We're All Burning (Contest)

Chapter 06: I don't

"I don't want to do this anymore! Dammit, Brooke!" Eden slammed her hand down on the counter of the motel's room kitchenette, but quickly pulled it away when she realized it was near the stove. "It's ten in the morning, and here we are, arguing about your stupid intuition!"

"Well Robyn comes back saying that our offer's been accepted, then tells us the closing date is next week because she has to go out of town. Do you know how quickly this is all happening? We can't trust it!"

Eden opened her mouth to say something before she was cut off by the ringing of her phone. Angrily, she dug it out of her pocket and answered, "Hello?" Brooke began to say something, but Eden held up her index finger, warning her to be silent.

"Eden, it's Tony!"

"Oh, hi! How are you?"

"I'm great. So you know how we have a meeting today?" His words were rushed.

"Yeah," Eden replied slowly, not sure of what he was getting at.

"Well, a couple hours before, everyone comes up to the diner. We bring some games, and we just hang out until the meeting starts. Would you like to swing by sometime soon?"

Eden really didn't want to, but she knew that it was imperative that she made a great first impression. "Sure, when should I come by?"

"As soon as you can."

And with that, Tony hung up the phone, leaving Eden stressed and bewildered.

"Do we have any board games that you could bring?" Brooke asked, having heard the whole conversation through the silence.

"Everything we had burned down in the fucking fire, Brooke! Of course we don't have any board games! I don't even have anything to wear!" Eden grabbed her keys and wallet before storming out.

When she was positive that Eden was out of earshot, Brooke began to cry.

Eden payed the manager in the lobby no attention and let the front door of the motel slam shut behind her. When she got into her car and began driving, she had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she was angry. Finally, she came upon a quaint little resale shop and went inside.

"Hello, hello," an old woman from behind the counter greeted in a raspy voice. "I've never seen you around her before. You must be new to these parts. What's your name, sweetheart?"

Eden stared for a moment before snapping out of it and replying, "It's E-Eden."

The woman's voice brightened with realization. "Oh, so your the girl with the twelve-year-old daughter. You must've been, like, ten when you had her!"

Really? Were people stupid enough to believe that silly piece of gossip? "No, she's not my daughter," Eden said through clenched teeth. "She's my little sister, and she's fourteen, not twelve."

"Oh, I'm so very sorry. Feel free to look around. Those dresses are on sale for ninety-nine cents each."

"No freaking way," Eden mumbled under her breath. She didn't care if those dresses where her style or not, they were dirt cheap. And soon, they'd be an integral part of her wardrobe.

After twenty minutes of sifting through dresses, Eden had about forty dollars worth--twenty for herself and twenty for Brooke. The few other clothes that they had would suffice for some variation. After grabbing a torn-up edition of chutes and ladders, Eden asked if the woman would watched her stuff while she changed into one of the dresses.

Eden went into the dressing room and began to change. The material was like all the others: soft and cottony, nothing special. This particular dress was a soft green with a sash that she tied into a bow at the middle. Making sure that it fell just at her knees as she had hoped, she went out and paid for everything.