lavender. (mace)

one.

The convenience store is a very sketchy place.

Especially at this time of night. Mamrie's made a promise to herself to run in and run out. She's seen first hand what kind of trouble can happen in a QuikMart at eleven p.m.

She's nineteen and hasn't slept in a day and a half. All the cold medicine began to stop making her drowsy and began to make her paranoid.

She pulls open the door and that same little bell jingles. The white lights on the ceiling are bright and piercing. She's so sleepy and just wants to go home and fall asleep, but at the same time she can't stand to be in that house anymore. She rushes to the register counter.

"Marlboro." She says. Her voice is tired and raspy. Her ex-girlfriend called it funny and therefore she hates it. The employee, a 16-year-old with a face plastered in disgusting all-too-familiar acne turns and picks up a box of cigarettes then smacks them onto the counter.

"$12.04" He sighs. His eyes are a bloodshot red and it's obvious he doesn't want to be here right now. She pulls a twenty out of her purse and tossed it on the counter.

"Keep the change." Mamrie mumbles with a snuffle. She quickly stuffs the box in her pocket and immediately walks out. The spooky linger of that place weighs in her shoulders, a feeling she can't shake until a few good showers and a drink or two.

She jumps in the driver seat of her truck and turns the engine on. She begins to drive out of the parking lot, steering onto the lonely street. She gets to a red light and pulls out the cigarette box, then opens up the glove compartment, reaching for her lighter. One-handedly, she takes out a cigarette and tucks it between her plump lips.

The smoke tastes awful. There can't be anything worse-tasting and yet she takes another drag. And another. And another. And one last one before she burns the end of it on the dashboard. She turns on her radio.

She walks like Summer and talks like rain,
reminds me that there's time to change.

She shuts it off. How gross. Love.

Mamrie looks down the empty road and increases her speed, pressing down on the gas slightly. She meets the parking lot of a 99¢ store.

She's never been in this part of town before. There are lots of dangerous parts of the city and this was never one of them, so she stayed away from it as much as she could.

The lights are off and the lot is completely silent. The sign is the only faint glow in this dark abyss. She puts the truck in park and climbs back, landing herself in the backseat.

And although she doesn't want to, she thinks of her ex. She thinks of her curly brown hair and green ivy eyes. She misses her kisses and hugs and words of affection. If she could have it all again, she would. It doesn't matter if it was fake, she wants to feel loved.

She stares up at the sky through the ceiling window.

Eventually her eyelids weigh down and they close. If she can get even just an hour of sleep in, maybe the terrible feelings will subside. She makes herself vulnerable to whatever nightmare she'll have tonight and slumber reels her in.

* * *

The chirping of crickets transitioned into birds as the dawn arrives. She awakens to a faint knock on the window.

Mamrie sits up, propping herself up by her elbows, and tips her baseball cap up a bit. She sees a blonde girl gently knocking. She gets up and rolls down the window.

"Can I help you?"

"Are you alright?" The girl's voice is so soft and sweet.

"Yes...?" She raises both her eyebrows.

"Well, I was just wondering." The girl stutters. "I mean, you're camped out here in the front of a ninety-nine cent store."

Mamrie sighs, her cold acting up again as she sniffles. Her brow furrows. "What time is it?"

The blonde glares at her watch. "Seven." She replies, hands gently graping the window sill. The redhead groans, stuffing her face in her hands.

"I know that I don't know you, but you're gonna have to help me out." The stranger tells her. "I'm late for work and my car just broke down."

"What is it, can't fix your car?"

"I'm in a hurry."

Mamrie wipes her eyes, the hazy morning feeling slowly fading away. Her vision clears up and she looks up at the girl finally.

She's gotten a purple beanie pulled over thick blonde hair, her eyes are a deep hazel and she's bundled up in an auburn sweater and white scarf. Her skin looks as soft as her hair and her pink lips are parted ever so slightly.

The early morning sun shines on her golden locks and creamy skin.

Whoa. She thinks to herself. She's super hot.

"Can you take me or not?"

"Huh?" Mamrie shakes herself of the scandalous thoughts going through her mind.

"Can you take me to work?"

There's a lull while Mamrie stares into the girls eyes. How stunning.

"Yeah, hop in." She responds.

She climbs back into the driver seat and the blonde walks around the front of the truck, stepping into the passenger.

"You got a name, babe?" Mamrie smirks, turning on her engine.

"Grace." She says, buckling her seatbelt. "Grace Helbig."