Chapter 6 Shopping

“Yeah?” Elise responded to the knocking on her bedroom door. The door slowly opens and Andrea says sheepishly, “I’m sorry Elise, you are usually up by 9am, so I figured I wouldn’t be waking you. You can go back to sleep.” Elise rolled over from her side to her back so she could see Andrea better and get a feel for what was up. Andrea rarely ventured upstairs since her master bedroom, the biggest in the house, and the only one with an attached bathroom, was on the first floor. “No, it’s okay. It’s time to get up anyway. I have studying to do before I meet a new friend for supper.” Elise smiles and studies Andrea before continuing. “What brings you up here? You almost never venture into my neck of the woods,” Elise pats the bed as she finishes, inviting Andrea to come in and sit down. Clearly something was going on and her friend was too proud to just spit it out. “I’m going to the mall to get an outfit for a presentation I need to give this week.” Andrea won’t meet Elise’s eyes as she continues to speak, looking at everything but Elise, “I was just hoping you’d want to come with me.” Elise watches Andrea try to look like she is busy inspecting Elise’s boring decor before she answers, “what’s really up? You never ask me for fashion advice. Hell, I’m the worst person to ask since I have almost no fashion sense myself.” Andrea finally meets Elise’s eyes before she smiles and shrugs. Elise takes her hand and watches her and just waits patiently… whatever she needs must be hard for her to talk about. Wish she would just say it…Andrea clears her throat before continuing, “Mom called last night and Dad is having a biopsy on Tuesday because they found a suspicious lump in his pectoral muscle. Mom said never to call it ‘breast cancer’ in Dad’s presence, but that’s what they suspect it could be. Mom said Dad was complaining, “I don’t have breasts, so it cannot be ‘breast cancer’!” Elise squeezed Andrea’s hand slightly before asking, “do you want me to go with you on Tuesday? I’m sure this is hard for you. You’ve always been Daddy’s little girl.” As she finished, Andrea’s eyes began to tear up… Next thing Elise knew, Andrea had her face in her hands and was sobbing, leaning with her upper body laying on the bed and her legs still hanging over the side like she was still sitting. It did not look very comfortable to Elise, but then Andrea wasn’t thinking about her comfort right now. “I couldn’t ask you to skip class to go with me, but I have to be there.” Andrea then pulled her stocking feet up onto the bed so she was laying on her side with her back to Elise. Quiet sobs could be heard coming from Andrea as she lay on the bed. “You are in luck my fine friend, because Tuesday I do not have classes.” Elise moved closer to Andrea so she was practically spooning her, except for their height difference. There was no sexual connection, just the feeling of love and support from one friend to another. “So, if I know what time,” Elise continues as she brushes Andrea’s long, reddish-brown hair back, away from her face, “I can make arrangements to be there and help you all understand what they are talking about.” “Oh Elise, you’d do that for me?” The tears that had slowed down somewhat, began to run freely down Andrea’s freckled cheeks again.

Elise, still laying behind Andrea and holding her while she cries, bent her elbow and put her head in her hand so she was partially sitting up and high enough to see Andrea’s face. “The simple fact you have to ask means you don’t know how important you are to me.” Now rubbing her back and shoulder from behind, Elise finishes, “and... I will go with you today to find a power suit for your presentation. I may not be much fashion help, but I can still come so you’re not alone. I can provide distraction and support as you go through this torturous wait for your Dad’s appointment. Do you think we will be back here by 345pm? If not, I need to reschedule supper with my new friend.” Andrea looked back at Elise with a shocked look on her face, prompting her to explain, “Before you ask, she is a nurse at the hospital where we do our clinical.” Since Andrea was already dressed and had done her hair and makeup, Elise told her she would hurry and get ready and meet Andrea downstairs within the hour. Andrea accepted the idea, wiped the tears from her cheeks, agreed they should be back in plenty of time for her plans, and left Elise’s room to go back downstairs. Thirty minutes later, Elise had taken a quick shower, threw her hair up in a messy bun, threw on a bra, underwear, blue jeans, a tee shirt, and socks, grabbed her purse, and ran down the steps. Once to the entryway, she put on tennis shoes and looked to find Andrea sitting at the table finishing a cup of coffee. After placing her cup in the sink and grabbing her purse and keys, Andrea was ready to head out the door with Elise in tow. The other roommates all had nicer newer vehicles than Elise, so she usually rode shotgun anytime she went somewhere with someone else. Elise’s charcoal grey Toyota truck served her purpose, but it was far from a luxury vehicle. Elise had promised herself that a new vehicle was one of the first things she was going to buy after passing the NCLEX licensing exam and becoming a Registered Nurse. Andrea drove to the Apache Mall where there were several stores to hopefully find an outfit powerful enough to make an impression for Andrea’s upcoming Marketing class presentation. In Elise’s experience, Andrea tended to go a little overboard when she dressed for school projects. Of course if it made Andrea feel better, she definitely had the money for it. Andrea’s father gave Andrea a credit card for her to charge her expenses, as long as she continued doing well in college. Considering who Andrea's father was, even her jeans had to be designer. Andrea’s father always told her, ‘You only get one chance to make a first impression. Dress for success and make that encounter the best it can be!’ If you thought about it, it really was amazing Andrea didn’t have a single college dorm room their freshman year of college. The reason Andrea gave was that her father felt if she had a roommate, she would be less likely to isolate herself in her dorm room with books and not socialize. Andrea is shy socially, but academically she is at the top of her class. Elise’s opinion is that Andrea’s father is such a force to be reckoned with that Andrea simply became comfortable in the shadows. Once arriving, the salesperson helped point the young ladies in the right direction. Andrea took 4 suits in the dressing room but bought the first one she tried on. The black, brand name pant suit fit her so well she wouldn’t even need it altered. Paired with a pair of black heels and Andrea was ready to go. After charging just over $300 for her suit and shoes, they were headed to lunch. Outings between Andrea and Elise were always interesting because of the difference not only in their financial standing, but also in their upbringing: how they were raised, what they wore, and the food they were nourished with. After Elise’s father passed away, money was tight for her

family, while Andrea’s family never wanted for anything. Andrea was expected to work hard in school, partake in extracurricular activities sought after by colleges, and attend church on holidays to make an appearance with her family. Elise not only did well in school, she played softball, babysat as much as possible to earn money, and volunteered two days a month at the local nursing home through her church. Thick as thieves, the two girls had come to an agreement shortly after moving into the dorms; they would either cook at home, split the delivery fee, or go to a less expensive restaurant for meals when out together, so there were no hard feelings. This had been a necessary agreement because initially Andrea wanted to always pay for everything and go to the fanciest restaurants, as she had grown accustomed, due to her wealth as she grew up. Elise had to educate Andrea that the finer things in life don’t always have to cost a fortune. Sitting at a booth in a secluded corner of the restaurant, the two discussed that Andrea was in shock about her father finding the lump and then confirming that it was indeed suspicious via a 3-D mammogram. Men of course don’t usually get regular screening for breast cancer like women do. Elise knew the chances were good the cancer may have spread by the time the lump was large enough to be detected. Elise attempted to be realistic but also reassuring to Andrea regarding her father’s upcoming biopsy. Andrea explained, “My dad has just always been so strong, ready to conquer the world, and at the top of his game that it’s hard to believe anything could get him down. I guess.. I’m just in shock.” The conversation went on with Andrea talking and Elise listening actively throughout lunch. When the tab came, both ladies left a generous tip with the cost of their meal, and headed toward home. Andrea felt so much better just being able to unload her feelings to Elise and knew she wouldn’t judge her for it. Andrea thanked Elise repeatedly and gave her a hug and a kiss on each cheek before heading to her bedroom to hang her new suit in her closet. Elise had just enough time to study before she had to get ready to go meet Kameron, and she did just that.