Akumal

Breaking The Rules

Present

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I was wearing it.  My turtle pendant.  I was wearing it.

I was wearing it today because I had given quite a bit of thought about what Hazel had told me.  You have nothing to worry about. She was right.  No matter what happened, he would always love me.  So I could go and get my heart broken a thousand times over and I still had that one thing to hold onto.  

And so that was exactly what I was going to do.

Ok, not exactly.  Arizona wasn’t available.  But that didn’t mean I couldn’t talk to him, just in case things with him and Cora didn’t work out.  He would need someone to fall back on, and I would be there to catch him.  Unless I discovered that he was a total jerk, which might actually make sense since he was dating Cora.  Let’s just hope that wasn’t the case.  Please no.

Hazel was fooling around with things on my counter, not doing her job (as usual).  She would pick up a pack of gum, inspect the side of it or the back, and place it back in a different spot.  I would then go to fix it, giving in to my OCD...

Her eyes settled on my necklace, and she immediately lunged for it.  I quickly reacted by backing away from her (hey, I didn’t want to get it broken again).  “What?” she asked playfully, catching the turtle in her fingers.  

I shook my head to clear it.  “Sorry, I just...  It’s kind of...” My face fell.  Great, now I looked stupid.  

Hazel quickly released it.  “Oh, I didn’t realize...” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Was it from him?”

I nodded, not looking up at her.  The cool metal was on my neck again, making me smile a little.  How was it possible that something so small and nonliving could make me smile when I was used to so much sadness?  Well, it didn’t matter.  I looked back up at Hazel, waving my hand about to show that it wasn’t a big deal.  “I’m good,” I said, turning to my register.

Hazel breathed a sigh of relief.  “That’s great, because Cora is out sick today.  And you know what that means.” She nudged me with her elbow.  I blushed.

“I can talk to you-know-who?”

Hazel frowned.  “No, actually I was talking about the fact that I am in charge right now! And do you know what I do with that power?”

“Take advantage of it, eat food from the store, do whatever the hell you want?” I said sarcastically, even though she probably would do that.  

“Even better,” she whispered.  I turned my head to see the most devilish look in her eyes. Uh-oh.  This wasn’t going to end well.

She straightened, clasping her hands behind her back.  She cleared her throat.  “Miss Kai, it is with such delight that I invite you to the party that will ensue in the break room in-” she looked at an imaginary watch on her wrist.  “Now.”

A party? In the break room?  “Hazel, I’ll get fired!” And that’s when Arizona walked over.

“Get fired?  Who’s getting fired?”  He glanced over at me, a playful look in his eyes.  

“Mr.  Arizona, I’m pleased to offer you this one-chance invitation to a party taking place in the back room right about now,” Hazel said, talking in her kingly voice.

“A party? Sweet, I’m in!  I’ll close up the shop.”  With that he walked away, heading towards the front door to change the sign hanging on it around to read ‘closed.’ My eyes grew wide.  This was really happening?  Arizona was in on this?