The New Thalia

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

3 years ago

Unwanted scene

"Thalia darling. Are you sure you want your hair to be that dark?" My mother looks at me barely balancing in front of the dyes display.

"Unrecognizable dark, yes." I point at a box of luscious spruce hair dye.

"Okay sweetheart. She leans over and swipes three boxes into the shopping basket. "Now what makeup?"

"Dark."

"Black liners, dark shadows dark?"

"Yeah." I hobble down the aisle to the checkout. "I'm going to sit at the front. My backs killing me."

"Okay honey."

The cute cashier gives me a sympathetic look. "Hello ma'am. Can I help you with anything?"

"May you help me with anything?" I correct him. "No, just catch me if I slip."

"Will do, miss. May I ask your name?" He flips his ginger Bieber hair to the side and I catch a glimpse at his name tag.

"Uh, Thalia." I slide my leg out and dip down to the bench in front of the windows.

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He leans over the checkout stand and rests his chin on his hands. "My name is Derrik."

"Hi." I shift uncomfortably and glance out the window. Teens walk down the street wearing academy uniforms. Occasionally they turn and come in to the store. Derrik greats them but never takes his eyes off of me.

"Um. Excuse me?" A middle aged women stands impatiently at the checkout stand, her basket sitting on the belt.

"Oh sorry ma'am. How are you doing today?" Derrik starts scanning items as a young girl comes up and starts bagging the woman's purchases.

"Oh. Hey, Raini." Derrik glances at he girl.

"Hi Derrik! How are you today? I hope you're well. I made some cookies last night. We can share them when we get break! I also brought some milk to dip them in. Don't you think it's a beautiful day out? I do. It's so marvelous!" Raini giggles and pushes her black hair out of her eyes.

Derrik glances at me. "Yeah. It's beautiful out."

Raini grins ear to ear. Then she looks what Derrik glanced at. She sees me.

"Oh. Hello. What's your name? You look familiar. Are you applying here? We need more girl workers. I'm the only one. I just started. They don't pay very well, but hey, it's still a job. Oh goodness I'm babbling!"

"That's Thalia." Derrik looks intently at me when he says my name.

"Nice to meet you, Thalia! Where do I know you from? Your face is just so familiar to me!"

"Uh I don't know." I mumble.

Cars honk and some swerve around in the parking lot as a dog runs through.

"Oh boy! Barely missed an accident there!" Raini is just so bubbly. I don't like it. "An accident... Oh! You look like the girl that was in the paper a few months ago! She was in an accident and barely survived. I don't remember how it happened though."

My eyes go wide and I drop my head and stare intensely at my knees.

Raini whips out her phone and starts furiously typing and scrolling. "Ah found it. Blah blah blah. Thalia Reigns hit by car while running across street. Blah blah. Serious injuries." She looks at me. "Your name is Thalia. You have injuries. Oh my god! How did it happen? Did it hurt? Why were you running? Did you see the car? I bet it hurt!" She gets down on her knees and kneels right in front of me.

Derik stares at her. "Raini. It's not break." He glances at me. "Sorry about her."

"Are you okay, thalia? Did you hit your head bad and thats why you don't talk much? That was months ago, why are you still in a cast? Oh god. Are you paralyzed?" Raini gasps. "Oh my god you are! Why aren't you in a wheelchair?"

"Thalia?" My mom calls out to me. The finished checking out at the next stand over. "Come on honey. Better get back on the road."

"Okay mom." I start to stand up as Raini rushes to pull me up. "Don't touch me." I bark at her.

"Oh sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you I swear. You're not going to sue me right? Oh god oh god. I'm going to lose my job." Raini's eyes tear up. "I am so sorry."

There's a line at Derrik's stand and everyone is staring at us.

"Raini. Get back to work." Derrik snaps.

"Yes, Miss Fligs. Get back to work." An older, rounded man who I assume is the manager appears with his hands on his hips.

Raini's eyes bulge and the tears overflow. She starts sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Mr Tate! I didn't mean to do anything wrong! I was just trying to help." She wails.

Mr Tate turns and points to the back of the store. "Please clean up and I want to talk to you in my office in ten minutes."

Raini sniffs and runs, holding her arms to her chest, to the direction he pointed it.

"I am so sorry for the scene. Derrik, please give everyone a five percent discount to the customers who witnessed this." Mr Tate smiles at the crowd and shrugs his shoulders. "Once again folks, I'm sorry about the scene."

"Thalia." My mother whispers in my ear. "Come. We need to go now." She turns and walks out the door. I struggle to follow her due to the mass of people.

"Ma'am? Ma'am! I am so sorry about my employee." Mr Tate trails behind me out the door and to our car. "If there's anything I can do to make up for that..."

My mother helps me in to my seat and puts my crutches in the back seat. She turns to him once my door is closed, but I can still hear her. "You can let us leave in peace and it will be all forgotten about within seconds."

"Can I at least give you a certificate for no hard feelings?" He tries to hide his terrified expression.

"There are no hard feelings. Goodbye." She walks past him and around the car.

The car starts and we leave him looking dumbfounded watching us drive away.