Page 11 of All Stars Fall
“You have pretty hair.” Her teeth looked like little Chiclets. Be still my heart, she was freaking adorable. And she said I had pretty hair even though I hadn’t washed it in five days and smelled like car.
“Thank you.” I beamed. “So why don’t I grab you some hot chocolate? With sprinkles?”
“Red ones!” She clapped her hands. “Please?”
“Coming right up.” A shadow descended over me. I was still at eye level, so I had to look up, up, up, up directly into Trevor Wood’s penetrating and amused stare. “Hey there.”
My voice croaked.
I smelled.
And I was hunched down nearly touching the floor.
I quickly stood and nearly collided with the old cash register before tugging my black apron down and focusing in on his smirk. “I see you fixed the hair?”
He frowned and then gave his head a shake. “Right, yeah, well, I’m not so sure we’re calling it fixed, but it’s better and both brothers have been grounded for using Gorilla Glue after spending hours getting the gum out.”
I gasped. “Gorilla Glue?”
“It’s been an exciting twenty-four hours,” he said in a tired voice. “I told them I’d buy each of them a pony if we could stop and get coffee.”
“And when you don’t follow through?” I crossed my arms.
“I didn’t specify what kind of pony. They have them at the dollar store, about this big.” He held up his fingers an inch apart. “Brown. Three for one dollar.”
“Trickery.” I nodded.
“Warfare,” he deadpanned just as one of the boys behind him kicked the other in the shin.
“Take it back, Eric! Take it back!”
“It’s true! Mom left because of you!”
My heart cracked while Trevor flipped around and grabbed Eric by the shoulders. “Son, we don’t say things like that.”
“Who cares?!” Tears filled his eyes. “It doesn’t even matter anymore.”
The shop went quiet.
Even the old timers were staring.
Eric clutched his dad’s hands. “Maybe if we weren’t born…”
Oh, my heart.
The little girl gasped, her lower lip wobbling.
“Hey.” I tried distracting her. “Wanna help make the hot chocolate?”
“Could I?” Her eyes were so big, so innocent. What sort of person left this messy perfection?
“Of course!”
The little boy closest to us looked between his dad’s hushed conversation with Eric and the girl as she made her way around the register.
“You can help too,” I offered.
He took one look at his dad then me, and suddenly he and the girl were by my side while I grabbed them each a cup and showed them how to pump the chocolate.
