"Trust me."
"I already do."
Shiloh "Lo" Peterson hates her life in Astoria, Oregon. Maybe she spent too much time rewatching American Horror Story, or eating Snickers bars in the gas station her brother worked at. The only thing keeping her afloa...
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The rain pattered against my obnoxiously bright yellow rain coat as I walked to the dull gas station I had spent most of my days in.
My brother Derek got a job there a few weeks ago, and my mother decided that it would be a splendid idea for me to go there after school so I wouldn't have to be home alone. Two months ago, Winnie Cooper got held at gunpoint by an intruder and every single parent in Astoria, Oregon has had their panties in a twist since. I haven't been allowed to stay home without someone over the age of 16 to babysit me.
I trudged along, kicking a pebble down the sidewalk. The pebble eventually fell on the street and I frowned, too lazy to go get it. I looked up and saw some dumb tourists walking on the other side of the street looking excited as they rambled and pointed at the famous house our town was known for, 368 38th St, Astoria, OR 97103. AKA, The Goonies house. I rolled my eyes and kept on walking, my pace quickening, getting sick of the once entertaining puddles. I turned the corner and the gas station came into sight.
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The bell rang as I pushed open the jacked up door and stepped inside the old and musty gas station. I cringed at the smell that came from the bathroom; teenage boys were constantly trashing it in an attempt to look cool in front of the sleazy girls they wanted to bang.
"Hey Shiloh." Derek said from behind the counter, not looking up from the comic book he was reading.
My nose wrinkled at the sound of my full name. I walked through the isles looking for the snickers. I found them, grabbed two, and walked back to the front of the store .
"Hey dick waffle." I greeted him. His head was buried in the new vintage Wonder Woman he managed to get, his eyes moving through the words and eyebrows furrowed.
I grabbed one of the snickers and chucked it at his head. He was so into the comic he fell out of his chair once the candy came in contact with him. I hopped onto the counter and sat down, swinging my legs as I unwrapped my own bar.
"What the fuck Shiloh!" I heard him say from the floor, agitated. I cringed again at the name.
"Have a snickers, you aren't you when you're hungry." I blankly stated with a mouth full of chocolate. I could practically hear his eye roll followed by a sigh and the crunching of a wrapper opening. I grinned and sprawled across the counter. I heard shuffling and the moving of a chair which meant that Derek was back in his previous position, his head probably stuffed into the comic again. We sat peacefully as the ticking of the clock could be heard in the small silent gas station.
Derek was the first to break the silence as he closed the comic and put it onto the counter.
"So how was school, loser?" He poked me in the side, earning no reaction from me. I stayed in the same position with my eyes closed.
"Oh, brother, how I adore your wonderful pet names."
"Oh, sister, how delightfully amazing your sarcasm is." He pushed me off the counter to which a yelp escaped my mouth. I landed on the floor with a thud, groaning as the wind was knocked out of me. I laid there for a few seconds before standing up, only slightly phased. Derek has done worse.
"You prick." I grumbled, climbing back up on the counter, this time sitting and facing him.
"School?" He asked again, this time turning around to check the clock. I looked too. 4:30; half an hour until his shift ends, which means Derek has to actually do his job and clean up the store.
"It was fine I guess. School is school, how good can spending six hours with prepubescent boys and basic-ass girls get, y'know?" I say and he hums in agreement, grabbing the broom from the supply closet. He starts dusting the entrance and I spin around to face him.
"How about you?"
"It's good too. It's become better since Mom and Dad let me drive. High schoolers are stupid though, me included." He snickers.
"Good to know it never ends." I sigh and look out the window. The rain made me sad and I just wanted some sun. Plus rain prevented me from going to the skate ramps which sucked.
"I hate rain" I mumbled and pick up one of the tabloid magazines that's on display in front of the counter. The front page included a bunch of ridiculous dramas and tips.
"Yeah well three days left in may, then rain season is over." Derek said while sweeping.
I flipped through the magazine when a certain name stuck out to me.
"What the fuck?" I look up at Derek, "Look at this." Derek walks over and I point to the name.
"The hell? Since when does uncle Andy spontaneously appear in magazines? It says he's working on a special project that will be revealed later? I thought he only directed a bunch of short films that never made it."
"Ditto."
"We can ask him about it in a few weeks," Derek suggested, going back to his sweeping. "Its almost Summer and we always visit Toronto for Summer ." Derek said after thinking for a bit.
"Anything to get out of this god forsaken town." I said and sprawled onto the counter again.
