He raises his brows. “Oh yeah, prove it?”
I pull my wallet out, then remove the bills. Every single cent I’ve saved over the last few months.
“Hmm, okay.”
He goes to the window and removes it carefully, then places it in front of me. The artwork and colors look to be in mint condition, and just because I can, I remove my cash from inside my wallet and place it on the counter.
“I’ll take it.”
The guy appears surprised, quickly taking my cash and storing it in the register. Next, he packages up the comic book in some special plastic, then slides it into a brown paper bag.
The comic book is nestled inside my jacket against my chest on the ride home. I’m riding incredibly slow in an effort not to damage anything. Thankfully, the sun is still out, so there’s no chance of rain.
As soon as I get home, it’s straight to the shower to wash off the grease. Of course, since it’s a Saturday, I’ve nothing planned besides chilling and catching up on my schoolwork to avoid my father's wrath.
I throw on my gray sweats and favorite Laker’s tee, then head to the kitchen to grab something to eat before sitting down to read my comic book. Inside the kitchen, an empty plate sits on the counter with a note beside it in Mom’s handwriting:
Make sure you share these cookies.
Love Mom
All I see are crumbs on the white plate. With an annoyed huff, I storm into the living room to see Adriana sprawled on the couch watching some girly movie. Her hair is tied into a weird ponytail with colorful bows sticking out like a clown on crack.
“You’re so annoying,” I yell at her, even though she ignores me. “Mom said to share the cookies.”
“You snooze. You lose.”
“I was working, not sitting around looking like a circus freak.”
Adriana is quick to sit up, crossing her arms in defiance.
“Shut up, or I’ll tell Mom and Dad you were kissing that girl at the library when you were supposed to be studying.”
My eyes widen as my blood begins to boil.
“How do you know that?”
Her lips curve up into a fake smile. “I was listening to your phone call.”
I’m about to go over and strangle the little shit, but instead, I hear my parents’ voices in my head from the last time I threw a book at her. Frankly, she deserved it for snooping in my room.
Having the world’s most annoying little sister does nothing to relax me after my shift. I storm out of the room, stopping in our house's foyer, then head outside to our old treehouse where hopefully Adriana won’t find me.
It’s been a long time since I’ve climbed up the chipped wooden steps, but something draws me toward the place I enjoyed so much as a kid. Careful to balance my comic book in one hand without damaging it, I manage to climb to the top but hear a sobbing sound. My eyes dart to the corner where a young girl has buried her head into her arms with her knees raised. Her worn-out jeans have dirt all over them, yet I’m drawn to the chocolate-colored hair that flows so long it almost touches the floor.
My feet step on the wooden floor, making a creaking sound that catches her attention. Suddenly, her big brown eyes widen at my presence.
“I’m… I’m Charlotte,” she stumbles, choking back her tears.
Unsure of what to do or say, I scratch the back of my neck. “You must be Adriana’s friend.”
She simply nods. There is a sadness about her. Not just the bloodshot eyes from the tears she’s shedding, but the way she appears defeated as if the weight of the world is on her shoulders.
I’m not sure why I sit next to her, considering she’s my sister’s friend and Adriana is a pain in the ass.
“Do you want to talk?”
Charlotte continues to sit quietly though she nervously pulls at the thread of her ripped jeans. “My parents had a big fight. They fight every day.” She drops her eyes with a quivering voice. “My mom says my dad is the biggest mistake of her life. Then she left.”