"I don't care, Samantha! You need to get your car washed," Madeline commented into her cell phone.
"My car is fine," uttered her friend from the inside of Madeline's phone.
"If your car is supposed to smell like dirty diapers while looking like the Lochness Monster in a coffin, then yes, your car is fine."
"Look, I got to go."
"Well, okay. Bye."
She pressed the "Hang Up" button on her touch-screen phone. She then dropped her phone into her hot pink tote bag and tucked her bright-blonde, wavy hair behind her ear.
"Samantha needs to wash her car sooner or later," she said to her Latina friend, walking up next to her. "And I pick sooner."
"Yeah, no joke," her friend responded in a sweet Latina accent. "I once mistook her car for a leather couch."
"A leather couch, Andrea?"
"What? It looks bad!"
Madeline lifted up the sleeves of the various pink sweaters hung on one of the racks.
"What are you looking for, anyway?" asked Andrea.
"Andrea, we're girls. We never know what we want."
"Yeah, that's true."
"Besides, I can't really buy anything. My money in my wallet is lowering and I'm trying to save it up so I can actually buy something."
"So you're just looking?"
"No, I'm going to put some things on layaway. Why leave something that should be yours?"
"Why save something that you're not gonna buy?"
"I'm gonna buy it, Andrea! I'm just saving my money."
One of the employees walked up to Madeline.
"Hi!" she greeted. "Do you need any help?"
"Yeah," responded Madeline. She grabbed out the hanger, holding a light rose sweater and asked: "Could you put this on layaway for me?"
"Sure," answered the woman, taking the sweater. "Let me sign you up."
"Fantastic," sighed Madeline.
She followed the woman to the counter.
Andrea tucked her sunglasses, which she was holding, to the top of her head, lifting up some of her light-brown curls in her hair. She went over to the racks with the multicolored plaid blouses and pulled a couple out to see their full details. As she glanced over the rack to look for more blouses in sight, she spotted a tall, brunette girl slowly walking by the store door.
"Lizzie!" Andrea called out.
The brunette stopped and turned her head.
Andrea ran out of the store. "Lizzie!"
"Hey, Andy," greeted Lizzie.
They both gave each other a quick hug.
"Girl, why are you so late?" asked Andrea.
"I'm not late. You guys came here at two O'clock," she looked carefully at her silver wrist-watch, "and it is only three thirty-one. Okay, maybe I am late."
Andrea giggled.
"So what's new?"
"Well, Madeline has no money so she's putting the clothes she wants on layaway."
"Layaway? Ever heard of, 'If you love something, set it free'?"
"Well, apparently, she's going with, 'If you love something, put it on layaway and wait three months to get it'."
Lizzie chuckled. "But if she's saving her money, then she shouldn't be at the mall."
"I know but she was already in my car before I drove it today."
Both girls laughed.
"Lizzie!" shouted Madeline.
She ran out of the store and headed straight to Lizzie. She gave her a quick hug and laughed.
"How did you get here?" Madeline asked.
"Samantha drove me," Lizzie answered, pulling down her deep-blue halter top.
"Oh, Christ's sake," uttered Andrea.
"You got into her car?" asked Madeline.
"Yeah, I'm not proud of it," said Lizzie. "But I didn't want my parents to drive me here. They talk to me."
"They're your parents," said Andrea.
"I know. Isn't it weird?"
"Well, it doesn't matter," said Madeline,"... Kind of. The good thing is that you're here."
"And the weird thing is that you use layaway."
Madeline frowned. "Andrea..."
Andrea started uttering in Spanish. "¿Me hablas a mí? Porque no tengo ni idea de lo que está pasando aquí..."
"I can understand you, Andrea!" said Madeline. "Don't play with me."
"Sister, you can't go to the mall if you're not supposed to buy anything," said Lizzie.
"I know. I was just looking... and falling in love... with the sweater and the yellow sandals and the plaid headbands that I got placed into layaway for me."
"I didn't see you put away any sandals or headbands," said Andrea.
"Please, Andy, you're ruining the moment."
"Listen, how about we get some fries at the Chili King and not go to apparel stores afterwards?"
"Can we at least go to Forever 21?" asked Andrea. "I want to see if that canary cardigan is still there. That bruja Lindsey has been ogling at it earlier and she knows I want it."
"You can go there," replied Lizzie, "but Madeline has to stay with me."
"I saw something cute also at Forever 21," Madeline mentioned.
"What's more important, Maddie? A collared shirt or a scholarship?"
Madeline paused. "You suck, Lizzie."
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