“Suspected Skinwalker. Guy Peels Off His Face at Golf Course.”
The blond ripped the tabloid from its holder and threw it on the conveyer belt. After an intense staring contest, I gave in with a roll of my eyes. “I’ll take this too,” I said, feeling even dumber.
“Fifty-two dollars,” Valerie announced with a smug voice. Though I had to give it to her, she didn’t even lift an eyebrow at my sweet tooth and choice of reading material. Probably part of the job description.
I turned to the real culprit. He leaned against the cart, playing with the baby. He glanced my way and she tugged on the silver medallion hanging from his necklace. He choked and gave her his leather wristband from his watch to chew on instead. “You’re gonna help pay for this, right?” I asked.
He looked confused. Of course he’d act oblivious when it came to money. Valerie laughed and took that as an opportunity to pop her gum again. “You’ll have to do it, nut job. You have the money.”
What? Did she just call me nut job? And why was I expected to pay for everything? But the blond just grinned. When he turned to the pretty little grocery clerk, the grin got even wider, and I groaned when he turned his charm on her. The flirt. “Hey, why don’t you introduce us?”
Well, maybe if I knew his name for starters ? I tried to shame him with a heavy stare, but he wouldn’t break, so I introduced him the best way I knew how. “Don’t mind the imbecile,” I told the cashier.
Valerie looked scandalized. “The . . . baby?”
The imbecile swallowed a laugh behind me and that’s when I felt a shock spread from my toes and explode out my head. It all made sense now—the glaring customers, my disapproving family. No one but me could see this jerk, could they? Everyone thought I was yelling at this poor . . . this poor . . . baby? How real was she anyway? What if I was dragging around some doll? “Um,” I met Valerie’s eyes. “What do you think of the uh . . . the kid?” I winced at the question, but still waited for the answer.
Valerie snapped her gum. “You babysitting?”
I sagged in relief. There was no way she’d think I was babysitting a doll. “No . . . I mean, yeah, I am.” My head was spinning. I dug through my purse and laid the money down before I could faint and make her duty bound to tell the senior class I was on drugs or pregnant or something. Valerie counted out all my change while I tried to drag the baby out from her cart seat. It wouldn’t do for her to be floating across the parking lot in this invisible guy’s arms or falling on the cement because he wasn’t really there. I was having a hard time getting the kid out. She grunted, her small fingers digging into my arms. Was she getting bigger or was I getting weaker?
Mr. Hot-But-Not tried to brush me out of the way. “I’ll get her.”
“Get away from me,” I hissed. “ You’re not real .” I met the baby’s eyes. They were so solemn and I broke into a smile in response. I wish I could make her smile. Wow, what was I thinking? I couldn’t make anyone smile. I was stuck with a baby and had invisible friends—well, enemies anyway. I messed up her fuzzy hair and with my last remaining strength pushed the cart to the automatic doors. Hot air from a typical Omak summer night rushed inside to greet us. The doors swished shut behind us, almost smacking my shadow in the head.
“I should’ve known I was crazy.” I kept my voice down so it didn’t look like I was talking to myself. “The fact that I actually thought you were cute should’ve tipped me off that you weren’t real. How unoriginal can I get? I couldn’t even come up with a name for you.”
He looked pleased, and too late, I realized I had called him cute. Even invisible guys had inflated heads. He let me walk ahead, and after messing with the candy machine in the entryway, he caught up to me in the parking lot, throwing some mints into his mouth. “Oh, c’mon, don’t be like
The blond ripped the tabloid from its holder and threw it on the conveyer belt. After an intense staring contest, I gave in with a roll of my eyes. “I’ll take this too,” I said, feeling even dumber.
“Fifty-two dollars,” Valerie announced with a smug voice. Though I had to give it to her, she didn’t even lift an eyebrow at my sweet tooth and choice of reading material. Probably part of the job description.
I turned to the real culprit. He leaned against the cart, playing with the baby. He glanced my way and she tugged on the silver medallion hanging from his necklace. He choked and gave her his leather wristband from his watch to chew on instead. “You’re gonna help pay for this, right?” I asked.
He looked confused. Of course he’d act oblivious when it came to money. Valerie laughed and took that as an opportunity to pop her gum again. “You’ll have to do it, nut job. You have the money.”
What? Did she just call me nut job? And why was I expected to pay for everything? But the blond just grinned. When he turned to the pretty little grocery clerk, the grin got even wider, and I groaned when he turned his charm on her. The flirt. “Hey, why don’t you introduce us?”
Well, maybe if I knew his name for starters ? I tried to shame him with a heavy stare, but he wouldn’t break, so I introduced him the best way I knew how. “Don’t mind the imbecile,” I told the cashier.
Valerie looked scandalized. “The . . . baby?”
The imbecile swallowed a laugh behind me and that’s when I felt a shock spread from my toes and explode out my head. It all made sense now—the glaring customers, my disapproving family. No one but me could see this jerk, could they? Everyone thought I was yelling at this poor . . . this poor . . . baby? How real was she anyway? What if I was dragging around some doll? “Um,” I met Valerie’s eyes. “What do you think of the uh . . . the kid?” I winced at the question, but still waited for the answer.
Valerie snapped her gum. “You babysitting?”
I sagged in relief. There was no way she’d think I was babysitting a doll. “No . . . I mean, yeah, I am.” My head was spinning. I dug through my purse and laid the money down before I could faint and make her duty bound to tell the senior class I was on drugs or pregnant or something. Valerie counted out all my change while I tried to drag the baby out from her cart seat. It wouldn’t do for her to be floating across the parking lot in this invisible guy’s arms or falling on the cement because he wasn’t really there. I was having a hard time getting the kid out. She grunted, her small fingers digging into my arms. Was she getting bigger or was I getting weaker?
Mr. Hot-But-Not tried to brush me out of the way. “I’ll get her.”
“Get away from me,” I hissed. “ You’re not real .” I met the baby’s eyes. They were so solemn and I broke into a smile in response. I wish I could make her smile. Wow, what was I thinking? I couldn’t make anyone smile. I was stuck with a baby and had invisible friends—well, enemies anyway. I messed up her fuzzy hair and with my last remaining strength pushed the cart to the automatic doors. Hot air from a typical Omak summer night rushed inside to greet us. The doors swished shut behind us, almost smacking my shadow in the head.
“I should’ve known I was crazy.” I kept my voice down so it didn’t look like I was talking to myself. “The fact that I actually thought you were cute should’ve tipped me off that you weren’t real. How unoriginal can I get? I couldn’t even come up with a name for you.”
He looked pleased, and too late, I realized I had called him cute. Even invisible guys had inflated heads. He let me walk ahead, and after messing with the candy machine in the entryway, he caught up to me in the parking lot, throwing some mints into his mouth. “Oh, c’mon, don’t be like
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