Forever Yours

8. Walk

It was early the next day when the knock came on Lucy's bedroom door.  She rolled over in her bed and looked at the clock.  It was only five in the morning.  Who in the world would be knocking on her door at five in the morning?  Fearing something was terribly wrong, she threw her covers off and hopped out of bed.  There was only one person brave enough to get her up that early: Jo.  Lucy flung the door open.  Sure enough, Jo was standing there in her pajamas yawning her head off.

"Rise and shine," Jo mumbled.

Lucy raised an eyebrow.  "What for?"

"I want you to come to the store with me today."

"Jo, this isn't necessary.  I told you what was wrong with me the other day.  I had a girly emotional breakdown for like two seconds."

"That's not why I want you to come.  I just feel really awful and I want someone at the store with me today."

Lucy noticed for the first time how incredibly pale her friend looked.  She rubbed her temples.  Surprisingly, she didn't feel all that bad herself, nothing like she had for the past few days before, so she agreed.  "Okay then.  I'll get ready."

Jo raised one corner of her mouth.  She didn't feel like a full smile.  "Thanks a bunch."

"You're welcome."

Lucy closed the door, grumbling to herself.  She hadn't really wanted to go anywhere.  She wanted to stay there at the apartment and wait for Severus's letter.  Of course it would come anywhere she was, but she still didn't like to take the chance of missing it.  She thought about it the whole time she was getting dressed.  Jo was her friend and right now she needed her.  The letter could wait, she decided.

It was an hour later when Lucy and Jo both came out of their rooms, fully dressed and made up.  They ate breakfast Jo whipped up with her wand and then headed out the door.  The shop opened at eight in the morning, so they got there in plenty of time to get the cash register counted down and some of the new stock Jo hadn't got to yet put away.  By the time eight rolled around, everything was ready.

Jo unlocked the doors and turned the sign hanging there around to open.  "Time for the day to begin.  Yipee," she said sarcastically.

Lucy, who was standing at the counter, rolled her eyes.  "You sound so thrilled, Jo."

"I feel like my head is going to explode."

"I'm sorry."

Jo sighed.  "It's okay.  Are we okay?"

Lucy stared at her strangely.  "Of course.  Why wouldn't we be?"

She shifted nervously.  "It's just that we never got the chance to discuss what happened the other night.  You've been sort of holed up in your room.  And when we are in the same room together you're strangely quiet."

"I have a lot on my mind."

"Are you mad at me?"

Lucy sighed in frustration.  "No, Jo.  I told you.  It wasn't you, okay?"

Jo smiled in relief.  "Okay."

"Now let's talk about how incredibly gross you look."

She gigglednand rolled her eyes.  "Thanks."

Lucy grinned.  "You're welcome.  I'm going to run to the back to get a few more things to throw on the shelves.  If I'm going to stay here with you today, then I'm going to be busy."

Jo shook her head as her friend disappeared into the stock room.  The door chimed a few seconds later and her first customer of the day walked in.  She smiled to greet them and froze when she saw who it was.