Dying Wish

[28]

The night was warm and the moon was shiny. A steady current flowed in and out of the Clearview shopping area; kids and parents were either starting or ending their trick-or-treating here. Metal barricades diverted traffic, making this street a place for zombies, cowboys, princesses and, well, pirates to roam as they pleased.

You could stop at one of the many booths to have your picture taken, feel some human innards, or try your luck for a stuffed animal. A circular stage supported the amps and sound of a local punk band, positioned at the center of everything. I was glad I refused Alice an answer earlier. Had I picked someone to suspect, I never would've been able to enjoy some of this night. I would've been watching and waiting, paranoid about when or if they'd show up.

Instead, Alice and I acted as normal as we could. She went off with her team, I chopped it up with my friends; I found myself glancing her way through the faces in the crowd. I'd find her doing the same for me.

As the night went on, I forgot the true reason why we were here. Only after a vibration hit my thigh did I remember the importance of the device in my pocket. About the phone call I had to make tonight. I looked at the screen and found a message from Alice. Her timing was perfect.

"Hey, Gray," Kyle said, "we're going to check out the haunted house."

"You guys go." I texted her back. "I've got to wait for Alice."

"Laaaame," Peter said.

"See that," Aaron said, "that's why I don't have a girlfriend."

"No, that's definitely not why," Peter countered. He hooked Aaron around the neck and those three trotted to the frozen yogurt shop. The rear connected to the parking lot and all its horrors. I'd get my turn at it soon. Alice said she was on her way.

I waited on the surface of a table. My teeth chomped on an $3 bag of buttery, salty popcorn. The vantage point was perfect. More than perfect, actually. I could scan the area. We had the crowd. I then looked at the stage. But how was I going to make this call with all that noise? I had to wait for an opening.

But then a hand popped on my shoulder. The feel of it ran chills down my spine and whipped my face to the guilty party. I startled him as much as he startled me. And by him, I mean Eli. "Wow. Chill man. Just me." He moved from my periphery into my direct sight. He had on plain clothes. "You ok? It's a carnival. Supposed to be having fun." He hit my arm.

"I'm waiting for someone. But I thought you might be... Never mind. My bad."

"It's no problem." Eli stopped over to tell me how much he and the staff missed me at Smiley's. I quit when school began. I was piling up cash with nothing good to spend it on. Besides, I already achieved my other goal.

My employee of the month photo hung all September. I finally did it. I beat that quack. Mwhaha! Mwhahaha— ack ack ack! Choking. Ahem! Excuse me. As I was saying. I had nothing left to prove after my picture hung in Smiley's all September. I could puff my chest whenever I saw Gary, including that night when he came to swap with Eli.

"All you, Eli," Gary said.

"All right, then," he said. "I should get back."

"You're working?" I said.

"Can't say no to that overtime pay."

"I heard that." Gary noticed me. "Gray."

"Gary."

He had on plain clothes, too. His apron was tight in his hand, he looked like he was only on a temporary break. It made sense for Linda to schedule them for tonight. Foot traffic going in and out of Smiley's was pretty heavy. The later it became, the more energy parents needed to chase their bouncing kids. Money, money, money.