Thomas Prescott Superpack (110 page)
Read Thomas Prescott Superpack Online
Authors: Nick Pirog
Tags: #Fiction, #Retail, #Suspense, #Thrillers
Then I retired to a table. This was the first time in two weeks I’d eaten without my little sidekick. It didn’t feel right. I let out a long sigh, then took a huge spoonful of granola and yogurt.
“Mind if I sit down?”
I looked up. It was the hot blonde who I’d caught sneaking glances at me a couple times, but never had the cojones to go talk to. I hadn’t seen her in almost a month.
“Sure.”
She pulled up the seat across from me and set down her tray. She was clad in a black hooded sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She had dark blue eyes. She had that California girl look about her. She was even hotter up close. She stuck out her hand and said, “I’m Erin.”
I shook her hand. “Maddy. Nice to meet cha’.”
I wasn’t nervous at all for some reason. Except, I did know the reason.
Abby.
Erin’s tray contained a large salad, some fruit, and an ice-cream cone. Just the cone. No ice-cream. I pointed to the lone cone and said, “Um, I think your cone ate all your ice-cream.”
She laughed. Well, it was more of a giggle with accompanying arm flap. She said, “I always have ice-cream on Friday. Just planning ahead.”
Great. A planner.
“Are you gonna go for the vanilla, the chocolate, or the swirl?”
“Vanilla.”
“Racist.”
She put her hand to her chest. “I am not.”
“It was a joke. Vanilla. Get it.”
I love explaining my jokes. So fun.
Finally, it hit her and she giggled and flapped again. I think for a moment she went airborne. I made a mental note not to say anything else funny.
After she composed, she asked, “Where’s your daughter?”
“Oh, she’s not my daughter. Well, not exactly.”
I spent the next ten minutes recounting my relationship with Berlin. Erin did a lot of
uh-huh
-ing and
no way
-ing and
right-right
-ing and I contemplated throwing my hard-boiled egg at her three times.
Talking about Berlin was getting me slightly emotional. I didn’t care if she was a brat. She was
my
brat.
I told Erin I needed to get going and that it was nice to meet her.
As I was standing, she asked, “So, can I take you out sometime?”
This took me off guard. In fact, if the long white cafeteria table had transformed into Optimus Prime, I would have been less taken off guard. Here’s the deal, I’d been asked out by women on several different occasions and I had no problem telling them I wasn’t interested, but Erin was the most attractive woman who had ever asked me out. Granted I’d known her for all of twenty minutes and she’d already annoyed me to the point of mentally sewing her arms to her sides, but I still, kind of, sort of, wouldn’t mind, if she was down for it, maybe, to, I don’t know, have sex with her.
I gave her my number.
Men.
⠔
Berlin was still locked in my room when I returned. I’d taken a quick trip back to All-Mart. I’d planned to run in and grab the correct batteries and some cookie sheets. I’d left with the correct batteries, cookie sheets, and a Nintendo
Bii.
I set the large box near the bedroom door, which was still locked, and said, “Hey kiddo, I just want to say that I’m sorry you are so upset. I don’t know why you got so upset over some batteries and some cookie sheets, and I’m sure there’s something else going on that you’re not telling me, but I’m sorry. Kay?”
I’d rehearsed this in the car. Didn’t come out exactly as I wanted it, but it was close. I listened for a long minute, but she didn’t respond.
I went to Plan B, bribery. “Okay, so I got you the right batteries and I bought cookie sheets. Oh, and I bought you a Nintendo
Bii
.”
I listened for another minute. Nothing. Then I heard a couple footsteps. I thought she was going to open the door. She didn’t. She did say, “What games did you get?”
I smiled. “Games? What do you mean?”
“Yes, you do. What games did you get? Did you get the one that is like Mario Kart?”
“Yep.” It was called
Kart Madness.
I could see her smiling on the other side of the door.
“What else?”
“Bowling and some hunting game that comes with a big ass gun.”
There was a click. A moment later, the door opened about two inches. I could see half of Berlin’s face. She asked, “Are you mad at me?”
“I was a little mad. But not anymore.”
“Promise?”
I stuck my finger through the opening and said, “Pinky swear.”
We pinky sweared.
She opened the door the rest of the way and I picked her up. She started crying. I rubbed her small back and told her everything was okay.
I wiped the tears from her eyes and said, “You gonna tell me what’s wrong kiddo?”
She was doing that sniff-convulse-cry thing, but somehow managed, “Today is my mom’s birthday.”
“Sweetie. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know. It’s stupid. I mean, she wasn’t even like a very good mom.”
“Yeah, but she was still your mom kiddo. It’s okay to miss her.”
“Yeah? You don’t think I’m weird?”
“Of course I think you’re weird. But, I'll let you in on a secret, I'm weird too."
She smiled. "Yeah, you are."
I wiped the tears off her cheek again. “You want to know something. If I knew it was your mom’s birthday and you didn’t get a little sad,
then
I'd think it was weird.”
“Okay.” She punched me in the arm. “Put me down weirdo.”
I put her down.
Tantrum complete.
We made cookies, cooked spaghetti, and played Nintendo Bii until three in the morning. For the first time in a longtime, I didn’t think about the strange place I’d found myself in. I didn’t think about Borns or Keepers. Or languages that didn’t exist. I didn’t care whether I was dead or alive. I didn’t for one moment think about Erin or Abby. All I cared about was the little girl with the big red gun in her hands laughing her head off after each moose that she killed.
It was a night I would think of often.
After she was
taken
.
Dear Reader,
You are probably cursing me right now, asking how I have the nerve to end a book with so many unanswered questions. Well, now you know how Maddy feels. Hahahahhahaha. I have the story outlined for six books and many of your questions will be answered in
Borns (Maddy Young Saga 2)
which is out now. Go get it. And don’t forget to check out
3 a.m.
It’s FREE!
And if you enjoyed all four books please don’t be afraid to scribble reviews.
Thanks again.
Nick