Jake, 15, stood outside a pastel-colored storefront with his arms crossed, glaring at the bold glittery letters that read “Frosted Bloom” — a girls-only shopping boutique that smelled like vanilla, sugar scrub, and something floral that made his head spin. This was not GameStop. This was the exact opposite of GameStop.

“You promised, Demitra. You promised we’d go to GameStop only,” he groaned, dragging his feet behind his two older sisters as they strutted inside.

Demitra, 20, glanced over her shoulder in her sleek sunglasses and smirked. “Yeah, well, I also promised myself a new body mist and maybe a crop top or three, so…”

Sunday, 22, tossed her thick waves over her shoulder and grabbed Jake’s arm. “Quit complaining, loser. We’re only gonna be in here for like… ten minutes. Tops.” She paused, then added, “Maybe twenty. Oops.”

Jake sighed like the world was ending and let Sunday drag him deeper into the land of pastel hoodies, shimmer lip gloss, and neon signs that said things like “Slay All Day”. He tried not to make eye contact with the store employees, half-hoping one of them would take pity and show him the exit.

Meanwhile, Demitra held up a pair of fuzzy slippers shaped like strawberries. “Jake, these would look so good on you,” she said with a mischievous grin.

“I’m gonna lose it,” he muttered, slowly backing into a corner near the clearance socks.

Sunday was already testing out a glitter spray on her arms, and Demitra was swiping lip gloss across her hand like it was a paint palette. Jake had no choice but to sit on the pink velvet bench by the fitting rooms, praying the floor would open and swallow him whole.

“You guys lied to me,” he grumbled.

Demitra laughed. “And you fell for it.”

“GameStop is RIGHT across the street!” he groaned, pointing like a desperate hostage.

Sunday winked. “You’ll survive. And if you’re good, we’ll let you carry all our bags.”

Jake slumped deeper into the bench. “This is actual betrayal.”

Still, when they finally walked out thirty minutes later — Jake loaded with three shopping bags, one of which had a glitter unicorn sticker on it — Demitra looked at him and said, “Okay, fine. Now we can go to GameStop.”

Jake blinked. “…You’re serious?”

Sunday smiled. “We’re not that evil.”