I walked and walked with no destination in mind other than away. As I walked I saw the decorations through the shop windows. It's Easter. Is Emma having fun? Do the Overlands let her go on Easter egg hunts or do they keep her inside? I hope she's okay.
I found myself stopping at an older shop called the Four Friends. It has a section for Easter, a section for Christmas, a section for the Tooth Fairy, and a section for the Sandman. As the sun sets everyone starts to go toward home and the shop closes. I sleep on the bench beside the shop that night. I woke with the sun and kept moving.
…
I watch others and find myself learning by example. I take my first wallet that day and buy a box of granola bars. I eat three bars a day and find myself out of food before the week is up so I steel another wallet to buy another box. Each night, I hid the box and sleep next to the shop.
It was all fine until it rained.
I woke up to the sound of thunder and a soggy sweater. I got off the bench and scrambled to the back entrance of the store where I knew there was a space under the porch. Using my stick, I made sure it was clean of any webs or creatures and spent the night under the stairs. The next day I checked my appearance in the puddles. The hair die had almost completely faded and I was too scruffy looking.
I stole another wallet or two and went into the holiday store. The guy running the Easter side glared at me as I made my way towards Christmas. An older looking man humored me by asking what I wanted.
"Are there any sweaters in blue?"
He laughed at me and showed me a dark blue hoody. It had snowflakes on the cuffs and a large snowflake on the back. I asked him how much it was and it turned out that I had just enough money for it. I left with a new outfit feeling more clean.
…
It became routine for me. I slept under their porch and when my clothes got too dirty I bought new ones in the Christmas section. The older man calls himself North, so I do as well. North always greets me whenever he sees me and I smile back, but the Easter guy doesn't seem to like me. I haven't talked to the others but they seem nice.
On Christmas I write my wishes on a napkin and leave it in North's section.
…
Dear Santa,
I don't know if you're real or not, but I want you to watch over my sister since I can't. It's been three years since Father and his wife kicked me out. It's been three Easters and two Christmases since I last saw my sister. She should be eight now. I'm most definitely on the naughty list for all I've done, but I want you to take care of her. She's always been good.
Jack Frost
…
Every year, the wish is the same. I'm twenty-one now and North always tries to check-up on me when I get new clothes. I don't think he knows that I live on the streets but Aster does. Aster runs the Easter section and he found me when I accidentally slept in. He pulled me out from under the stairs by my hood and started lecturing me on how my presence was bad for business. What if a customer had seen me? Since then, I've been more careful.
I've been getting new clothes at a different shop recently. I can't afford to be close to North or Sandy, who works in the Sandman section, or they might find out how I can afford the clothes from their shop. Aster seems happier since I've stopped visiting, but North and Sandy seem worried, so I stop by anyway.
The door's bell jingles, announcing my entrance; all heads turn towards me. Aster glares but North and Sandy smile. I head over to the Christmas section. North asks what I want and I pick a few shirts and go to give him the money when he tells me that I should try them on.
It was a bad idea.
I never think much of how skinny I am, but even Aster seems worried. I'm simply stealing the bare minimum. If I take too much, it would be noticeable so of course I'm not buff or anything. Now they want me to take the shirt off entirely just to see how bad it is. I tell them that I won't and start towards the dressing rooms.
I shouldn't have turned my back on them.
A/N: The next part will be in Aster's POV. I'm not going to do the accent because I know I'll butcher it.