The Mall

Alan sat across from Emma in the busy mall, his serious expression making her heart skip a beat. He leaned in, concern written all over his face. “So… what’s the bad news?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.

Emma’s heart melted a little at how deeply he cared. *Wow*, she thought. *He really does care about me.* Then she snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she was staring at him.

“Wait… what are you thinking?” Alan interrupted her trance, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, um,” Emma stammered, “it’s… it’s about… well…”

Alan’s curiosity was piqued. “Emma, come on, just tell me. What is it?”

She sighed dramatically and finally blurted it out. “It’s Madeline.”

Alan blinked, confused. “Madeline who?”

“My *lovely* cousin Madeline,” Emma groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Ohhh, *that* Madeline,” Alan nodded, remembering Emma’s cousin. “Yeah, I remember her. Always so… *humble*,” he added with a hint of sarcasm.

“Right? Well, guess what?” Emma’s voice dropped, her tone making it clear this was the big reveal. “She’s bragging about how she’s going to *stay* in my house until she finishes high school!”

Alan’s eyes widened in pure shock. “*What?*” he practically yelled, causing a few heads to turn their way.

“Yeah, *exactly*!” Emma threw her hands up in frustration. “Can you imagine? I have to live with her for the next two years!”

Alan shook his head, trying to process it. “But she’s like… insufferable.”

“Tell me about it!” Emma huffed. “She’s already picking out which room she wants and talking about how she’s going to redecorate it. Like, it’s *her* house!”

Alan leaned back, rubbing his temples. “This is… this is a nightmare.”

Emma nodded in agreement. “You have no idea. She’s going to be in my personal space, all the time. I can’t believe this is happening.”

Alan looked at her with sympathy but couldn’t help but crack a small smile. “Well… at least you’ve got me. I’ll come over and save you from her every chance I get.”

Emma smiled at him, her heart warming. “Thanks, Alan. I knew I could count on you.”

Just then, a mall announcement rang out. “Attention shoppers, Mrs. Kia Lithany will be signing autographs in the main hall shortly!”

Emma’s eyes lit up. “Oh, right! Your Aunt Kia’s event! Are we going to meet her now?”

Alan scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. “Yeah, about that… Aunt Kia may have given me a little present for you.”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Alan sheepishly pulled out the gift from his coat, handing it to her. “Just… open it. But please don’t freak out.”

Emma opened the package, revealing the signed fashion magazine and study book, along with the pen and the cheeky note from Kia.

She read the note out loud, her cheeks turning pink. “‘P.S. Don’t forget to marry Alan when you’re older, I’ll be your godmother for your first child.’” Emma’s face turned red as she looked up at Alan, who was blushing just as hard.

They both burst into laughter, the awkward tension melting away.

“Your Aunt is *something else*,” Emma giggled, tucking the gifts away.

“Tell me about it,” Alan said, shaking his head, still blushing.

As they got up to head toward Kia’s autograph session, Alan leaned in and whispered, “Don’t worry about Madeline. I’ll help you survive this.”

Emma smiled, grateful for him. “I know you will.”

The autograph signing session had just begun, and Martha couldn't contain her excitement. She practically dragged Monica along, racing toward the line. By the time they arrived, Martha groaned in frustration, "What? Just two minutes late and there’s already a huge queue? Ugh!"

Monica rolled her eyes. "Don’t worry, Marth, we’ll get that autograph even if it means staying here overnight. You did bring bedsheets, right? And don’t stress about a nightdress—we can just buy one here!" Her sarcasm was met with a flat look from Martha.

"Ha ha, very funny, Monic," Martha grumbled, her eyes glued to the line as it inched forward.

Meanwhile, Alan gently pulled Emma by the hand, leading her away from the chaos of the crowd. "Aunt Kia said we should head home, and she specifically requested that you stay over at my place tonight," he said casually.

Emma froze. "What?!" she shouted, eyes wide in shock.

Alan chuckled. "Don’t worry," he reassured her, his grin playful, "you’ll have your own room to sleep in."

The comment left Emma blushing furiously, her mind racing. They made their way to the car, and Emma's butler was already waiting for them. “Ms. Emma,” the butler said, “all the details have been shared with your parents. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Emma’s heart pounded in her chest as she nervously got into Alan’s car for the first time. Alan followed her in, making sure she was seated without bumping her head, his hand gently guiding her. Once they were both settled, there was a moment of silence between them. Alan looked at her with a soft, reassuring smile, his eyes sparkling with affection. "I got you," he whispered. "Don’t worry."

The butler, who was driving the car, couldn't help but smile to himself. He’d known Alan for years and could see that he had finally fallen for his best friend, Emma.

Back at the mall, an announcement blared through the speakers. "Attention, the autograph signing session has now ended. Thank you, everyone!"

Martha’s face dropped. "What? Over already?" she fumed, unable to believe what she was hearing. She had been waiting for hours! Monica raised an eyebrow, ready with another sarcastic comment, but seeing Martha’s frustration, she stayed quiet.

Martha stormed out of the mall, muttering, “These dumb celebrities… They have no idea how to respect their fans.” As she reached her car, her butler asked, “Ms. Martha, where’s your friend?”

“Oh no! Monic!” Martha exclaimed, realizing she had left her friend behind in the chaos.

Meanwhile, Monica was shouting, "Martha! Hey, Martha!" but it was too late. Martha was already lost in her bad mood, annoyed that she hadn’t gotten the autograph she'd wanted so badly.

As Martha stormed toward her car, fuming about the autograph session, her butler asked, “Ms. Martha, where’s your friend?”

Martha froze. "Oh no! Monic!" she exclaimed, realizing in her frustration she had completely forgotten about her best friend. With a huff, she turned around and rushed back into the mall, mumbling under her breath, “Great, just what I needed.”

She found Monica standing in front of the store, arms crossed, glaring at her. “Oh, so now you remember me?” Monica said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I was about to start my own autograph line!”

Martha winced, knowing Monica was really pissed off. “I’m so sorry, Monic! I got carried away, and… ugh, this whole day’s been a mess.”

Monica rolled her eyes, clearly not amused. “Yeah, no kidding. But let’s get out of here before I lose my patience for real.”

Martha quickly grabbed Monica by the arm, leading her toward the exit. "I’ll make it up to you. We'll do whatever you want next time, I promise!"

Monica gave a half-hearted smile. “You better, because if I have to stand in one more pointless line, I might actually explode.”

As they reached the car, both girls slid into their seats, and the butler drove off. Martha let out a long sigh, still annoyed by the day's chaos, but grateful to have Monica by her side—even when she was mad.

All Martha could think was, *I guess I’ll just have to imagine what it would’ve been like to get that autograph. Geez...*

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