Shopping!

The mall was pretty packed for a Thursday. At least that's how Rachael felt it when first stepping foot inside. She almost never came to the mall, and when she did, it was usually fairly quiet. What Rebecca had failed to tell her was that most of the stores were having flash sales. Something they did every now and then. Unlike black Friday, the flash sales were local and didn't necessarily land on the same day every year. The fact that there was a sale today of all days wasn't a coincidence though. Rebecca knew about the sales, hence her reason for wanting to go in the first place. She also knew that Rachael most definitely would've passed on coming had she known there would be this many people there.

Now, Rachael by no means has anxiety or fears involving large bodies of people. In fact, she often finds herself at concerts and festivals. It's just the whole ..waiting in line to buy stuff. Sure, sales are good. But the internet also has them! You don't even have to wait in line or anything. Just add to cart and order. Easy done. The last thing she wants to do is fight some soccer mom over a pair of jeans that are meant to be loose fitting, but will most definitely strain against the tree trunks she calls her legs. ..where were we?

Rachael's mental spiral of doom and gloom was swiftly interrupted by a yank in her arm. Rebecca had already set her sights on the first store she wanted to check out, and it just so happens that it's the perfect place for the pair to update their wardrobe.

"What about this one??"

It was the third dress Rebecca had tried on since entering the store. Rachael had barely gotten around to looking at clothes for herself before being dragged into a fashion show she had no interest in witnessing.

"It's just as pretty as the others"

"You're no fun! This is supposed to be F-U-N ****!"

"I can hardly understand why anyone would find any enjoyment in buying clothes. They're just a means to an end, like eating. At least food tastes good.."

"Just you wait. I'll show you how and why girls find fulfilment in looking their best!"

Rachael rolled her eyes at her friend's statement. Fulfilment in looking good? How ridiculous.. Fulfilment should come from the fruits of one own labor. From overcoming hardship and leaving ones mark on the world!

"This top is perfect! It's just your color!"

Besides the fact that Rachael only ever wore muted, bland colors, she also happened to hate the color pink. This made the pink, brandless T-Shirt in Rebecca's hands all the more jarring to look at. It's almost as if the girl was trying to find the worst clothes in the store. But there was something by the way she'd phrased it. Just your color. Really? Pink? It's not like Rachael had spent a lot of time over the course of her life reflecting on which colors did and didn't look good on herself. If Rachael said it, surely there had to be some degree of truth to it?

"Ugh. Fine.."

Alongside the top was a pair of short shorts. Despite being much shorter than the type of shorts she'd normally go for, Rachael decided to play along with Rebecca's whims in hopes that she'd stop pestering her.

"You look gorgeous! This is absolutely your look! There's tons of cute stuff you just HAVE to check out!"

The plan completely backfired, but for some reason, Rachael wasn't too bothered. She'd actually ended up liking how the outfit made her look despite how different it was.
Reluctantly, she went along with Rebecca who was clearly having the better time of the pair.

Some two hours later, the girls were all done shopping. In addition to the outfit she'd initially been pressured into trying, Rachael had also added a plethora of other outfits to her revamped wardrobe. Amongst those was a blue pair of exercise shorts and sports bra. The purchase pretty much cemented her plans to pick up running as a routine.

Because she didn't get the chance to change back into the jeans and sweater she'd worn before, Rachael was left walking home in her new clothes. With all the different outfits going on and off over the course of the past few hours, she'd opted to wear her hair in a ponytail to avoid that ruffled, messy look.

"What's stopping you from dressing like this everyday?? You look drop dead gorgeous when you just put in a little effort."

"..."

Rachael didn't know how to respond because her feelings were muddled. She didn't usually care enough about her looks to justify spending time and money on them. Nevertheless, as of late she found herself thinking about it. She experienced an increase in desire to look good just for the sake of looking good.

"Hey, by the way. We should hang out tomorrow too! The weather is supposed to be GREAT!"

A standard Friday for Rachael consisted of her staying indoors all day, reading up on various subjects she found interesting. Whenever she felt that she needed a break, she'd swap out the textbooks for other, more story driven books. Though she very much liked her routine, she still accepted Rebecca's proposition. There was just something with the way she phrased it, they should hang out. How could she say no to that?