Who Can Really Blame You?

I wake up when my alarm goes off. I hit the snooze button, and roll onto my back.

“Shit!” I yell, getting up quickly, trying to relieve the pain in my back. I look around my room, with my book bag emptied onto the floor, and things knocked off of my dresser, and remember. I go to the bathroom quietly and inspect the damage.

It’s only bruises, and raised welts, going horizontally across my back. I sigh, and go back to my room and decide to carry my textbook today, since I’m turning it in and I have nothing else I really need to bring. That way I won’t have a heavy book bag hitting the bruises all day. I change my shirt, and wince when I try to put on pants. I look down, and sigh at the marks across my thighs. I pull on the skinny jeans anyways, deciding to just deal, and head downstairs.

My dad’s sitting in the kitchen, so I slip outside, about twenty minutes early, and head to the twin’s house. I’ll brush my hair and my teeth there.

“You’re mad early,” Tayler says opening his door. He’s only in his boxers and an old white shirt with a rubber duck on it.

“I can’t tell,” I tell him, moving inside, “You look ready to greet the world.”

“Why are you early?” Talia asks appearing from her room, also in her sleeping clothes. Her hair is a mess on top of her head.

“My dad flipped last night,” I sigh, “I’m fine, he just scared me. But I didn’t want to see him this morning.”

Talia eyes me, but accepts it. Tayler doesn’t seem to care; it’s too early to doubt people.

“I’m doing your hair,” Talia decides.

“You might want to do yours first,” I say. She pokes her head in the bathroom and laughs.

“True that,” she says.

“I need to borrow a toothbrush,” I say, standing carefully and going into the bathroom. Talia hands me one from a drawer, still wrapped in plastic, and I get to work on brushing my teeth.

“You know,” Talia says, wincing as she brushes the knots from her hair, “I’m still going to do your hair.”

I shrug.

“I don’t care either way,” I say. She nods.

Carter gets to the house before Talia’s finished my hair. He stands in the doorway while she straightens my hair. I smile up at him, with all the clips in my hair holding the sections apart.

“That’s a lot of clips,” Carter remarks, “I like the Pocahontas one though.”

“Shut up,” I laugh. He shrugs and Talia lets down another section to straighten.

“You know, we have to be in school in fifteen minutes, right?” Carter asks her.

“Yeah,” she scoffs, “But beauty takes time.”

“Not on me,” I tell her. She agrees.

“Fine then,” she huffs, “Hair takes time.”

“Apparently,” Carter says, huffing again. Talia doesn’t increase her speed, and keeps going, ignoring our whines.

Tayler appears in the door, and sighs at Talia’s speed, before heading off again.

“So, are we all hanging out after school again?” Carter asks.

“Oh,” I say, “I can’t. I have my first shift at Consequence X.”

“Sweet,” Talia says, high-fiving me, “Wish you could chill though.”

“You guys can come bother me,” I say, “Only a little bit though. Some college kid is training me so he might get pissed if you break something.”

“Break something?” Carter asks.

“You remember the Elvis statue that used to hold displays?” I ask Carter.

“Yeah,” he says, “What about it?”

“Talia climbed on the statue’s shoulders and broke off both of the arms,” I tell him.

“Why?” He asks Talia.

“I wanted to?” she says.

“You wanted to break it?” he asks as she finishes my hair.

“No,” she replies, “Just climb on it.”

“Wow,” Carter says as she leaves the bathroom, “Remind me never to let her sit on my shoulders for any reason.”

I sit, waiting for the bus after school. A car pulls up and stops in front of me. I smile at Carter.

“You need a ride to work?” he asks. I nod, and get in the car. The twins, Hadley, and Max are all in the car.

“Hey guys,” I say. Everyone says hello. Talia’s greeting if muffled by Tayler, who’s sitting on her.

“How much gas have you burned because of us?” I ask Carter jokingly. He shrugs.

“My car gets really good mileage,” He says. I nod.

“You do drive us everywhere,” Hadley says.

“Well, otherwise, you’d have to take the bus,” Carter says, shrugging.

“Hmm, it kind of seems like this is public transportation,” Talia says, still muffled by Tayler’s shoulder.

“Thanks for the ride, Cart,” I say, shutting the door, “Don’t come in for a bit, okay? Go goof somewhere else first.”

“Ruin my fun!” Talia exclaims, shoving her brother off of her, and onto the sidewalk. Everyone piles out, kind of like those clowns. Creeps me out.

I head into Consequence X, and see Hank.

“I lied,” he says, “I’m here.”

“I noticed,” I say.

“Okay, first, clock in, clock out. Let me teach you that.” He takes me to the back room, where I learn that I have to write it down whenever I get to work and whenever I leave. Simple.

“So what all will I be doing?” I ask Hank.

“Running the register,” he says, “Stocking CD’s when we get them, helping customers. Keeping your friends from breaking things. What I do, minus the bills.”

“Sounds fun,” I say. He smiles.

“Let me teach you the register,” he says. I follow him back out front and behind the counter. “Okay, type in the price, or scan it, and then hit Cash, and punch in what they gave you, then it’ll tell you the change, hit enter, and the drawer will fly open with a vengeance. It’s much stronger than you’d expect a drawer to be.”

A woman with tattoo sleeves walks up with a CD.

“Okay, you do it.” Hank tells me. I punch in the price, $8.75, and then the ten dollars that she gives me, I hit enter, and the drawer bangs open hitting me hard in the stomach. “Told you,” Hank says, helping me catch my balance.

“Sorry,” I say to the laughing woman, and then hand her her change and the CD. She slides the CD into her bag, thanks me and leaves.

“Come on, let’s go find Nick,” Hank says.

“I’m right here,” someone says, popping up in the isle closest to us. He’s wearing old fashioned glasses, and has a scene hair cut.

“Oh, Nick,” Hank says, “This is Ainsley. He’s working here now.”

“I figured,” Nick says, standing up, “You showed him the drawer. Nasty thing.” He smiles at me. “Nick,” he says.

“Ainsley,” I reply, smiling.

“Oh god,” Hank says, “Your friends are here.”

“Yeah,” I reply, “They gave me a ride.”

“Don’t let Talia break anything,” Hank mutters, “I’m leaving.”

“Break something?” Nick asks, suddenly next to me. I jump. He smirks. He’s only about three inches taller than me. I want to high five him and say “yay short people!” but I stop myself.

“Yeah, Talia climbs on the displays,” I say.

His eyes widen. Green. “That Talia? The one who dismembered Elvis?” he asks. I laugh, and nod.

“She promised not to break anything while I’m working though,” I say, just as everyone enters the store.

“Ainsley!” Hadley exclaims, running up to me, and hugging me. I wince at the bruises on my back. “Hello, who are you?” she asks Nick.

“Nick,” he says, “I work here.”

“Lovely,” she replies, then says to me, “Max got hit on by some old guy!”

“Ew,” I say looking at Max.

“He had half a beard,” he shudders.

“What did he say?” I ask.

“He was like, “Why, hello there youngster. Would you like to be my friend?” and then I ran,” Max says. I laugh. Nick walks off. I guess he’s shy.

“Where was this?” I ask him.

Hadley answers, “The market.”

“Not the best place to pick up guys, Max,” I tell him, patting his shoulder. He glares at me. Talia looks around and moves towards the display. “Talia! Stay away from the display!” I tell her. She squeals and trips as she runs away from it. “Talia, come here. I know someone who wants to meet you,” I call after her. She peeks around a random column in the store, and then comes my way. “Nick?” I call out. He pops out from another isle. I nod my head, and he comes over.

Talia tackles me. I push her off me.

“Nick, this is the infamous Talia,” I say. He smiles and sticks his hand out. She shakes it.

“Infamous?” she asks.

“I had to try to glue Elvis back together,” he laughs. She turns red.

“I felt really bad about that!” she pouts at me. I shrug and go to the register when a customer walks towards it. I ring them up, and get knocked over by the drawer again.

“You okay?” the man asks, peeking over the counter.

“Oh yeah,” I say, standing up, and giving him his change and a bag, “Have a good day.”

Carter comes up to the counter, and smiles.

“Hey,” I say, shoving the drawer shut.

“Hey,” He replies, “Having fun?”

“Yes,” I reply, sitting down in the chair behind the counter.

“That chair’s a bit counter productive, huh?” he asks.

“I guess,” I say, “But I like it.”

“I don’t blame you,” he tells me, “So what are your plans for the summer?”

“What?” I ask.

“That thing, in three days. Summer,” he says, smiling.

“Oh,” I say, “Well… I guess I’ll do what I do every summer.”

“Which is?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I reply.

“Well, now you have a job,” he points out.

“Yay,” I say, doing a dance with my hands. He laughs.

“Ainsley,” Nick calls out. I look over, and he points to the display.

“Talia!” I yell, “Down!”

She falls off, and runs to hide in an isle. I sigh.

“She’s well trained,” Carter jokes. I laugh.

Nick walks by, and into the backroom.

“He’s quiet,” Carter remarks.

“Yeah,” I agree, “But he seems nice.”

“How old is he?” he asks me. I shrug.

“Like 18,” I say, waving him away for a moment to ring up another customer. I smile and give them their change, having stood to the side of the violent drawer this time.

“Have a nice day,” I tell them.

“Good job with the drawer,” Nick says walking by again. Carter looks after him, and shrugs. I smile.

“Thanks,” I tell him. He shrugs, and hides in an isle again.

“Let’s go to the costume store!” Talia exclaims, grabbing Max by his shoulders and shaking him.

“Talia, stop shaking Max,” I say.

“You don’t own me, Jacobs!” she exclaims, but stops anyways.

I roll my eyes.

“Can we go to the costume shop?” she asks Carter. He shrugs, and she rushes over, and hugs him. “Please?” she begs him. He sighs.

“Fine,” he says, making her jump and clap, “but we’re walking.”

“Fine,” she huffs, then runs off to tell everyone, including Nick, that they’re going to the costume shop.

“What time do you get off?” Carter asks me.

“Oh,” I say, “I don’t know.”

He smirks.

“Nick, do you know when I get off?” I call out. He pops up in a different isle than he was just in a minute ago.

“Forty-five minutes,” he says, “Bernard comes in at five, and we only ever have two people working.”

“Oh,” I say, “Thanks.” I turn back to Carter, “I get off in forty-five minutes.”

“Okay, we’ll goof off until then,” he says.

“Thanks,” I say, and wave as everyone leaves. Nick appears in front of me, making me jump.

“Sorry,” he says.

“No worries,” I say, “I’m kind of jumpy.”

He nods, “Are you and that guy going out?”

“Which one?” I ask, even though I’m not going out with any of them.

“The tall one, who was talking to you at the counter,” he says. I turn red.

“No,” I say, “We’re friends.”

“Okay,” he says, “But you like him.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“You’re glowing,” he explains.

I sigh and change the topic.

“Who’s Bernard?” I ask. Nick sighs.

“Some poser douche. He thinks he’s some emo-indie god just because he bought himself the clothes and medicated himself into the attitude. He’s annoying as hell,” Nick says, rolling his eyes, “He thinks he’s better than everyone. Customers hate him, and he hates me because he thinks I’m a poser.”

“Wow,” I say, “You really don’t like him, huh?”

“You can tell?” he asks, “Honest. You’ll hate him too.”