Jules slammed the heel of her hand hard into the center of the steering wheel, the car blaring its horn as she swerved to avoid an errant driver.

        "Stay off the road if you can't bear to follow the speed limit!" she yelled, going a solid 10 miles faster than the limit posted in front of her.

         Jacquie was in the backseat, hoping she'd actually make it to the mall in a single piece. This was the third close call she and Jules had had on the road today, and Jacquie felt less confident in Jules' driving skills with each "reckless driver" they barreled to avoid.

         It was one day until Maize's party, and Jacquie decided to try and buy something today even though she still had no clue what to get that would appease everyone. She was hoping that once she got to the mall she'd think up something that would work.

         Jules had to park near the back of the parking lot because apparently, the entirety of Saberon had to do their shopping there that day.

         "We're meeting up at the food court at 4:00, got it?" Jules asked as they made their way to the entrance. "Don't get lost or buy anything too expensive, and please," she emphasized with a hard look at Jacquie, "don't show up when I'm talking to my friends."

         "Okay," Jacquie nodded, a little annoyed that Jules was talking down to her. She had enough social etiquette and experience being a younger sister to not pop up as the unwanted younger sibling in a conversation she knew nothing about.

         Jules and Jacquie parted shortly after crossing the threshold and then Jacquie was left alone, walking through the busy mall. And she was immediately dazzled by everything in sight. Bright and flashy signs and ads to draw your gaze to one of the many stores inside the mall. Dozens of different and interesting people crossing each other up and down the carpeted pathways of the mall, like the sharply dressed man talking through his earpiece or that family of weary shoppers dragging their hefty bags to the exit. There were just so many things for her attention to be drawn to that she couldn't keep her head on straight. 

         Jacquie was so distracted that she bumped her shoulder into something tall and hard while eyeing the flashy entrance to a shoe store. "Sorry! I wasn't—" she began, but stopped halfway through as she was talking to the large pane of glass that displayed the mall directory.  Maybe I should have started here first, Jacquie thought, seeing as it had every store categorized into neat little columns based on what they sold.

         Her eyes skimmed the screen until they saw a section labeled: Books and Gifts. Well, that should be a good place to start, Jacquie figured. The nearest shop was called L∞p, with the two o's fashioned together to make the infinity symbol.

         Looking through the open entrance, Jacquie could see that it was a tattoo shop, a place that didn't sell books or gifts unless your gift was getting someone a permanent reminder of Bill Nye the Science Guy. A bust.

         Jacquie traveled to and from the directory in search of the store that would help her find the perfect gift, but none of them seemed like they had gifts that were just right. It had to be something that would be suitable for anyone, and it would have to be something that they would enjoy as well. But nothing in any of the stores matched what Jacquie was looking for. She made her way back to a directory, scanning through the list nervously. She had no luck under the Books and Gifts section and was beginning to think that she wouldn't be able to find anything in this store. Then what? She'd have nothing for the party and she wouldn't get to share anything and she would be stuck with Johnathan as her only real friend.

         That last thought shocked her a little with its caustic tone. It's not that Johnathan is horrible, she thought, but... I just get tired of him and only him sometimes. Is that wrong? To have someone else to talk to like him? Jacquie pulled herself from her line of thinking, focusing back on her goal. She had a mission to find the perfect gift for that party, and she was going to bring it there and someone would like it. 

         But where in the galaxy am I supposed to find a gift that'll be good to give everyone at that party? 

         Jacquie pored over the directory again, this time noting a section labeled Other. The sparse names mostly consisted of pop-up clothing stores and tech repair places, but one store name caught her attention. Dirty Hands? It was a strange and arguably awful thing to name a store, but Jacquie couldn't help but wonder what they might sell as she trudged towards its location on the other side of the mall.

         It was a smaller store, packed between two major stores, and with a sign colored in dingy greens and muted browns, it was a wonder anyone could find it at all. Unlike the other stores she'd noticed, the entrance to Dirty Hands had translucent glass doors, unlike the open-air entrances the others had. All of those qualities together made the place seem more like a quaint shop you'd be able to find downtown.

         Jacquie took her first steps into the store and her internal warning system went off the chain. This place was dark, the twelve lights rooted in the ceiling barely functioning. The air was muggy as damp plants lined the shelves, extending to the very top of the ceiling. Behind them, Jacquie could make out the shape of thick vines, covered so it looked like the wall was full of them. Somewhere from within the walls came the sounds of a dense forest at night, cicadas buzzing and the lonely song of a bird unfortunate enough to be in such a spooky and miserable-looking place. Even the whooping calls of a howler monkey in the distance, long and echoing, made Jacquie feel like she'd been transported to the jungle.

         Jacquie had made her first steps backward ready to enter the better-lit and less ominous main mall when a door opened in the back of the room, light pouring in to illuminate the place. A remote pointed at Jacquie and the ambient rainforest noises stopped, replaced by the muffled shuffling of people going about their business in the mall. 

         Another click and the lights overhead brightened as best as they could, and in the soft lighting, Jacquie could see the person who stood in the doorway. It was a young teen, who had a decent head above Jacquie. He had long, brown hair that hung in front of his eyes, and his bangs were dyed a strong crimson red. His plain uniform matched the dark green of the vines on the walls—which in the better lighting Jacquie could see that they were just decals— and the yellow rectangle of a nametag stood out from here. The boy walked behind the counter and fiddled with something behind it. "Don't really get many customers this early," he said in her direction. 

         I wonder why, Jacquie thought, still trying to get her heart rate down.

         He emerged from the counter and the sounds in the store shifted. The loud crickets and sad birdsong had changed into a quieter daytime setting, with numerous birds twittering about, leaves rustling softly in a nonexistent breeze. 

         The young employee walked over to Jacquie with a grin that didn't meet his eyes or cheery voice. "Hello valued customer, my name is Erik, how may I be of service to you on this amazing Saturday?"

         "Today's Friday," Jacquie corrected. 

         Erik dropped the full facade and groaned. "Ugh, are you serious?" He paused for a moment then remembered his rehearsed response. "I mean, yes indeed it is," he said with an ear-to-ear grin. "How can I be of service to you, miss?" 

         Jacquie felt a little perturbed by his fake enthusiasm, but Erik's face looked like his entire job depended on this pleasant attitude. "I don't know," she answered, "I'm just looking for a gift for a party. A perfect one."

         Erik raised a questioning eyebrow, then turned to gesture at the stands of merchandise in front of them. There were tie-dyed head scarfs and leather-bound notebooks with faux aging on their spines. There were real fountain pens and shiny jewelry made from "healing stones" placed next to the smelling crystals and those neat glowing salt lamps that always found themselves in a store like this. Even some fake plants in the form of t-shirt designs and iron-on jean patches. Reciting some corporate speech, Erik said, "We've got a ton of items anyone would be proud to take home, all guaranteed to be 100% cruelty-free, antibiotic-free, and vegetarian."

         "Aren't you supposed to say vegan?" Jacquie asked.

         Erik leaned into her ear. "We aren't allowed to say that for legal reasons."

         Jacquie did like quite a number of the items, but she was already seeing the flaws in all of the items. People wear many different sizes, so all clothing was out. Not everyone was into the aromatherapy stuff so that knocked out two good chunks of the store. And everything else left seemed too lame a gift to give to someone. A rock? A pen? Versatile sure, but compared to a lava lamp like Johnathan was going to bring? Puh-lease. 

         "Do you see anything interesting? Anything at all?" Erik chimed, hovering over her shoulder. Jacquie shook her head, which again made the fake smile disappear from Erik's face. "Nothing?" He leaned into Jacquie's ear again and confided, "Look, if you can't find anything you like, just buy a pen or something. Pretty much everyone uses them, so it should be good enough."

         "But I'm looking for something perfect," she emphasized. 

         Erik sighed, drew in a breath of patience, and said, "Look nothing's going to be perfect. Just take the best thing we've got because I honestly don't think I can let you leave this store without buying something."

         "What?" Jacquie said in disbelief.

         "I'm convinced my boss is a total nutcase, having me practice this whole helpful customer service bit all the time—which not a single person has enjoyed so far—"

         Jacquie agreed with that statement.

         "So, I know you won't be getting this 'perfect' thing for this party tomorrow, but could you just pick something decent so you walk away happy and I walk away without getting my ear chewed off?"

         Jacquie looked at Erik's eyes. They seemed to be earnest in his request, green flecks quavering slightly in the brown soup of his irises. It didn't seem right to put that responsibility on Jacquie's lap, but it really wasn't a big ask. Taking a pen and leaving like he suggested earlier. 

         She agreed and swiped a nearby pen. Erik nodded and went to ring it up at the register. Jacquie looked at the pen in her hand, an ugly shade of bittersweet chocolate, the finishings a darker shade that looked like it had been dipped in molasses. She could try and find something better, but maybe this would be good enough. 

        A little voice in her head told her it wouldn't though.

         She was about to pay for the pen when the back door to the shop rattled open. A short and portly dark-haired man was hobbling as fast as he could to the entrance behind Jacquie, putting on a coat as he did so. Erik seemed as surprised by his appearance as she did, and his look of amazement grew wider when the man plopped a set of keys from his coat pocket into Erik's hands.

         "Sir, what're you—" Erik started before being cut off by the man's gruff voice.

         "I need to make a two-hour drive to the aquarium 'cause Carla got into a fight with one of the kids again. I'll be gone the afternoon, lock the doors during your lunch break, and BY MY AUNT AND THE SEA GODDESS DORIS, don't let that young lady," pointing a finger at Jacquie, "walk out of here without buying as little as a temporary tattoo." The man swung open the doors and hurried out of there, leaving Jacquie with her mouth slightly agape, and a joyful Erik. His boss did seem eccentric, but hopefully not the nut-job case Erik feared he was. She had a lot of questions that came to her head but the first one that came out was, "Is Carla his daughter?"

         "Wife," came Erik's reply. He walked away from Jacquie and sat behind the counter in the back. He popped in a set of earbuds and began tapping away with his feet, completely dropping whatever faux employee helpfulness he'd had earlier.

         Maybe I'll have better luck in a different store. She resigned to calling Dirty Hands another bust, but now she had little hope of finding something else at the mall. 

         Jacquie was working on a way to convince Jules to take her somewhere else when she reached for the handle, but the glass doors swung open before she could grab it. She hopped back to avoid being struck in the face, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Erik jolt into a standing position, probably expecting his boss to be the one behind the door.

         A dark-haired boy with a blue cashmere coat walked into the store and looked up and around. His blue eyes reflected the marvel in his voice as he breathed a small "Woah". His gaze fell on Jacquie and his eyes grew even wider. "Hi, Jacquie."