What’s a sign that you’re just going to be in an awful mood for the rest of the day?
Wake up and have a morning just like mine.
I got out of bed earlier than usual – and I get up very early – so I made breakfast for my mom and dad before they went to work. I decided to make a simple breakfast of eggs and toast. As a spur of the moment idea, I even added in bacon. Big mistake.
“JAMES!” I screamed. “Get the fire extinguisher!”
I was on fire. Not in the ‘Wow, you’re on fire, Rachel! Doing great!’ way. On fire, meaning, I was soon-to-be engulfed in flames.
Flames were eating away at my shirt and I slapped it away with my bare hands. My fingers were still sizzling from being attacked by bacon grease. The eggs turned black straight in the pan and the toast began burning in the decrepit toaster. The machine wouldn’t pop the toast back up, so I unplugged it. When I did that, it caused a chain reaction. Everything set on fire. Including me.
The microwave decided to be a nuisance, too, and not function properly. Having no other choice, I began to boil water on the stove. Mom liked to drink tea in the morning, so I was preparing that for her. Somehow, I had managed to knock it over, spill it all over the floor, and slip on it all at the same time. Did I mention that the water was scalding hot?
Third degree burns are not a good way to start a day. Just figured I’d make that very clear.
“Are you kidding me?” I shouted, slapping the remaining flames on my shirt. It couldn’t even qualify as a shirt anymore. It was charred and characterized with large holes around my waist.
Once I managed to extinguish the fire in the kitchen with a hand towel, James decided to make an appearance. He had spent the morning watching T.V. and throwing peppermint candies at me. He’s been dead since I was born, so technically, he’s double my age. James acts as if he’s a toddler sometimes.
I secretly love it, though. Just not at that exact moment, considering my already frazzled mind-set. How many things could possibly go wrong in one morning?
I whirled around, opening my mouth to yell at him for not helping. James thought it was be hilarious to choose that moment to spray me with the fire extinguisher.
I could kill him.
After being coated in the gross contents of the red canister, I let out a pitiful sigh. “Go watch some more T.V. before I strangle you.”
~* *~
“School starts in five days,” I stated. “September…ninth,” I read off of the school website.
“You know what this means?” James said in a girly voice.
“What?” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
“Shopping!” he squealed sarcastically. He even started clapping.
I glared at him, shaking my head. “That’s right, buddy. And I’m dragging you along too.”
He coughed into his elbow, feigning sickness, “I’m feeling faint,” he added another pathetic wheeze, “you may have to leave me behind.”
“Alright, one: you can’t get sick. And two: too bad. Or I’ll do an exorcism to keep you away permanently.”
I almost laughed at his expression. He was pouting adorably. “Are you ever going to stop threatening me with that?” he grumbled.
“Nope,” I smiled. “And you still owe me from this morning.”
The thought alone brought a scowl to my face.
“I was just trying to help!” he defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest. Thought the mischievous glint in his eyes gave his terrible lie away.
“Don’t talk to me,” I glared at him, however a smile was threatening to spill onto my lips.
“You thought it was funny!” James pointed at me and my near-smiling face.
I tried to put on a serious face, but miserably failed.
“You know what?”
“What?” he asked, grinning.
“Be quiet.”
~* *~
“So. Many. Clothes,” James wailed dramatically.
“Stop complaining!” I threw my hands up in the air, ignoring peoples’ concerned glances at me. “Don’t mind me,” I said to them, though my voice was very quiet and mumbled, “Just talking to myself!”
I was a little over-emotional that day, I suppose.
After I’d buy something, James would insist on holding the bags. Lately, he’d been very adamant about trying to touch objects and pick them up. When I had first met him, he couldn’t even turn a doorknob. He’d been practicing diligently. There was a downside and an upside to James’s experimentation, though. He liked to use the bags to hit people with.
It was funny at first, and I even laughed a little. I knew it was mean, but James became so happy when he realized he could actually touch people. Then he began doing it so that it would look like my fault, so I’d apologized at least eighteen times to people in two hours. Try explaining why your shopping bag accidentally flings four feet in front of you and onto someone’s back.
‘That boy has gotten some nerve lately,’ I thought dryly.
James and I walked through store after store, searching the racks for anything that screamed ‘Rachel Cooper!’. Turquoise is my favorite color, so I’d gotten plenty of shoes with blue beads, sequins, and stitching. I’d only gotten one or two tank tops, considering summer was practically over. I wasn’t a big fan of graphic tees, but I’d gotten a couple. Jessica would definitely appreciate them, I decided.
I sighed, pursing my lips as I inspected a v-neck long-sleeved shirt. It was black, but was button up. The buttons were white, decorated with lime green stitching. I added it to my pile of clothes to try on, which was growing at an alarming rate. Even James was piling on articles of clothing.
A couple of hours later, I had gotten enough jeans, tees, long sleeves, sweat shirts, and shoes to last the rest of my life. I’d been able to spend the money Ruth had given me from the last performance, plus some cash that I had saved up. I really had to start putting money together for college.
The last stop was a cheap jewelry store, one that I could get a few necklaces, earrings, and bracelets from. As I was checking out some simple rings, someone lightly tapped me on the shoulder twice.
I turned around and raised my eyebrows. It was a guy around my age, who radiated so much confidence I felt like chopped liver next to him. I hesitantly looked up at him, and then asked, “Yeah?”
My lip twitched when I realized how moody my voice sounded. A little abashed, I clear my throat and tried to smile.
“I saw you here and I swear I recognize you. But I don’t know where from,” he frowned, but then smiled again. A dimple surfaced. “Any idea?”
I looked around the store for James, but saw him nowhere in sight. He wasn’t there to judge this kid’s character for me. “I wish I could say the same, but I don’t recognize you…” I smiled apologetically, turning back around and searching the earring rack. The kid tapped my shoulder again.
“Where do you work?”
I hesitated, and then relented, “I work with William Larkin.”
“The magician?” He seemed surprised, but then realization dawned on him.
I nodded, smiling and standing there awkwardly. “See, I knew I recognized you. I was at the show the other day. You know, the one with the fall theme? You’re his assistant,” he said, grinning like a maniac. “Awesome show, by the way.”
I laughed, “Thanks.”
He stood there for a moment longer, and then realized that I really wasn’t in the mood to be social. “Well, I guess I’ll go then,” he pressed his lips together and shoved his hands in his pockets. For a moment, his confident demeanor cracked, leaving him looking kind of lost.
“Sorry, I’m just not very talkative today,” I tried to smile in a reassuring way, but I’m pretty sure it came out as a grimace.
“Nah, it’s fine,” he waved it off, and was about to say something else, but a black haired girl walked up to him and put her arm around his waist.
“Jared, I’ve been looking all over for you,” the girl told him, and then her eyes narrowed down at me. I felt like I’d shrivel up from the power in her gaze.
“Who’s this?” she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. Her eyes analyzed me head to toe, deciding whether or not I was a threat, I assumed. I’d like to think that I wasn’t.
“Diane, this is… uh, sorry, I didn’t catch your name…” Jared trailed off, waiting for me to finish his sentence.
“Rachel. I’m Rachel,” I shifted my weight between my two feet, trying to remain patient. I was antsy to get home and take a nap.
“Yeah, this is Rachel. She’s William Larkin’s assistant,” Jared finished, grinning like a fool.
Diane’s eyes brightened at this information. She re-analyzed me, finally deeming me as something worthy. “Nice to meet you,” she said, stretching out a perfectly manicured hand for me to shake. She smiled at me, but it wasn’t exactly warm.
I put my hand in hers and shook it uncomfortably. “You too.”
“Listen, I’ve got to get out of here and get to rehearsal,” I lied, “So I just got to buy these and I’ll be on my way,” I said, jerking a thumb towards the register.
“Can you get me an autograph? From Will?” Diane asked hopefully, clinging onto Jared’s arm with great force.
“Um, sure?” It sounded more like a question.
“I’ll meet you back here tomorrow? Noon?” she offered.
“Uh…okay…” I frowned. It could’ve been my mood, but she was being very persistent. Not in a good way, either.
“Great!” she chirped, oblivious to my hesitation. I pinned her as one thing: fake. But again, that could’ve just been because of my frame of mind.
As she and her boyfriend walked away, Jared waved at me with two of his fingers. “She was rude,” I heard Diane whisper to him. Jared shrugged.
My eyes narrowed and I scowled to myself. Yeah, let’s just see if I got her that autograph. Not happening.
~* *~
“Turn that frown upside down,” James grinned goofily at me.
If possible, my frown deepened.
“Jeesh, you really are in a bad mood,” James commented, raising his hands in surrender.
I didn’t reply.
“You know, it may be that time…”
“What time?” I challenged.
“That time… of the month…” James whispered, looking appalled by even the thought of it.
I was tempted to open the truck door and toss him out of the vehicle, but that would only further prove his point. Plus, if I did that, he’d be home before me anyways. Him and his magical appearing out of thin air abilities.
Before I could say something snippy in response, my cell phone began ringing. “Can I answer?” James asked me.
“They won’t hear you…” I raised my eyebrows, but kept my attention on the road. The phone continued ringing.
“No, I mean press the answer button. But I’m working on talking to people, I’ll have you know,” James replied proudly.
I pulled the phone out of my pocket and handed it to him. “Put it on speaker so that I can talk.” I said, and then added a patronizing, “Please.”
“You’re the only person I know that refuses to talk on the phone while driving,” he mused.
“I don’t feel like getting in a car accident anytime soon,” I defended, puffing my cheeks out in defiance.
“Sure, sure.”
“Answer the phone, will you? It’s going to go to voicemail!”
“Touchy,” James commented as he pressed the ‘Talk’ button on my phone.
“Hello?” I asked.
“Rachel?” the voice answered.
“Oh, hi Ruth!” I replied in a falsely cheery voice.
“Bad time?”
“No, it’s alright,” I said.
“Okay, good. Well, I called because William is going out with some friends tonight, and I was wondering if you would assist him?” Ruth asked hesitantly.
I was about to say ‘no’, but then I realized that this was the whole point of my job. Ruth wanted me to keep William out of trouble. James stiffened next to me, but said nothing.
“Sure. Where am I headed?” I asked her, praying that I wouldn’t forget the details.
“Got a pen and paper?”
“Yup,” I fibbed.
She rambled down the address as to where I was headed. “He has no clue that you are going, so don’t say anything about us planning. It’s a party, and anyone can go. I figured you can just stumble upon him, watch what he’s doing and then report back to me. If you can, stop him from drinking as much. He’s absolutely incorrigible when he’s drunk.”
“And if I can’t stop him from drinking?”
“It’s your first try. We’ll think up new tactics if not,” Ruth said, sounding surprisingly calm.
I took a deep breath. “Alright. I’ve got to head home and get changed. What time is this party?”
“Starts around six, but William won’t arrive until later. He doesn’t like being at parties first. So, around eight?”
“Oh, alright. I’ll be there,” I nodded to myself.
Ruth dropped her voice to a whisper, “He’s coming down the hall now. Got to go! Good luck and good-bye!”
She hung up.
~* *~
Sorry for the long wait. I worked out the kinks. If you have to, just re-read the last chapter. I have this story planned out well, and so...let's just say I'm excited. xx