Valarie
Chapter five
By: Amber Boles
Friday June 25, 1999 9:30 A.M.
Val is up before the alarm clock goes off, but she lies there contemplating over her job. Is this the right choice? Is she mean to be a working girl?
10:26 A.M.
Val tried to get to work a bit later, but it doesn't work. Russ is still not there, and Val has a few minutes to spare.
Anthony walks in through the front door. It's quite awkward really. Everyone looks at him, not knowing if they should say something. No one does. Val assumes since it's Friday (Payday), that he's there for his last check.
Val wants to talk to him, but doesn't know if it's the right time. When is the right time? "Anthony," Val calls jumping off a booth table she was sitting on. Anthony looks at her.
"Anthony," She says again when she stands in front of him. She's only a few inches shorter than him, but feels smaller. Anthony seems older to Val.
Val doesn't know how to ask what she wants to ask. "Is the reason you're late because of..." Val tries not to chock, but she does. "Mariah," She whispers, hoping he didn't hear so she can say never mind and go back to her business, and Anthony to his.
Anthony clears his through. His eyes wheal with tears. But he does not cry. He's a man. "Yes." He says strong, and then pushed past Val to get to the office. He returns without so much as a glace towards Val, and leaves in his beat up mystery-model car.
Val understands now.
Sunday, June 27, 1999 7:22 P.M.
Val decides to treat herself to dinner. But she doesn't want to look like a looser in a restaurant alone. So she invites Her cousin Krista to join her. Krista lives near by with her mom, Aunt Greta, Val's mom's sister. Confusing? Not really.
But Krista can't go. So Val goes alone. Where too? Val hasn't decided.
8:02 P.M.
Val pulls into the parking lot of Cracker Barrel. She gets seated right away, but the server takes forever to come by her table and take her drink order.
When he does, Val doesn't look up, and keeps looking at the menu, and asks for a water.
"Sure," Says a voice. Val can't decide if she wants breakfast for dinner, or a Veggie-burger. When she looks up, no one is there. She decided she wanted a Veggie-burger.
Val has blank time to think. She thinks about her parents and Timmy. Oh, how she misses Timmy. Her parents too, but they weren't as close. She wants to know why they were killed. For money? Possessions? Anger?
Why did she see it happen on the bus? That never happened.
Normally she has to touch a person or object to get a reading. Never has it happened from a distance. What's the point, she wouldn't have been able to stop it. And why? Why o Why can she only see the negative things? Like the time she touched her cat, and saw it getting hit by a truck. Val thought cats always had nine lives.
Val looks up when someone sets a plate in front of her. "Thanks," She mumbles and get right to squirting ketchup on her burger. Val pulls her legs up into the lotus position on the booth. She feels someone next to her.
"Hey," Says the bus boy. Val looks up. Anthony.
Val can't breath. She stares blankly at him. What is she to say? "hey," she says back.
Anthony smirks. He thinks its funny how Val is nervous.
"So... you got a job fast..." Val lets it hang.
