That Girl
Devin
I stared at the broken Rite Aid store in her home town. It was about eight when I got there, but by now it was going on eight-thirty, and I let my head bang against the steering wheel. I had been hiding out in my car since I entered this parking lot. You only really get one chance, so what was I going to say to her. How was I going to convince her that I’m not a stalker when the thought was crossing my mind as well? I wanted nothing more than to call Ricky, he handled situations like these with ease and he always knew exactly what to say. But if I called him again he’d probably kill me. I, on the other hand, had never really been good with girls and I couldn’t even fathom this encounter going well. So why was I even here? Oh the disappointment if I went back home and reported that I hadn’t even went in, I mean this may not even be where she worked. I gripped the steering wheel tightly one last time before I got out.
I began approaching the store, I figured I had thoroughly over thought this and it was time I go inside. I was walking particularly slow, second guessing every step, but continuing forward at the same time. As I entered the store the cold air conditioner hit my back and I froze looking around. I’m in, what now? I went to the register; there was a girl with black short pixie cut hair. She was reading a magazine and chomping loudly on gum, the place wasn’t real busy at the moment. “Hello,” I said. She looked up at me blankly and I continued, “Does a Sienna Grace work here?”
“Yeah,” she pointed, “she’s in the back stocking some shelves, why?” I ignored her question and went through the aisles searching for her. Almost every aisle was turning up empty until I came to one; she was on top of a ladder putting boxes on the top shelf. I didn’t say anything, but she turned and saw me on her own. The widening of her eyes was clear indication that she recognized me, but if I were to judge it didn’t seem like the good kind of shock.
“Can I help you,” a guy on the floor holding a box up to her said. He was on the shorter side of the height spectrum, but he seemed to make up for that in bulk. It’s hard to look real manly behind an apron, but still he easily had me beat.
She climbed down the ladder. She stopped in front of me and just looked up at me. Her eyes, I could easily get lost in those. She bit her lip looking back at the guy and then at me, “what are you doing here.” She stood in front of me with her hands on her hips and a sour expression. I was kind of frozen; I didn’t know what to say.
“I had to see you,” was all I said. I mentally hit myself, that was awful, that was beyond awful. She smiled slightly before covering it up.
“Please tell me you aren’t still carrying this crazy delusion that I am that girl,” she put on a sympathetic face. I said nothing. She put her hand on her forehead and shook it turning around, “could you please talk some sense into this insane person,” she asked the guy behind her.
He rolled his eyes, but walked up to me anyways. He was standing a good few inches below me and he put a hand on my shoulder before taking a deep breath. He exhaled, “she’s lying to you,” he motioned with his eyes, “she will continue lying to you and she is very good at it.”
“Not helping,” she said putting the box on the shelf. I was still kind of just frozen and she shook her head trying to ignore my presence and return to work.
He started walking back over to help her, “I don’t know what she’s lying about, but there are bound to be lies in her story.” He pointed up to her and whispered at clear audible volume, “and sometimes she gets so mixed up in her lies that she mistakes it for reality.”
“I can hear you,” she threw a box at him.
He looked up and smiled, “that was the point, Si.”
“Please,” she looked at me with a sort of distress, “I’m working.” She looked at the guy and then rolled her eyes, “I’m sorry I’ve been somewhat leading you on, but honestly I thought it was harmless. I think it would be best if you and I no longer talked, is that okay.” She looked at me. That was not what I wanted, but I took a deep breath and left.
“Poor guy never stood a chance,” I heard the guy mutter.
I began approaching the store, I figured I had thoroughly over thought this and it was time I go inside. I was walking particularly slow, second guessing every step, but continuing forward at the same time. As I entered the store the cold air conditioner hit my back and I froze looking around. I’m in, what now? I went to the register; there was a girl with black short pixie cut hair. She was reading a magazine and chomping loudly on gum, the place wasn’t real busy at the moment. “Hello,” I said. She looked up at me blankly and I continued, “Does a Sienna Grace work here?”
“Yeah,” she pointed, “she’s in the back stocking some shelves, why?” I ignored her question and went through the aisles searching for her. Almost every aisle was turning up empty until I came to one; she was on top of a ladder putting boxes on the top shelf. I didn’t say anything, but she turned and saw me on her own. The widening of her eyes was clear indication that she recognized me, but if I were to judge it didn’t seem like the good kind of shock.
“Can I help you,” a guy on the floor holding a box up to her said. He was on the shorter side of the height spectrum, but he seemed to make up for that in bulk. It’s hard to look real manly behind an apron, but still he easily had me beat.
She climbed down the ladder. She stopped in front of me and just looked up at me. Her eyes, I could easily get lost in those. She bit her lip looking back at the guy and then at me, “what are you doing here.” She stood in front of me with her hands on her hips and a sour expression. I was kind of frozen; I didn’t know what to say.
“I had to see you,” was all I said. I mentally hit myself, that was awful, that was beyond awful. She smiled slightly before covering it up.
“Please tell me you aren’t still carrying this crazy delusion that I am that girl,” she put on a sympathetic face. I said nothing. She put her hand on her forehead and shook it turning around, “could you please talk some sense into this insane person,” she asked the guy behind her.
He rolled his eyes, but walked up to me anyways. He was standing a good few inches below me and he put a hand on my shoulder before taking a deep breath. He exhaled, “she’s lying to you,” he motioned with his eyes, “she will continue lying to you and she is very good at it.”
“Not helping,” she said putting the box on the shelf. I was still kind of just frozen and she shook her head trying to ignore my presence and return to work.
He started walking back over to help her, “I don’t know what she’s lying about, but there are bound to be lies in her story.” He pointed up to her and whispered at clear audible volume, “and sometimes she gets so mixed up in her lies that she mistakes it for reality.”
“I can hear you,” she threw a box at him.
He looked up and smiled, “that was the point, Si.”
“Please,” she looked at me with a sort of distress, “I’m working.” She looked at the guy and then rolled her eyes, “I’m sorry I’ve been somewhat leading you on, but honestly I thought it was harmless. I think it would be best if you and I no longer talked, is that okay.” She looked at me. That was not what I wanted, but I took a deep breath and left.
“Poor guy never stood a chance,” I heard the guy mutter.