As Mandy got up the next day, She thought of what Lorraine
told her. It was the weekend. She walked out of her room, yawning. Just then, Daniel appeared out of nowhere and put a bar of soap underneath her foot. Mandy fell down and started cursing. Daniel ran away, laughing. Lorraine asked Mandy what had happened, and Mandy told her step-mother that Daniel had tricked her. And Lorraine had proof: she overheard Daniel bragging about it to Harry and laughing. Lorraine went over and yelled at Daniel, telling him she would have gotten a spanking in the "good old days," and that she would spank him right now if it were still legal. Mandy was a little shocked at that; her parents never hit her, thank god. (On the other hand, they could have- she knew the ban was implemented in her lifetime; she was only eight years old. The leader of the time was a woman named Cassandra Bingo).
Mandy took Harry for a little walk. She asked Harry if it
was okay if she went to see Cynthia. Harry shrugged. "Your step-mom said what to her son??"
"Yeah. I hope he never does that again."
"So, Mandy, now that you're here, what would you like to do?"
"Let's go to the clothing store. Oh, why bother. But I will get in trouble if I buy something expensive."
"So buy something cheap, Mandy!" Cynthia replied, smiling.
"The cheapest thing they got in there is underwear."
"C'mon, Mandy. How much do you have?"
"Forty Prams."
"You'll find something, Mandy! C'mon!"
Mandy called Lorraine to tell her what she was doing. She went in, and a black leather skirt caught her eye,
"One hundred Prams."
"I'm moving on, Mandy; I am not spending more than fifty."
"Where can you find clothes for that amount?"
"The discount aisle."
The first thing that caught Mandy's eye was a blue satin slip that ended at her knee. "You want all the boys looking at your skirt?" Asked Cynthia.
"I dunno."
"Yes you do!"
"My step mom would probably say no, that it's slutty or some other bullshit, even though I wear skirts all the time."
"Do you like the light brown, Mandy?"
"I don't know."
"Yes you do."
Mandy tried it on and decided it looked awful on her. She eventually settled on a black t-shirt peppered with stars of different colors all over it. Cynthia got a t-shirt that said Future Trophy Wife* on it.
"Cynthia, that has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen! Whose 'future trophy wife' are you, anyways?"
"Someday, he'll come along."
"I hope he does, too."
"What about Harry?" Asked Cynthia.
"I don't have much money left."
Mandy and Cynthia took Harry to the boys' section and decided to buy him a pair of overalls. Harry did not comment. When Lorraine saw the two of them, she was happily surprised. "You brought Harry a pair of overalls? How nice!"
"Where's Daniel?"
Mandy went over to the room Daniel shared with Harry. Daniel was embarrassed to see Mandy. Mandy assured Daniel she was not angry at him, and that virtue is its own reward. "So, be good and nice to other people, okay?"
"Yes, Mandy." They hugged.