Page 59 of Whatever It Takes
I rub my reddened eyes with my arm and exhale again. I scan the store once more, grazing over the shelves and superhero posters along the wall.
I’ve never had a place that felt safe, but this one does. It feels like more than that.
“Here, I’ll introduce you to Maya, the store manager,” Lily says. “She’ll have a better idea what positions need to be filled.” She guides me towards the checkout counter.
I figure Maya must be the one with short black hair since she takes charge and shows the other girl the register.
“Hey,” I say, nodding to the girls.
I startle the one with the loose braid. She bangs into the cash tray, overturning the plastic container. It lands on the floor, cash and coins spilling out. She freezes at first, blood rushing out of her skin, ashen and pale.
Shit.
“I’msosorry,” the girl says to Lily. She pushes up her black-rimmed glasses, and it hits me all at once.
I know you.
She seems to dodge my gaze, kneeling to gather all the fallen money. Maya stays at the computer, typing on the keyboard.
“I can help.” I squat a little closer to this girl, hoping she raises her head and looks at me, just once. I want to know if she recognizes me too. If she knows who I am—if she hates me like almost everyone else.
Or maybe I just want her eyes to finally meet mine.
While I gather dollar bills, I keep glancing at her, watching as she picks up a few quarters and drops them in the same instant.
My lips rise, and I help her pick those up too. I can hear her breath shorten. And my fleeting smile fades.
Maybe she’s scared of me.
I remember her from that party over a month ago.
The girl searching for Loren Hale.
I also remember her from a recent article.
The girl who turned out to be Loren Hale’s cousin.
I still can’t wrap my head around why she was asking which house Loren Hale lived in when she should’ve had his phone number. Maybe their parents are estranged from each other—I guess it’s not an important detail anyway.
“Okay,” Lily says hurriedly, “now you’ve met Willow and Willow you’ve met Garrison. Meet-and-greet has ended.”
I haven’t met her yet, not really. She won’t look at me.
I rise to my feet at the same time as Willow, helping her fit the cash back into the register. “Are you new here?” I ask, kind of already knowing the answer based on Maya showing her the checkout counter.
Why won’t you look at me?
“Yep,” Lily says quickly. “Yep, everyone’s new. Willow, can you get my purse from the break room?”
Willow shifts slightly, keeping at least two feet between us. “Sure.” She tries to smooth down a stack of fives.
“I can do it,” Maya says, scooting closer.
Willow abandons the register and heads for the break room. She has on those same faded overalls and a mustard-yellow shirt. When she walks, it’s closed-off, tucked into herself—and a part of me understands that.
More than I ever thought I could.
She pauses midway to the door. “My backpack…”
