iStare

Part 1 of 3

iStare

- One-shot -

I clenched my teeth in the effort to hold my eyes wide open. My staring-contest opponent was evidently strong and had great experience in the game, because I - champion out of all my numerous cousins - was having a hard time keeping up.

She dimpled at my efforts, and continued to stare with an almost bored expression on her face.

"You're not going to beat me!" I assured her.

She grinned in response, not bothering with words.

My right eye started twitching, and I felt the first thread of panic when I realized what that meant - my eyes were going to close! I renewed my efforts, only to see the face in front of me disappear.

I forced my eyes back open, disappointed in myself, and saw that my opponent was giggling outright at my miserable failure. "I don't think I like you," I told her grimly. "We'll meet again - I'll make sure of it."

She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by my body being yanked away abruptly.

"What on earth?" I yelped, turning to see my attacker.

He. Was. Hot.

"You're hot," I informed him before my brain caught up to my mouth. (Both body parts ran on different clocks, so this was not a rare thing.) "But what on earth?"

"Thanks," he responded with the air of somebody used to hearing the words. "Is there any logical reason you were glaring at her?" He pointed over his shoulder at my opponent, who was watching the exchange with wide, interested eyes. Again with her eyes - jeez!

I stuck my tongue out at her before responding. "We were having a staring contest. Is that illegal?"

He eyebrows came together with confusion. "A staring contest?"

"Yep."

"In the middle of a grocery store?"

"Yep."

"With an 8-month-old?"

I gaped at him. "She said she was two! I swear!" I shot her a dirty look.

He scratched his head awkwardly. "Um...she probably said 'chew'. That's pretty much all she can say right now."

"Wait...how do you know all this?" I demanded, looking at him suspicious.

"I'm her uncle."

I gaped again before launching into a lecture. "What kind of uncle are you, leaving an 8-month-old child alone in a cart, in the middle of a grocery store? IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ICE CREAM AISLE!?!" Yeah, I had wandered into the store for ice cream.

He looked around the aisle as if confirming the freezers really did contain ice cream, and then turned back to me. His face showed traces of irritation. "I just walked into the store - she wasn't with me. My sister - her mom - should be around. Hell, she should be right here with her child!"

And right on cue, I got bumped from behind, sending me crashing into the nearest freezer. "Ow!"

"Oh my God, Skyler - you wouldn't guess who I just saw!" she squealed at the guy. "I saw Justin!"

Skyler - I assumed that was his name, because the girl was tugging on his arm as she spoke - shot her a vicious glare. "Oh, you saw Justin, did you?" he snarled. "So you abandon your child in the middle of the grocery store to go try and ensnare him?"

I blinked at the drama enfolding before me, and then did a double-take. This girl, who look to be younger than my 18 years of age, was the mother of the 8-month-old...whose bottom lip was twitching dangerously.