salvation | s. harrington i

MADMAX

Stepping into Melvald's General, I was met with the overwhelming stench of plastic and paint.

"God, what's with all the pumpkins?" I throw my bag down behind the register, where my Aunt Joyce is sewing Wills Halloween costume.

"It's Halloween, Angie. Little kids tend to use pumpkins to collect their Halloween candy." Aunt Joyce laughs as I hop up and sit on the counter, examining her work.

"Looks great, Aunt Joyce. Seriously, you did a phenomenal job this year." I play with the pins on my jacket, turning all of them to make sure they're facing the right way.

"Thanks. Wait, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" She asks, starting to sew the Ghostbusters patch onto Will's costume.

"Yeah, but instead I'm here. With you." I smile at her, then proceed to play with the fake spiders behind us.

A few minutes later, the bell to the front door rings as none other than Bob Newby walks in. He and Joyce have been seeing each other for a while now and he comes and see's her almost everyday. It's actually really cute. Except for when they sneak to the back of the store.

"Hey there!"

"Hey!"

"You wouldn't happen to have these in any other colors? I'm not a big fan of orange." He says, holding up an orange pumpkin bucket.

"Hmh, I'll have to check in back." And as she sets down Will's Halloween costume, Bob moves forward, following her to the storage room of the store, probably to make out.

"Yeah, I'll just uh, cover for you up here. No worries, I totally know how to use this thing." I hit a button on the register and watch as a roll of receipt tape falls out, rolling across the counter and onto the floor. "Damnit."

As I bend down to pick it up, Bob leaves the back room.

"See you tonight at movie night, Angie!" He waves as he walks to the door.

"See ya, Bobby!" I get up, and try to stuff the tape back into the register when Aunt Joyce comes out from the back room, watching me in amusement.

"Can ya help a girl out here?"

She chuckles as she comes over, saving me from any more humiliation.

"Alright kiddo, it's two o'clock. Time for you to go, and for me to go pick up Will from school." She grabs her purse while I grab my bag, and we walk out of the store together.

"Will has another doctors appointment? I've never met anyone who goes the doctor so frequently unless they have a life-threatening disease, or are paranoid that they have a life-threatening disease." I turn to her, trying to block the sunlight out of my eyes.

"Well, Will's a... special kid." She smiles, getting in her car. I wave goodbye to her as she drives by, and she rolls down her window before she gets too far. "Tomorrow, you're going to school!"

Damn.

Walking back home, I pass the Arcade. Some of Will's friends are hiding behind a car across the street with binoculars.

"What are you morons doing?" I grip my bag tighter, walking closer to them.

"What? Nothing. Walk away, Angie!" Lucas looks through the binoculars towards the arcade when Dustin leans over.

"Angie, this is a top secret mission. So get away, unless you want people to think you're talking to a car." He looks forward again until he grabs Lucas' arm. "Ten o'clock. Ten o'clock!" He ducks down some more when a car swerves and slams their brakes in the arcade parking lot, a young girl with red hair gets out, arguing with whoever was driving, and then slamming the door.

"They're arguing, they're arguing!" Lucas says, looking through his binoculars.

"I see that. I don't even know why you need those. God, you're so stupid" Dustin says, crossing his arms.

The car speeds away, and she sticks her middle finger in the air.

"My kinda girl." I chuckle, looking back towards Lucas and Dustin, only to see them gone. "Guys?" I look around in every direction until I see them running across the street in a crouched position, heading towards the arcade. "Nice talk, weirdos."

Getting home, I sit by myself for about an hour until Jonathan comes home. He looks kind of annoyed. "Rough day?" I ask.

"Not really." He shrugs, walking back to his room. Sensing something is in fact wrong, I follow him to his room where he puts on some music.

"What's up, cousin?" I hop onto his bed, crossing my arms behind my head when he sighs.

"How come girls date the wrong guy, thinking he's the 'right one', when in reality the 'right one' has been watching her from the sidelines all his life? I mean, this guy is so vapid, and yet she stills likes him. What does he have that I don't?" He slams the sleeve of his record onto his desk, turning to me.

"Who is this about?" I ask, sitting up.

This must be serious, Jonathan's never talked about a girl to anyone before, not even Will.

Well, I don't think he's talked about girls to Will.

"No one- nothing, I just- I gotta go shower." He starts to walk towards the door, turning slightly to me. "Cool down, yaknow?" I nod as he leaves, and I head to the living room to watch some TV. Two hours later, Joyce and Will come home, then another hour after that, Bob comes, playing with his new video camera. Jonathan had left, heading to the video store to get the movie for tonight.

I'm sitting on the couch watching TV when Jonathan finally gets back, walking towards Will's room with what looks like three movies.

I honestly don't know what's up with them. Jonathan was acting strange earlier when he was in a bad mood, and when Will came home he was quiet, and just wanted to be alone in his room. He's been like this since I got here a few weeks ago, but when we were kids I remember him being much more energetic, and playful. He liked to draw, and read comic books. We would make forts in the living room with my friend Nancy and her brother, Mike. I know Mike and Will are still really close, but I haven't seen Nancy since before I moved away.

Jonathan and Will came out of Will's bedroom, following Bob who was talking about how much he loved 'Mr. Mom'.

Sitting on the couch, we were all watching the movie when the phone rang, and I could feel Joyce tense up beside me.

Something wasn't right, and I was going to find out what that was.