Red Numbers

Chapter 2

I woke up with a daze. My heart pounding from the dream before. I blinked. It was so vivid. I trusted someone, enough to tell them my secret. She just laughed and then her green eyes turned yellow, like mine. And her long curly hair turned dark dark brown, like mine. Her red lips turned limp and lifeless and then she morphed into me. But I blinked again and suddenly I was invisible and she had friends. Everywhere. She laughed at a joke and smiled a smile that wasn't fake. Every thing about her was as me, but as if she no longer saw the numbers. And then her yellow eyes turned softly back too green. And thats when I knew if I didn't see anything, that's who I'd be. A superficial girl with a big chest and over twenty close friends.

So when I woke up I did the obviouse thing and, laughed. Right like that could even happen, only in my dreams. I stood up. It was cold and I shivered. But at the same time I welcomed it. I had work today. I walked to the edge of the cave and grabbed some fresh water I made last night. Looking up I walked to my backpack, I unzipped it and took out a half eaten gronola bar. Yum. I ate it pretty quickly once I looked at the watch relizing I had 20 minutes to get too work.

That sounds like a lot but remember Iive out in the forest, which is about 15 minutes away from town. And Late Night Latte (which is ironic because we close at 10 pm) is about ten minutes away.

I started a light jog. I looked at my watch, it was 8:47 and I had work at nine.

Once I got to the edge of the forest I walked. I passed the "Welcome to Foreheight" sign painted in gold letters. It was a nice walk. Despite seeing a young girls number 13 -unlucky- and finding out she will die, too soon, in 2 months. She has cancer. But it hasn't been found yet, I'm guessing that anyways. She was only seven.

I closed my eyes, no more numbers, I told myself. Of course I had to open my eyes eleven seconds later, when I was sure the little girl was gone. Because of my "stalling" I was late. By five minutes.

Carl wasn't too disappointed. But he asked me why.

"Long walk here." I mumbled which wasn't a total lie.

"I see. Your so determined though, always here. Never missed a day. It reminds me of, well me." Then he went into some back story of his navy years. I fell into silence listening to his voice like background music. I set my bag down and grabbed a broom.

The shop opens at six. But when I first got the job, I had to get here by five thirty, scrub the tables sweep the floors, all that stuff, and make sure everything was looking good for when we opened. But about a month into it Carl said I worked too hard and looked tired enough so he let me come in at nine. He said another boy, about sixteen needed a morning job anyways. He had two jobs I heard, struggling to buy a car or something. So he worked from five to nine. And then worked his second job as a cashier at Safeway. His name was Steeve short for Stephen. I saw him sometimes as we passed in and out of shop. His number was 107, he would be very successful in life. An inventor by the looks of it. Sort of a Cinderella story for him I'm guessing.

Anyways it was a slow day, with a little bit of a lunch rush. I know that was an oxymoron. Oh well.

Carl smiled as I was done with my shift. I sat on the bar, "Can I have a smoothie? Strawberry Tang, please." I said quietly. We get two free drinks a day and I didn't always use both, or even one. I tried not to abuse it.

"Coming right up." Carl said. He tossed the fruit into the blender and in seconds he handed me it in a glass cup.

"Why not to go?" I asked.

"Well it is pay day!" Carl said smiling pulling out an envelope, "Hope you don't mind, but theres a little something extra in there too."

I grimaced. As I opened it up slowly I sipped my smoothie, the sweet tangy taste dance on my tounge. I got the thing open and took out the money. (I told Carl when I began to pay me in cash because I didn't have a bank account he said that was fair and agreed) I counted it up "one hundred bucks!" I exclaimed. "why so much? I usually get only 70."

"Eh," he replied delighted with my suprise. "I figure you work hard, so I better give you more."

I was so excited. "Thank you Carl, you're not going to pay me this much all the time right?"

Carl did one of those happy sighs. "Only if you keep up the good work."

I listened closely feeling a speech coming on.

"I think of you as a grand daughter, you know that right?" I didn't. "And you've worked really hard. How bout a promotion? Same hours and all but you could work the counter too. Only for two hours out of your shift. And you'll get the same pay as you did this time. Of course I'd need to show you how it's done. So over the next few weeks I could teach you until your ready for it by yourself. What do you say?"

I looked at Carls dark skin and his graying hair. It sounded perfect. And with Carl I knew there was no catch. "Yeah, that would be, great!" I actually almost shouted. Carl laughed about my enthusiasm.

Then thing got quiet you could only here about 2 customers sitting down and sipping both on their laptop. Their fingers clicking on there keyboard.

"How far away do you live? I could give you a ride home."

Home. I almost laughed. In what world, besides a bears, would a cave in the middle of the forest be considered a home?

"You can't exactly drive there." I edged "it's 30 or 40 minutes walking distance."

He mused with that. "Want to crash here? You know how I got the extra bedroom upstairs. And I got spegetti or dinner, your favorite." He was right and I hadn't had it in a while maybe three months.

"Sure that would be great. Just need to go some places right now." I said eyeing the hundred dallors in my hands.

Carl waved for me to go but told me not to spend it all in one place. I nodded and grabbed my bag.

I left without another word.

It was 5:15 and I had nothing on my mind but the pond. It's where I went to think. To collect myself. I began to walk there but my toes cringed. Iooked down, eyeballing my cruddy mud covered sneakers. I'd have to buy new ones, but not now. I put the money in my pocket so I wouldnt be tempted to buy everything I saw. I took another step and my feet exaggerated there pain.

I sighed slowly limping in defeat to heal and soul where a huge, closing for good, sign was up. 30% off.

I walked out feeling pretty good. I had bought some cool new kicks. They were white and purple. And great for climbing and running, I had made sure if that. Now I only had 71.45 left. I felt pretty good leaving te shop with my new shoes on. I wouldn't dump my old ones, just in case.

I walked to the pond, today was a good day, now watch something screw it up tomarrow.

The funny thing I feel is, you still don't know my name.