When It's Time to Move On

Door 4 - Chapter 51 - Pink

"I have a question," said Zafina.

She had been so tetchy toward Harris that he ignored her at first.

"Did that serial killer that chased you guys impair his hearing, too?" She asked Huey.

"How may I help?" Harris asked irritably.

"I just wanted to ask if you two planned on being pulled over by the police. Because you fit the description of a crazed duo with a serial killer's jeep. Or do you really want to really rub it in the kid's uncle's face of how he left him?"

"Could you just tell me in simple terms what you mean?"

"You two are filthy," Zafina explained.

Now that Harris thought about it, and judging by Huey's expressions so did he, they really were quite mucky. The dust swirling in the desert had done a good number on them, and the fact that they'd been escaping from a coyote.

"Hey, we showered at the motel," Harris said in his own defense.

"Then wore the same clothes, I'm assuming," Zafina replied, thoroughly unimpressed. "Should've considered basic hygiene. Or at least bought the kid some new clothes."

"Fine. Thank you for bringing it to our attention." He snapped. Zafina sat back in her seat, not saying anything further but satisfied her word had gotten out. "How about we stop off somewhere they sell clothes, huh?"

Harris was keen on spotting any store in sight, peering out the windows intently, resembling a bemused driver searching desperately for a parking spot. Zafina giggled at his behavior while Huey tried unsuccessfully to stifle his.

"Aha!" Harris yelled in triumph once he had one in sight, looking smugly at Zafina in victory, who coolly showed no response.

"We'd like some clothes, please." He said to the person at the counter.

"Looking for the family discount?" The man asked, observing him and Huey, and guided them toward the family section that housed clothes for both their sizes.

"Yeah, sure." He went along with it. "For me...and my son."

"Smooth," Zafina said sarcastically when the man had left them.

"You were being kind of obvious..." said Huey.

"All right! Just get what you want." Harris interrupted them. He picked out a couple of shirts and a pair of trousers and stuffed them in a bag. "I'm done."

"Come on, you're going for the family discount. Make it more believable." Zafina adopted a sweet tone. "How about wearing something matching?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"Excuse me?" Zafina asked a woman nearby. "This man right here says he wants to buy matching outfits for himself and his son. What do you think?"

"Oh, really? That would be so cute." The woman gushed, looking at Harris as if he were the sweetest person around. 

"Tell you what, you do that, I'll get you that pair on the house. Plus I'll take pictures and put you two on the front wall." The store manager appeared out of nowhere. "How about that?"

"Free clothes and pictures? Isn't that lovely?" Zafina beamed.

Now all three adults were staring at Harris for his response.

"Yeah... sure," he said weakly.

In no time, he and Huey were trying on clothes with the same designs. It wouldn't have been half as bad had he not felt like an adult wearing clothes from the children's section. The store manager conducted an unusually long photo session where he made them model in their picked choices, while the two women hovered around making awing sounds.