IncuBUST

Out on the Town

After a few minutes of walking I realized we were heading towards the supermarket two blocks away. I also realized that I was sweating, but rolling my sweatpants up would make me look like an idiot.

She turned left and entered the supermarket. The air conditioner was going at full blast and quickly dried my sweat. No one gave us a second look. People wore slippers to the supermarket all the time.

Octavia grabbed a shopping cart and went off with her list clenched in her fist. I felt like I shouldn't be here. I wasn't prepared for an official outing. I was barely prepared for a walk down the hall. And now I was out on the town (yes, going to the grocery qualified as 'out on the town' for me) with an underage girl whom I barely knew and oh yeah she witnessed me kill her father last night. Great. I shook my head.

I felt a tap on my arm and Octavia signed, "Are you alright?" I nearly laughed. She was asking me if I was alright? I nodded and she turned to pull something from a shelf. I had to wonder how she was paying for this.

I felt enormously out of place. I shopped here a lot because Sissy didn't do groceries, that wasn't the problem. I just felt like I should be doing something or saying something and I was just standing here.

Suddenly Octavia stopped, looked at me, ripped her list in half and gave half to me. This somehow made me feel better.

"Cheapest you can find," she motioned to me and I nodded before going off to retrieve the items on her list.

I found the items she needed and found her on aisle seven. I carefully stacked the items into her cart and she signed her appreciation. She was standing in front of the part of the aisle dedicated to tea bags. She carefully selected an off-brand fruit tea sampler and then signaled that she was done.

We found a check-out line that wasn't too backed up and she began placing her items on the conveyor belt. When the person in front of us left the cashier greeted us with a big smile and said, "Afternoon, Octavia. Your Old Man sleeping off another Friday night." I stiffened but Octavia just returned the cashier's smile and nodded. She must shop here a lot...and by herself. She pulled out two twenty dollar bills and got three dollars and 28 cents back. The bagger loaded the items into the two reusable bags she had slung over her shoulder. She handed me one bag and she took the other and then we left the store.

As we were walking back towards Center Park she turned to me and asked, "So you're a Mythic, right?" I glanced at her and before I could think of something polite to say I replied, "Wait, don't all humans suck the life out of people?" She punched me in the shoulder with surprising strength for her size and made a rude gesture with her hand. I smiled and she asked, "Seriously, what are you?"

"It's kind of impolite to ask that," I said and she rolled her eyes.

"I've never really cared for being polite," she signed. She gave me a sideways glance and motioned, "Besides, you pretty much emotionally scarred me for life last night. I think we're beyond being polite."

I stopped walking and stared at her. I could feel tears boiling behind my eyes. What was I doing? I should leave this girl alone for her sake and mine. She hated me.

Suddenly she stopped and turned around.

"I'm sorry. That was mean," she signed. I shook my head and tried to sniffle as quietly as possible.

"Don't be sorry. You're right. I murdered your father right in front of you. You should hate me. You should never want to see me. I should just leave you alone."

I held out the grocery bag I was holding for her to take. She stared at me for a moment, hard grey eyes roiling like storm clouds.

"My father was an abusive asshole. He was on his fourth job in the last year, about to be fired, drinking and shooting up most of his salary. If you hadn't interfered last night, I would be dead. You did me a favor." Her gestures were sharp and angry and so quick I missed a few words but I got the gist.

I nodded slowly and hugged the grocery bag to my chest. She turned with a huff and continued towards the apartment. I followed.