The plastic bag rustled as Emily put her arm through the loops. The shoes bounced inside the box when it swung against the counter as she left the store.
"There you are." Lorain said. "Do you need anything else?" The key chains on Lorain’s purse jingled as she came closer.
"I could use another duffel bag." Emily reached out, gently grabbing the strap of the purse.
"This time I'll go in with you. The workers are always snobby to you."
"Emily!" Amber yelled. "Did you hear?"
Emily paused and turned, tugging the strap when her sister tried to keep walking. Amber's running footsteps stood out from the others, eventually getting louder than the murmur of the crowd.
"Hear what?" Emily asked when she thought Amber was close enough to hear her.
"Hannah and John broke up!"
"What?" It wasn't often Emily and her sister said anything in sync so when they did, the people they were talking to often paused to marvel at it.
"Since when?" Emily asked after a moment of silence.
"Like, half an hour ago according to Hannah's boomie."
Emily found her phone, realizing she had it on silent. "Any new messages?" She asked it.
"3 new messages from John." Emily found the default voice particularly off putting today.
Emily held the phone up to her ear to listen to the first message. "Emily! They took Skylar! And Hannah was in-" Knowing enough to understand the emergency, she hung up.
"Your boy better have a good reason. Hannah was crying over a pint of ice cream in the video." Amber's tone was of personal offense.
"Come on Amber," Emily pointed towards her, "we both know Hannah can fake tears like an Oscar winner." If the girl wasn't so busy with track Emily was sure the young woman would be the drama queen of the theater department.
"So? We all know, besides staying best friends with you, John is about the wishiest-washiest person in town."
"Sorry John had integrity and won't stand for when people are stupid, endangering others, or just plain jerks!"
"And you just sit on your high horse and order John around! Can't make it through a regular day on your own!"
"Girls!" Lorain got louder than either of them. "Enough!" Emily clamped her mouth shut before she let out a string of swear words that would get her in trouble with her parents later.
Emily blinked quickly, glad her dark glasses were hiding the buildup of tears.
"Come on Emily." Her sister started walking and Emily walked with her.
"Hey," she moved a hand to grip her Lorain's sleeve instead, "can we just go home?"
"You mean John's?"
"If you don't mind."
"Then away we go." After feeling the weight of Lorain's arm across her shoulders Emily leaned into her sister a little.
Word count: 469
