large and yet she constantly lost all sorts of things in it, and they usually happened to be important things.
“Goddamnit,” she said angrily. She was glad Beatrice wasn’t around. She tried hard not to curse around her sister, believing that as stand-in mother she wasn’t allowed to. But she said the words silently in her heart or out loud when she was alone, and figured she was going to hell for it among other things. She didn’t take her sister to church. They didn’t pray or do any volunteer work to help others. Beatrice questioned her belief in God and wanted to conduct séances every night until the electricity came back on. She was aching to, she told Clara. Oh yes , Clara thought. I’m going straight to hell. I’m the worst parent in the world .
“So it’s a goddamnit situation, huh?” Evan asked approaching Clara.
Clara whipped her head around to see the green-eyed boy staring down at her, the sunlight catching the pale blond highlights in his hair. He had his hands in his pockets, his bag thrown carelessly over his shoulder looking stress-free. As usual.
“I can’t find my keys. I’ll be late for work,” Clara said. “I’m sorry you heard me say that. I shouldn’t say that word.”
“No you shouldn’t. You’re too pretty to say something so blasphemous,” Evan replied, and Clara decided in that instant that she would never say “goddamnit” again.
She blushed, and he saw.
“May I help you find them?” he asked.
“They’re either in my purse or book bag, neither of which you’re allowed to go through,” Clara replied then looked at him bewildered. She couldn’t believe she said that to him. It was snarky and rude and it made him laugh hard.
“I’m sorry,” Clara said quietly.
“For what?” Evan asked still chuckling. “And I don’t want to go through your purse anyway. Women’s purses scare me.”
“Why?” Clara replied. A grin broke out on her face.
“There are things in them, if you know what I mean,” he said winking at her.
She didn’t know if it was because she was outside in the sunlight, emboldened by nature, or simply delirious because he came to talk to her again, but in that moment, Clara was not Clara.
She plunged her hand in her purse and pulled out a tampon.
“You mean like this?” she asked waving it in front of his face.
“Clara Greenwich!” he said grabbing the tampon and shoving it back in her purse.
Clara giggled and shook her head. She watched as Evan’s face went bright red with embarrassment and felt mildly sorry for him.
“Is there nothing sacred left in the world?” he asked, smiling down at her.
She thought instantly of her desperate need for money and all of the things she was willing to do to get her hands on it. Her face fell and became serious again.
“No,” she said softly. “There isn’t.”
Evan fidgeted nervously. He was worried that she regretted pulling out the tampon and didn’t want her to. He liked seeing her that way—playful and happy.
Clara dug around in her purse some more until she finally located her keys.
“Clara—”
“Success at last,” she interrupted, but she didn’t sound happy about it. “I better go.”
Evan sighed and reached down to pick up her book bag. He handed it to her, and she threw it carelessly in the back seat. He wished he could have just five more minutes with her.
“See you later,” Clara said climbing into her car.
“I’ll be seeing you, Clara.”
***
She watched the two girls hovering around a rack contemplating the dresses displayed on it. She wasn’t at the register today. Instead, she was in charge of the dressing rooms and was in the process of hanging up an assortment of clothes she gathered, clothes that were thrown about haphazardly because the customers didn’t care. They knew someone would come behind them to clean up their mess.
She hated being in charge of the dressing rooms. It was heartbreaking to watch the girls walking into the
“Goddamnit,” she said angrily. She was glad Beatrice wasn’t around. She tried hard not to curse around her sister, believing that as stand-in mother she wasn’t allowed to. But she said the words silently in her heart or out loud when she was alone, and figured she was going to hell for it among other things. She didn’t take her sister to church. They didn’t pray or do any volunteer work to help others. Beatrice questioned her belief in God and wanted to conduct séances every night until the electricity came back on. She was aching to, she told Clara. Oh yes , Clara thought. I’m going straight to hell. I’m the worst parent in the world .
“So it’s a goddamnit situation, huh?” Evan asked approaching Clara.
Clara whipped her head around to see the green-eyed boy staring down at her, the sunlight catching the pale blond highlights in his hair. He had his hands in his pockets, his bag thrown carelessly over his shoulder looking stress-free. As usual.
“I can’t find my keys. I’ll be late for work,” Clara said. “I’m sorry you heard me say that. I shouldn’t say that word.”
“No you shouldn’t. You’re too pretty to say something so blasphemous,” Evan replied, and Clara decided in that instant that she would never say “goddamnit” again.
She blushed, and he saw.
“May I help you find them?” he asked.
“They’re either in my purse or book bag, neither of which you’re allowed to go through,” Clara replied then looked at him bewildered. She couldn’t believe she said that to him. It was snarky and rude and it made him laugh hard.
“I’m sorry,” Clara said quietly.
“For what?” Evan asked still chuckling. “And I don’t want to go through your purse anyway. Women’s purses scare me.”
“Why?” Clara replied. A grin broke out on her face.
“There are things in them, if you know what I mean,” he said winking at her.
She didn’t know if it was because she was outside in the sunlight, emboldened by nature, or simply delirious because he came to talk to her again, but in that moment, Clara was not Clara.
She plunged her hand in her purse and pulled out a tampon.
“You mean like this?” she asked waving it in front of his face.
“Clara Greenwich!” he said grabbing the tampon and shoving it back in her purse.
Clara giggled and shook her head. She watched as Evan’s face went bright red with embarrassment and felt mildly sorry for him.
“Is there nothing sacred left in the world?” he asked, smiling down at her.
She thought instantly of her desperate need for money and all of the things she was willing to do to get her hands on it. Her face fell and became serious again.
“No,” she said softly. “There isn’t.”
Evan fidgeted nervously. He was worried that she regretted pulling out the tampon and didn’t want her to. He liked seeing her that way—playful and happy.
Clara dug around in her purse some more until she finally located her keys.
“Clara—”
“Success at last,” she interrupted, but she didn’t sound happy about it. “I better go.”
Evan sighed and reached down to pick up her book bag. He handed it to her, and she threw it carelessly in the back seat. He wished he could have just five more minutes with her.
“See you later,” Clara said climbing into her car.
“I’ll be seeing you, Clara.”
***
She watched the two girls hovering around a rack contemplating the dresses displayed on it. She wasn’t at the register today. Instead, she was in charge of the dressing rooms and was in the process of hanging up an assortment of clothes she gathered, clothes that were thrown about haphazardly because the customers didn’t care. They knew someone would come behind them to clean up their mess.
She hated being in charge of the dressing rooms. It was heartbreaking to watch the girls walking into the
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