Chapter two: Better things
I woke up to a jab on the cheek. I opened my eyes slowly to see a little boy poking me with a stick. He gasped as I looked up at him sleepily. I propped myself on my elbow and watched him freeze. The little dog was gone, and it looked like the boy had braided flowers into my hair. I noticed with sudden surprise that it was a little girl. She dropped the stick and backed away slowly, not breaking our eye-contact. I wondered if Ken had looked for me last night. I cracked my back and crawled out of the little house, blinking in the sunlight.
“W-Who are you?” She said with a cute, high voice.
“I’m... I’m... my names is...” I had forgotten my own name.
“You don’t have one?”
“I do! It’s... Hazel I think. Either that or Holly...”
“I like the first one best-est.”
“Huh? Do you? I suppose that one’s better. Have you seen a man with blond hair and blue eyes, about... really tall?”
“Did he have a black coat on?”
“Yes! W-was he here?”
“Yep! He looked around the block for a while, then he fell asleep on the bench over there, then he left in his Jeta.”
“Okay, ah... don’t tell your parents about me being here, okay?”
I waddled off, wincing as I rediscovered my sprained ankle. I plopped down on the bench where Ken had sat. I closed my eyes and took in the warm rays of sun. I would need them for the night. I wiggled my toes on my bare feet and took the ten dollar bill out of my pocket. I looked to the city. I needed more clothes. My new goal was to get shoes and a jacket. Then, I would find a job. I thought that ten would buy me a jacket and shoes, how stupid I was.
I made my way to the city, walking on the side of the highway. I scratched at the shallow scrapes on my arms and knees. All the cars seemed to go as fast as lightning as they sped along. I limped until I came across a small store that said 50% off everything. I walked in and the door bell chimed. I closed the door in front of me and then entered once more, listening to the bell and giggling. I looked around. I noticed a pair of high-tops. I looked at the price tag. I have to pay twenty dollars for a pair of shoes? I scoffed and continued to browse.
I came across a black, zip-down hood-y. It was five dollars; I hugged it and hung it over my shoulder. I found that all the shoes were too expensive. I picked up a chocolate bar as a stand in the corner caught my eye. I walked over to it. A whole wall of sun glasses! I stood in awe as the shop keeper came over happily.
“What’ll it be?” She asked calmly.
“Could I buy a pair of these for five dollars?”
“Um... no... But, you could get swimming goggles?”
“Cool! Are those like glasses?”
“Uh... Sure! Here, I’ll help you. So, that sweater is five, the chocolate bar is fifty cents, and these yellow goggles are two dollars. That means your change for a ten dollar bill is... two dollars and fifty cents! Do you have a ten dollar bill for me, sweetie?”
I handed it to her. “Here you go! Wow, these goggles are big! They make me look like a bug!”
“Might I say that you look very fashionable?” The keeper giggled. I nodded and left, unwrapping the wrapper of my chocolate bar.
She waved happily as I limped away. I wondered why she was so happy to give me the goggles. I rested them on the top of my head ad let my hair fall over the straps. I smiled and thought of how snazzy I must look. I struck a few poses before walking down Main Street. I swallowed the last of my chocolate and waved at a stranger. I made my way to the free clinic to get a tensor bandage for my foot. They knew me very well there. Heidi, a nurse at the clinic that I saw often, said I should stop doing extreme sports. It was odd because I never did any. I suppose it was supposed to be a joke. I had trouble understanding them usually. In fact, I rarely laughed at all. I suppose this week was a rare one, thanks to Ken-doll. I kept on wondering what his real name was and what he wanted from me.
