�So, what do you want to do right now?� I asked her, since the only thing I
could think of at that moment was eating, because I had barely anything for
lunch that day (which sometimes happens, I don�t really have that much time in
the morning before the bus comes).
�Well, if you want to, I suggest we eat first . . . I�m starved!� she told me.
�Now you�re talking . . . but you had that big lunch today, and you�re hungry
already?� usually she has a good lunch, her mom sometimes leaves stuff out for
her the night before to make sure she eats something at lunch.
�Aren�t I always?�
�True, sorry, that was a pretty dumb question . . . � We kept talking as we
walked into the mall, heading toward the food court, all the while passing all
the stores I knew Candy would want to go into after we ate, plus a couple that I
would like to go into as well.
It was now about 5:15, and we knew that this was the time for everyone to be
coming into the food court for supper, so we hurried over to the food court and
decided that we would get some pizza. I got double cheese, and Candy got
Hawaiian . . . both our �usuals�, the same types of pizza we get every time we
come to the mall. When we finally found a place to sit, we talked and talked
about how much fun we were going to have at the concert that Saturday.
�And oh my god, I�ll be able to see Greg . . . he�ll be like, right in front of
me . . . *sigh* . . . I�m in love . . . � Candy said as she went into another of
her daydreams.
�You�re in love? Again?! Sheesh!. . .But, I do know how you feel
though. . .�
�Yeah, but you wouldn�t fit with him as good as I know I would.�
�With whom? Greg? Who said I was talking about him? You know who I was talking
about, Candy.� I reminded her.
�Huh? . . . Oh, yeah yeah I know . . . I was just dreaming about . . . �she
said, still in a dreamy state.
�You don�t think I know who you daydream about? You�ve been obsessed with him
for about as long as I�ve known you! But I do think you obsess about him a
little too much though, Candy.� I told her.
�Oh, I see.� She said, finally coming back to reality. �So it�s okay for you to
obsess over you know who as much as you do, but I can�t as much as I do? You
make no sense.� She said sharply.
�Ok, ok . . . sorry, I didn�t mean to offend you or anything, geeze.�
�No, it�s my fault . . . sorry, I shouldn�t have said that . . . or I just
shouldn�t have said it that way.� She empathised the �that way�.
�Well said. Now, let�s finish this pizza before it gets cold.� We finished up
our slices of pizza, then walked to CdsPlus!, a new CD store in the mall.
�Let�s see what they�ve got here.� Candy said as she headed toward the rack
labelled PoP MuSiC! �I wanna see if they have Aaron Carter�s new CD.�
�You mean you haven�t gotten it yet?! Woah . . . I got that in September.�
�Yeah, I know, for your birthday. I was there, remember? I wish my parents
would get me the CD�s I want . . . they always say, �next time� . . . �
�I know, sorry . . . I was going to ask you if you wanted me to burn it for
you, but you wouldn�t get all those awesome pics of him in the booklet.� I said.
�The one in the middle . . . �
�Yep, saw that one, I love it! Anyway, look for it . . . I�ll see how much it
is, maybe I can get it.�
�But you should save your money for Saturday though, shouldn�t you? We�ll
probably buy like a T-shirt or a poster for them to sign, if we can get up to
them.�
�Yeah probably. One of my net friends said that when she went to one of their
concerts, they didn�t leave until everyone in line had gotten something signed,
or a picture, or something.� She informed me. �So we�ll probably get up there.�
We started looking for any good CD�s, and Candy found one by a group called The
Calling. She asked me if she heard of them, and I told her they were pretty good
and I had their CD If she wanted to borrow it sometime.
After we finished looking at some CD�s, we decided to go to the back of the
store to see if they had any good posters we could buy for the guys to sign.
There were only a few other people at the back, and only one other person
looking at posters but on a different poster rack, a tall boy, who looked about
17 or 18, sporting a baseball cap that hid most of his face, and a sports jacket
with New York printed on it.
�Well, Candy, do you see any good posters?� I asked her after she had looked at
a couple.
�Ooh I love this one . . . � she said, staring at one of the Dream Street
posters that showed the guys either jumping into the air or crouching, looking
at the camera.
�Why . . . oh let me guess, because Greg is right in the middle?� I said,
rolling my eyes.
�How did you know?� she said with a laugh. �Do I make it too obvious?�
�Uh huh. Are there anymore? Maybe one that I would want?� I asked. �Not that I
don�t like that one, but what other ones are there?�
�Well, here�s one that looks like a Valentine�s Day one, how about that one?
You could get it signed at the concert.�
�Can I help you ladies?� a voice asked, and we turned around to see one of the
employees looking at us.
�No thanks, just looking.� I told him.
�Nonsense.� Candy said. �Are these the only Dream Street posters you have?�
�Actually, we just got a few more different ones that we haven�t put up yet,
would you like to look at those?� he asked us.
�Umm . . . sure.� I said. �Where are they?�
�Just hold on a moment and I�ll get them for you.�
�Thanks.� Candy said as the clerk left. �He�s kinda cute, let him help us.�
I rolled my eyes. �Well, more posters, this will take longer than I thought.�
�So what are you going to wear to the concert?� she asked me, going completely
off-topic, as usual.
�I have a Dream Street shirt that I bought from a while ago, it�s kinda small
now, and I have one that I made . . . I got a picture of each of them put on it,
then used paints to decorate it. Remember that? We did that on Christmas
holidays.�
�Yeah I remember that one. I�ve still got the one that I made, too, so we could
wear those ones, and get them to sign them too.�
�Sure, sounds good.�
�Anyway, with these posters . . . � as I talked, I noticed Candy�s eyes look
toward the other end of the store.
�Oh my god!� she exclaimed, interrupting me in the middle of a sentence.
�Melissa! That looks just like . . . *gasp* . . . just like . . . �
5:45pm, Tuesday, Sunnybrook Mall
She staggered back a little bit, and I caught her by the shoulder before she
fell. I looked back, and saw who she was looking at. The other boy who had been
looking at the posters had taken off his hat, and was looking at rock CD�s.
�Oh my god! It does! It looks like Greg!� she whispered. �It is him! Quick, go
say something to him!�
�Me? Why me? You�re the one who obsesses over him, not me!� I reminded her.
�Because you�re my friend, remember? So go say something to him, and I�ll get
the poster when that guy comes back.�
�*sigh* . . . fine, but I don�t know what you want me to say to him.� I told
her, then walked over to Greg. When I reached him, I gently tapped him on the
shoulder and said hi. I looked back and saw Candy talking to the salesman with
the posters, and when I turned back, Greg was smiling and asked what my name
was.
�I�m Melissa. And this . . . �I said, going back and pulling Candy over to
where I was. �This is my friend Candy.� she flashed him a nervous smile and said
hi. �Weren�t you just looking at the posters back there?� I looked back, and saw
the salesman looking at us in confusion.
�Yes, and I heard what you were talking about.� he said, laughing. �. . . So,
you two are going to the concert then?� he asked.
�Yeah, we were planning on getting a poster for you and the guys to sign,
because they would probably be cheaper here than at the concert. There, they�ll
probably be like $20, so why pay more there when you can get one for have the
price here?� I said, then realized I had been rambling on. �Sorry, I do that
sometimes.� I managed a nervous laugh, trying to make it funny.
�That�s alright. Hey, you said your name is Candy, right?� he said, turning to
Candy. She nodded. �Are you the one who won the tickets from the radio? I was
listening to see who would win them, and since your name is Candy, I figured. .
..�
�Yep, we�re the ones who won them. In fact, we just picked them up a little
while ago. That�s why we�re here. . .might as well do some shopping while we
can, right?� Candy replied, looking nervous, yet excited. Just after she said
that, a tall, green-eyed boy also wearing a baseball cap entered the store and
came over to us.
�Hey Jesse.�
�Hey.� he said, and looked at Candy and I, who were just standing there with
nothing to say. �Who�s this?� he asked quietly, nodding towards us.
�This is Candy, and this is Melissa.� Jesse said hi to both of us, I said hi
back and quickly lowered my eyes from his face, although I could still feel his
eyes on me.
�So, what are you guys talking about?� he asked us.
�The concert tomorrow. We won tickets!� Candy blurted out.
�Cool. Where�d you win them from?�
�PoP96.2. in fact, we just picked them up before coming here.� she told him
matter-of-factly.
�Ah, so you two are the ones who won them then.� he said, taking off his hat.
�Yep. Why, did you hear it too? Greg said he did.� I asked him, finally finding
my voice.
�Yeah, I heard.� he said, and smiled. �So you�re going to be in the front row
then, right?�
�Right. Front and centre.� I said. �You�ll hear us screaming, that�s for sure.
Or, you�ll hear Candy the most, I know that.� I said, laughing nervously.
�Is that right?� he laughed shortly, then turned to Greg. �Well Greg, the
rehearsal starts soon, we should go.� he told him.
�Is it that time already?� he looked at his watch. �Aw man, it is, too. Hey
girls, we have to go, it was nice meeting you though.�
�Wait, could you sign something for us?� Candy asked them sweetly.
�Candy, we could just get them to sign something at the concert, since we�ll be
going to the meet and greet afterwards.�
�True. Okay, we�ll get you to sign something there. We�ll get a poster.�
�Alright then. There�s a meet and greet before the concert too, if you didn�t
know about it.� Jesse said. �Well, again, it was nice meeting you, and I guess
we�ll see you at the concert then.�
�Yep, you�ll see us. Bye! See you tomorrow night!� Candy said. They said
goodbye to us both, and I managed a weak smile and a wave as we watched them
walk away.
�Oh . . . my . . . god! Melissa! Do you realize who we just met?!� Candy yelled
as soon as they were out of earshot.
�Yeah! That was so cool!� my heart was still thumping from talking to them. We
both gave each other high fives, and walked out of the store with huge smiles on
our faces, forgetting about the salesman who was waiting to show us the posters.
We headed on over to the mall entrance, so we could go home and get ready for
tomorrow night.