of the food court. “Are you talking about my brother?”
“Not Tad,” she giggled. “I was talking about hypothetical boys. You never know who we might see at the mall!”
“Hypothetical, huh?” April countered with a smirk. “Are you sure you’re not thinking of someone in particular?”
Margery glanced up from her cell phone and remarked, “I think it’s pretty obvious who she’s hoping to see. Jennifer has a one-track mind.”
“Right up until she changes it!” April teased.
Jennifer giggled all the more, and Prissie smiled. It was almost like old times. Almost. Despite being exactly where she wanted to be, and with the people she wanted to be close to, something felt a little odd. Without meaning to, she found herself scanning the crowds and wondering if everyone’s guardian angels were camped out on the roof. The middle of the mall was spacious enough for flight. Even now, it could be a battlefield.
“Oooh, he’s gorgeous!” Jennifer swooned, her gaze fixed upward as they rode an escalator down.
“Interesting fashion sense,” April remarked, tapping Prissie’s shoulder to get her attention. “You two match.”
By the time she figured out where to look, the young man had turned away, so she only caught a glimpse of sleek, dark hair and a shirt in the same rich shade of violet as hers. Prissie’s heart gave a little leap, for she was almost positive it had been Adin.
“I saw him earlier, outside the dressing rooms,” Margery interjected.
“Maybe he’s following us!” giggled Jennifer.
April snorted. “Even if he’s pretty to look at, that would be creepy.”
Prissie hadn’t wanted anything supernatural to follow her to the mall, but Adin fit neatly into the category of pleasant angelic encounters. “I hope we see him again,” she murmured.
They wandered through shops for a couple of hours, then agreed it was high time for a treat. Migrating toward a popular establishment on the first floor, they ordered iced coffees and crowded around one of the tiny tables out front to watch passersby. Prissie was still on the lookout for men in violet shirts.
“Omigosh! Did you see him?” Jennifer squealed.
“Can you be more specific?” April asked, glancing around quizzically. “There are a lot of guys to choose from.”
“The gorgeous stalker again?” Margery guessed.
“Marcus!” the girl hissed, her eyes wide. “I can’t believe he’s actually here! And he was looking right at me! Omigosh!”
“Marcus from our class Marcus?” Prissie checked, trying to keep the incredulity from her tone.
“More like the Marcus,” April replied. “And I don’t see him. Are you sure you’re not hallucinating, Jennifer? It’s a dangerous business, mixing caffeine and crushes.”
“He was right up there a second ago!” Pointing to the mall’s second level, she muttered, “And of course I’m sure!”
“He’s hard to miss with that hair,” Prissie reasoned, scanning the upper walkway.
“I know!” crooned Jennifer, a dreamy expression on her face. “I wonder why he’s here.”
“Destiny,” April deadpanned. “Or there’s the remote possibility that he has shopping to do. How about we ask him?”
Shaking her head, Jennifer mournfully said, “He’s gone.”
“He can’t have gotten far,” April challenged.
“You wouldn’t!”
“Wouldn’t I?”
“Dare you to,” Margery interjected, egging them on.
“Done!” April had never been shy about approaching people, and she was on her feet in a moment. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she loudly announced, “I’ll just go say hello!”
When she sauntered off without a backward glance, Jennifer wailed in dismay and snatched up her various bags before chasing after her. Shaking her head, Prissie remarked, “I can’t believe she’s being so silly over someone like Marcus.”
Margery’s green eyes were oddly flat. “You’re one to talk. When we were kids, you were in love with the mailman.”
Whether intended or not, the barb cut deeply, and it took a while for Prissie to work around the sudden tightness in her throat. “You’re right,” she managed. “I shouldn’t criticize.”
Her friend shrugged and carelessly said, “At least Marcus is good looking.”
Prissie wanted to defend Milo somehow, but to do so would mean confessing too much. Valiantly changing the subject, she asked, “Do you have any shopping you need to do?”
“Not really,” Margery replied, sounding bored. “I was here yesterday.”
“Oh.” Her mind was a blank, so she sipped her iced coffee in awkward silence. When her friend’s phone gave a perky ching-a-ring, Prissie honestly thought she’d been saved by the bell. Margery whipped it out and smiled at the display. “Message?” Prissie politely inquired.
“Yep.”
“Is it April?”
“Nope,” Margery replied, slinging her purse strap over her shoulder and standing. “Come on.”
“But what if they come back, and we’re gone?”
Rolling her eyes, she held