The Countdown

"Dr. Green, Dr. Sean Green,"

If you can see the picture, that's B

Okay I admit I feel a little guilty about it all but five steps down the sidewalk and I know I did the right thing. I don't even feel like if I went back in time that I'd have stayed in my room like a good girl. Breaking out of my room at Luke's house wasn't the same as breaking out from my old prison cell of a house.

For one I was three stories up and death was a very real possibility, and for two it was more of a dare to myself anyways. If this all went bad and I ended up with nothing but my independance, then I sure as heck was going to make sure I hadn't lost that in the chaos as well.

I stepped over a crack, in the sidewalk and then paused before stepping back. I looked down at the seemingly innocent crack in the sidewalk for a little while before deliberately stepping down on it. If only the old saying were true.

I walked without much of a purpose, and by the time I got to town I realized I was in a little bit of a predicament. I had no way to call the guys, no money to get anything to drink, and I'd never been around town on my own so I didn't know where I'd even go.

Not to mention being unable to call them on a stranger's phone or a policeman's phone because I hadn't bothered to ask for their numbers. I straightened up and started walking again. I'd explore a little and then I'd head back to Luke's place. I mean, it's not like I can get into a whole bucket load of trouble on my own.

The first place I stopped was a thrift shop. I'd heard about them, and it's where most of my clothes came from aside from garage sales, but I'd never really been into one before. I pushed open the door and a rush of warm air greeted me on it's way out.

The air smelled like old things, but in a good way some how. An older woman sat at the desk and was reading on what looked like a tablet. She didn't bother to look up when I stepped in, which made me hesitate. Was I allowed to be in here? I hovered just inside the door, waiting to be kicked out.

When that never happened I took a step further into the store. On second glance the older woman had a weird mark on her collarbone, it was a swirling pattern of blues and purple. It must have been her mark given to her when she met her soulmate.

She glanced up at me and I froze a little.

"What can I do for you dear?" she lowered her ereader and I could tell she knew I was staring.

"Oh I uh, what are you reading?"

With the words I let myself relax like that's what I'd been wondering the whole time. She gave a knowing smile, like could tell there was a bookworm inside of me.

"Oh it's nothing, a book called the Academy. Do you read?"

I smiled, "Yeah, I haven't read a whole lot of books because my mom said we can't afford them, but I love to read."

The words just spilled out of my lips, and I didn't have the heart to go back and fix them. They were mostly true. My step mother hadn't bought me books. But it wasn't for lack of money, more lack of care for my interests. The lady nodded in understanding.

"That's unfortunate. I love this ereader, lets me carry a whole library inside of my pocket," she grinned and sat forward, "Say, there's a bunch of books in the back left corner, how about you go pick out a few?"

"Oh, that's very kind but I don't have any money. I was just going to look around.."

I felt a little stupid. Who walks into a store without any money?

The older lady smiled, her eyes wrinkling a little, "of course I wouldn't make you pay for them. Not when I know you'll come back some day and tell me how you liked them. I'm B by the way. Well my friends call me B, my mother insists on calling me Bridget."