I posted the entire thing initially, but it was like more than 12,000 words so I divided it into two parts and I'll post the second part Christmas day. I promised a holiday special. This is from me to you. Happy holidays and happy new year,
~S
(a few important things: there are no flashbacks so don't get confused with the italics, Anything in italics and with tildas next to it are lyrics {you'll get there}, and for the italics sections, underlined things are equivalent to normal italics on normal text {You probably would've gotten that on your own} Okay thank you I love you)
Chapter 4, part one
(3:56)
"This one's perfect. It's nice and robust." Nicky's voice rang with resounding approval and her boot gently kicked the sturdy trunk of a verdant tree.
"Robust." Alex smirked at the word choice as she took a gander at their potential pick.
"What? I know my English." Nicky adjusted her black knock off Ray Bans and continued inspection. Alex gave her a perplexed look and furrowed her thin brow.
"Why the fuck are you wearing sunglasses? It's overcast," She asked. And she was right. The sky was a deep charcoal shade of gray, even though it was well into the afternoon. The sun hadn't touched the sky for the past week and if someone wore sunglasses, they were probably either a fugitive or a douche. And Nicky, as far as Alex was concerned, was not a fugitive and was only a douche on occasion. The catcher groaned under her breath and lowered her shades, revealing a bruise that shadowed her right eye and receded at her cheekbone.
"I snuck out last night to head over to Morello's. I was rushin' out so quick I bumped into the window. Got a wicked shiner."
"Yikes." Alex grazed her index finger against the black and blue and Nicky winced when it came to a small wound close to her nose. Alex's uneven expression loosened into a sly one. "You do her good though?"
Nicky glided the shades back up to the bridge of her nose and smugly raised an eyebrow.
"When do I not, my friend." They shared a moment of mutual pride and continued on with their business.
The tree really was perfect. It wasn't too big that the top would strain to stand tall against the Vauses' unfortunately low ceiling or too small that it would cower in the corner of the hardly-a-studio studio apartment. It's branches were thick and rich with noble shades of jade. It didn't seem to be fazed by the wind and rain the nursery had experienced earlier in the week. It sat proud at around five feet tall. And the thought of possibly having a tree come Christmas was shamefully so exciting to them.
But then they checked the price.
"It's $167," Alex said a little too dully. Underneath her flattened voice, she was disappointed, even though she'd never admit it. Nicky darted her eyes to her right for motivation. Then she brought them back up to Alex.
"Okay, we can pull this off. Don't worry."
"Nicky, we have fifty dollars. No fucking way we're gonna get this tree." Alex dug her fists in her pockets and sighed up into the air.
"No, we are gonna get this tree. And you're gonna have Christmas." Nicky was almost asserting this.
"This isn't anything too serious anyway and you're not the Make a Wish Foundation. It's really fine." Alex deepened her hands in the men's sized pockets of her jacket and Nicky flattened her lips.
"I don't give a shit if this comes out gay, but I'm you're fuckin' best friend. And I'm making it a point as of right now, that you're gonna have a tree like everyone else in the neighborhood and we're gonna have the best, most festive Christmas in Nichols-Vause history. Don't argue with me on this one." Nicky jabbed the center of Alex's stomach and she recoiled, forcing down a smile. She shrugged her shoulders, knowing she was unable to argue.
"Fine. Whatever." She shook her head and huffed warm air out her nose. "Let's do Christmas." Nicky gave an introverted cheer and she rubbed her palms together. Alex freed her smile, rolling her eyes to water down her closet enthusiasm.
"Alright, let's get us a tree." She skimmed the rows of evergreens until she landed upon a stocky looking man in a red vest. "Excuse me," Nicky's echoey voice called his attention. He stopped his milling around and turned to them. He took his sweet time to shuffle over to the two girls, a deadpan expression pressed across the un-enthused lines of his face. The catcher feigned a sugary smile. "Hi," she snuck a glance at the man's plastic name tag. "Kurt. How much is this tree?" She tilted her auburn head and motioned to it. Kurt blinked daftly.
"Check the yellow price tag. You can't miss it." He spoke slowly. And Nicky's artificial smile struggled to hold its posture it as she realized her act was ripping at the seams.
"Yeah, see, um. My friend here and I can't really, uh. Afford this here tree. So can you maybe, you know, give us a hand?" She leaned over and nudged the man with her elbow a little too sardonically for Kurt's taste. He rolled his eyes and emptied a sigh.
"In accordance to our policy, we cannot alter any fixed prices on any of our trees." His unflavored voice sickened the air and their chances. Alex folded her jacketed arms across her chest and decided to focus on the hole she was burrowing with her foot.
Nicky finally took a step towards Kurt. She cleared her throat and relaxed her canned smile.
"Kurt, come on. It's Christmas. And we are two, struggling, well behaved students who just want to celebrate the holidays in a reasonably priced fashion. So in the spirit of this beautiful season, find a place in your heart to give us this tree." He didn't seemed to be very swayed by the argument to begin with, and the addition of the classic holiday appeal didn't seem to help much either. So Kurt rolled his apathy filled eyes and repeated, even more lifelessly than before:
"In accordance to our policy, we cannot alter any fixed prices on any of our trees."
And then Nicky snapped.
"Oh, come on, Kurt! It's fuckin' Christmas!" Alex placed a hand on her untamed shoulder and strained a sense of the causal control over the situation.
"Okay, I think we are done," she a stamped a clenched smile across her cheeks at the unfazed worker. "Thank you, Kurt. For your time-" but Nicky was no where near finished.
"You know, I bet you think this is funny, Kurt. You sadistic, inconsiderate, asshole. So fuck you, and your policy, Kurt!" Nicky was still firing bullets at him as Alex was dragging her away from the scene, Kurt visibly sighing and continuing on about his afternoon.
It wasn't until they made it out to the streets that she finally cooled off.
"Sorry, that usually works."
"It's fine."
They sat on the curb outside a pharmacy as they shared a smoke. They exchanged few silent drags and then Nicky's honey eyes widened.
"Vause, what time is it." Her voice was seasoned with haste, but Alex was free of any rush when she evenly checked her clock."
"4:23."
"Okay. I got a crazy idea."
"Fuck," Alex took the cigarette from her and inhaled.
"Okay, so we need to make a quick stop at my place and I'll tell you along the way or else we won't have enough time. So let's go." She plucked the cigarette from Alex's cold lips, took a final, appreciative drag, and then extinguished it beneath her boot. She hoisted herself up from her low seat, helped her friend up on her feet, and they were off.
/
(4:12)
Piper squinted her crystal eyes as she scanned her closet for the millionth time. She swished air through her puffed cheeks as she studied her dresses. But at last she let out a dejected groan and spun on her heels to face a brunette, seated cross legged on her plush duvet.
"Polly, help me I don't know what to do." The girl arose from her spot and plodded next to the blonde in front of her closet. "I don't own anything festive. At all."
"You don't even have to be festive. It's just dinner and the adults have wine and cheese and we sneak out with some liquor in the loft and then we hang out." Polly grinned. "Unless you're gonna bitch out like last year." Piper shoved her friends shoulder, who didn't seem fazed and laughed.
"Yeah, well good thing I bitched out last year or you would've really done something dumb and gotten puke all over Cody Warren's shoulder."
"It would've made room for a nice moment where he helped me into bed or gave me water or something." Piper rolled her deep eyes back at the girl, who was occupied with pulling out various black and red clothing combinations from her closet, laying them out on Piper's bed. She seemed to be pulling out outfit after outfit, dress after skirt after article of clothing. While Piper was struggling to find one piece of fabric that seemed to fit the occasion. She groaned helplessly again.
"I think you got the better side of my closet. I'm finding nothing." Polly scoffed and stepped over to Piper's side of the closet, sorting through blouses and summery clothing that didn't fit the weather.
"Oh, hello. What's this?" Polly stepped again in front of Piper to gain leverage over a dress shoved behind rows of hangers. She wrestled with it for a while until she finally gained enough momentum to pull in from the shadows, knocking a few skirts down along the way. Polly held it in front of the two, a red velveteen dress with long sleeves and a flaring bottom. Piper tilted her head in thought, taking the luxurious fabric between her fingers.
"I haven't seen this think since freshman year." She smiled nostalgically, transporting herself back to the Christmas dance where she danced with Kyle Kendler because she was too scared to ask Larry. "You think it's too young?" Polly made a face.
"No, not at all. All you have to do is dress it up with some of these," she pulled out a pair of black stockings from a nearby drawers "and some pearls and red lips instead of braces and flats." Piper turned to her, slightly offended, but as Polly put her hands up in defense, the blonde remembered how dark a phase that actually was and huffed.
The house had been silent the whole time, even though Piper's mother had been talking about and stressing over this dinner since the beginning of last week. Cal was cooped up in his room playing whatever violent video game was in bloom, and they didn't seem to care. They turned on Christmas music on Polly's phone and while she was setting up a getting ready schedule for the two of them, Piper showered and she stood in her terry cloth bathrobe for a while after that. For the first few minutes of silence, Piper decided not to worry and deemed it perfectly normal and blamed it on the poor acoustics in her house. But an hour after, Piper began to worry.
"Hey, Pol, is anyone home?" Piper said as she strolled over to her vanity and picked up a brush. Polly walked over to the frosted window and wiped her sleeve across the glass. She peeked around the corner and looked back at Piper over her thin shoulder.
"There are no cars in your driveway." Piper went to join the brunette at the window and pressed her cheek against the cold.
"The garage was empty last time I checked." Piper deepened her brow, trying to remember if her mother had said anything about leaving. But she started for the door anyway, Polly close at her tail. She went down the winding wooden staircase and her bare feet made gentle beats against the matching wood floor, making her way into the open, decorated kitchen. The lights were off, telling the girls someone had either left or come back without turning the lights on. Which was unlikely, so they went with the latter. Piper flicked the lights on and Polly abandoned her at the light switch. The blonde scanned the area, ignoring her friend who was rummaging through the fridge for something to eat, and decided the house was empty. Then her eyes fell upon a sheet of paper sitting face up on the granite counter a few feet away. She shuffled over to it and read.
Ladies,
I apologize for leaving you alone but I do have a few things for you to do while I get my hair done and run a few errands. Please help by completing the following
pick up the deserts from the caterer
buy any extra gifts you need
clean the house before the guests come at 8
Thank you, ~Carol/Mom
Piper's heart began to pick up to a running pace and she whipped her body around to Polly, who was spooning a dollop of greek yogurt into her mouth.
"Polly! We have so many things to do! Look at this!" Piper shook the note in her hands and Polly walked over, the tub of organic yogurt still in hand. She dropped her spoon in the yogurt and moved it to the crook of her elbow to take the note in her hand. She skimmed it top to bottom and then gave it back to Piper.
"It's fine, we can get this done. Easy." Piper's face still hadn't relaxed when she received it. And she was beginning to panic over how collected Polly was.
"Polly it's going to take at least three hours. And I just showered and you still need to. And we are never gonna get this done." Piper's voice was beginning to rise in pitch, something she did when she was becoming overwhelmed. She raised her shoulder slightly and wiped a hand beneath her arm. "Shit, Polly I'm sweating. You know I stress sweat. And studies show that stress sweat is the one with the strongest smell." Polly rolled her eyes.
"Where'd you learn that, Cosmo?" Piper lowered her gaze in a self conscious reflex. "Listen, it's fine. We can take my car. I filled the tank yesterday so we don't have to worry about stopping for gas. Get dressed and put on some deodorant and I'll wait in the car." Piper loosened her poster through a deep-seated exhale. "Hey, don't worry. Remember I'm gonna be helping you too." Piper looked back up at her friend, who bopped her reassuringly on the nose and sent her off.
Piper was sure to make her way up the staircase quickly, but not too quickly. She'd be needing that energy for later.
/
(4:49)
"Why can't you just go through the door? It's your house." Alex's shoulder was flattening itself against the dense side of Nicky's lavish place. A draped Christmas light was imprinting itself against Alex's side and she inhaled sharply every time Nicky moved to the left.
"I don't wanna go through the trouble of talkin' to my bitch of a Ma," Nicky's foot was stepped in Alex's interlocked fingers and her hands were reaching for a high window. Her other foot was scrambling against the wall, searching for some kind of secondary form of assistance. Her short arms were nearly detaching themselves from the socket as her fingers were just brushing the windowsill. "Now come on, boost me a little higher I almost have it." Alex grunted as she struggled to push her leg up. Her muscles, even as toned as they were, were shaking and with the Christmas light stabbing into her ribcage, she couldn't bear her any longer.
"Agh, you're too heavy. I can't hold you," Alex dropped the girl and she landed upon the grass with a thud. She staggered to catch her balance for a moment, but then she adjusted her glasses that had fallen askew. "How did you sneak in and out from Morello's?"
"I went in and out through the back and left it unlocked. Then when I came back I locked it again." Alex began patting herself down for the shape of a pin. She felt around her empty pockets too but shook her head when she couldn't find it.
"I don't have a pin. We're locked out." Nicky clicked her tongue hopelessly behind her front teeth and her eyes fell. Alex didn't break her gaze though. She still studied the still brainstorming girl and squinted at her.
Nicky looked up at her when she was gaining awareness of her stare.
"Alex, no."
"Nicky, come on. It'll be two minutes."
"But I don't wanna deal with her. You know all too well we don't get along." Nicky blew a strand of frizzed hair from her face and shoved her hands in her pockets. Alex didn't bother to argue, but tried a different approach. She loosened her squint, and raised her thin brows. She tilted her jet black head to the side, just slightly. And she smiled. Nicky relaxed her face further into a frown.
"Don't give me that face, Vause. I'm not doing it."
Alex batted her thick lashes smiled even sweeter. So sweet that her glasses raised an inch on her blossomed cheeks.
Nicky released a lamented groan up to the clouds.
"Fine."
"Thank you," Alex sighed and relaxed her doll-like expression. Nicky adjusted her jacket and turned to go. Alex gave final sentiments of encouragement, to which the girl cordially responded with a flip of the bird.
Nicky adjusted her jacket and pushed the lock of the glass door.
She paced through the opulent living room, fully furnished with candles, wreaths, and at the corner of the living room, a grand Christmas tree.
"Two minutes," Nicky reminded herself. She crept over to the tree and began ghosting her finger over the graceful ornaments. And just as she closed her fingertips over the orb, she froze when she heard a sharp gasp cut through the silence.
"Nicky," the girl whipped around to see the gasp, her almond eyes wide with angst. "Why do you dress like that? You look like a hoodlum." Mrs. Nichols, clothed in classic socialite attire, looked appalled at Nicky's favorite blue flannel and large black puffy vest. The girl gave her outfit a quick examination from above.
And when she did, she hatched an idea.
She clasped her hands behind her back and smiled.
"Hey, Ma." She raised her gravelly voice a key and tilted her head. Mrs. Nichols furrowed a finely shaped brow in bewilderment.
"Hi," she said plainly. Nicky smiled harder.
"You know I feel like we haven't spoken in so long," Nicky rocked backward and gripped an ornament behind her. "You look great." She laid the complement on thick with flattery and waited for her frozen mother to answer.
"Thank you." She groomed her neat bob and adjusted her navy blazer. Nicky guided the orb off from its branch and held it for a moment, to adjust her nimble grip.
"So tell me, Marka." Her mother cocked a brow at the use of her first name. "What's been going on in your world?" She raised her inquisitive brows and waited again for a response.
"Well," she began. "We're having a gala at the country club to sponsor the Barnhams."
"Tell me, who are the Barnhams? I must've just forgotten. So many names, you know?" she schmoozed. She feigned a short laugh, her mother responding with the like. And in an invisible motion, she slipped the globe under the back of her tight undershirt.
"They're the family that runs that golf tournament every year. The televised one," the mother explained.
"Oh, that's them?" Nicky shifted her weight and clasped her smooth fingers around another.
"Yes, that's. Them." her mother relaxed her posture for a moment and then pulled herself up once more. Nicky revived her soapy smile and peeled the icicle shape it from its bough.
"What have- ahem," she cleared her throat, as if stopping to her daughter's level was a strain on her voice. "You been up to?" Nicky bit her lip and then relaxed into a stream of posh laughter.
"Ohhhh," she lowered the second ornament into her back pocket during her dragging 'oh.' "Well, no galas in my near future." She laughed again and her mother give a discomforted smile.
And as if an outside blessing knew her plan the whole time, the phone in the kitchen rang.
"Well you better get that. It's probably important," Nicky motioned to the ringing with her nose and bid her a too lovely goodbye. Her mother's chic heels clopped into the kitchen and when she was out of sight, Nicky thanked the miracle and turned again to the tree. She made haste to arrange the remaining decorations to cover her tracks. But in one swift motion She grabbed a third glittering ornament and positioned a line of gold tinsel above its place. And in nine long, silent strides, she was out the door and in front of an expectant Alex.
They blinked in silence, the brunette's heart slowing in angst.
Nicky smiled smugly.
"God bless the puff jacket." She dangled all three sparkling ornaments in front of Alex's widened green eyes. The tall girl's jaw dropped as she took up one of them in her fingertips.
"Jesus, are these Swarovski?" She adjusted her glasses in disbelief as she skimmed her thumb over the intricate crystal patterns. Her eyes found the brand's name printed on the ribbon to answer her question. Nicky shrugged.
"She won't miss 'em too much." Alex released her delicate grip on the shimmering ball and smiled. "Time check." Alex took a quick glance to her phone.
"5:04."
"I got a couple bikes in the shed. I pumped them the other day. Should be fine." Nicky placed two of the round ornaments in her hands. They trotted behind Nicky's house once more and stopped in front of the abandoned shack. Alex hauled the creaky door open and they stepped inside the stuffy air. She coughed as sawdust and debris caught in the back of her throat. As the tall girl dealt with her coughing fit outside, Nicky stepped over various tool boxes and broken crates and kicked past empty boxes until she uncovered two sturdy bikes sprawled out on the dusty floor. She wheeled them to Alex one at a time, who felt the tires and leaned them against the corner of the shed.
"They okay?" Nicky fanned dust out of her face and stepped out into the grass.
"Yeah they're good." Alex picked up the green bike and started to wheel it away. Nicky frowned.
"Wait."
"Yeah." Alex stopped mid step and peered over her shoulder. Nicky looked down at the grass that fenced around her boots.
"Can I have the green one?"
"What?" Alex broke eye contact for a second and scrunched her nose and eyes. "Does it matter?" Nicky sighed and deepened her hands in her pockets.
"But the green ones fuckin' awesome." Alex rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day and shrugged.
"Yeah, you can have the green one." Nicky let out a victorious "ha!" and exchanged her black bike for the green one. They ran with them across the grass, the wheels bouncing along with the scattered lumps in the grass, and hopped on the seats and pedaled down the pavement.
/
(4:31)
Piper's hands were cold and clammy behind the wheel, still wound up from the sudden baggage of responsibility on a deadline. Polly didn't seem to car. She was curled up in the passenger's seat, toes resting on the glove compartment and knees right against her chest. She was scrolling through something Piper couldn't look at, as she couldn't bear to take her eyes off the road for a second, and she was humming along to some pop rendition of a Christmas classic.
"Hey, Pipes, what should I get-" Polly held her glowing screen in front of Piper's line of vision, but before she could finish her sentence, the blonde waved it out her face .
"Hold on, let me just get in this lane." She glanced over at her left mirror and turned on her signal, cruised into the line of traffic, double checking the rearview mirror as she continued.
Polly rolled her eyes at how safe a driver she was.
She started to slow at a yellow light and gave partial attention to Polly. "Okay, what was is you wanted to tell me?" The girl shifted herself around in the leather seat to make easier eye contact with the right side of her face, which was still focused on the road in front of her.
"I'm deciding on what color headphones I should pick up for Pete." Piper's blue eyes widened to saucers and she braked hard at the red light, stunning the car with a violent jolt. She snapped her head to the girl, her face overwhelming with shock and remembrance and she rolled her sapphire irises back into her stressed, blonde head.
"Fuck," she turned again to face her front and closed her eyes. "I completely forgot to get Larry a gift." She released a heavy groan from the depths of her core, letting her forehead fall against the wheel. She knocked her head against it a few times, scolding herself for being so forgetful when she had so much time before, but Polly stopped her by placing a hand on her now freshly knotted back.
"Pipes, it's fine. You're stressing way too much. All we have to do is pick up this food, and then we can stop at Radioshack and get him some nice speakers or something while I pick up my gift. I'll call them up to put them on hold." Piper looked at her friend, who was already dialing the number on her phone and bringing the device up to her ear. She sighed wistfully.
"How do you have it to together?" Polly rolled her eyes and shrugged.
Even during Polly's phonecall, Piper felt a significantly large weight lift off her shoulders. She continued to drive, hands a bit more relaxed on the wheel, but not much, and Polly remained curled up in her seat. But a mischievous grin spread across her cheeks when she hung up.
"So are you excited when Larry comes?" She put her phone in the cup holder and adjusted herself to face the driver.
"I mean yeah he's my boyfriend." She feigned a casual smile.
"I bet he's gonna get you something super nice." Piper laughed and silently prayed that it wasn't too nice. "How's it going with him? You make it to second yet?" The blonde rolled her eyes.
"No, Pol, you know we're not like that,"
"Oh, come on it has to happen at some point. And Larry's great. I don't know why you're being so weird." And Polly left the topic like that. Open ended. Unsolved.
Piper adjusted her posture and squeezed down a little harder on the gas.
Larry was a nice guy. He was attractive, his family loved her, he had good grades, a stable future, and even though he was a bit pushy at times, he had a golden personality. He always put her first. Whether it was about standing in like line or serious matters, Piper was never second. He adored her. He had her on this shiny pedestal where Piper was for the world to see and everyone could know she's his. He always made sure people knew it. Holding hands in public, slinging an arm around her when someone would look too long. Or when Piper would say something absurd and all he'd do was shoot her a look and continue about his day. And as much as it all was with the best in mind, Piper wasn't sure she liked that. In fact, she knew she didn't. Piper was in a rut. It was always like this on all her relationships, and Larry was just a new face for the struggle. That every guy was nice and practically upon the highest boyfriend quality, but with everything, something wasn't right. It was like a hole in Piper's heart that continued to expand over time. She couldn't put her finger on it, and hoped that in not knowing what was missing, the hole would eventually fill itself, but it always made itself known. But every time it would address itself, Piped would push it aside and continue about her life. Telling herself that this relationship was fine. That it could be worse. Because this relationship was safe. Because that's how Piper played it. Piper played it safe.
Piper calmly parked the car, the blonde pulled the key out of the ignition, putting the engine to sleep. They got out, locking the doors behind them, and trotted out into a small dessert shop. The smell of sugar and sweet coffee filled their noses and made their mouths water. The first thing to make an impression on them was the proud, towering croquembouche with a golden spun sugar web that first greeted them in the doorway. And then the flowery cupcakes them a chirped gentle hello and the two and three tiered cakes nodded in acknowledgement. The place was quaint and humble, a chalk menu stating a coffee and dessert menu in curly pink handwriting. And the walls were painted a gentle shade of pink.
A small, old woman came to the cash register.
"Hello, how are you lovely ladies?" She smiled kindly at them, a soft French accent seasoning her voice. Piper took an instant liking to her and Polly took an instant liking to the cupcake display behind the glass.
"Hi, I have a pick up order. Under the name Chapman." The woman pulled up a name on a computer screen and took a moment to pile up he boxes of deserts on the counter. Piper was stacking one on top of the other and it took Polly a moment to pry herself from her sugary love. But they gathered up everything and payed, bidding the woman a Merry Christmas, and once again, they were back outside.
"See that didn't take long at all? No stress." Polly unlocked the car and helped Piper arrange the boxes in the backseat.
"Yeah. That place really calmed me down." Piper shut the door when she set the last of the boxes in the back. But then a visible cloud of stress came over her once more. "But how are these not gonna melt?" Polly groaned.
"Calm down. I'll stay in the car with them. I'll talk you through it and we'll be back home and cleaning the house." Polly opened the passenger's side and got in, Piper doing the like. "No stress." Polly clicked herself in.
"No stress." Piper turned the key, revving the engine. "Except for the-"
Polly tuned her out after that.
/
(5:48)
They threw their bikes in the unkempt hedges that lined the empty parking lot and started for the door.
"You said you know them right?"
"Yeah. It's fine. We'll get a good deal." They trotted past the blinking PAWN sign with the A burned out and walked through the door. The festive jingle bells chimed as the door shut behind them. It wasn't like they hadn't been to a pawn shop before, but the fluorescent lighting and dirty carpet made the place seem authentic. An aged out version of Santa Clause is Coming to Town playing behind the shining guitars and antique tapestries that decorated the walls. The smudged display case contained rows of jewelry and firearms and pristine model cars that looked like they scored someone a retirement plan. Alex dragged her finger across the glass, crossing the paths of items worth hundreds to thousands.
"Hey, Chang!" Nicky called out. The place stood still as her voice was absorbed through the vacant place, the two awkwardly shuffling about in front of the counter. Alex polished her glasses on the end of her jacket, giving Nicky a doubtful eye and Nicky responding with a reassuring gesture. She careened over the counter until her toes just dangled above the unswept floor.
"Chang, you in here?" She called again. Alex stepped up to the counter and rested her elbows on the glass top, glasses on head. Nicky drummed her blunt nails against the case and stopped when the sound of footsteps grew closer. But the girl furrowed her brow when a man who certainly was not Chang strode through the beaded curtains on the other side.
"Hey, where's Chang?" She scowled. The man grinned in recognition, as if the two had known each other as sworn enemies in another life. He combed a hand through his close cut brown hair and scoffed.
"Not here, sweetheart," he groomed his thick mustache and chuckled. Nicky rolled up the sleeves of her flannel and leaned in until the two were nose and nose.
"Where's. Chang."
"Don't you see the sign, sweetheart? Under new management." He pointed a brass ringed finger to the sign on the door the girls seemed to have missed. But Nicky set her jaw and hardened her almond eyes even more. "And I ain't sellin' to you."
"Why the fuck not?" The man leaned back from their mini showdown and shrugged his broad shoulders.
"Cause I don't have to." He puffed out his lower lip and Nicky relaxed her iron gaze. She shrugged her vested shoulders and rolled up her sleeves again.
"Well I mean, I guess I understand. You probably have more important things on your mind." She began spinning a rack of vintage postcards, the axis squeaking painfully as it turned. Her face brightened when a sudden epiphany struck her from above. "Ah, it's laundry day. You finally make some time to wash your crusty sheets? Or you've incorporated your home affaires into office life?" She stopped rotating the display to twinkle her five fingers and he leaned in again, the glass rattling from banging his fists against the table.
"Watch your mouth."
"Fuck you, Pornstache." She hissed between clenched teeth. The revived staredown, though more intense and narrow-eyed than before, didn't last long when a younger looking man walked through the still swaying beads.
"Mendez, lay off." The man glared at the almond eyed girl, who grimaced in return. Then she turned to the new man in front of her, mirroring his relaxed posture. "How can I help you ladies?"
"We'd like to sell these. They're Swarovski crystals." Alex brought up the two ornaments she held in her hands and laid them on the counter, careful to not let them roll off. Nicky placed the icicle shaped one next to the two spheres and the man inspected them one by one. Picking them up one at a time, holding them up to the light, humming to himself. Alex looked at Nicky, who could do nothing but fold her lips into an expression that communicated the same thing. They waited to see his offer, watching his intricate process of checking the condition and other possible issues. And when he put down the last ornament he smiled, warming the girls' bones.
"Okay, so I can give you about fifty for each, but because it's the holidays and because Mendez is a dick," he stopped midsentence to take in both the girl's expectant expressions. "I'll bump you to two hundred." Alex's eyes smiled and her lips ascended into one that matched theirs. Nicky raised her brows and grinned, looking up at a shocked Alex.
"We'll take it!" The man smiled and he pulled out two Benjamins from the register and slid them across the table.
"Thank you so much, really." Alex folded the crisp bill and slid it into her jacket pocket, sure to zip it tight. She shook firm hands with him and he winked benevolently.
"Yeah, thanks," Nicky shook his hand and squinted, waiting for a name to match the face. The young man took her hand in his.
"Bennett."
"Bennett. What a gentleman." Nicky darted her eyes over to a glowering Mendez. He let out a final huff and disappeared the beaded curtains once more.
"Pleasure doing business with you, sir."
"Anytime, ladies."
And they were out the door again, the silver bells clanking as they left.
/
(5:24)
"Okay, you stay here, and I'm gonna go. You said you ordered both things right?"
"Yeah, just go," Polly rolled up the window, brushing off Piper's efficiency.
An alarm chimed as she entered and a man in a polo greeted her.
"Hi, welcome to RadioShack."
"Hi, thank you." She glanced down at her phone, reminding herself of the time. My friend placed an order. Her name's Polly." The guy smiled and took her back to the cash register, keying the name into the system. But he furrowed his thick brow and typed it in again, with a harder push on the keys the second and third times around.
"Huh, it doesn't have anything under the name Polly." Piper's heart dropped a foot. She shook her head. She was not about to have this.
"No it has to be in there I just placed that order." She had to stop herself from seizing the entire computer and typing it in herself. "Do you think you might have spelled it wrong." She realized the nonsensicalness of her question when she remembered that her friend's name was Polly and the guy sent an are you kidding sort of face her way.
Ugh.
"Give me one second." Piper jabbed angry memorized digits her phone and she brought the phone up to her ear.
"Yeah?" Christmas music was blaring behind Polly's voice.
"You didn't order them here?!" Piper had to bear all her weight on her voice to keep from shouting.
"No, I tried telling you but you were like 'oh I'm Piper and I need to be a safe driver'" Polly's imitation of her burned in Piper's stomach, knowing it was true.
"Never mind. Just tell me what to get."
"Get the Sony,"
"Sony," Piper repeated to the man.
"M,"
"M,"
"D,"
"D,"
"R,"
"R,"
"1,"
"1,"
"0,"
"Polly, how long is this name,"
"Long."
Piper swallowed a groan.
"0,"
"R,"
"R,"
"B,"
"B,"
"T,"
"T."
"In gunmetal."
"In gunmetal."
He types the agonizing name into the system and made a beeline for the back. Piper strolled over to the speakers. Tracing the borders of the minimalistic buttons and pressing one. She jumped when roaring 70's music came from the tiny thing and her finger flew back to the button to shut it off. Not wanting to have to look at any more speaking with the risk of going deaf, she decided to get those for Larry.
"He like stuff like that. Right?"
She shook herself of the question.
The man came back, box in hand.
"Here you are, your Sony MDR10RBT in gunmetal."
He made saying the name sound so goddamn easy.
She grabbed a box with the new gift inside and payed for the two at the counter, trying her best to forget about the ordeal and go about the day.
When she slid behind the driver's seat, she didn't even look at Polly, who luckily took the precaution of blasting the AC in the backseat before anything could melt.
Polly looked up from her phone and smiled nervously.
"Sorry, Mom." Piper sighed. Polly laughed.
/
There's part one. Remember to leave your reviews. See you tomorrow. ~S
