Note: Thanks for hanging in there guys. Stupid site wasn't working. *le sigh*
Review replies (last chapter only, sorry to the rest)
Musicismyhero- Thanks for the review! And here's more!
BrighterXx- Another one posted for ya!. The difference will become apparent after the first 15 or so chapters. The evil twin plot will be gone, or at least totally different. There will be a road trip more of Starbuck's life between three and twenty one will be revealed. Plus Naomi isn't going to be a Big Bad, rather a bitch. ALSO, in case anyone who had wanted to learn more about Lisey and Emma (now Ripley and Conners) will like this version, since it does just that.
Xxx
Vast-Mart was the most blatant Costco ripoff in the state of Maryland. The superstore, located three blocks from the Rockville Metro station, sold everything in bulk and what they didn't sell in bulk were things like TV sets, some books, furniture and canoes. The last item was on display all year round in the back corner of the store. On slow days (of which there were many), employees took their breaks there. Three of the store's employees were Starbuck, Ripley and Conners, who were spending that very slow night tagging merchandise. The shift manager had gone home early, leaving Starbuck in charge.
"Hey, you guys want to go anywhere for Christmas this year?" Ripley asked as she stuck price stickers on packs of gum.
"Not after last year," Starbuck shuddered.
"What was so bad about last year?" Ripley.
"Do you have to ask? I am never, ever going back to Tijuana again," Conners stated flatly.
"It wasn't that bad. Aside from the injuries and life scarring, we had a good time," Ripley.
"Dude, it was awful. I cant look at carrots or barn animals the same way again," Starbuck.
"I nearly got hypothermia. In freaking Mexico." Conners. "How can you say you had fun?"
"Okay, that thing with the pencil was pretty bad, but I wasn't even nicked, thanks to gel padding!" Ripley.
"You sound like an infomerical." Starbuck.
They stopped at the end of the candy aisle for a short break. Conners took out her iPod and cranked up her latest download, which was the Lady Gaga CD. The woman was quickly becoming Conners' new idol. Meanwhile, Ripley began to text her latest conquest, some guy whose name Starbuck didn't remember. It was no good learning the names of Ripley's flavors of the week. They were usually gone in less than a week and once while holed up at home with the flu, Starbuck had missed two guys come and go. She often wondered how Ripley did it, then remembered that her friend had two sources of magic on her chest, whom were named 'Ben and Jerry'.
Starbuck lay on a flatbed covered with a tarp and closed her eyes. It had been a long day. The tour hadn't been so bad. After that, she had to take a test in Psychology and then ended up chasing a bus halfway down a block…twice. Her car was in the shop until the end of the week, which meant she had to rely on the area's notoriously unreliable/inconvenient bus system.
A beep echoed throughout the store, signaling that someone had come inside. Ripley grinned and began to poke Conners until the younger woman stood, letting out a long suffering sigh. They took turns attending to the customers on nights like that. And since they would be closing in fifteen minutes, she planned to get whoever it was out of there as soon as possible.
"Welcome to Vast-Mart, how may I help you?' she droned, not even bothering to turn off her iPod.
"Is Starbuck Mendoza working today?" the man asked. He was a bit taller than Conners, pale with wavy dark hair.
"Are you a cop?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"No," he said. "I just need to see her?"
"Why?"
"I'm her brother."
Conners barely suppressed a gasp.
Xxx
Sweets could sense that the girl in front was very protective of Starbuck. The way she stood indicated that she would use herself as a barrier between him and Starbuck. He recognized her. She in many of the photos his contact had sent him, usually with a cigarette and a copy of the sixth Harry Potter novel.
"Bullshit. Star is an only child," the girl fired back. According to her nametag, her name was Conners.
"We were separated when we were young," Sweets said.
"Do you have evidence?" she asked as she began to fiddle with something in her smock pocket. It could have been anything from a price gun to a taser, which made him uneasy.
"I have this," he said and took out his wallet. The picture was folded up in there. He handed it to Conners, who studied it for over a minute before handing it back.
"She never mentioned a brother," she said, her eyes still distrustful.
"As I said, we were separated years ago, possibly before she was old enough to remember."
"She's in aisle four. I'll have 911 ready, just in case."
"Not a problem."
Conners led him through the superstore, keeping one eye on him at all times. Finally, they reached aisle four. Sitting there were two women in the same smock as Conners. One was playing with her phone, her eyes intensly focused on the screen. The other lay on a flatbed in what looked like a meditative state.
"Star, get up, you have a visitor," Conners said, poking her in the arm.
"Who is it?" she mumbled.
"Your brother."
"I don't have a brother. Quit bullshitting me."
"Yes you do. Long lost one."
She sat up and pinched Conners before turning to face Sweets. The photos didn't prepare him for what he saw. They were taken at a distance, and that meant the photographer didn't quite get her features.
Starbuck looked a lot like their mother. She even had her eyes.
"Boo?" he whispered.
