I Want

Granted

It was a painfully normal day, even for the likes of Victoria Hills. She had daydreamed about Supernatural through summer school she didn't really need, was annoyed by her criminally tall younger brother, and was not bemoaning her life's choices because she didn't have enough money to buy her dad a decent birthday present.

"Can you please cut me a deal, Annie?" Victoria begged. "His birthday is in two days! Where an I supposed to get $100 from?"

"I can't keep cutting you deals, Victor," Annie hissed at her from her station behind the counter. She flashed a grin at a passing customer, an elderly woman, then levelled a green-eyed glare at the girl in front of her. "I'll be fired. And how could I shave off $100 from a $120 watch?"

Victoria sighed. "I know, Annie." Victoria let her eyes travel over racks of candy and gum and magazines. "Maybe I should just get him some chocolate."

"Wait, what?" Annie said incredulously. "No way in hell am I going to let you do that." She slipped out from behind the counter and put her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Now you are going to go to the bargain bin, find something that looks extremely awesome, and I'm gonna ring it up for you."

Victoria nodded, looking at the ground. "I shouldn't have bought that sonic screwdriver. Or that Loki funko pop. Or-"

"Hey," Annie interrupted softly, holding Victoria's head in her hands. "It'll be fine, okay? You'll find something he'll love and everything'll be good. Got it?"

"I know that," Victoria huffed, rolling her eyes. "I thought I could make you pity me enough to buy it for me."

"You're such an asshole sometimes," Annie snapped, going back behind the counter. "I don't even know why I bother."

Victoria dramatically swept her braids from her face with a hand and leaned over the counter. "Because you love me."

"And I wish I didn't," was the mumbled reply.

"I'll be honest, it would be easier for you if you didn't," Victoria admitted. "But I sort of need you in my life, so I'm glad that's not gonna change." She patted Annie's cheek and smiled. "I'll be back soon."

Annie watched Victoria as she made her way to the bargain bin, carefully placing her feet on only the white tiles amidst the sea of tan and yellow. Because she likes to see the effect she has on them, Annie thought feeling a rush of fondness and hating herself for it. She grabbed a cloth and began to almost violently wipe down the counter. You're not forgiving her that easily this time. She's manipulating you because she knows how you feel about her, dumbass, and you're making it too easy –

"Found something," Victoria singsonged, somehow managing to skip and only have her feet touch the white tiles. She grinned, genuinely excited, and placed an oil lamp on the check-out counter between them. "It's perfect!"

Annie took one glance at Victoria's face and softened just a bit. "I thought your mom was the one who liked old-fashioned lamps."

"She is. I get dad this and he'll be so lost in memories of her that he won't even notice that I couldn't get the watch I was hinting that I might for the last month," Victoria finished, looking way too proud of herself.

Annie stared. "You're purposely going to force your dad to think about his dead wife on his birthday just so he will overlook the fact that you didn't get him a watch? Do you realize how cruel that is?"

Victoria waved a hand dismissively. "I'll just steer him into thinking positive thoughts, it'll be fine."

With a sigh, Annie picked up the lamp and checked the price sticker. "And you can't even afford this. You only have $20 dollars, this is $35.99."