I spotted a small snow globe —one no bigger than my palm— amongst a cart filled with discarded items on our way into the store. It was a cute little thing, a small ceramic tree and log cabin. Nothing special. The same as any other one, really. But I still wanted it, missing my previously vast collection. Shooting my mom a pointed look, she merely sighed, setting it in the shopping cart. So for a while, that's all we have rattling around, along with some reusable bags. The store —although admittedly small— was still challenging to navigate. As we passed the counter for a second time, the lady leaning over it looked at us weirdly. That's when we decided to divide and conquer, me heading off to the frozen section while mom went in search of only the freshest produce.
Knowing that the task would take a decent amount of time with how meticulous she was, I quickly snatched a bag of cheap, off-branded chicken nuggets and threw it in. With her still being close, I considered finding something to cover it. Eventually, I scrapped the idea, realizing that it wouldn't matter because I'd have to put it on the check-out counter anyway. There, I continue, picking up eggs, some juice, then frozen pizzas. Benji's snack inspired me to pick the latter.
Once finished, the breakfast section came next. Reviewing a mental checklist, I gathered everything dad had asked for; almond flour, oatmeal, instant coffee, and pecans. I did a double-take at the price of the latter. They were much more expensive as an import, something I wasn't sure I'd grow accustomed to; back at home, we'd gotten those for free from the trees in our neighbor's yard.
Grabbing a cereal box off the shelf, I tossed it into the cart. It narrowly misses the man passing by, bounced off the edge and onto the floor with an audible thunk. Sheepish, I picked it up, gently nestling it between the flour and vegetables. Benji's chicken nuggets were hidden somewhere beneath them, and I knew we'd need to leave soon before they entirely melted and turned all soggy. However, my hopes were crushed. I accidentally ran into a girl while riding out of the aisle, scooting along as if it were a scooter. She dramatically stumbled, twisting around to show her teeth. For a moment, I saw her as Benji and nearly felt the urge to do the same.
"Nice shoes," she sarcastically commented, shoving past me and towards the Froot Loops. Our shoulders bumped in the process, and she glared. What a lovely girl. Totally not already a tired cliche. At the moment, I recalled that there were only a few high schools in the area and hoped that when summer ended, I wouldn't be seeing her again. She clearly didn't respect my customized Crocs, which I wouldn't tolerate from anyone. But as I mentally cursed her, I almost ran over another person, this time, a boy. I'd been too distracted grabbing at the bread to notice before suddenly, I rammed into his side.
Already, three people I've either hit or almost- a new and unwelcomed record. Before, I considered myself to have never been this careless, and I knew that claim would stay. However, last night seemed to be affecting my typically cautious nature. I had stayed up all night paranoid, looking out the window, eyes madly darting around at every little sound. Having done that, I was too tired to care. Stuttering an apology, I was vexed by my lack of spatial awareness.
With how small the store was, I figured I'd just go ahead and take everyone down like bowling pins. The thought was amusing, mainly because I'd imagined the Anti-Crocs girl as a bowling ball.
"No, you're good," he huffed but straightened up upon noticing me. To the sudden change in demeanor, I quirked an eyebrow, suspiciously sniffing at the loaf of bread in my hands. He seemed to want to say more. A fact I was against, still bitter at my previous encounter. It didn't matter if he seemed friendly or kind of cute. Once my good mood was interrupted, it'd usually take some time to return. Sadly, this boy wouldn't be around to experience that.
Undeterred by the faces I pulled, he spoke. "Hey, I'm Liam. I don't think I've ever seen you around. Are you new?"
"Yeah, I just moved here yesterday." Then, correcting myself, I added, "Well, not here, but you get it."
He laughed, although nothing funny had been said. It was then I could tell he was bad news. "Rayburg, then? What school? Are you a freshman?" Head tilted slightly to the side, he offered what could be assumed as a flirtatious smile that I didn't reciprocate. We'd just met, and already, he was acting like that? There probably weren't many kids around my age around here, and I simultaneously hoped and didn't that he was seventeen like me.
Either way, he was the first to be added to my avoid list since I was well aware that I looked younger than my actual age. Maybe he didn't see that, or perhaps that was just his personality, but I figured it best to not take any chances. While I wanted friends, I hadn't become desperate just yet.
Not in the mood to talk, I sluggishly nodded. If Liam had caught me yesterday, I probably would've wanted to rip off his head. Instead, I just sighed, wordlessly moving on before he could say something else. The cart squeaked against the floors, blocking out his voice and collecting a myriad of dirty things. With everything I'd been sent to get in possession, I strolled to the non-food items. First came gardening supplies.
Ours had been left with a family friend, so I figured we'd take it up again after getting settled here. At the very least, I hoped for such since gardening was something mom and Benji had first taken up when her depression was at an all-time high. If she no longer wanted to, then I was sure he'd be devastated at the implication. It wasn't as if it was something he truly enjoyed. Still, it was a task that took a lot of energy, meaning that mom's participation told she felt well enough to do so.