walk in. He smiles. I sort of smile then walk to the back to set my bag down before coming back out. After setting up the register and scanning over the store, I take my seat and wai

e—no longer taking after the mysterious girl who

ng on the racks. "I want this! No, this one!" The little girl cries in my back of my head as I try to focus on the cash register. "That was two shirts and one hoodie?" I ask the woman again and she nods, impatient. Anot

it roughly and holds up her hoodie, centering each one and judging which mi

ipe up the leftover and slide them back in their slots. When I get back to the main room five more peopl

return to tell her and the little girl throws a fit. "What do you mean you have no smalls? Look what you've done," she nearly yells at me and grabs her daughters arm. "This is ridicu

Hawaiian flower transfers. It's been the most popular one this week, and we don't get anymore shipped until Monday. What the heck am I sup

the single transfer on the table and look up at

e? Are yo

It's been

, now this. What kind of business are you

ry, Ma'am, but there's nothing I can do. The Hawaiian flower has bee

s down at her. "They don't have your flower, this girl doesn't know what the hell she's doing." The girls face

y knuckles are white and I feel as if I can break the counter. My face is hot and I don't want to cry because a lady is yelling at me about a flow

n't you take a little break, okay?" I take step back and watch as Brandon seamlessly takes control of

Talker at t

e boulders sat in the water, so the regulars hung around the upper half of the beach. Someone had started a fire and people were throwing things into it. I watched from a distance until I s

s an older boy with long hair and a tattoo on his arm. He was different, he looke

n empty beer bottle and stubble on his jaw. I remember the first thing he said to me. "You're a pretty thing, aren't you?" I was entranced. I blushed and looked away and looked

s no moving slowly. He had an old Mustang convertible

of something special. Milo was going to rescue me from my past heartbreak, he was going to be my healer. He drove down the main road and placed one hand on th

id to me. "I want to taste you." Then we kissed. It was like electricity charged through him and shot into me. He brought me onto his lap and I felt like an adult, I felt like

mm

is standing there with his hand gripping the f

no problem. I called Sally and she said she's co

bad emplo

like he has more to say, so I refrain from getting up. "You know, there's this house party being t

Brandon get away with it? I nod and he glances off.

on Robson Street, second house from the end on

until I hear the door shut behind me that I can breathe normally again. But it's not until I'm halfway down my Aunts street that I realize I'm making a mistake. Was I trying t

t thinking about him. It's not pleasant thoughts like, oh, Brandon has such great hair, it's angry thoughts. Oh, Brandon is such a charmer, all he does it smile and wave at all these bimbos and expects them to drop to their knee

p at the ceiling. "I have to qu

person in the universe. My Aunt sticks her blonde head through and smiles

have t

have to ask her. S

ask her

in. "Are you

I've been working nearly all

me home

because it was so drainin

sk her, but what are you going

Yeah, I do

ds? Maybe you can go get

uld have forced my way into Brandon's little group of drunk party girls, I just see no need to waste my time with

ake friends every time you're here. All the other y

ay? I've gott

u can skip dinner with us boring old pe

to me, almost shouting about how I need to go to the party now. H

y? Is i

le are going. Does that

isfied. "I'll tal

lusion. I pull on a pair of jeans and whatever top comes out of my suitcase first, walk out the f