A Walk Apart (Episode 4: All In)

Chapter Nine

Simon handed a couple of feather decorated picture frames to their new owner. "There you go, Mr. Gregory. I will make sure to let you know when Julia brings more in. Thanks for stopping by." He offered a friendly smile as Mr. Gregory took his time leisurely walking toward the door. No rush. It wasn't like the well-being of the shop was at stake. Hopefully.

Once the floor was free of any customers to tend to, he left the counter and headed for the stockroom to check up on Brie. She'd been back there, unsupervised, for a while now. He wanted to make sure she was okay. And confirm that the inventory was still intact.

The bell rang indicating that another customer had arrived and that his parents seriously needed to considering hiring more help. He pivoted, spinning smoothly in his gold sneaks, and found Jared occupying himself with one of the caps. Above a sky-blue rim, the Philadelphia skyline wrapped around the crown celebrating their city. Simon had bought one for himself the first day Genevieve dropped them off. It was a bestseller, but Simon had a hunch Jared wasn't there to patronize. He put the hat back on the rack and turned to Simon, hands in his coat pockets. Hunch justified. "Hey, would you happen to know where Ashlee is?"

"I would not. Sorry." Simon glanced at the stockroom door, now hoping Brie would remain where she was. She didn't have the nicest opinion of 4N at the moment, and now was not the time for her to tell him how she felt about him. That could at least wait until after her shift ended when no customers would be around to witness her sisterly outrage. Vengeance was bad for business.

Jared swept his eyes around the room, not buying the half-lie and mostly like tired of the runaround. Just because Simon may have overheard Ashlee telling Brie she was camping out on the roof, that didn't mean she made it up there already. She could have taken a detour. "Look, I know you're friends, and you're only looking out for her, but I just want to talk."

Tell one white lie and now all of a sudden he was involved. "Whatever happened..."

"I get it. It was my fault—"

"Either way, she's really upset about it. Probably more at herself than you. I don't know the details, but I do know what it's like to be suspended in uncertainty. So if you do find her, make sure you're upfront."

Jared nodded and pushed the door open, shoulders hunched like he was carrying the weight of his problems on them like a dumbbell.

Simon could have just let him walk out and continue to stumble around playing "Where's Ashlee?", but his conscious wouldn't let him do it. Jared was trying to do the right thing. Simon had to give him credit for that. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Why not give him a chance to prove it. "If you want a hint, I may have picked up inside information that she's on her way to the roof. But you didn't hear it from me."

"Sorry? I didn't catch that." Jared smirked and let the door swing shut behind him. Simon laughed. He would leave this interaction between the two of them for now. He didn't want Brie to know he was fraternizing with the N-emy.

***

Back in the stock room, Brie admired a shelf of hand-crafted jewelry boxes she was supposed to be setting out on display. She picked one up that read "Dream Big." It was spectacular. A huge rainbow was painted on the lid and sides surrounded by unicorns, mermaids, fairies and other imaginary creatures along with words of encouragement like, "You can, you will" and "All things are possible." What exactly did her possible look like?

The door creaked open and Simon entered. Probably wondering what was taking her so long. "Need some assistance." He inspected the room. "Or a broom?"

More like a spark. Some inspiration. She opened the lid and found a smiley face painted on the pink bottom. "Here is a person who has it all figured out. They know exactly where their life is headed, doing what they love. All of their dreams are going to come true."

Simon moved closer to take a look at himself. "So this magical box can hold jewelry and tell fortunes?"

"It's not just a box. It's a gift." A realization hit her. It was devastating. "What if everyone has one except me?" Ashlee was born to make people smile. Simon could beautify a room with his flower arrangements while simultaneously building a fashion fan base on his style alone. Daylight had their music, and even Jared found his passion through photography. But what about her? What did she have to offer the world besides being book smart?

Simon leaned against the shelves so they were eye to eye. "Everyone has a gift. We just develop them in our own time. You will discover yours, and you will be the best person for the job."

Brie still wasn't convinced. There were kids who were more successful than her, running their own businesses on the Internet. She was severely lagging behind with no map to tell her where she was going. Her future had never looked so bleak. "Maybe I'll just stay here for the rest of my life. Your parents would love having a dependable worker who isn't going anywhere." She started to put the jewelry box in a carrier of others to take out to the floor.

Simon picked up the carrier before she could place it on top. "Keep it. As a reminder. Don't give up on yourself so quickly. There is something inside of you waiting to bloom. More beautiful than any flower I've ever seen." He pecked her forehead and got back to work.

Brie held onto the box with both hands like it was a precious jewel itself, rereading its affirmations. She wanted to dream big. If only she knew what that really meant for her.

***

Will Jared finally get to talk to Ashlee? And will Brie ever find her purpose? Stay tuned!

-Love, Charly