Ah, home sweet home in Texas…
….All knowing point of view…
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"Okay, is it just me, or has Katey been acting like…weird lately." Asked Kelee to the group of friends all gathered outside the country club pool they had snuck into.
"Yeah…it's like she's turned into Barbie or something." Said Kurt, referring to Katey's sudden uber-happiness kick.
"Has anyone checked for crack?" asked Brad, and they all sort of half laughed half actually wondered if their friend was on drugs.
"Well…she got that job at Walgreens, and she had to take a drug test…" said Aaron, having just come from the Walgreens.
"Oh yeah, she was telling me about that. She had to take the blood drug test, and you know how she hates needles; nearly made her faint, but I guess she was clean if she got the job." said Clair, remembering the phone conversation from a few days ago.
"Well…then maybe she's just happy because she got the job." Ethan suggested, but knew he was wrong from the moment the words escaped his lips.
"She's been that way since a month or so ago. But really, I was surprised when she was still happy three weeks ago." Said Jenny, referring to mid-April.
"What do you mean, three weeks ago, what was that?" asked Zach, confused about what she meant.
"Her period, duh." Said the girls at the same time.
The guys were silent for a long minute.
"Oh come on, you know that in the middle of every month she gets moodier…" Abby started, but Brad cut her off.
"Okay, no more talkie about stuff like that." He said, and it was clear that he and the rest of the guys were un-comfortable.
"What, you don't like talking about us girl's times of the months?" asked Christi, grinning.
"Correct." Said Aaron, not realizing that the girls were going to make them seriously un-comfortable.
All at once the girls turned to each other, ignoring the boys and talking loudly.
"You know those tampons that Cotex has? Oh my gosh! They are so uncomfortable! I'm wearing one now, and it's seriously irritating me." Kelee lied. She really wasn't on her period, but she hated Cotex.
"You should try Playtex, those are nicer. They're slimmer, so they slide in easier." Abby advised, crossing her legs.
"Hey, do you remember last year when we had that huge party, and Amee got shoved into the pool in all her clothes? Ohmigosh… her pad got all soaked and it un-stuck to her underwear and started floating..." the rest of Clair's words were drown out by laughter from the girls. It was funny, both the story and the guys faces. They looked like they wanted nothing more than to get away from there.
"You guys…" Christi said though her laughter "Look so funny…"
That made the girls laugh harder, and soon they were doubled up, and all thoughts of Katey were pushed from their minds as the girls laughed about how the guys felt very un-masculine and the guys wondered how to change the subject away from something as disturbing as that.
But ten minutes away from the country club pool where her 'friends' were joking around, Katey stood behind a glass counter drumming her fingers.
"Just remember…money for the car…money for the car…" I thought, wondering why it was so slow on my first day.
"Maybe that's because they're all at the pool or out at Joe Pool Lake." I thought ruefully, jealously wishing I could go out and have fun with the rest of the group.
I was the first one of them to get a job other than baby-sitting, but me getting more mature and realizing that she had to make some money wasn't the reason for having to get 'the stupid job.'
My parents thought it would be good, so that I would have some extra spending money for the summer that was coming soon.
"I think I'd rather have to borrow money than have to waste every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from ten in the morning to five at night…those are the worst hours!" I thought, sighing as I folded my arms over my chest and looked around the nigh empty Walgreens.
And then in my boredom, the question once again rose…the same one that pegged my brain every morning always with the same inquiry…Is today the day? It has been time enough…now would be fine…
But it wouldn't. People were still a bit edgy around me…I could still be ranked as suicidal. And that wouldn't be good, now would it?
I gave a weak chuckle as I thought how strange this would all seem to some random person looking into my thoughts…They'd think I'd lost it!
Maybe I have…maybe I'm turning into some sadistic emo kid…oh God, that wouldn't be good…I don't want to be sadistic! Is it my fault if I'd rather live in Paris?
My thoughts were interrupted by the crazy doors that reminded me of Star-Wars opened, and two guys walked in.
"Need any help?" I asked, putting on a 'friendly cashier' smile.
The both shook their heads and went back to one of the isles. I dropped the smile and leaned against the counter with one arm, watching the clock and wondering how long 'til shift was over.
Suddenly there was a loud crash and bang, and physically stepped back at the sight I saw.
One of the tall shelves had fallen over, revealing the pharmacy where the two men were standing, one with a gun that was still smoking, the other at the shelf, looking for something. And on the pharmacy counter…was the bleeding corpse of Mr. Derek…the pharmacist who had always reminded me of my grandfather.
The man with the gun turned, and saw me looking straight at him.
He made great leaping strides as he ran over, while I remained rooted to the spot; petrified.
"Give me all the money! Now!" he yelled, pointing the pistol at me.
I struggled with my senses to say something, and, unfortunately for me, the stupidest thing you could ever say to a robber with a gun came out of my mouth.
"Nah, I don't think I will."
"Do it!" He said, cocking it, directing his aim at my forehead.
"Well, I mean why? Where's the benefit for me?" once again I wished I had a remote control for my life so that I could rewind.
"I think life's benefit enough." He said, sounding even angrier. "Now hand it over or you're dead!"
"But I mean really…You'd use this money for what, I wonder. I'd at least like to know where my salary is going."
The cold steel on my forehead made me want to shiver, but I continued on stupidly.
"If you wanted to make money the easy way, you've come to the wrong place. Besides, even if you did get the money I'll be giving the police a ring with your full description."
"Not unless you're dead!" he shouted, moving the gun swiftly away from my face and to the register, shooting it.
I stepped away right as he did, preparing to run for the phone, and the second man had come up behind the counter with something very heavy, which he used to hit me over the head with, sending me crashing to the floor out cold.
And my last thought before I fell was "Well, I suppose that today really is the day, then…"
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Is it finally time that we get to go back to Paris?
Well, you review and I'll write!
Also, if there's any typo's or whatever, ignore it. I'm too lazy to go back and re-read, so yeah.
