Lines // hemmings

Chapter 9

ABBY

I wasn’t like all the other kids when I was little. I didn’t believe in Santa Claus since I saw him twice in one day only minutes apart and even at the age of 5, I could tell they weren’t the same person. One of them were really skinny with a fake belly, while the other one’s was real. Try telling a 5-year old not to touch Santa Clause’s belly at the mall…

I also didn’t believe in tooth fairies since my dad is a dentist. Every time I had a loose tooth, I could just walk into his office and he’d get it out. Instead of putting it under my pillow, he would keep my tooth and give me a dollar. And up until this day, I still don’t know what happened with my teeth.

The Easter Bunny was kind of hard to believe in. I mean, who the hell believes a bunny lays chocolate eggs? Or at least that’s what I heard. I later found out that he was the one who hid them, not laid them and suddenly everything made sense. I was 10 at that time and way past being a child.

So when I now stand here behind the counter, watching a family of four, a mother, a father, a baby in a stroller and a 4 year old with angel wings believing she is a fairy – she’s told me several times – I can’t help but wanting to tell the kid to throw her fairy dust at someone else. I won’t believe her. 

“Why don’t you believe me? I was born in the magical land Fairytopia,” the little girl says with a huge grin on her face.

“I’m pretty sure that’s a Barbie movie,” I reply and continue scanning her family’s items.

“You know Barbie?” The girl’s eyes widen and her mouth does the same.

“Everyone knows Barbie,” I shrug and glance at the girl’s mom who gives me a small smile.

“Tim doesn’t!”

“Who’s Tim?”

“My little brother. He smells like dog shit,” she says and her mom puts a hand over her daughter’s mouth. I, on the other hand, let out a chuckle.

“Cassandra! Watch your language, young lady. Go find your father and wait with him outside.”

The little girl, Cassandra, bows her head and stomps out of the door with her dad and the stroller close behind. Her wings bouncing up and down.

“I’m sorry about that. She’s just chatty, that’s all.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” I reply with a smile. “That will be 23 dollars even.”

The mother pays with her credit card before grabbing the two bags in one hand and make her way out of the store. I watch her grab her daughter’s hand before disappearing around the corner, the same way I take when I come here. I’ve never seen them here before so I guess they must recently have moved here or they’re just passing through. They didn’t buy any milk or butter, or any other items that needs to be put in the fridge.

I glance at the clock and realize I’m stuck here for another 2 hours. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but it’s quite lonely and boring at times. I wish for a little more action. So while I stand there, my elbows on the counter, chewing a bubble gum that lost its flavor hours ago, I pull up my phone and play a game. 2048, to be exact. I don’t know why I’m so addicted to this game, maybe because there are numbers and I happen to like math. I’m probably the only one my age who actually likes math. I don’t understand why people say math is hard. Math is easy; there’s always a correct answer. 

When I get to 27 812, my phone buzzes from a text from dad asking me to buy some stuff for dinner. If I had been on the other side of the town or any place at all, really, I’d say no. But that’s the beauty of working where I work today. Also I have a special discount since I work here. So yay, double yay. Martha’s even told me I can take any old groceries with me if I like and who can say no to free stuff?