TEETH [chris sturniolo]

23. [2/2]

The four teenagers found themselves at the mall. The air hung heavy with the excitement of approaching Halloween.

"Ugh, everything's so cheesy," Piper sighed, picking at a plastic witch hat on a display. "Do you think the boys are having any luck finding a decent costume? We should've gone with them to Spirit."

"Dunno," Chris shrugged, trying to hide his amusement. The last time they'd gone costume shopping, it had ended with Nick dressed as a banana and Matt as a disco ball, he seriously was hoping his brothers would find something cool.

They stopped in front of a display brimming with superheroes and villains. Piper's eyes scanned the costumes, a flicker of excitement igniting in them.

"Black Widow!" she exclaimed, pointing at a sleek bodysuit. "Think I could pull it off?"

Chris tilted his head, studying her. "You could pull off anything, Cruz. But maybe something a little less... skintight?"

Piper shot him a playful glare. "Oh, so now you're body-shaming me? What happened to slutty costumes?"

"No, no, that's not it! It's just... well, you might get a little cold" Chris's cheeks flushed a light pink. "And for the record, that was Nick's idea, not mine" he would rather have Piper dressed in a white sheet, pretend to be a ghost and hide from prying eyes and hormonal boys.

Piper raised an eyebrow. "We're going to a party indoors, Chris."

Chris opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again. Normally, he loved whenever girls dressed up in tight, low-cut costumes that left little to nothing for the imagination. But he was having trouble reconciling with the idea that he wouldn't be the only one at that party looking at her.

Suddenly, a burst of vibrant pink and lacy white caught Piper's eye.

"Whoa," she breathed, her gaze fixed on the mannequins. Chris followed her gaze, a faint unease settling in his stomach. Victoria's Secret wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

"Do you want to go in?"

Piper turned to him. "It's expensive... besides, what would I even buy there? A bra?"

"It wouldn't hurt to look, right?"

Before Piper could muster another protest, Chris was already tugging her towards the entrance. The tinkling of tiny bells announced their arrival, and Chris felt a strange mix of curiosity and regret as they walked in. The air hung heavy with the scent of perfume and something else he couldn't quite place. Rows upon rows of brightly colored underwear overwhelmed his senses.

"This was a bad idea" he muttered.

Piper, however, seemed completely at ease. She wandered through the aisles, picking up random stuff. A giggle escaped her lips as she held up a pair of shimmering pink panties.