The Able Sisters

Chapter 38

Fall flew by quickly for Labelle. She and Gracie were hard at work selling their newest collection while preparing the debut of their winter collection in a few weeks. Before Labelle knew it, it was mid-November.

She headed to work one morning in a particular good mood. The air was cool and crisp and multi-colored leaves drifted down and covered the sidewalk. 

Labelle always felt lonely around this time as the holidays approached, but she didn't want those feelings to affect her today. She merely wanted a nice day at work before heading back to her apartment.

She had all her money saved up for a nice new apartment and planned to buy a new one in the new year. Only a few more weeks and she could kiss her old, small apartment behind for one that was bigger and more luxurious.

The morning went well. She whistled and hummed and helped customers as they needed to be helped. After her lunch break, she was feeling particularly energized.

As she helped out a customer with a sale, she returned to her desk and glanced up, her heart nearly stopping. The same raccoon that had ruined her day months before had returned, and he was making leeway straight toward her.

She stiffened and glanced down at her sheet of paper, scribbling nonsense all over it. Her heart began to pound and her claws began to tremble. Had he found out who she really was? What did he want from her? Were her sisters here visiting?

The sound of a cough forced Labelle to glance up. He was standing right at her desk, glancing at her.

"I-I..." Labelle didn't know what to say. She couldn't just throw him out of the store. Why had he singled her out to begin with?

"I have a feeling you recognized me. Your head shot down real fast once you saw me," he teased.

Labelle only glared at him.

"Sorry. Sorry. Do you remember me though?"

"Yes," she said through gritted teeth. 

"Sorry about our last...um...meeting. I didn't mean to make you upset. I was just a little confused, that's all."

Labelle nodded. He was not bringing up Sable or Mabel, so perhaps he really didn't know the truth. Then why was he here?

"How can I help you?" she asked, relaxing a bit.

"I have a friend back home. Her birthday is coming up. She loves to sew, and I was hoping to get her a pair of sewing scissors. Do you sell them?" he asked.

Labelle froze. He was no doubt talking about Sable. Her sister's birthday was in a week. She knew that, of course. And she knew no one else who loved to sew as much as Sable.

"I-I don't know.." Labelle's voice trailed off. She was getting that feeling again where guilt built up inside her. She was beginning to shut down, as she normally did when the subject of her family was brought up.

"What's the trouble, darling?" 

Labelle glanced up to find Gracie leaning against the counter. Labelle sighed in relief.

"I was looking to purchase some sewing scissors," the raccoon told her.

"Sewing scissors? What for?"

"My friend. It's her birthday. I know she'd like them, and this seems like a fashionable shop," the raccoon explained.

Gracie eyed him from head to toe. "I'm not sure you understand the term 'fashionable.'"

"Um...so do you have anything?" the raccoon wondered.

"We might--"

"Labelle," Gracie cut her off. "Can we, um, talk in private for a second?"

"Sure..." she said. She glanced at the raccoon. "Just a minute."

Gracie went behind the desk and pulled Labelle to the side.

"Are we really going to listen to him? We both know his fashion senses are horrid. This is a store for fashion, not a little convenience store. What an innocent story to make up to," Gracie sneered, making quick glances at the raccoon.

"I don't think--"

"You know, sir," Gracie said, addressing the raccoon. "We sell high quality items here. Everything we sell is a finished and complete product. Why you would assume--"

"So you don't have any?" he asked, beginning to look rather dejected.

"Negative," Gracie said.

He sighed and turned, but Labelle called out. "Wait!"

"What are you doing?" Gracie asked.

"What's the point of turning a customer away? You'll get bells after all," Labelle muttered.

"But we sell nothing of the sort."

"We have plenty of fine scissors sitting back there. Charge extra if you must," Labelle told her.

"I don't like making deals like this," Gracie complained.

"As a favor to me, would you? You know how much hard work I put in for this company."

Gracie eyed Labelle. "I suppose you are a valuable employee. How this situation relates to you, I don't know. But if you insist." She glanced back up at the raccoon. "This is a one time deal, you hear? Don't go around to your friends."

"Oh, thank you!" he exclaimed.

"I'll leave you to finish, Labelle. Go grab him his purchase," Gracie muttered, clearly feeling defeated.

Labelle grinned and went in the back. They had a multitude of high-end sewing scissors sitting in a box. She scrambled through, thinking the joy Sable would feel when she got her gift.

"Her favorite color is orange. I've got to--" She paused, her eyes falling on a single pair of orange scissors. She pulled them out happily and returned to the desk where the raccoon was waiting.

"Oh, these look great!" he exclaimed. "How much?"

"These are very fine scissors. 1000 bells."

His face dropped. "1000? Can't you put them at a lower price?"

Labelle frowned. She really did want him to get his gift. She sighed.

"Look, how about you pay 500 and I pay the other 500?"

"What? I can't do that!" he exclaimed.

"It's fine," she said, fishing bells out of her wallet. "Gracie won't know, and she gets her bells just fine. I...really want you to have it."

"All right. A deal is a deal." He paid the 500 bells and happily grabbed his purchase from Labelle.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll love them. Thank you very much," he said.

Labelle nodded and grinned. She couldn't wait to see her sister's face when...She paused.

No, Labelle. You won't be there. You're not seeing Sable anytime soon. 

She paused and shook her head. That was right. She had no connection to her family anymore, and it was wrong to think that she would in the near future. She let out a sigh of exasperation. She hoped her sister enjoyed the gift, even if she never got to her reaction.

Besides, it wasn't like Sable would ever know where the scissors were purchased from or who chose the color. She would be getting a gift from her friend, the raccoon, and that was simple as that.

Labelle sighed one last time and got back to work. It was time to return to reality. She told herself that this instance would soon be forgotten. She had no desire to return home anytime soon.