Pain 2: Him (H.S)

Chapter 19

"Move," Harry playfully shoves me out of the way as we walk down the half empty parking lot to Home Depot beneath the beaming sun. Instead of buying a muffin, he decided to get a sandwich and practically shoved it down his throat within the first three bites and he had his first coolatta, which he's now obsessed with.

"Mine tastes better," He looks to me sipping through his straw like a child.

"We have the same one." Construction workers and men in tool belts scatter around outside the orange building, loading trucks and setting up fences and wood for display and I don't think I've ever seen so many men in one place before.

"Is there a trash can anywhere?" He grabs my hand holding the empty cup in the other as we walk in. Sounds of table and jigsaws echo throughout the mass space, combination smells of wood, paint, and men's cologne lingers all around. He finds a small round trash can beside the small fridge filled with Red Bull and water and tosses it in.

"I need to get some tools." He tells me with wondering eyes leading me further down the store. "I need a hammer, a screw driver, the cross slot one not the flat one," He looks to me like I actually know what he's talking about, "and extra nails. I'm sure they'll come with the windows and door but just in case." His smiles brightens up the room even more and his head turns side to side hoping to find some assistance.

My stomach pain has gotten better, probably from the chocolate and I don't feel as cranky anymore. Harry kept questioning everything about "the thing girls go through every month," and my head was going to explode from all the questions. He asked me things like why girls have it, where it all comes from, why guys don't have it, how come girls crave chocolate so much when they're on it; the most ridiculous questions, it was like I was giving health class to a first grader.

"Excuse me," Harry stops one of the workers walking towards us with a clipboard, "could you tell me where the windows and doors are?"

The man tucks his pen behind his ear and smiles towards Harry. "Of course, follow me." He turns waving his hand beckoning us to follow and we do.

"Can you do me a favor?" Harry whispers in my ear, "please find the screw driver I told you about and if you can, a hammer? It's the one with a cross tip, not the flat one." He explains to me again and I recite his words in my head.

"Okay, cross not flat?" I release his hand to continue a different direction.

"Yeah, and a hammer. Make sure the back has a claw."

"A what?" I stop.

"It's like a split," He makes the peace sign with his fingers trying to model the 'claw' and I laugh, "it's to remove the nail if you mess up. If you can't find it, it's alright." He smiles towards my confusion.

"You'll want to go back that way," The man turns walking backwards, "it's in the tool section a couple aisles back."

"Thank you." I say giving them both a smile and begin my search.

I think I'm the only girl in here; even the cashiers are guys but I kind of feel special being the only one. I look up at the big board labelled "Tools" and enter the aisle. Orange shelves are stacked with different types of tools I've never seen before all around with over priced tags and men with carts filled with them. Why in the hell would someone ever pay thirty dollars for a hammer? I grab the one Harry wanted with the 'claw' and search high and low for something less expensive but this is all there is. I spot the cross slit one he explained and I really want to grab the flat head one just to mess with him but that would mean I'd have to come back and get the actual one and that's too much work. The cramps are making me lazy.

"Excuse me," I feel someone tap my shoulder and I turn. A guy almost twice the size of me smiles and steps back at my startled reaction and brushes back the fallen hairs from his gelled hair, "Do you work here?" He asks me rubbing the back of his neck.