Counting Stars

Chapter 19

➹ Chapter 19➹

Alex

            "You just had to forget the grocery list," Calvin scolds from the other line. I scowl even though he doesn't see me.

            "Just dictate the items on the list," I order him, "You better not be playing games while at it." I push the cart along the aisles of cereal. One hand is holding the handle of the cart while the other is holding the phone.

            "I'm not playing games," he denies, but I hear sound effects in the background, "Sort of."

            "I swear, I will kill you if you get one item wrong," I bark at him, "And don't even try including something for yourself because I will know."

            It's another after school afternoon and we were alone at the house. Mom calls my cell and tells me she can't go grocery shopping and requests me to do it. Since Calvin wouldn't budge, I had no choice but to leave him behind.

            It's the day after that kiss and Liam and I's make up. I feel a weight lifted after the encounter at the park, but the guilt's still stirring in my stomach. One way or another, Liam's going to find out I'm really Scarlet.

            "Do you see any cereal in the list?" I ask Calvin. He mumbles a little 'wait' and then gives me the name. I push my cart forward to get a box.

            I hear munching on the other line as I put two boxes in the cart. "What are you eating?" I irritatingly ask Calvin.

            "The last Milkyway in the fridge," I hear a smirk in his voice. That fat pig.

            "I'm here, wondering why you don't ever get fat," I grunt.

            "It's just me, sis," he laughs a little. I'm still waiting for that revenge on him, Karma.

            My eyes suddenly catch two people in the same aisle as me. The boy has curly brown hair and angled features while the girl beside him looks almost the same as him, except for the different colored eyes. They must be twins. They look like they're arguing which cereal to get.

            I can't help but notice that the boy seems familiar. I push my cart out of the aisle and into another — the aisle of milks.

            "Are all top six in San Francisco right now?" I press the phone closer to my ear, almost whispering at Calvin.

            "Yeah," Calvin answers, "After the last official gathering, they're all staying in hotels in here until finals except, of course, for us and Liam."

            My face twists in confusion, "How did you know that?"

            I imagine him shrugging, "I have some sources." I don't even want to ask.

            "So, they're all here? In San Francisco?" I ask through the phone.

            "No, they're halfway to Canada," my brother sounds annoyed. "Why are you asking anyway?"

            "Because I think I just saw Harris," I keep my voice low. "He has a twin sister, apparently."

            "Okay," Calvin says, uninterested. If I saw Harris in the grocery, then there's a chance of bumping into Yuri or Damon, too.

            "Any milk in the list?"

            "Hold on," Calvin tells me, "Just take our usual. Make it two cartons."