Chapter Seven
*Partners at Work, Partners at School*
Gavin.
Finally I can put on name on him. Honestly, I was beginning to embarrass myself by mentally calling him "Saxophone Dude". Gavin snaps out of his daze and shakes my hand, pasting on an innocent smile.
"Welcome aboard Taryn, I'm Gavin." Oh, so he was gonna play the guiltless card.
'My phone,' I mouth as I grip his hand firmly. He pretends to not see as his slender fingers enclose around my own, sending a slight shock through the both of us. Immediately we withdraw our hands and look away awkwardly. Donna who remains oblivious to our exchange, sets a row of small pies on a tray and carries it out.
"Alright Gavin, you can show Taryn here the ropes, I have to take a phone call." She cheerfully waves before leaving, the doors swishing from her exit.
"You shocked me." Gavin stated with a pointed finger.
"No, you shocked me." I argue.
"Nuh-uh." He retorts immaturely. And they wonder why girls mature faster than boys. Boys naturally have the personality of a five year old. But that's just insulting to five year olds.
"Yah-huh-wait. What am I doing," I stop myself, "Where's my phone?" I demand with a hand out. Gavin arranges his features back to the angelic expression, "What phone?"
"Give it to me Gavin." I empathize the word to mock him.
"Give what, Taryn?" He asks mimicking me. "Okay this has gone far enough, give it to be before-"
A sudden loud banging cuts me off. Simultaneously, we both turn toward the doors to the employee room. It sounded like a half a dozen kids were ramming their fists against the metal, accompanied by a rhino or two. The thunderous racket increasingly continued before abruptly stopping. Gavin turned to me with an incredulous look, "What-"
Suddenly the door violently swung open to reveal a disheveled redhead. Beth. She's panting heavily, a couple crumpled bills clenched in one fist with the other hand holding back the door. Her face was flushed red and her hair had come out of its bun so that long red tendrils were flying around her. She settled her crazed green gaze on me. I gulped; she was so going to kill me.
"Do you have five dollars?" I blinked, not expecting those words to come out of her mouth.
"Come again?" Beth gave me a deranged patient smile, there was no other way to describe the sinister curve to her lips that kept twitching, "I said, do you have five dollars? I need to cover the tax for the shoes." My mind flips back to the Charleston shoes.
"Hurry! There's this vintage collector guy trying to buy then too! I need to get back to the store now."
"Wait, let me get this straight: you ran all the way down here for five dollars." I ask dubiously.
"Yes, now please give me five dollars so I can buy the shoes!" She says impatiently tapping her foot, the maniacal glint still in her eyes.
"How'd you find me?" I press on. Beth closes her eyes. I watch apprehensively as she blinks them open. In a flash she makes a fist and slams it against the large pound of flour sitting on one of the shelves beside the door. The sack breaks open, spilling white power from the fist sized whole Beth made.
"Anymore questions Taryn?"
No, thanks for asking.
I hurriedly reach to my waist to look in the pocket of my jeans hoping, for my sake, that I have needed money. I pull out a couple crumpled bills.
YOU ARE READING
The Other Twin
Spiritual"...it just gets to me sometimes with my parents always yakking about how Karyn is so athletic and successful, while I'm constantly being told that art doesn't count as a talent and I'll probably end up on the streets of Paris if I don't give it up...
