April's Fool Pt. 01

I was about to put my phone on charge, and tuck down to sleep while I dwelled on the odd exchange, when April messaged me again!

April: thaaanks, I feel so confident right now. Thanks for buying them for me, you're the best!

April sent you a picture message.

The picture appeared before I even had a chance to close the chat window. As a result, there was none of the same tension as before, and I was immediately hit with the sight of April's foot up close. She'd placed it on top of a stool to pose and her toes were spread beneath the material, and splayed apart under the weight of her leg. I was terribly confused, because why the hell had she sent me a photo of her foot up close? The rest of the stockings up the length of her leg was out of the shot, and she'd deliberately focused on her foot. But then, I found out when another message came through:

April: imagine how good they'd look if i painted my nails

"Thanks April," I said, as I put my phone on the nightstand, clicked off my lamp and settled down to sleep. The last thing I wanted to be thinking about as I drifted off was April's feet, but thanks to her excitement, that's exactly what was in my head, as I imagined how those stockings would look with a variety of colours on her little toes.

***

The next morning, I lingered by the door, peeking through the spyhole and checking if April's mother had already left for work. I'd never before been hesitant about leaving the house, but I felt weird. I didn't want to walk out, just as her mother too departed, and find myself having to speak to April. I felt like I'd seen something I shouldn't have; private, intimate glimpses of her body that should never have been shared between two respectable friends. And yet, I'd seen them, and I didn't want to have to face her. I'd even woken up imagining which colour nail polish would suit April best, and that shouldn't have been my morning thought.

"What are you doing?"

I flinched from my mother's voice, and then turned to her.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," she said. "Why are you acting all weird? What are you up to? Are you planning to sneak away and do something without my approval? You know you need my permission for anything."

"Ummm," I said in confusion, before I saw the coat rack behind her. "I was just wondering whether it's too cold to go out without a jacket."

She squinted. "It's November. Of course you need a jacket."

"Right," I said. "Yes, of course." I leaned past her to snatch up a jacket, then after slinking my arms inside, I zipped it up and opened the door.

"Where are you going? Did you just not listen to a word I said?"

"College, Mother," I said, and while I was facing away from her, I felt safe enough to roll my eyes.

"It's Sunday," she said accusingly. "Where are you really going? Who are you meeting? Is it a boy? You know you're not allowed to do that."

I narrowed my eyes, and then stared at the sidewalk in confusion. Was it actually Sunday? My head was such a mess after those messages from April that I was bundle of nerves. I swivelled around, then offered my mother a fake smile. "You're right. I got my days mixed up." I wiped my forehead with my sleeve. "I've been studying so much that my head is all over the place."

My mother tutted, and she wagged her finger at me. "If you think that kind of excuse will be accepted for failing, then it most definitely will not. Perhaps if you spent less time with that misfit girl next door, then you could focus and concentrate on what actually matters." She huffed, and there was an uncomfortable clicking sound as she sucked in her cheek repeatedly. "Do you not realise the opportunity you have been given? The sacrifices I have made for you? Your grandmother took so many risks moving here from the mainland, and this is how you repay your family's courage? You are to squander the chances we've given you? You should be ashamed of yourself. What kind of daughter are you?"

"Mother, please," I said. "I made a simple mistake. I got my days mixed up. It's not a big deal."

"I'll determine what is a big deal," she said as the wagging finger transformed to an accusatory point. "And you'll listen to me when I'm talking to you, young lady. I am your mother, not your maid, or your chef, or your chauffeur. I am your mother, and you will listen to and obey me. You should have been thanking me since the day you left my womb."

"Mother, okay, I'm sorry—"

"Hey Jing." April's voice was like a lightening strike as it zapped me from behind. My back straightened, and all the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. "Hello, Mrs Chan," she continued, and I felt her cheek press against my arm as she wedged her face past the doorframe.

"Hello, April," Mother said with as fake a smile as her strict face could muster.

April smiled, but then she immediately withdrew her head. The next thing I knew, she was tugging on the back of my jacket. "Where are you going?"

"Ummm, I'm not sure," I said while still looking at my mother; her face now having returned to its usual stern thunder.

"Let's go shopping again," she said in a whiny voice.

Mother raised an eyebrow, and was clearly perturbed by that revelation. "Shopping?" she mouthed, without saying a word. "Again?" she continued, her mouth dancing around in silence.

I'd told her the previous day that I had to sort something out at the bank before my shift. "Yes," I lied. "I needed some new socks. So, I bought some yesterday."

"Socks?" Mother asked, unable to resist whispering. "And how much were these socks?"

"Only $10," I said, and I crouched to lift the leg of my pants. A white sock was visible, one I'd owned for well over a year. "It was a necessity."

Mother still didn't appear to approve, but she wasn't about to throw a fit with April so close by. Meanwhile, April was still busy yanking on my jacket, and while I was crouched, I lost balance and stumbled out of the house.

"Yes," April said excitedly. "Let's go shopping again."

"Ummm," I muttered while steadying my feet. I was a bit scatter-brained with everything going on, especially the disapproving looks of my mother. Then there was April's apparent excitement: did she not realise the previous day was a one-off? I wasn't about to go buying her things whenever she wanted.

I looked towards my mother, and while April had proceeded to yanking on my sleeve, I almost felt like I needed a rescue. Mother had dropped her arms to her sides, her hands balled into fists of frustration. Yet, as she made eye contact with April, she suddenly relaxed her posture and a smile of utter contempt appeared. "That sounds lovely," she said, struggling her way through each word. "Have fun." She then animatedly spun around; her smile dropping while in motion. She stomped her way down the hallway and disappeared into the lounge.

"Yay," April said euphorically as she effortlessly got her way. I knew for a damn fact if I'd been talking about going shopping on my own then my mother would never have allowed it. The simple threat of her perfect, untarnished public image being at risk had resulted in me being left to fend for myself. "Let's go," she said, and then I found myself being led down the path as April continued to pull on my sleeve.

"What are we shopping for?" I asked in bemusement.

"I dunno," April said. "Let's see what's there."

I really didn't want to go, because it almost felt like some kind of precedent was being set. But, she hadn't mentioned all of the weirdness of the previous night, and I didn't want to refuse her wants, just in case she did.

***

On the bus ride, April wouldn't shut up about all of the clothes she was planning to try on. There were blouses, and pants, and stockings, and boots, and sandals, and that's before she went into all of the accessories. She was always enthusiastic, but I'd never seen her more excited, and I found the whole thing bizarre. For the first time, she wasn't sunk into her seat during the bus ride, making herself as small as possible so she wouldn't draw the attention of any negative comments. She was beaming, and full of life, and it was hard not to be drawn into the atmosphere. I barely said a word, simply nodding along with bemused smiles as I marvelled at the difference a pair of stockings had made. It was as if her spirit had been revitalised. She'd always been spritely, but in a sheltered, safe space. The change in her confidence was remarkable.

As we entered the mall, April made a beeline for one of the higher-end stores; the kind of place I'd never actually been in before. It was a brand that had mind-blowing prices, and was not something I could ever afford. I wouldn't even want to wear the clothes as I'd spend the whole time worrying about damaging them.

As April bounced her way up to the entrance, a staff member immediately blocked the door way. "I'm sorry," he said, while looking April up and down, snarling at her clothing choices and then finally squinting at the state of her hair. "We're full. You'll have to try somewhere else."

I thought what Mother would do in such a position. She'd politely smile, even though she was furious. She'd step aside and go somewhere else, to just avoid causing her scene. She'd wish to leave the impression that she was dignified and above confrontation.

I didn't want to be like Mother. I'd never wanted to be like mother. Though, my instincts were telling me to follow suit; to remain civil and encourage April to head somewhere else. The staff member's intervention was actually a saving grace. I mean, I didn't want to go in the expensive store anyway. However, when I looked at April, I was moved by how distraught she looked. She felt utterly insulted and as if she wasn't good enough to enter the premises. With a single action, the staff member had erased all of the confidence boosting of the previous night, and despite being utterly terrified and overwhelmed with social anxiety: I couldn't let that go. I wanted to be a good friend to April. I wanted to be her best friend and make her happy, the same way I had when I'd bought her the stockings and I wanted to revel in her thanking me afterwards.

"Is it because I'm Asian?" I muttered, and I barely believed the words that had left my mouth. I looked at April in confusion, and her jaw dropped open, before it rapidly disappeared behind her hand. I darted my eyes back to the staff member in panic, terrified of the beehive I may have just punted. My cheeks began to warm, as I feared that I'd just ignited a confrontation that I wasn't at all capable of riding. I looked off to the side, ready to escape and drag April with me. I most definitely wasn't a fighting kind of girl.

"W-what?" The staff member asked, and it was obvious from his expression that he was rattled. "Of course not." He visibly swallowed a lump in his throat. "I'd never judge—"

I dipped my head slightly, taken by surprise that his composure had apparently been dented. I looked towards April, and she seemed in awe. She was so impressed. "You worried I'm going to spread Covid around?" I added, and again, I was surprised by my own courage. When I noticed April giggling behind her hand, something inside me came to life. I let out two fake coughs. "Are you worried I'm going to infect the whole store because I'm Asian? Is that it? Are Asians forbidden from your premises?

The staff member was so visibly uncomfortable that he was squirming. He was looking around, over our shoulders, worried that others were listening in. He was acting exactly like Mother whenever she feared her reputation was on the line. It spurred me on to strike where it would hurt and get April what she wanted: access to the store. It wasn't fair that she was excluded just because of the way she looked. It shouldn't matter that she couldn't afford the items in there. How the hell did he know that? Simply because she wore glasses, had hair like tumbleweed and a wardrobe straight out of a charity bag: she wasn't allowed in?

I dipped my head slightly and squinted through my own geeky glasses. "Are you profiling me?" I glanced up towards the name of the store and flicked my hand up. "I'm not allowed in here because I'm Asian?" I huffed. "I imagine the media would love to hear about this."

The staff member's lips quivered, and he kept shooting glances between the pair of us. "Geez, woman," he finally said in an agitated voice. He clumsily stepped aside, and then waved his hand. "Stop this already and just come in. Alright?"

"Humph," I said, still maintaining the act, and I held my nose in the air before stepping past him. April swiftly followed and then suddenly we were in a store well beyond our means and fashion tastes.

"Wow," April said as she clutched my arm. "That was amazing, Jing. You're amazing. I'm so lucky to have a friend like you."

I was beaming. I lapped up the praise and continued to savour the moment of being complimented. A most rare moment in my life. However, as we headed over, a number of the female staff looked at us in confusion, particularly towards April. They darted their eyes back to the guy on the door, and he shrugged and put his finger to his lips. Instantly, the women were all smiles, and one approached.

"Is there anything I can assist you with, ladies?" she said, and she was almost like a model. She towered over the pair of us, and her limbs were extraordinarily skinny.

"No," I said, as adrenaline was beginning to wear off; my heart pounding so brutally in my chest that I felt like it was going to burst out. "We're just looking."

The woman's eyes slowly moved between the pair of us, and then she smiled awkwardly. "As you wish," she said. Her grey eyes lingered a little longer on April. "I'll be nearby if you need anything," she added, as she slowly slinked away; her attention remaining on us the entire time.

And so, while the assistant watched us the whole time, we walked around the edge of the store together. April pointed at a few things she liked, yet every time she reached out to touch, I'd notice the assistant step a little closer, as if she was checking that April didn't slip anything in her pocket. It was horribly uncomfortable, and I was sweating all over. I seriously just wanted out of there, but April was so focused on the pretty items that she hadn't even noticed.

"I want to look at the shoes," she said, and she abruptly skipped her way over to that section.

We both stopped in our tracks as there was a pair of girls already over there. The slightly shorter, yet more beautiful of the two was holding up a pair of heels while she squinted and tugged at the leather straps. She had her blonde hair tied into a ponytail, and was wearing the same sort of pleated skirt that I'd sometimes seen April bumbling around in. The difference was it looked magnificent on the stranger; especially with the toned curves of her legs. She must have been athletic, as her calves were so defined. Her top was similarly classy, and though she was wearing sneakers, and they appeared particularly beat up, there was a gold chain around her ankle that just seemed to pop. It was a simple touch, but it worked, and I looked towards April's gangly legs and thought how ridiculous it would look on her; more likely being mistaken for a prison or hospital tag.

The gaggle of female assistants near the cashier station were paying no attention to the blonde girl at all. Whereas they were watching April and I like hawks, the blonde girl was swanning from item to item, picking them up freely and then not even putting them back in the correct places. It was so damn annoying, and ridiculously unfair. I looked at April. and could tell she was jealous, and I wasn't about to let those women take away her happiness.

I placed my hand gently on April's back. "Let's see if there's anything you like," I said with a smile. "At the very least, it'll be cool to try them on, huh?"

April smiled too, and then she stepped towards the section. However, we both paused when the blonde girl let out a loud tut. Immediately, my first reaction was like I was back in school, and that one of the popular girls had locked her attention on me. My instinct was to flee, and I could sense the same within April as she remained rooted to the spot. However, the blonde girl hadn't appeared to notice us, and instead, she was tutting at the expensive shoe she was eyeing.

She grimaced slightly as she traced a finger along the sharp heel, before she shrugged and tossed it carelessly towards the girl at her side; an older red-head struggling not to fumble and drop it to the floor. "I want these," the blonde said in a most bratty tone. "Go see if they have them in my size."

Both April and I looked at each other in surprise, and then I quietly mouthed, "Wow, that was rude."

April nodded animatedly, and then the pair of us were engrossed.

The older, red-headed girl seemed a little staggered and she held the shoe against her chest. Her shoulders were sagged, and her head slightly dipped, as if this sort of thing was a common occurrence. The blonde one, though shorter, just had something about her posture that communicated authority. She immediately leaned towards the feebler girl and screwed up her face. "God," she sneered in a rather snotty and annoying voice. "Don't act like you're not desperate to see my feet in them. You're practically drooling all over the floor." Her expression was so intense, that even though she was obviously beautiful, I was terrified by her without even being party to the exchange.

I took an instinctive step back, fearful that she may notice us and pepper us with the same hair-dryer treatment for eaves-dropping. "What the..." I whispered in confusion. April didn't respond, because she seemed mesmerised by what was playing out. She wasn't staring at the blonde girl in the same fear, but almost in awe. In actuality, the pair of us were both entranced by the oddness of the exchange, though seemingly for entirely different reasons. I was so intimidated by the blonde's attitude, that it took me a few seconds longer to register exactly what she'd said. I dipped my head towards April, and then asked in the lowest voice, "Did you just hear that?"

"Uh huh," April whispered back without even turning away, clearly captivated by whatever was playing out.

The older girl mumbled something back, but it was in such a low voice that it wasn't intelligible from where we were standing. However, from the way her eyes were lowered, it definitely felt deferential. She took a step towards the assistants, but then paused as she noticed the two of us spectators. She immediately became all flustered and sheepish; her cheeks blossoming until they were a similar shade to her hair. She dropped her eyes and stared at the floor, before she awkwardly shimmied towards the store assistants while clutching the shoe. As she passed, we momentarily made eye contact as she slyly looked up, and it was obvious she was embarrassed as hell by whatever was going on.

"Good," the beautiful blonde girl said over her shoulder without even looking back, and then, while her attention was on a different pair of shoes, she huffed rather loudly, "And don't take all day. I'm not done spending your money yet. I still have plenty of your inheritance to get through."

The older girl flinched, and then she paused, looking back at me, clearly terrified that the odd comment had been overheard. I was just standing there open-mouthed, while April had cocked her head and seemed lost in wonder.

"Umm, sorry," the older girl said.

My mouth hung open, and I was about to tell her that everything was okay. That she had nothing to apologise for, but no words came out. I was just too shell-shocked by everything I was seeing.