“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. I, um, I have to go to work.” She scrambled.
“Ok, I’ll throw your stuff away. Be careful.”
She stopped in her tracks as I told her to be careful and I meant it.
She turned around and walked back up to me and bent down to kiss me on the cheek and then kept walking. It was too late for me now. I was long gone.
19. Nellie
If he didn’t quit being the way he was I was going to be a goner. And if I was honest with myself, I already was. I felt free. Free to be who I was without judgment or presumptions about who I should be.
I went into work and Cindi wanted to talk to me in the back. I hadn’t done anything, so I wasn’t really worried but it was weird. I went into her office and she wore bright yellow boots and huge yellow flower earrings but she looked serious as a heart attack.
“ Yo , what’s up homie ?” She said and I just rolled my eyes.
“The thug thing is not working.” I laughed as I told her.
“Damn. So I need to talk to you.” She patted me on the knee.
“Shoot.”
“Ok, I never really liked this store. I mean people read more than they buy. I’ve been told that selling on the internet could change that, but I suck at the internet. So I was thinking that I’d give the store to you.”
I gripped the edge of her desk and looked around to see if I was on a hidden camera show. She shot from the hip, that was for sure.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Well, I wouldn’t joke.”
“Holy crap!” I screamed.
“Everyone would stay on as employees. You’d have to name a manager to be in charge when you’re not here. But the profits and the running of the place would be yours.”
“Holy crap!” I screamed again.
“ Come on Hellie. I’m beginning to rethink this if all you can say is that.”
I just sat there amazed and frightened. This was huge.
“OK, just think it over. It will be six months before it can officially be yours. I need to get some loans paid off and leave you in the clear. So just take some time and think about it.”
“Um, ok.”
My shift ended and I didn’t remember a thing about it. All I could think about was Cindi and her offer. There was no way I was turning her down, but I also wanted to let it sit for a while to make sure I took all of this seriously.
I got home and Amber was watching some show about people singing on TV. I walked right past her and into the kitchen to make something to eat. We seriously needed to go grocery shopping.
“All we have is cheese and one egg.” Amber yelled from the living room.
“Well, why didn’t you go to the store? It’s your turn,” I yelled back.
“I’ve been busy, give me a break.” I could just imagine her rolling her eyes as she spoke.
“Did you eat?” I was now behind her while she sat on the couch.
“Yeah, Dylan and I went to eat burgers.” She said like it was no big deal that she had time to go out and sit and watch TV but had no time to buy groceries.
I took out my cell phone and texted Owen.
N: U asleep?
O: No, I live with a human
“Nothing. I, um, I have to go to work.” She scrambled.
“Ok, I’ll throw your stuff away. Be careful.”
She stopped in her tracks as I told her to be careful and I meant it.
She turned around and walked back up to me and bent down to kiss me on the cheek and then kept walking. It was too late for me now. I was long gone.
19. Nellie
If he didn’t quit being the way he was I was going to be a goner. And if I was honest with myself, I already was. I felt free. Free to be who I was without judgment or presumptions about who I should be.
I went into work and Cindi wanted to talk to me in the back. I hadn’t done anything, so I wasn’t really worried but it was weird. I went into her office and she wore bright yellow boots and huge yellow flower earrings but she looked serious as a heart attack.
“ Yo , what’s up homie ?” She said and I just rolled my eyes.
“The thug thing is not working.” I laughed as I told her.
“Damn. So I need to talk to you.” She patted me on the knee.
“Shoot.”
“Ok, I never really liked this store. I mean people read more than they buy. I’ve been told that selling on the internet could change that, but I suck at the internet. So I was thinking that I’d give the store to you.”
I gripped the edge of her desk and looked around to see if I was on a hidden camera show. She shot from the hip, that was for sure.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Well, I wouldn’t joke.”
“Holy crap!” I screamed.
“Everyone would stay on as employees. You’d have to name a manager to be in charge when you’re not here. But the profits and the running of the place would be yours.”
“Holy crap!” I screamed again.
“ Come on Hellie. I’m beginning to rethink this if all you can say is that.”
I just sat there amazed and frightened. This was huge.
“OK, just think it over. It will be six months before it can officially be yours. I need to get some loans paid off and leave you in the clear. So just take some time and think about it.”
“Um, ok.”
My shift ended and I didn’t remember a thing about it. All I could think about was Cindi and her offer. There was no way I was turning her down, but I also wanted to let it sit for a while to make sure I took all of this seriously.
I got home and Amber was watching some show about people singing on TV. I walked right past her and into the kitchen to make something to eat. We seriously needed to go grocery shopping.
“All we have is cheese and one egg.” Amber yelled from the living room.
“Well, why didn’t you go to the store? It’s your turn,” I yelled back.
“I’ve been busy, give me a break.” I could just imagine her rolling her eyes as she spoke.
“Did you eat?” I was now behind her while she sat on the couch.
“Yeah, Dylan and I went to eat burgers.” She said like it was no big deal that she had time to go out and sit and watch TV but had no time to buy groceries.
I took out my cell phone and texted Owen.
N: U asleep?
O: No, I live with a human
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