Dodge Mason // Mystery Boy

15

You know I like mysteries

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*Ding* The bell to the pharmacy goes off while I restock the shelves. Working at the pharmacy was honestly just busy work anyway: taking the stuff in the box and putting it on the shelf. Usually Nat was on cashier and I was restocking. I don't like to admit it but I have a bit of a temper when it comes to customers, plus Natalie just has that natural charm with people anyway so we are essentially a dream team. While I'm restocking, I watch some guy come in and look around. He grabs what he needs and takes it to the register. I watch as him and Natalie have a rather lengthy, and kinda flirty, exchange and I only overhear a bit of the end.

"What was that?" I question grinning after he leaves.

"Oh shut up, I was just asking him about headshots," she says attempting to sound innocent, like she wasn't blushing.

"Mmhm yeah," I roll my eyes. "Oh wait, that's why he looked so familiar," I realize. "He did our grad pictures, right?"

"Yep," she replies. We look over and see Heather walking up to the window. She has three smoothies and knocks on the window giving a smile. Since it was pretty slow, we go out with her and have a small break. We sit outside the store on the sidewalk and chat while sipping on our smoothies.

"Oooh, what do you think, huh? Manic pixie dream girl, tragic ingenue, dangerous seductress?" Natalie lists off.

"Uh, what?" Heather asks.

"It's outfits. Players' Ball?" She clarifies.

"Hmm okay, let me think," I close my eyes. "What about... tragic pixie seductress?" I offer with a laugh.

"That's a real good one," Nat giggles.

"Thank you," I say proud.

"I think it's... something," Heather laughs.

I watch Dodge walking into Dot's and notice Heather out of the corner of my eye looking as well.

"You tell me everything, right?" she asks us.

"Why? What do you want to know?" Natalie fires back on beat.

"Nothing, just like, if you have a secret you guys would tell me, right?"

"Of course," I reply genuinely trying to reassure Heather.

"Oh, Heather," Natalie looks up at her. "Look, it's not a secret you and Bishop are like, stupid in love. It's just a cliché."

"Whoa-ho. Whoa. Wait." She says in awe as I let out a snicker. "That is not what I meant," she tries to clarify while Natalie and I tease her with sarcastic "yeah"s and "mhm"s. "For real, it was just more of like a philosophical question," she says.

"Oh, of course," I say sarcastically.

"Do you guys remember that list of names I found in Spurlock's tunnels?" Heather asks. I recall the texts from after the challenge, but I don't remember much since I was so tired at the time. "You know that means a judge was with us right?"

"I mean it's gotta be Ray," Natalie concludes. "His grandfather used to own that land. I mean, I bet he picked it for the underground, so he could like, run down and make names of whoever made it inside."

"Maybe," I say a bit skeptical. Although I trust Natalie, it feels as though she's almost rehearsed this explanation before.

"Uh, who else could it be?" she asks. Heather and I look at each other unsure of what to say.

"Bishop and I are not in love by the way," she adds.

"Oh yeah," I fake agree. "C'mon, every time you guys make eye contact, we can see in your eyes how much you guys wanna make out," Natalie and I laugh.