“I’m getting most of this. You’re out of everything.”
“I don’t have the money.” I growl at her. “Seriously. I’m a broke college student.”
“With a scholarship,” she snaps. “Plus you’ve got a job, right?”
“Amber—”
“You ladies ready to go?” Eli asks as he approaches us.
“We would be but Emma forgot her wallet so she can’t pay for all of this stuff she wanted.”
“Amber.” I look at Eli and slowly shake my head.
“I’ll get it for you, Emma,” he says sweetly.
“See?” Amber smirks. “I told you.” She turns to Eli. “Thank you so much. That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for…her.” Amber snickers. “Trust me. Nobody is bending over backward for big, old Emma back there.” She points her thumb back at me.
I take the opportunity to grasp the cart handle. “We arenotgetting this stuff, Amber.”
She reaches for the handle, which means we’ve both got hold of the cart. “Yes. We are. Eli said he’d pay for it.”
I grit my teeth and do my best to keep my voice down when inside, I’m screaming. “No. He’s not going to pay for your stuff.”
“But, Emma,” Amber whines. “I’m so hungry.”
“Ladies.” Eli’s voice sounds so deep it startles me. “You ready to go?”
“We are. We’ll meet you up front.” I watch him turn his cart and proceed to roll it up to the cash registers, except he looks back at us several times until he rounds the corner and he’s out of sight. That’s when I lean into my sister. With my teeth gritted so hard I’m afraid they’re going to break, I speak only loud enough for her to hear. “Weare not asking Eli to buy our groceries.” Glaring daggers at my sister, I add, “Youdo not need all of that.” I pointed at the cart full of junk food.
“But Emma…,” she whines again.
“No.” I hold up my finger and point it right at her. Rude, I know. “You’re not staying long enough to eat all this anyway.”
Her pathetic face suddenly morphs into one I recognize growing up. Her eyes turned squinty and I swear, she snarls. Literally snarls. “I’ll stay as long asIwant.” Her voice is as low as mine.
Shaking my head, I say, “No. You won’t. There’s only two bedrooms.” And those are tiny.
“So. We can share.”
“The landlord only allows two people in a two-bedroom apartment.” I’m actually not sure if that’s true. Amber certainly doesn’t know if it’s true or not.
“Fine.” She releases the grocery cart and starts to stomp off, but she stops suddenly. I watch as she reaches back and grabs the box of Fruity-Os cereal. “Ineedthis.” And off she marches, no doubt to ask Eli to buy it for her.
By the time I get up to the front, she’s all smiles with Eli. Heck, she even smiles at me.
Which means one thing… Amber Nicole Perkins is up to something, and I have to do my level best to find out what it is and nip it in the bud.
