a beautiful dress that resembled the one Caleb got for me. It was last year's season, and the price almost blew my mind. I gasped when the image assessor at the store said it was over 400$. This made me swallow hard, and I thought about it carefully. Perhaps it belonged to an old girlfriend. Suddenly my insecurities hit high, and I felt horrible by having worn the ensemble. I was not even sure how to bring it up to him; I felt conflicted, he was being kind to me and had just rescued me from my lame condition at the cemetery, he surely wasn't expecting anything from me.

I was stupid, crazy even. I should just be grateful and thank him. Maybe I could ask him about it when I saw him again. No, I would better only return them to him. Or perhaps…

"Hey! I love that dress! You should try it on!" Sheila interrupted my thoughts. I sighed, not really that happy about it anymore.

"I actually was just checking it out to see the difference with one I already have." And was going to return to Caleb as soon as I had the chance.

"Oh very nice Meadow, you have a good taste." She said, and I faked a smile.

We finished her last item on her checklist at the mall and decided to go to the Zoo. At first, she wasn't so sure about it, but she didn't fight it either. We arrived around 3pm, and after I paid for our entry, we started to walk around not really aiming to see anything in particular.

She loved the birds, more than that, she was fascinated by them. She got as close as she was allowed to their cages and was amazed at their colors and delicate wings; the graciousness with which they would move, their singing. I admit I never saw them in much detail until she started to mention the qualities in them she admired.

We saw the elephants and giraffes, and we both gave a step back at the lion's den. One male and two females. "So macho." She mocked, and I laughed.

We went to see the tigers, and I loved the couple they made; a white male and a typical orange female. They were cuddling and snuggling so comfortably next to a small stream of water, not even bothering with the visitors.

Suddenly, we heard a siren that took us by surprise. A group of people near us started running and looking for shelter. I took her hand and pulled her with me. "We better go find somewhere safe, it doesn't look like it is something good." She was scared and nodded.

"Attention please, there has been a breach at one of the mammal's cages, and we encourage visitors to find safety in one of our many information booths. Our security staff is already trying to contain the situation. Please do not scream, this will make them nervous, and they will become aggressive. We repeat, there has been a breach in one of our mammal's cages, we encourage..." I stopped hearing as I started to run with Sheila to one of the information booths that I had spotted. I was in survival mode, I needed to get her and myself safe. Once we got there, one of the information staff opened the small door to let us in, locking the door behind her. It was a little 1 meter by 1-meter square, but we were better there than out in the open.