“Or something. I don’t know. I bet his mom is shaking her head right now. Remember when she was all skin and bones? Dove didn’t even have boobs. It’s like she was a girl trapped in a boy’s body.” Even still, I grab my supplies, second-guessing if I should even spend my money here instead of taking it to the town over, except I don’t have a whole lot of time today. Mom and Dad have taken over the hardware store again. Dad begrudgingly allowed it after she made a phone call to the doctor and was released from sitting on her tail. Her words, not mine, so now I have time to put my plan in action.
I finish bundling up all the supplies a girl could ever want or dream about, because hello, stationery is life. I make my way up to the cash register to check out, already knowing after this trip, there’s no way I’ll ever be coming back.
They’re still talking when I place my items on the counter, a smile on my face. “Did you find everything?” Amanda asks, a fake smile on her face. I could walk out and not pay for these items, leaving them more work, and believe me, petty would be the perfect place to be with these two, but I have another idea instead.
“Yes, thank you.” I take my wallet out, making sure to use my debit card. I watch as she rings everything up, placing the items in a paper bag with the cute logo on it. The price keeps going higher and higher, but I was ready for it. The other stuff that goes along with becoming an author is where the real money is going to be spent.
“Your total is seventy-five dollars and nineteen cents.” I hand over my card, seeing as they don’t have their point-of-sale kiosk and they have to take my card.
“Oh.” Recognition shows on Amanda’s face. I just nod my head and smile, sign on the piece of paper. “Is that all you need?” My question comes out, and I’m not the scared teenager anymore. There’s conviction in my voice.
“Yes, have a good day.” I take my card from her, making sure I put everything back in my wallet. What I’m really doing is taking my sweet time. Sure, I could have fired back at Amanda and Regina, but this way is so much more fun.
“You too,” I toss over my shoulder as I grab my bag, my shoulders back, and I know they’ll eventually get what’s coming to them.
Eleven
Trace
“What do you mean? You heard that in town? You have got to be freaking kidding me. They said that to Dove?” I’m walking into the main house. I wanted to see if Mom wouldn’t mind getting a few things for my place while she was in town today, but what I just heard stops me in my tracks. My mind is thinking the absolute worst. Was she in a wreck in that tin can of a car? Is her momma okay? There are too many possibilities.
“Oh, those girls are going to get more than an earful. You just wait till I’m done with them, Nancy. They won’t know what’s hit them, and they’ll never talk badly about my Dove again.” Mom slams the phone down on the hook, she still has the old-style house phone, hooked to the wall and all.
I’m getting antsy waiting for her to tell me what’s going on. If it weren’t for her pointing her finger up in the ‘hold on a minute’ way, I’d be demanding answers. Instead, I stand with hands on my hips, impatiently waiting, but when Mom moves to the cabinet where she stores the liquor, I know it’s going to be a doozy. Especially when she pulls out the bottle of whiskey, two shot glasses, and pours them to the rim.
“You’re going to want to sit down for this.” I amble towards the bar, doing as she suggests.
“Fuck, something tells me I’m not going to like this.” I’m already reaching for the shot glass.
“Watch your mouth, and the shot is for after I tell you what I just heard. We’ll both need it—you because you don’t want to rip someone apart, and me so I don’t go after two grown-ass women and snatch them bald headed.” This isn’t going to be good, not for Dove, my mom, or myself.
“Tell me what was said. There’s a reason Dove left town like the fires of hell were on her heels.” Swear to Christ, if this has something to do with back in high school and has carried on to now, it won’t be Mom they’ll have to worry about.
“I’m ashamed I didn’t know about that. To be fair, she is younger than you and my mind wasn’t thinking about how cruel people can be. It’s a damn shame too. I bet if those girls’ parents knew the assholes they’re being even now, they’d wallop them with a shoe.” She slides the shot glass my way.