He wipes his hand on his apron, steps back behind the counter, and stares at me.
I set a bill on the counter. “Quarters, please.”
“I can’t open it for change. You have to buy something.”
I’m starting to think I dislike this kid more than Hart.
“I did buy a bag of overpriced chips, and you kept my change.”
His gaze slides to the tip jar. “You want to take your tip back?”
I press my lips into a fine line. “No. I want to exchange this two-dollar bill for quarters.”
“Gotta buy something now.”
I don’t move, other than my arm to grab a meat stick and drop it beside my bill.
He rings it up. “You’ll need more money.”
I put more bills and collect the quarters he drops.
He barely glances up. “You’re gonna need ‘em. That thing’s a rip-off.”
I give him a flat look. “Thanks for the heads-up.”
I storm back outside. Hart hasn’t moved an inch.
“Tick-tock, sweetheart.” He taps a fake watch on his wrist, and I’d like to tap the side of my hand into his throat. Hard.
I fumble a coin into the rusted slot. The quarter drops in with a clink, and a dial tone meets me.
“Alright. It’s working.” And I’ve added talking to myself to the list of crazy today.
I instinctively reach for my phone. My finger touches a silver, chipped button, and my mind goes blank. I don’t know my sister’s numbers. Without my phone, there’s no contacts, no recent calls list.
Just me.
I grip the receiver tight and close my eyes until the number floats up, fragile but clear.
“I think it’s uh... five-five-five... three-two-nine-one,” I say slowly, my finger lightly tapping the buttons. “Or is it three-two-nine-two? I think that’s right.”
I open my eyes and dial. The phone rings three times before the voicemail clicks on.
I groan, mashing the phone to my ear and locking my fingers on the headset. “Hey, it’s me, pick up—”
The phone clicks, and my sister’s voice cracks through. “Hey, Jade?”
Relief washes over me for a second.
“Natalie, this isn’t funny. You guys need to turn around—”
Her voice dips, hesitant, and distant. “Jade?” She says it like she can’t hear me, but is this just another game?
“Come back and get me.”
“Jade?” A pause. The crackle in the line grows louder. “I can’t hear you.”
“Yes, you can.”
