Clair de Lune

4. Black suit

We all packed into Mrs. Walker's old minivan the next morning, accompanying her on our bi-weekly trip to the grocery store. I was stuck in the very back while poor Nolan was crammed in between Patrick and Jordan. Everyone threw around playful banter while I looked out the window, gazing into the forests that surrounded the city. They weren't very thick, but they were still enough to want to give me more of a taste of the outdoors. We lived five minutes outside of town, and Brighton was a little place with people we all knew. The streets were straight and the shops were good, Christian owned establishments that passed disdain onto anyone who didn't exactly fit in with the norm.

The sun was high in the sky today, the remnants of last night's storm nothing more than wisps of gray clouds off in the distance. The only problem was that on the edge of the horizon there were even darker clouds encroaching, and I felt myself shiver at the mere thought of it. Everything was humid and sticky when I hopped out of the van, and I felt as if I was trapped inside a furnace just walking down the street to the store. Nolan could tell I was uncomfortable and his hand brushed up against mine, our fingers locking for a split second before we moved apart. I wanted to hold his hand and show him off like a proud trophy, but out here, I knew no one would be happy about it and I'd probably be kicked out of the house before I could move out.

Suddenly I was longing for the California coast again, the thought of it always hanging in the back of my mind, alongside other things. I knew there was a lot of paperwork involved in legally moving out when you were in the foster system, and for some reason, I felt as if I wanted to leave of my own accord, Mrs. Walker would never allow it. She was old, she needed her kids to stick around and help her as she aged even further. We'd all be stuck as her slaves until she died, which with my luck, wouldn't be until she was well into her hundreds. A cold blast of air from the supermarket doors shook me out of my dilemma and I sighed, picking up a basket and wandering off down the aisles.

We picked out our own food, things we liked and that would hold us over for the next two weeks. Nothing sweet, sugary, or expensive though. I grabbed a bottle of orange juice and a box of my favorite crackers, moving on to pick up a bag of colored noodles and alfredo sauce. My favorite granola bars were a few aisles over, and I could see members of my family scattered throughout the store as I traveled along. I paused to grab the box, noticing the cereals just a little ways down the metal shelving.I was busy examining one of them when I felt a light touch on my rear end, something that made my face flush instantly. I was about to turn around and reprimand Nolan, only to find that he was nowhere to be seen. There was only a man I hadn't known in the aisle and Patrick walking by with Jordan beside him. I swallowed my sudden fear and walked the other way after I put the cereal box back, deciding I wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Everyone grouped back together at the front of the store, numerous things compiled into our baskets when we set them on the conveyor belt. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Nolan's hand flash out before returning to his pocket and I stifled a giggle, taking a guess at what he'd shoplifted. I turned back to see Mrs. Walker at the register, talking to a man a little younger than herself. I'd recognized him slightly, but all I knew was that he was a friend of Mr. Walker's before he'd died.

"How's little N doing on his piano skills?" He asked curiously, a warm smile on his face.

"Oh, he's absolutely lovely. Every morning I wake up and he's out there playing." Mrs. Walker told him. "Andy would've been proud."

"I'm sure he is."

We grabbed the grocery bags and vacated the premises, the usual chatter still present while we walked down the street. My mind was off and wandering though, my focus having shifted somewhere else. Just as I'd clamored back into the back of the van, I noticed someone along the shopfront that didn't seem quite right. A man in a pressed black suit, his hair slicked back and his appearance sharp and clean. I couldn't get a good look at him other than that, but it was someone I'd certainly never seen in the town before. Something seemed off and I did my best to ignore it, but his figure stayed present in the forefront of my mind the whole ride home.

It was Hailey's job to put groceries away, thank God, so I didn't have to do much when I got home. The usual household chores consisted of cleaning our rooms and making sure the laundry was done, refilling the squirrel feeders outside and even turning the piano. It was all just little things we did to keep the house running, and I couldn't help but enjoy it sometimes. I sat in the bay window, watching the little brown tailed creatures scamper up the post and nibble on seeds and other goodies that had been placed into the feeder. I loved watching them, knowing they were free to go wherever they wanted.

"Do you ever wonder about our real parents?" A voice asked quietly as he took a seat by my side.

"Not as much as you think I would." I chuckled. "They didn't want me. I don't feel like they deserve my attention or imagination."

"I guess you're right." Nolan smiled slightly. "Hey, if they had wanted to keep you, you would never have met me."

"Oh, you've got me there." I laughed. "Your mom died, right?"

"Yeah, my mom was really sick after she had me and she just didn't ever recover." He explained. "My dad was never in the picture apparently, so I was going to end up here regardless."

"It's so strange, you and the rest of them all know how you got here. Patrick's parents were teenagers and Hailey and Jordan's were killed in a car crash, but mine just handed me over. No sight or sound from them."

"Maybe they didn't have a choice and they had to hand you over."

"I'd like to think that." I nodded quietly. "I don't know, I feel like I practically raised myself. Who needs parents."

"Well, you did a wonderful job of raising yourself, along with my musical guidance." He snickered before reaching back, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to me. It was a payday bar, my favorite. "Happy early birthday."

"So that's what you took, you sneaky little devil." I grinned, taking it from him gladly and instead of opening it, I decided to save it for later. "Thank you, I really needed one of these."

"Are you doing okay? You seemed a little spooked earlier."

"I'm fine," I lied, "but there was someone weird in town."

"The guy in the suit, right?" Nolan asked, and I nodded.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw him." I shifted somewhat uncomfortably in my spot, pulling my legs up to my chest "I think I'm just being paranoid, but he was just a little too out of place for my tastes."

"I hear you, he seemed odd to me too." Nolan nodded, his concerned scowl replaced by a light hearted smile. "Don't let it bother you, okay? We've got your birthday coming up and you don't need to be worrying about little things."

"Okay." I smiled and nodded, the incident in the grocery store sitting in the back of my mind. I felt bad for putting up a facade for him to see, but maybe I really was just being paranoid. I needed to let it go, so I did.