Blanket of Stars (Chaelisa ver.)

Chapter 7: Guardian Angel

I shoplifted once.

It was the first time I remember my parents letting me go out without either of them, just Alice to keep me safe. And I knew she would. Back then, even if I never said it, I trusted her with my life.

She always got more allowance than I, and she was always running off, leaving me to explore another part of the store where the more expensive candy was. I was always near the front. The farthest I ever made it through those aisles back then was the time I dropped my money and it rolled away from me, leaving me to chase it across the store to the middle section.

I can't remember what I was holding, but my hands were getting full so I put some of the candy I was going to buy in my pocket until I sorted myself out and I must have forgotten about it because I bought something totally different. It wasn't until I got home and took off my coat that I noticed the tube of Refreshers in my pocket.

I was a criminal.

I told my mother immediately and asked her to take me back to the store to give them back, thinking I'd be on camera and they'd track me down. She just smiled at me and told me to eat them.

Candy never tasted so good.

____________

Lisa and I haven't directly spoken to each other since yesterday, but I feel that's been a good thing. I'm still high from it. She ran into the bathroom this morning and slammed the door shut yelling that I better not look through the walls.

She's getting a little ahead of herself.

I watched on with amusement as I watched her attempting to act nonchalant at dinner last night when I was sitting at the table. All I was missing was a plate and some food. Her face was quite the picture when the chair next to her moved out a little to allow my body room to sit. Her parents walking through with drinks halted any words that were about to leave her lips.

Shame.

I like to think of the look I'm sure she'd be giving me if she knew I was sitting next to her watching her shovel popcorn into her mouth. She eats like a pig, surprisingly. I wait until her mouth is full of Dr. Pepper before I say: "Hi again."

My body moves backward as the liquid sprays from her lips, a smile playing on mine.

"For god's sake!" she shouts irately.

"Miss me?" I ask, picking up a piece of her popcorn.

She flicks it from between my thumb and forefinger and we both watch it fall to the floor. "I told you to leave. Don't make me tell you again."

"Actually, you told the wall to leave. And, I'm no architect but I think you'll need that to stay there for the house to stay upright."

Lisa sniffs her soda.

I frown briefly. "There's nothing in there."

The expression covering her face tells me she's irritated and I again wonder why she isn't scared. I meant it when I said I'd be hiding underneath my bed. Hiding underneath my bed with my laptop searching for new houses, that is. With a ring of salt around me.

She looks put-out as she slants her jaw to the left and exhales deeply. "You know, I don't remember performing a séance."

I don't pay much attention to her rude behaviour. "Do you want to hang out? I could maybe show you around."

"Stop hitting on me."

"I barely even know you, so why would I be hitting on you?"

"Because I'm the hottest thing you've ever seen."