Today was the day of the mall trip. I was dressed to impress: a perfectly ironed blue button-up shirt, black jeans, and my squeaky-clean sneakers. My wallet was filled with exactly $360, so any expenses I came across should be covered. I made sure to shower, using my favorite soap: lavender and lemon mix.
I smelled good, looked good, and I was ready to go.
I headed downstairs to find my father with Unis. He was cooking pancakes with her in his arms, whining and fussy.
"How do I look, Dad?" I struck a pose.
He hit me with a smile. "Looking sharp, my boy. You're gonna knock 'em dead!"
I rolled my eyes. "Ugh, you sound like a '90s sitcom dad."
I noticed fussy Unis and took her in my arms.
"Be careful, she just had breakfast."
I waved off his warning and held Unis. "Hey there, string bean! It's your big bro. Let me smile! Say cheese!"
Unis said something, all right, but it wasn't "cheese." It was more along the lines of "BLARF" because she vomited all over me.
I stood there, shocked.
My father's eyes widened as he took Unis from me. "Isaac… don't panic."
I clenched my teeth. "I… I'm trying not to. Really trying."
"Babbi!" Unis shouted, laughing and clapping her hands.
I got in her face. "You think this is funny? What do you have to say for yourself?"
Unis giggled.
I rolled my eyes. "You're lucky you're cute!"
Unis, however, decided to double down with another "BLARF!"—all over my face.
"AHH, NO!"
I ran upstairs and immediately hopped into the shower, scrubbing as hard as I could.
My dad came upstairs with Unis in tow. "Son, calm down. It's not that bad."
I stuck my head out of the shower. "Calm down?! I have nothing to wear and I refuse to go to the mall smelling like baby barf!"
I spent five minutes showering before stepping out. I looked at my outfit, ruined by my sister's superpowered super vomit.
"What am I supposed to wear now? I didn't do any laundry!"
I checked my drawers for anything clean. The only thing I had left was... this. I grimaced.
"Oh no… no, no, no…"
This'll teach me to postpone laundry day.
With nothing better to put on, I slipped into my backup shirt and jeans before heading downstairs with a sour look. I prayed she liked french fries.
The shirt I had to wear was a black graphic tee with the words "I Love French Fries," paired with jeans full of holes—unintentional holes.
My dad whistled. "You look like you're going to a garage band practice."
Unis giggled. "Babbi!"
I scooted away from her. "You're lucky you're my sister," I mumbled before turning my attention to Dad.
"Where's Mom?"
Dad looked away, filling me with suspicion.
"Dad… where's Mom?"
"Mat… Mthe… Mmall," he mumbled, avoiding my gaze.
I squinted. "Did you just say she's at the mall?"
His silence said it all.
"Dad, no! The one time I had something going on at the mall and she suddenly needed to go to the mall?!"
Dad shrugged. "Yeah, Isaac, I know. She said she needed a new dress."
I groaned in frustration. "She's a mechanic! When does she need a dress?! Does she need a new carburetor-changing dress?!"
He shrugged again. "Your mother's a free spirit."
I rolled my eyes. "You need to keep a leash on that free spirit."
After double-checking that I had everything, Dad drove me to the mall in his car.
The mall was huge, with a dome-shaped roof. Ashvale had the mall since the '90s and it hadn't been remodeled since. Some old photos and stores were still open. As we pulled into the driveway, a large banner dangled over the entrance—Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2.
I cautiously kissed Unis on the forehead before stepping out of the car.
"You'll pick me up at five, right?"
Dad put on his sunglasses and tried to do his best impression. "I'll be—"
"Dad, no. The last thing the writer needs right now is to get copyrighted."
He looked at me, confused. "Son? What the heck are you talking about?"
I shrugged, not really sure where that came from. "I'll see you at five, Dad."
He drove off as I walked inside. As the doors slid open, the cool air hit my face.
The retro, nostalgic feeling coursed through my veins.
I wasn't around for the '90s hype, but I know why it was remembered fondly. The neon lights decorated the end of each corner. The retro movie posters. And that certain feeling—an almost anticipation of the technological breakthroughs constantly prophesied in most '90s films. A future so beautiful, yet dangerous.
What the fuck is this philosophy stuff coming from?
I shook my head and headed to the retro shop.
It had an official name: The Bonus Stage Bazaar. But that name was such a mouthful, me and my friends just called it the retro shop. It was run by this cranky old man named Felix, who hated young people even more than he hated video games. Perfect person to own a video game store targeted at a young audience.
As I made it to the retro store, I saw Daniel and Jack waiting for me by the entrance.
Jack wore a black and white varsity jacket with blue jeans and a black polo shirt. Daniel rocked a suede shirt with suspenders and shiny church-goer shoes.
I snickered as I approached. "Damn, Daniel. We're shopping for video games, not going to church."
Daniel rolled his eyes and adjusted his glasses. "Screw you. My mom took me to Bible study before coming here."
I smiled at him teasingly. "No wonder you look like you're prepared for the second coming of Christ."
He punched me in the arm.
Jack smirked. "You have no right to be jabbing at Daniel's fit when you look like you just came from practicing with your garage band."
I groaned. "God, you sound like my dad. I had the perfect outfit picked out, and it was ruined because my little sister decided to projectile vomit on me like she was in The Exorcist or something."
I gestured to my "I ♥ Fries" T-shirt and holey jeans.
"This was the only thing I had that was clean. I hope it doesn't look cringey."
Jack and Daniel smirked at me.
"Let's just hope you're able to talk enough to compensate for your look, Isaac."
I leaned against the pillar. "Is she here yet?"
They shook their heads.
"Nah, we just got here a few minutes ago," Jack said. "Thinking about going to the food court to wait for you guys."
Daniel smirked. "What's the matter? Scared, lover boy?"
I scoffed, putting on a brave face and folding my arms. "Oh, please. It's just a hangout between friends."
Daniel and Jack gave each other a look that clearly said, Get real.
I rolled my eyes and changed the subject. "How much money did you guys bring? I got about $350."
Daniel sighed. "Got about $200."
Jack checked his wallet. "I got about $256. Didn't really plan on spending much today. I only came for the PlayStation exclusives."
Jack worked at his mom's shop—a convenience store we usually hung out at during the weekend. His mom was a nice lady. Daniel, on the other hand, did chores for his allowance. Nothing wrong with that.
We sat and talked for a while.
"Oh yeah! Check it out."
I pulled out my phone and showed them a picture of Maxine—now washed and trimmed with a little pink bow on her head.
Their eyes widened.
"Is that a—?"
"No way."
They looked at me.
"You think your mom would let you keep it?"
I sighed. "I haven't brought it up yet. But I've been good. So she'll probably say yes."
I heard a voice call from behind me.
"Yes to what?"
I turned to see Flynn standing there. Her long curly hair flowed down her back. She wore cargo pants, combat boots, a grey crop top, and a camouflage jacket. I noticed something different about her face—her lips were a different color, and her eyelashes looked darker. Was she wearing makeup?
Her presence hit me like a freight train, and my knees wobbled.
"Oh hey, uhh… we were— I were… me is…"
I stopped and took a deep breath. "I was just showing my friends here the dog I'm gonna get."
I showed her the picture of Maxine, but she didn't seem that interested.
"Oh, uh—these are my friends. This is Jac—"
"I know who they are."
I tilted my head. "You do?"
She rolled her eyes. "We've known each other since elementary school. I know who they are. That's Jack, and that's Daniel." Then she pointed at me. "And you're Ivan."
My heart cracked just a little, but I laughed to play it off.
She rolled her eyes again. "It was a joke. I know who you are, Isaac."
How dare you trick me in such a way. However, I'll forgive you… this once.
"Of course I knew it was a joke," I said quickly. "Did you get here safely?"
"Smooth," Daniel snickered under his breath.
I punched him in the arm.
Flynn chuckled. "Yeah, my older sister dropped me off. You nerds ready to do some shopping?"
We all agreed and walked into the shop.
It was beautiful.
Retro game posters covered the walls. The floor was that bowling-alley-style shag carpet that glowed under blacklight. Shelves were packed with video games, consoles, and laptop parts. Standing behind the counter was Felix, wearing his purple and black striped uniform. As soon as he saw us, his face morphed into its usual sneer.
"Ugh. If it ain't my favorite sack of shit."
Before we could respond, Flynn marched up to the counter.
"What the fuck did you just call us?" she snapped. She grabbed Felix by his uniform. "Fix your mouth before I fix it for you."
Jack leaned in to whisper. "Yeah, we're off to a great start, Isaac. Great idea bringing the school's psychopath shopping."
I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, dude. I got this."
I ran up to the counter. "Whoa, whoa! Flynn! He's cool! No need to threaten him!"
She glanced at me. "But he called us sacks of shit."
I leaned against the counter. "That's just how he talks! He insults us, we insult him, then we all laugh and move on with our lives. I promise he didn't mean anything by it."
Her gaze shifted to Felix, who nodded furiously. "J-just harmless fun."
It was true. Felix hated kids and video games, but we got along because we could take a joke—and throw a few back.
Flynn let go of Felix, who looked like he had aged five years in five seconds.
"No harm done, little lady," he wheezed. "Jesus, you guys know how to pick 'em."
Daniel laughed. "Look at him—he looks like he's gonna shit his adult diaper."
Felix glared at him. "Watch it, fat ass, or I won't let you steal any more jerky from the counter."
Daniel scoffed. "I don't take the jerky."
Felix reached behind the counter and slapped a jar of beef jerky onto it.
Daniel stared in silence… then grabbed three pieces.
"Fuck you."
Felix chuckled. "You boys—and lady—here for the sale? 'Bout time I got the roof changed, so I dropped the prices."
Jack was already halfway down the aisle.
"They're on the bottom shelf!" he called, flashing a thumbs-up.
We all split up. Daniel went with Jack, and Flynn followed me into the figurine aisle.
The silence between us was thick enough to cut with a knife and take a bite out of.
"So," she said at last. "You're a figurine kinda boy?"
She asked the question so casually, it caught me off guard.
"Oh, no! Uh—I came here to buy some Skylanders."
She blinked. "What the hell are Skylanders?"
My eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "I'm so glad you asked! Well, it's—"
And just like that, I launched into a full-blown ramble about the lore, the games, the elemental types, the gimmicks, and how each generation added something new. I didn't notice Jack and Daniel desperately trying to signal me to shut the fuck up and make a move. Nope. I was too deep in my passion spiral, talking about how the game evolved and how every Skylander had its own charm.
Five minutes passed.
I realized what I was doing.
I looked down in shame. Great going, jackass.
"Sorry. I just really like—"
"They drive?" she asked, cutting me off.
"Huh?"
"You said they have cars and submarines and planes now. So—do they drive? Keep going."
I blinked at her. Was… was she actually interested?
Behind her, Daniel and Jack watched us. Jack gave me a proud thumbs-up. Daniel shrugged like, Fuck it, man, ride the wave. Felix, being the crusty old bastard he was, made a perverted hand gesture that earned him a glare.
"Okay… so the big bad guy, Kaos—"
And I kept going. She listened. Asked a few questions. Smiled at some parts. Time flew by.
Eventually, we all got our stuff.
Jack bought the Uncharted series, Daniel somehow snagged a damn RTX 5090 like he was Bill Gates or something, and I picked up a couple Skylanders along with a copy of Life is Strange. Flynn didn't see anything she liked—but I bought her a Skylander anyway.
Lightning Rod. Blue-skinned dude in a cloud, looking like Zeus on a Red Bull high.
She laughed, holding up the box. "You bought me a naked man."
At checkout, Flynn looked at Felix.
"No hard feelings, old man?"
Felix chuckled, though he still looked a little pale. "Sure, why not? It's not like you could just pick up a grown-ass man and toss him like a sack of laundry. Nope. I just don't want you feeling bad about hurting a harmless old man. Which is what you did…"
They stared at each other for a moment.
Flynn finally shrugged. "Whatever. Come on, Isaac. I'm starving."
Daniel snickered. "When are you not hungry?"
Jack punched him in the arm. "Hypocrite. Come on. Food court time."
We made our way down the hall, toward the heart of the mall.
The food court was as alive and chaotic as always. Neon lights reflected off glossy tile floors. People bustled past pizza places, burger joints, bubble tea spots, and that one ice cream shop with the huge anime cow mascot. The smell of grease, sugar, and chaos filled the air.
I glanced over at Flynn, who was already scanning the options like a soldier picking her next battlefield.
Today was off to a weird start… but honestly?
It was kinda perfect.
The boys got in line at the burger joint while I found myself standing in line at the Chinese restaurant. As I glanced around, I noticed Flynn sitting by herself at a nearby table.
"Say… you not hungry?" I asked, inching closer.
"Nah… uhh… I don't wanna burn a hole in your wallet," she replied casually.
Oh please. I had money. And besides, this was a daaa—
"…hang out. This is just a hang out. Between cool… buddy friends."
She smirked. "Oh? Cool buddy friends?"
Then she hit me with that look. That gaze—like she could see all the thoughts scrambling in my brain. It was dominant. Confident. A little dangerous. My heart? Breakdancing.
"Y-y-y… yup," I stammered.
She stood, sauntering over until she was directly in front of me. Close enough to smell the faint sweetness of her perfume.
"You wanna be friends with me?" she teased, leaning in slightly.
Abso-fucking-lutely.
I cleared my throat. "Uh… yeah. Sure."
She chuckled, "Then you're ordering me a pizza, big boy."
So I did. After ordering my chicken fried rice, I hustled over and got her a large meat lover's. Holy shit, can she even eat all this? She was already halfway through a slice by the time we sat at the table.
Jack was munching nuggets and fries, Daniel had his usual quarter pounder and a mountain of tater tots. Dude had a weird obsession with those things.
Flynn tore into her pizza like it had personally wronged her, then looked over at Jack.
"Hey, what sport do you play?"
Jack blinked, halfway through reading the back of his Uncharted DVD. "Huh? I don't play sports."
She pointed at his black and white varsity jacket. "Then why're you wearing that?"
He grinned, flashing the jacket. "It belonged to my dad when he was in high school. I just like wearing it. I'm in dance class, actually."
Flynn raised an eyebrow, impressed.
"And Daniel here's the captain of the computer science club," Jack added, nodding toward Daniel, who gave a humble little wave between bites.
"If anything, Isaac's the sports guy of the group."
He wasn't wrong.
Back in middle school, I was the best batter on the Blue Roosters baseball team. Before graduation, I had a total of 72 home runs—the most anyone had scored at our school. People used to call me "BB" — short for Barrier Breaker. I even got scouted once. But somewhere along the line… I quit. Just didn't have the passion anymore.
"Oh yeah," Daniel chimed in, "Isaac used to play baseball."
I dropped my chopsticks into my fried rice. "Y-you know I used to play baseball?"
Flynn rolled her eyes. "Duh. Who wasn't talking about you back then?"
That made me… weirdly happy.
She remembered me.
We talked and laughed for a while longer. Flynn was surprisingly good at teasing Daniel, and Jack couldn't stop making dumb jokes about "Skylander Zeus."
Eventually, it was time to head out.
Daniel left first, tossing his empty soda in the trash and waving goodbye. Jack followed with a fist bump and a knowing wink. Then it was just the two of us.
Flynn and me.
Alone.
I took a deep breath. This was it.
"So, uh… listen. There's something I've always wanted to tell you."
She looked at me with those big, curious eyes. "Yeah?"
This was it.
I was going to tell her how I felt. No stuttering. No running away. Today had been good. It felt right.
Nothing could ruin this moment.
"OH HIIIII, SWEETIE!!"
I froze.
No.
I turned around slowly, like I was in a horror movie. And sure enough, standing there waving like an overcaffeinated game show host was—
My mom.
God really hit the smite button on me, huh?
"Mother," I said with a tight-lipped smile, speaking through clenched teeth. "Whatcha doing here?"
She smiled wide, all too aware of what she was doing. "Oh, I was just doing some shopping, dear. Is this the girl you couldn't shut up about?" She turned to Flynn with the same bright grin. "You're just as gorgeous as he said."
I groaned. "Mom, please. Stop."
She leaned in, lowering her voice just enough to make it so much worse.
"You know he talks about you in his sleep."
My face lit up red-hot. "MOM! Seriously! You know you hear me!"
She giggled, clapping her hands together, her shopping bags bouncing with the motion. "It's so nice to finally meet my son's girlfriend!"
My heart dropped like a rock into my stomach.
My mom. Was ruining. Everything.
"MOM!"
"Yes?" she asked innocently.
I rubbed my forehead in absolute defeat. "Please, Mom. She's not my girlfriend. You're making her uncomfortable."
I turned to Flynn, trying to salvage what little dignity I had left. "Sorry about my mom. She's just really... passionate."
With a sudden swiftness, Flynn grabbed me by the front of my shirt and yanked me closer.
"W-what's your deal, huh?" she said, eyes sharp and unreadable.
I panicked. "She didn't mean it like that! I was just—"
"That's not what I meant." She narrowed her eyes. "What's your deal? I'm not good enough for you or something?"
"What??"
She rolled her eyes. "It's obvious I like you, you dope. Why do you think I waited so long, huh? Why do you think I came here?"
"B-because you wanted me to tutor you in math?"
She scoffed. "Ugh, that's beside the point!"
Then—out of nowhere—she roared, "I like you, dumbass! So you're going out with me!"
My brain short-circuited. My throat went dry. I blinked. "I… okay."
She pulled me even closer. "You ain't got no choice."
Then she let go, smooth as ever, and turned to my mom. "It was nice meeting you. I gotta go now. See you at school Fry boy."
She walked off, out of the mall like she just dropped the mic and vanished into the night.
I stood there. Stunned. Frozen.
"S-she likes me?" I muttered, still processing.
My mom patted me on the back, beaming. "You're so much like your father."
I blinked, still dazed. "H-he'll be pulling up any minute. Come on."
We walked out of the mall. My face still flushed, my thoughts racing, my heartbeat erratic. But somewhere in all the chaos, I felt a smile creep across my face.
Because now I knew.
I had a girlfriend. Kinda. sorta. Yay?