"How about the mall? If that's alright with you." Ben asked.
"You know that I can't buy anything in the mall, right?" Cole replied.
"It's fine. Hanging out with you is what's important."
"Whatever you say. Come pick me up by Grove Avenue by 12. See you!"
With that, Ben ended the call and prepared himself for the trip. He went inside and adjoined the room where his wardrobe should be. Despite seeing this place multiple times in the past since this is his usual spot when they played hide and seek in the mansion, the sheer size of it still baffles him. It's half as large as the bedroom but still spacious enough to have racks after racks of clothes. For every piece of attire, there's a copy beside it. Ben searched between hangers and found an attire that suits him. He picked a simple cream-colored polo with a sweater vest of a darker tinge on top. A simple dark blue pants and expensive-looking leather shoes that fit snuggly to his sock feet. And last but not the least, white underwear that is a little bit too tight for his liking. Ben looked for other underwear but this is what all the wardrobe could provide. So, that's one more thing to add to his shopping list.
After preparing his clothes, Ben went back to the bathroom where he peed and took off his clothes. One by one, they fell to the ground but he stopped when heard the door creaking. Mr. Oliver was there, a mud-covered pomeranian puppy in his hands.
"Master Ben, what are you doing here?" Oliver asked, feeling queasy since he's seeing Ben's penis dangling between his legs. Not like he hasn't seen it before. It's just that seeing penises makes him kind of nauseated.
"I'm about to take a bath."
"Yes, I could see that. But why in the bathroom for pets?" Ben looked at the various bathing products in the bathroom and sure enough, they have pictures of dogs and cats on them.
"I didn't notice," Ben laughed. He quickly dressed back in his sweaty pajamas and left the bathroom. But not before asking Mr. Oliver where the bathroom for humans is. Mr. Oliver gave him a quizzical like the maid from earlier, but in the end, he pointed him in the right direction. Walk straight across the hallway, take the elevator to the ground floor, walk straight until he reaches a door with flowered vases on both sides.
Ben went downstairs and found the bathroom with relative ease. The door in front of him is ginormous, thrice as tall and four times as wide. He opened the double door entrance to see a far larger bathroom, which looked more like a pool if you think about it. In the middle is a large square shower room enclosed in a wall of glass. After undressing, he entered its doors to see an equally large square shower head on top. He found the controls by the door and turned it on to have warm water rain down from above. A warm bath is only a dream in the orphanage. The water is rationed and showering should be fast since there tends to be a long line of children waiting to get a bath. As such, Ben took his time cleaning himself and savoring the flow of warm water on his skin. He turned on the setting to have soap mixed in the water, and soon, the shower room is filled with foam and bubbles. He scrubbed his face clean and scrubbed his body with a fresh loofah nearby. He scrubbed between armpits and the sides of his pinkish balls. He shampooed his head with mint-scented shampoo then finished it off with a conditioner that made his light-brown hair silky smooth. He left the shower room dripping wet, cursing under his breath because he forgot to bring a towel. But suddenly, the door burst open and two sunglasses personnel rushed to him with towels in their hands. They pat Ben dry. One placed a towel on the head and dried it by yanking the towel left and right, like buffing a metallic surface. Once Ben is completely dry, they leave him to wear his prepared clothes.
Ben looked dapper in the reflection but felt the affection felt insincere since it's Cole's reflection staring back at him. Getting used to this new reflection would take a while. Ben wished that it wouldn't take so long.
Ben went back to his room, got a small bag to place his phone and wallet. He was about to leave the mansion gates on foot when he passed by Mr. Oliver looking disheveled and the Pomeranian puppy missing from his arms.
"Master Ben, we weren't informed that you have a schedule today. Where are you going?"
"To meet Cole by Grove Avenue since we're hanging out in the mall. Won't take too long."
"On foot? Grove Avenue is a mile away from here." Mr. Oliver plucked a comb from his suit and fixed his hair. He was quick. His hair was fixed in a jiffy. "Do you want me to take you there?"
"Oh," Ben forgot that Cole's family has cars to drive them around the city. He agreed to Mr. Oliver's invitation and waited for a black sedan to drive by the gates in mere seconds. Mr. Oliver replaced the driver inside and Ben climbed aboard. While Ben has ridden with Cole multiple times in the past, the car they ride with changes every couple of months. This one is new as evident by the new leathery smell.
In a few minutes, they reached Grove Avenue. Cole was there, visibly sweating from waiting under the sun in an avenue with no shade to wait on. He's wearing a simple t-shirt and khaki shorts, whom he recognized as belonging to Puel. It's what Ben would do since he has a limited number of garments, and he does not want Cole to see the same kind of clothes every time they hang out. Cole climbed aboard, feeling relieved from the cold atmosphere inside.
"Phew," Cole said. "I know I said that you should pick me up by 12, but I was already there by 11:30. Didn't know that today would be so hot. If I knew, I should have waited." Cole laughed. "Oh, hello Mr. Oliver."
"Hey, kid."
Strange… Ben is not the type to come to meetings earlier than arranged. He's usually late. And he's not this talkative, is he? And that smile on his face. Getting relieved from the sun would not make him that happy to the point that he'd laugh. These attributes are all Cole's. While he may have Ben's face, memories, and life - Cole is still in there, somewhere. And for that, Ben was relieved.
"So, Juniper Mall is where we're going?" Mr. Oliver asked.
Cole was about to say yes but Ben cut him off. "How about we go to Varlys, for a change?"
Cole looked at Ben with expressive concern, a face that Ben didn’t know that his body could make, "I know I can't afford malls, but that place is something else. Don't you need membership cards to enter that mall?"
Cole is right. Ben saw a Varlys Mall Membership card inside his wallet and that's why he picked the place. They only give out 500 cards per year and they cost more than what Ben could make in a lifetime panhandling in the streets. The mall is exclusive of the exclusive but with one request from Mr. Oliver to make a call to the Mall's manager asking for a card, getting a card is as easy as pie. Being the son of an influential tech mogul is the best.
"Just because I accepted the sandwich yesterday, doesn't mean that I could accept this gift. Mr. Oliver, could you call the manager again and return the card." Cole said.
"Sorry, kid. Your name and picture are already on the card. That thing lasts for a lifetime, you know."
Cole fumed, "Okay, this is the last thing you're going to give to me. You know how I hate to be indebted to somebody."
Ben just smiled because he knows that won't be the last thing he'll give. He has more money than he could count and it's ten times more fun to spend it with somebody. And besides, that's him he is helping. Ben will dress him up like a doll, and feed him with the most expensive foods they could grab.
The drive is short when the driver knows the city like the back of their hands. They passed by empty alleyways and drove past long lines of traffic until they reached the edge of the city where a mall is sandwiched between two small mountains. It's less of a mall, but more of a city within a city. There is a long line of people outside but without a card, a guard bigger than Mr. Oliver won't let them in. The two kids passed the long line of pretentiously dressed people and stopped by the mall guard who gave them Cole's membership card.
The person at the front of the line, a man with obviously fake gold sunglasses saw it, "How the hell does a kid dressed in that shabby attire get his card instantly? Like seriously, how!?"
The mall guard just looked at him and grunted.
"Just call me when you two are finished hanging out." Mr. Oliver said.
With that, the two kids entered the luxurious mall with the clamoring sounds of people disappearing as they walked further away.
Saying that this place is just a mall is a severe understatement. The picture from the billboards along road intersections paled in comparison to the real thing. This place is a paradise. The two sides of the valley are paved concrete in various levels lined with stalls. He could describe it as looking like a favela but for the rich and powerful. Two artificial waterfalls originate from the tip of two small mountains, descending a canal, ending up in a large fountain with a golden mall in the middle of the mall. While the mall is spacious, not many people are around. Some looked like they came from other countries, but the place is mostly reserved for the two of them.
The two first came to a restaurant. It's 12:30 in the afternoon and Ben is hungry despite his bountiful breakfast this morning. Of course, Cole refused to get lunch. The cheapest item on the menu, which is a glass of water exported from a dormant stratovolcano from Tanzania, has three digits in its price. Ben respected his decision at first. He ordered slices of garlic bread and said that debt wouldn't count if they just shared it. Then Ben ordered two bowls of carrot soup for the appetizer.
"I told you, I'm still full since I ate lunch earlier," Cole said.
But it doesn’t look that way. His eyes are watering from the sight of that vibrant mushroom soup. A drool of saliva nearly poked out of his lips before he wiped it off. Then they heard a grumble, and Ben swore that it didn't come from his stomach.
"At least taste it and tell me if it's delicious."
Cole quavered but he took the bait. His fingers are shaking, whether from hunger or for the fear of giving out. The spoon disappeared from his mouth. He gulped it at once and wished that he wouldn't taste a drop of it. He did. His whole body squirmed from how delicious it was. The flavor is deep, earthy but with a slight tang to it. And before Cole realized it, he was taking spoons after spoons of the soup. Ben grabbed his bowl and had the same realizations of the flavor.
Cole blinked, the bowl that he was asked to taste was empty.
"Oh, crud. I'm so sorry. I- uhh… I didn't mean to eat it all. I can pay for it!" Cole knows that it would take months before he could.
"Just cut it. I won't ask you to pay and I'll be extra hard-headed this time around. Just sit back and eat the next delicious meal."
"Wait, there's more!?" Cole said with surprise because it goes against his dignity and excitement. After all, he is hungry for more.
After the carrot soup, a large Paella platter was next. The name is new for Ben, but the name looked enticing and the picture looked tantalizing enough. The order came a few seconds later with a side of bread, two bottomless apple juice, and a cup of espresso. The meal of flavored rice and various types of meat is truly exquisite and satisfying. Every bite is an explosion of flavors, each a tease of getting them to more. They liked it so much that they had to order another and engorge on it like the first. The bread is there to clean their palate and the apple juice is a refreshing drink. They left the espresso because they don't like coffee. After the main course came two slices of Tarta de Santiago, an almond cake peppered with powdered sugar on top. It is a subtle sweetness wrapped with the earthiness of the nuts.
The two are slouched on their seats, their stomach bulging out of their shirts, by the end of it.
"Thanks for the meal," Cole smiled.
He noticed it before but Ben could see it now. While he may have his face and voice, if one could look closely, it's still Cole driving that body. Surely nobody else would notice since there are not that many people who know Ben well. They paid their bills with the platinum credit card in Ben's wallet and left the premises with a hefty tip. As they left, they found difficulty in walking. They are far too full, their stomach heavy enough to pull them to the ground. Luckily, there are scooters scattered around to ease their journey or they could ride in the train cars driving around the mall. They chose the former.
Their heaviness did not last long, however. They are kids with high metabolisms. They could walk with ease when they reached the clothing section of the mall. In a few hours, they might make a feast on another three-course meal.
Still, on their scooters, they entered the clothing store for children their age. Ben knows a thing or two about fashion. He knows that Cole now has too. It is a shame, really. He knows fashion but has no money to buy clothing that looks great on him. But that changes with the credit card in his hand.
While Ben is busy filling the basket of his scooter with boxer briefs, he can't help but notice that Cole is scratching his groin. He keeps adjusting his shorts. Ben asked him why he keeps doing that. Hiding his blush, Cole told the truth. His groin started to feel uncomfortable this morning like it was yearning for something that he couldn't put his words on.
"Is it because it's too spacious?" Ben asked. He knows because that would be the opposite of his problem this morning.
"Now that you said, you're right. It's too airy down there."
After buying 50 pieces of boxer briefs, they drove to an aisle displaying briefs. There are tons of them but each one generally has the same design. Ben's boxers tend to be hand-me-downs so there is no room to complain if they are too tight or too loose. That's why does not know what his size is. And today would be a chance to find out. Seeing that there are no other people in the store (not many children of billionaires are there?), Ben thought that it would be fine to pull down Cole's shorts and boxer shorts to see his groin. For Ben, it's fine since that dice used to be his. As for Cole, he was surprised and embarrassed that Ben is callous to do that without his permission.
"What are you doing?" Cole said, covering his dick which left his blushing face to see.
"Finding the perfect size of briefs for you. What?" Ben looked down to see that Cole is hiding his penis. "Relax, I've seen my fair share of penises today."
Cole wasn't sure if that should calm him or not. Nonetheless, he removed his hands and let Ben try various sizes of briefs. The first one they tried had his dick poking slightly in the thin yet smooth fabric. It's too tight so they moved into another. The second one felt no different than the boxer briefs. It's too loose so they moved once more. This one is alright but could be better. It's got baby duck designs on it and Cole is too old for that. They found a similar-sized one in a plain white color. It has the same fabric as the first one. Smooth to the touch and still airy enough for his groin to breathe. It's perfect and they grabbed 80 pairs of them. But not before Ben crouches and squeezes Cole's penis as a tease.
It's strange. It's fun teaching Cole like this. It's starting to feel like he is a separate person from Ben.
After the briefs came the clothes for their body. Lucky for them, there was a store clerk who introduced herself as a person that can help them find the perfect clothes for their body. She came from a prestigious fashion school in Belgium, after all. The two were asked to stand on two podiums, their clothes except for their new underwear, as the clerk came over with a trolley of children's clothes. Sure enough, the clothing she placed looked more decent on their body. One was casual wear of a sleeveless hoodie and sweatpants for Ben. Another knee-length pants, a sand-colored shirt, and a striped scarf in black and red for Cole. For the two hours in that store, the two felt like the sons of fashion designers and they are their muse. For the first time in his life, Cole realized that he could look kind of handsome in the right attire. Too bad he doesn't have the money to buy them.
After the two hours were done, they had two trolleys worth of clothes, one for each of them. The total cost used to only exist in Cole's dreams. Before he could protest, and that the lunch was more than enough, Ben already bought them with a swipe of his card. Two store clerks appeared out of nowhere and boxed the clothes in a neat stack. The clothes are to be delivered to their respective residences placed on their cards.
When Cole heard those words, he froze. Th- that means… Ben knows where he lives. And yet, he still treated him like a friend. He looks so dumb now thinking that knowing the truth would cause a rift in their friendship. He laughed at himself.