The Hidden Life of Amanda Harp

"Buy some ice cream."

Just as I predicted, the prices of tickets skyrocketed because everyone was posting on Twitter that I was there and posting pictures and videos and now people are buying tickets to see for themselves. All of us are at an outlet mall before a concert and mom is videoing us. We're at a grocery store.

"Ready?" I asks nudging Connor.

He shrugs and nods. Mom follows me. I walk over to some lady and tap her shoulder. She turns around. "Do you remember me?" I ask.

"No." She says.

"Me either." I turn around and walk away.

I walk through the crowded parts of the store and the P.A. System comes on to call a worker to the front.

"I'm hearing those voices again." I tell some girl. She looks me up and down.

"Um...okay Amanda." She walks away.

I get an idea and I go to the toy section. I get walkie talkies and I go to the food and get bird seed and then I go to buy.

When it's my turn, I hold up the bag of bird seed.

"I have a question." I say.

She looks at me and smiles. "What is it?"

"Well I want some birds and well first I wanted to know how long it takes for the birds to grow?" I ask.

"Excuse me?"

"Bird seed." I say. "I read every word on the back of that bag and it didn't tell me how long it takes for the birds to grow." I pause. "Also, how many birds are in this bag?"

She blinks four times. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. I want a bird."

"Well I'm sorry Amanda but birds don't grow from seeds. They come out of eggs. They hatch."

"From what? The seeds grow eggs?"

"No. The seeds feed the birds that come out of the eggs."

"Oh!" I say. "Well I don't want that then. Birds are annoying and ugly."

"Why did you want them in the first place?" She chuckles.

"Because birds are adorable." I smile.

"But you just said they are ugly."

"Oh hey, batteries are included." I say, pointing to the walkie talkie.

"Yes." She says. It's in giant bold letters that batteries are included. I open my purse and dig around.

"Just...give me a second." I say. Nobody is behind us in line and everyone with me is watching in shock at how serious I'm being. I'm not even laughing.

I get my wallet and get out my credit card.

"It's nine fifty two." She says.

I get out a ten dollar bill and then just as she reaches for it, I move my hand.

"Oh shit. Batteries aren't included." I grab double A batteries.

"Yes they are. You just said that." She says.

"No I didn't." I say. "I think I would remember."

"Well batteries are included."

"Are you trying to tell me what I can buy?"

"No ma'am, I-"

The P.A. System comes on.

"Oh god, there are those voices again." I clamp my hands over my ears, the ten dollars wedged in between my middle and index finger. I put the batteries back on the rack and then pause. "Are batteries included?"

She sighs, probably getting annoyed.

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll get some then. What's the point of buying something with no batteries?"

"It has batteries!" she exclaims, throwing her hands up in the air. I look at her and frown.

"It does?" she asks.

"Yes!" she grabs the package and points to the batteries included letters.

"What does that say? I'm sorry, I can't read."

She sighs loudly.

"You don't need the batteries, Amanda."

"It says that?" I ask.

"No." She says. "Do you want me to get the manager to help you?"

I bite my lip. "No." I say. "I still want the batteries."

"Okay." She sighs. "Anything else?"

"Nope."

She rings up the batteries.

I snatch mint gum at the last second and add that too.

"I thought you said you didn't want anything else." She says, irritated.

"I did." I say. "But my breath needs to smell good."

"Why?" She asks.

I frown. "Because I have a boyfriend to kiss." I say.

"You moved on from Connor?" She asks, casting a glance at Connor.

"Moved on?" I repeat.

"You guys broke up." She says.

"I know." I pause. "We got back together." I hesitate. "Why do you care?"

"Well I'm actually a fan." She bites her lip. "I'm sixteen. I got my laptop and phone taken away because I got bad grades." She rolls her eyes. "And I'm homeschooled so I'm out of the loop." She pauses. "I'm trying really hard not to freak out right now. I got this job to go to the concert tonight but I was too late." She sighs. "Also I know your just messing with me and I know I'm gonna be on that video at the end of the tour." She grins. "The cost is fourteen twenty four."

I hand her the ten, four dollar bills, and then I get four nickels and four pennies. I hand them to her with a concert ticket between the ten and the ones.

She puts the ten in the register and then looks up at me with wide eyes.

"I-"

"It's yours." I say, resting my arms on the spot with the card slot machine. "Second row."

"Oh my God." She mumbles. I smile. "Thank you!"

"It's nothing." I smile.

"No, it's definitely something!" I laugh softly.

We walk away from the register. I move over to the clothes and rip open the package.

"Your breath doesn't stink." Connor says, kissing my cheek.

I shrug. "I still like gum."

"Remember that time you choked on it during a concert?" Colter snickers. I roll my eyes at him.

I set up the walkie talkies and then move to the food section and hide one under the freezers. I look around and move over to the furniture and crouch down behind a chair on display.

"What are you doing?" Connor asks. Mom is still filming.

I put up a finger. A lady with a red shirt walks into the aisle.

"I see you." I whisper into the walkie talkie. Her head shoots up and she looks around. She looks scared. "Buy some ice cream." I say.

I release the button and start laughing when she opens the ice cream freezer and grabs some.

I scoff when I see the flavor. "Get Samoa. It's amazing."

She puts back the vanilla and grabs Samoa. I snicker.

"What color shirt am I wearing?" I whisper.

She looks all around.

She's talking to me but to everyone else it looks like she's talking to herself.

Okay two things. One, this is the end of the story and I'm starting a sequel right after this. Two, I changed the time so the tour is before Christmas. Three because I thought of something else, the sequel will start with them on tour, a different tour.