"Thank you," she said, blushing at the compliment.
"You better go change so we can check these out."
She turned towards the fitting room, but then stopped. "I don't have any money," she said. "I gave everything to Prudence and Wendell."
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. Go in and change."
She changed back into Mrs. Pryde's clothes, avoiding the mirror to preserve the beautiful image she'd seen. Then she followed Joseph to the front counter, where a girl rang up the clothes. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked.
"We sure did," Joseph said. The girl gave them the total and Samantha's knees almost buckled. Joseph seemed unconcerned by the cost; he pulled a plastic card out of his wallet and handed it to the girl.
"Are you sure you can afford this?" Samantha whispered.
"I told you, don't worry." He signed a piece of paper and then the girl handed a bag to Samantha.
He led her down a long hallway of lockers like those in the high school, at the end of which was a bathroom. "I'll be right here when you get back," he said.
She took the clothes into a bathroom stall and almost tore off Mrs. Pryde's old clothes in her hurry. Samantha donned the new shirt, pants, and jacket, feeling a surge of confidence as she did so. No one could look down on her in these.
She stopped at the bathroom sinks to tease her hair. She should ask Joseph for some shampoo and conditioner to get rid of the split ends. She needed some makeup for her face too. A little blush would bring out her cheekbones and some eyeliner would add body to her lashes. And of course she needed moisturizer for her skin with this cold air drying her out.
She emerged from the bathroom with a dainty spin so Joseph could admire her from every angle. "What do you think?"
"I think you're the most beautiful girl in the world." He took her into his arms and kissed her on the cheek. He led her back down the hallway into the mall's corridor. This time when a group of girls neared them, Samantha noticed the way their conversation stopped and they snuck jealous glances at she and Joseph. She put her arm through Joseph's and followed him along the rows of stores, walking slow enough so everyone could get a good look at them.