It All Started With An Apple

Chapter 19

“Come on, Bri,” Garrett whined.  He turned to Dannon.  “Do something.”

Oh, great.  He thought that he could use Dannon to convince me to play some childish game.  I shot Dannon a pointed look, warning him with my eyes not to even try anything on me.  If he took so much as a step closer to me . . . well, for starters I’d be incredibly insulted. 

Dannon sighed deeply.  “She’s not going to listen.”  He gave me an expression mixed with disappointment and sadness.

I immediately felt bad.

Oh no.  He didn’t even have to come near me!  What was wrong with me?  Bending under pressure when the pressure-er wasn’t even really trying?  Kyla would have a field day if she were here. 

“No, no, no!” I shrieked quietly, covering my ears and closing my eyes.  “I am not falling for that!”

I expected laughter, or maybe some more attempts to guilt me into playing their idiotic game.  But what I got was nothing.  Silence—well, excluding the other yapping shoppers trying to get their grocery shopping down before their children got home.

I peeked open an eye and groaned.  The jerks had run off!  “Very funny, guys!”  I called, placing my hands on my hips.  That must have been their plan.  Guilt me to the point where I’d try to block them out.  That way I’d be lured into their little spy game.  That’s right.  They wanted to play spies. 

“I’m not going to look for you!” I shouted when I received no reply.

I stomped my foot again, turning on my heel and storming down the aisle.  I kept my eyes trained on the dirty-tiled floor.  I was not going to look for them . . . I was not going to look for them. . . .

Obviously this mental message I was trying to send myself didn’t work because by the time I reached the end of the aisle and started making my way through the main walkway, my eyes were scanning the aisles, searching for the two butt-faces.  I tried to refrain myself, I really did.  But it was like an unnatural force was pulling me.  It was like gravity.  But weaker.  And more annoying.

“I’m going to Mom!” I shouted to nowhere.

I turned, exiting the toy section and making my way toward groceries.  I didn’t like walking through Wal-Mart by myself.  It made me nervous.  I mean, you never knew how many creepers could possibly be at Wal-Mart.  There were so many reports of abductions on the news . . .

Great, Brianne.  Get yourself all worked up.

Just as I reached electronics, something collided with my head.  I came to an instant halt.  I took a deep breath, not wanting to turn around, but wanting to see what the hell had just hit me in the head.  I slowly turned, ready for some rapist to be standing there with a creepy smile on his face.

Well, I got the smile right.

“I’m going to kill you!” I shrieked, charging at my attackers while dodging glaring customers.  Dannon and Garrett stood there, guffawing while they ignored the fact that the bouncy ball they’d grabbed was rolling around on the floor.  “And you have to clean that up,” I snapped as I reached them, slapping both of their shoulder simultaneously.

“I’ll get it,” Dannon volunteered, sauntering over to the bouncy ball which was now rolling its way toward the movies.

“Jerk,” I muttered under my breath.

“Wimp,” was Garrett’s genius reply.

I opened my mouth to snap out a retort, but it shut immediately when a girl walked up to Dannon, stopping him as she spoke to him animatedly, her arms flying through the air.  He, being the idiot that he was, didn’t seem to notice the obvious infatuation for him as he clutched the ball in arms, listening to her speak.  My eyes narrowed.  Did she even go to our school?  And even if she didn’t, what was she doing out of school, anyway?  Sure, we were absent, but what reason did she have?