The sign that hung on the door of 'Miz Tey's Potions' shop was old. I knew that because it'd been up since I'd started working there 15 years ago. My older sister (and the owner of this little shop) never bothered changing the sign since it 'did it's job' and 'would be a waste to throw it out'. At one point the paint on the wooden oval sign had been so badly chipped it, instead of Open, read U cr, and instead of Closed, it read C cseo. I had repainted it over the years countless times, but one of these days, I was going to have to swap it out without her noticing.
I sniffled as I stared at that old sign, realizing just how cold it was outside. My nose had begun to string from the chill in the air. Winter was following closely after the tail end of autumn and soon every leaf on every slumbering tree would be gone. I couldn't wait for winter to finally arrive. I needed an excuse to stay indoors all day and read a book. Well, on my free days at least. I closed my eyes and breathed in deep, trying to motivate myself to go in an start working. It usually never worked but maybe today would be the day.
Suddenly, upon hearing the creaking of door hinges, my eyes snapped open.
In front of me stood my sister, her short, raven hair sticking up in several places as though she had been struck by lightning, her face covered in several indigo splotches that hid some of her many scars, and her silver eyes fixed on me.
"You just gonna stand outside and freeze?" She said, looking at me with inquisitive, squinting eyes.
"No, Tey, I was just..." I sighed and shook my head, "Never mind. Let me in, please."
Tey stepped back and opened the door for me, then I stepped into the shop. The familiar scent of thyme and lavender entered my nostrils, filling me with a sense of warmth.
"It was about time you showed up. I was worried that you'd died or something." She said as she attempted to comb out her hair with her fingers. "I'm trying to get this luck potion perfected but I keep missing... Something."
I have to admit I wasn't really listening to her, which may sound rude, but my sister could really talk your ear off. So instead I took in the familiar sights of our shop. The dark wood floors decorated with detailed black and red rugs, the many shelves filled to the brim with colorful bottles of various shapes and sizes, oddly shaped trinkets by the check-out counter-
"How's Coraline doing in school?" Tey's voice interrupted my thinking again. I sighed.
"Well, she's not doing terrible, but she's been struggling with English. Her other grades are better but she's really moody lately. And she keeps talking about this-"
"Boy?" Tey interrupted again, eyes wide with excitement. I felt my eye twitch with annoyance.
"Yes... How did you know that?" I eyed her suspiciously.
She grinned, letting out a mischievous chuckle, "I have my ways."
I walked over to the check-out counter and lifted the board that separated customer from employee. Behind the counter was where I kept my belongings during my shift since there was a conveniently empty shelf underneath. There was also a mirror, several spiderwebs and a jar of dried grass.
"I am worried about her, though. It's not like her to be so... So... Angry" I frowned as I tucked away my belongings in the little compartment.
"Maybe she's just lonely, Mal. Stuck at home all day with the little demons, never hanging out with friends..."
I stepped out from behind the counter, "I know, but I haven't been able to find a babysitter that can deal with their antics like Cora does." I looked up to find Tey cleaning up the shelves, getting everything ready for when the customers wandered in. She was always so organized with her potions even when everything else she did was a complete mess. She grabbed a bottle off the shelf and shined it with her apron, "You know I could just take them for an evening." She suggested, and I immediately shot her down with a look that read 'Really?'
"What?! I can handle them!" She put her hands on her hips, clearly offended.
I sighed as I walked over to her, fixing her hair since it was still levitating in several spots. "Tey, if anything, you handle them too well."
She gasped, "What's the supposed to mean?"
I rolled my eyes, "Well, remember when you let Vi tie you up with toilet paper as Scarlett tried to shave your head with safety scissors."
She groaned, "Oh, Come on, she wasn't really gonna shave my head anyway!" Tey adjusted her apron as she walked back into the brewing room, shoving the curtains aside to reveal for just a moment the chaos she created before it was once again hidden. Can't say I was surprised.
"Make sure you wash your face before you come back out, Tey!" I shouted.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hey, can you open up shop for me?" She yelled from the back room.
"Uh-huh." I replied. I looked at the clock, hoping I still had time before it opened.
It read 9:01 AM which meant that my day had to begin now.