The Unfair Life of Mady Barker (A One Direction fanfic)

Chapter 2

"No way, Reggie's coming back?" my friend, Hampton, asked, leaning against the counter of my family's thrift shop. I looked up at him from my position cleaning a bottom shelf behind the counter, his short brown hair in a weird position on his head. Hampton Friz, also sixteen, was one of my best guy friends. Since he lived down the street from my shop, and since I have to work shifts after school, he comes to the shop and we just talk. He was somewhat more sensitive out of all my friends, but he'd be the perfect boyfriend for any girl. No, I don't like him. He's got his heart set on another girl, anyway, and I was the one who sometimes helped him out with that. So far, no such luck.

 He looked through the see-through counter at a baseball card. "Who's that?" He pointed at a baseball car on a stance in the counter, and I could hear his finger tap on that spot a million times before I finally stood up and looked.

"Jackie Robinson, I think? I don't know. The damn thing's too old for me to tell. He apparently signed that thing."

"And your dad wants to get rid of it?" He looked up and gave me a funny look, chuckling as I only shrugged at him.

"I think he's seeing if he can swindle a customer or something like that. You never know with my dad." I rolled my eyes.

"Right." he stood up straight, leaning in front of me. "So, Reggie. When's she coming back?"

"Next week, now. My mom told me last week and acted as if I should drop everything and celebrate."

"Well, shouldn't you?" he inquired, once again giving me a look. I gave him an, "Are you freaking serious" look and shook my head.

"Not really, no. It's not like you and your sister. Kaitlyn would call to check up on you, personally. Reggie, every time I talk to her, just talks about her adventures in Britain, rubbing in the fact that she saw Benedict Cumberbatch shooting Season 3 of 'Sherlock' the other day, or that she and her friend saw the One Direction tour bus or whatever bullshit girls like her care about."

"Mads, aren't you being a little harsh on the lady? You did tell me this was her dream. She always wanted to go out into the world to see what's out there."

"Maybe I am a litte, but that's besides the point. She doesn't care about me anymore." I watched as he began attempting to climb up a shelf to get a picture frame, which was made out of old diamond and rubies from a grumpy old lady who sold it to us. "Hampton, you're gonna die doing that."

He scoffed, glancing back at me before carefully stepping on another shelf. "You insult me. I'm the best rock climber in the tenth grade, and everyone knows it."

"Key word: rock climber." I giggled, gasping as he slipped a little before regaining a grip on the shelf above his head. "Besides, bonehead, we've got a ladder you can use."

He successfully grabbed the picture frame before jumping down, slipping on a wet spot on the ground and falling on his arse. He sheepishly grinned at me before standing up, acting as if he was the champion of the world.

I groaned playfully, giving him a look. "Now I have to put that back later unless you're buying it. And last time I checked, you're broke, bud."

He shrugged, a grin still on his face. "Meh, doesn't mean I can't look at it." He glanced at it for a second before standing it up and placing it next to me. "Never mind. I got bored of it."

I glared at him, punching his shoulder playfully. "Get outta here, dirtbag. Your mom called me to remind you that you've gotta get home to babysit at four, and it's three forty five." I giggled as he groaned. Unlike me, Hampton was really good with little kids, what with him being just like a little kid. The only thing that bothered him: his mom told everyone in our suburb about him, so now every family asks him to babysit. "Who is it today?"