The General Store: Where Innocence Goes to Die Read online

  "Come on Justice, that Jayson dude is ancient. Look at him.” Mason said. “He looks like Abraham Lincoln on steroids.”

  “He does not!”

  Mason folded his hands behind his head, popping a piece of the scattered popcorn in his mouth. “Whatever. They’re old.”

  I didn’t see them that way. They were exciting and loud, in a town that bred boring and quiet. People grabbed their kids when the bikes rolled down the street. People moved out of their way. There was an edge of danger in their grease-stained jeans and thundering engines that drew me from a deeper level. It was exhilarating watching them fly past the city limit sign that led out of town. They were free, not caged as the rest of us would be when September rolled around. Maybe that was the appeal. They didn’t worry about pleasing everyone. They didn’t worry about pleasing anyone.

  I suddenly felt like I was already in a cage, a cage with white-picket bars. My breath became labored. I didn’t want to be locked up safely with goody-goody Mason, watching black and white reruns for the rest of my life. I peered out the window longingly at the people living life, and as if my internal need summoned him, Liam stepped from the shadows.

  My chest ached at seeing him after so long. His dark hair was secured at his nape, just touching the collar of a black t-shirt. His black jeans hung in just the right way on his hips, and to finalize the look, an orange glow from a cigarette dangled between his fingers. He took a drag, making the small spark glow brighter, and stooped to adjust something on the front of his bike. If not for light reflecting on the sliver emblem on his bracelet, he could have been mistaken for a shadow. He wasn’t paying any attention to Jayson and Tonya’s argument. By the look on Tonya’s overly made-up face, they were clearly still having a heated conversation. Liam tossed a shiny tool to the bushes and straddled the bike’s seat. I couldn’t bring myself to look away from him, despite Mason breathing down my neck. The engine rumbled, growing louder with each shift of Liam’s hands. Watching his arms tense over the bike was mesmerizing. The headlight flashed to my window as his bike curved onto the pavement and for the briefest moment our eyes met. Warmth filled my body. I suddenly didn’t care if he saw me, because I wanted to see him. Before he turned at the stop sign, he looked over his shoulder, finding me in the sliver of light at the side of the curtain. The engine snarled and ripped through the air twice before he turned and disappeared. In that moment, my decision was made.

  ***

  It was after midnight before Dad’s slippers shuffled down the hallway. Mason stuck his feet in his shoes, leaving the laces untied as Dad waited patiently at my door in a white cotton shirt and flannel pajama pants. He yawned hugely as he groggily ushered Mason out of my room, as was our routine. Most nights I grudgingly crawled out of my warm covers and followed them to the door. Tonight was different. Tonight, there was pep in my step that had nothing to do with a tight-lipped goodnight kiss from Mason.

  “Lock up, Justice” Dad said, his eyes already half closed in his procession back down the dark hall.

  I gave Mason another wave, leaning around the side of the porch railing to watch his truck’s taillights fade to black, but I never saw it happen. Before Mason was even out of sight, my favorite sound in the world rounded the opposite corner. Thankfully, the motion light was off, so I could hide in the darkness. Three bikes rode side by side, lighting the dark street. Two turned wide into Robyn’s drive, not stopping until they reached the closed garage. Liam was on the far side, only the hair sticking out of his black helmet giving him away. The third bike stopped in the road in front of my house. I knew it personally, having felt its uncomfortable vibrations firsthand.

  Tyler’s hand killed the engine as he maneuvered a cell phone with his other. Coming out of hiding, I opened the screen and double-checked that my parent’s bedroom door was closed. I quietly pulled the front door shut. Tyler watched my every move as I stepped off the porch. His lips formed a tight, discouraging line, his fragile male ego clearly still wounded.

  The night grew ominously quieter as I opened the front gate and stepped into the road. Each step I took seemed to echo off the windows of my house. The swirl of emotions in my gut were a weighted anchor trying to still my legs. Lifting my eyes from the asphalt, I locked eyes with Tyler, "I'm sorry about what I said."

  Cranking the bike, he revved the engine louder, staring through me. He was acting like a two-year-old, but I didn’t dare call him on it. This was my shot. He was my shot. "I was scared,” I said loudly, practically screaming, my sleeping parents less than thirty feet away, forgotten. “I didn't know what I wanted."

  "What?” he reeved the engine again, cupping his hand to his ear. “I can’t hear you.

  “If you’re looking for Liam, I think he’s in the house,” he spit in my direction. “Now move.” He inched forward, the front bike tire inching closer to my legs, but I stood my ground, my hands firmly on my hips. It was going to take more than petty jealousy and empty threats to get me to give up.

  "I don't really know Liam.” I had to practically yell to hear myself. “He was just an excuse. I knew if I told Robyn I liked Liam; she’d get you to back off a little.”

  The anger in his eyes shifted to skepticism. He smirked in disbelief. His eyes ran over every inch of my thin cotton shorts and tank top. Feeling my chance slipping away, I pulled a move I’d seen Robyn use countless times and smiled up at him through my lashes. My breath quickened when the steady rumble of the engine died away. This was it. With a shaky hand, I covered his where it wrapped the throttle and gave him the same look I'd used on my dad to get out of work countless times. “I never meant for you to hear me."

  His eyes focused on the contact of our skin. The look was both welcoming and alarming at the same time. There was enough heat in his eyes to start a fire. I quickly pulled my hand away, tucking it in my back pocket for safety and hoping he didn’t take offense. He ran his hands slowly over his head, locking his fingers. The touch of a smile curved his mouth. It was evident on his lips that I was saying exactly what he wanted to hear, feeding his middle-school-aged ego. He was clearly in his element.

  “Look, I’ve got to run an errand," he said, grinning as he turned the key over. “We aren't done here,” he said as an afterthought, looking up at me with the hope I'd given him. With the hope that scared the crap out of me. “I'll be around the store tomorrow. Are you working?"

  "Until seven," I said hopeful, wringing my hands behind my back.

  The bike rolled forward, but his hungry eyes stayed on me until he was completely out of sight.

  I was back in.

  A feeling of satisfaction washed through me. I’d thought it would take more than one encounter to get Tyler to look my way again, to get him back on the line, but he was hungrier than I’d thought. Taking a last look at Robyn’s before turning back, Liam’s voice caught me off guard.

  "Was any of that true?” he hedged, easing off the kickstand with a flick of his black boot. The bike crept to the end of the long drive, stopping within inches of where I stood. I shivered despite the warm wind blowing the hair from my shoulders. His eyes were dark, appraising mine intensely, not leaving one ounce of rational thought to work with. He’d clearly heard every word I’d said. He took a long drag off whatever he was smoking.

  Judging from the smell, it wasn’t Marlboro.

  I closed my eyes for a quick second in a weak attempt to keep my wits. If being alone with him at night wasn’t enough to send my frantic heart skyrocketing into the oblivion, it was also painfully obvious he wasn’t as gullible as Tyler. I hadn’t counted on anyone else hearing me. Had I known Liam, of all people, was within hearing range I'd never have made it through my little skit with Tyler.

  Steading my shaky hands in my back pockets, I managed, "Does it matter?"

  He smirked, grinding whatever he'd been smoking into the asphalt with the toe of his boot before looking back at me with a cocked brow that nearly brought me to the altar. Before I could profess my sins, he shrugged
indifferently and said, “I guess not.”

  My heart dropped at his words. Did he mean I didn't matter or that he didn't care what I did with Tyler? Either way I was screwed. I stared up at the starless sky to keep my eyes from brimming over. This was all wrong and now he was leaving. “Hey Liam…” I started. I wanted to say something profound. Something that would show him I was mature enough to be in his world, but I was at a complete loss. The bike rolled forward, his black boots navigating the road away from me. “Will you be around tomorrow?” I said quickly.

  The smallest curve of his lips sent my heart into frenzied palpitations before his eyes leveled with mine. With another arch of his perfect brow he said, “Does it matter?”

  Chapter 7. Inside

  The store was never busier than on Saturdays. Of course, all of the stores on Main Street had window shoppers on the weekend, but it was The General Store where most flocked when they actually wanted to spend money. The prices were cheaper and even those without much to spend, stopped by for a drink. Last summer, I'd done the same thing with Anna and Mason nearly every Saturday. A grape soda in a glass bottle from The General Store was a staple in the summer.

  I didn't mention my talk with Tyler to Robyn and if she knew, she was keeping it to herself. Like Liam, she’d see my weak attempt for what it was. My only hope in the poorly thought-out scheme I’d cooked up was that no one would spill the beans to Tyler.

  In the short time I’d spent with all of them together, it was clear that Tyler had clout. It made no sense. He was scrawny compared to Jayson and Liam, so it wasn’t a physical thing. Yet, you could feel it in the air, like when a senior entered the freshman hall at school. I figured if I got in with him, the rest of them would fall into place. Liam calling me out last night was not the reaction I’d expected. However, he didn’t strike me as a snitch, so I wasn’t too worried about him. Robyn on the other hand, had already made it clear she was looking out for herself and Jayson. If she saw me as a threat, she’d ruin everything.

  It was business as usual at the bustling store. The hot summer sun baring through the front glass wall kept the air on high most of the day, and the air conditioning alone was enough to ensure the chime of the register. I was constantly running to the back for change when Robyn’s drawer ran low, and she’d had to cover the floor long enough for me to take a fifteen-minute break. Other than that, there could've been a wall between us. Not that we’d talked much before, but that was before she knew me. I was invisible then. She was blatantly ignoring me now.

  Mr. Smith had been in and out the door just as much as the customers. My neck hurt from looking up at that obnoxious chiming bell so much. If it rang one more time, I was going to climb up there and bash it to smithereens. Any other day, it would have blended in with the background noise of people chattering and kids whining, but today I was on alert. I kept waiting on Tyler to show. Every time the stupid bell sounded, I stopped and peered out the windows. I nearly had a panic attack over the sound of a leaf blower earlier.

  At quitting time, Robyn took off as soon as Mr. Smith said he’d lock up. I was in no hurry to meet up with her outside, so I stuck around and helped sort through the mess from the day’s crowd. No one put anything back where it went. It was like being in Josh’s room. There were candy bars on top of the shirt racks and toy cap guns all over the floor. As I stuck the last one on the toy shelf, the bell caught my attention.

  “I know I locked that door,” Mr. Smith huffed, juggling an armful of water bottles.

  I started around him. “I’ll go.”

  Surprisingly, he grabbed my shoulder and held me in place, shaking his head with a finger to his lips. Before either of us could move, we heard Robyn’s voice call out, “Justice.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Mr. Smith quickly took his hand off me and bent to collect the runaway bottles. Robyn rounded the corner, her eyes nearly as dark as her hair as they searched my face for answers.

  “Tyler’s waiting on you?” she said quizzically, her hand resting on the hip of her beige shorts.

  “Oh, right,” I said, feigning innocence and grabbing my bag from behind the counter.

  Mr. Smith’s lips pressed firmly together when I turned to tell him goodnight, but he didn’t see me. His tightly creased eyes stared daggers at Robyn. She shrugged as if it were no big deal I was hitching a ride with their group, but I knew better.

  The bikes lined the road in front of The General Store, with Tyler’s two-toned black Harley in the lead. Every passing eye found the bikes but quickly looked away. Any other time, I’d have done the same, but this time the snarling engines were waiting for me. I took the intimidating black helmet from Tyler’s hand and climbed on behind him. The last time I’d worn it was practically by force. I was insane for doing it voluntarily. Everyone on the street stared, and it suddenly dawned on me that someone could tell my parents. I turned my head away from the watchful eyes of the busy bodies in town and buried my face against Tyler’s leather riding jacket. His back stiffened infinitely against my face for a second and then relaxed into the bike as he pulled away from the curb. It took all the willpower I had not to turn and search for Liam. I could feel him behind us, and I had the overwhelming feeling he was watching me. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Robyn’s eyes were burning a hole in the back of my white tank top.

  “Where are we going?” I yelled, when Tyler passed by my neighborhood, but the roaring engine and wind drown me out. There was nothing I could do but hold on tight and pray the others followed.

  We drove the interstate for what felt like miles before finally taking a desolate exit toward a forest of trees and a painted-over water tower. Tyler’s speed picked up again once we cleared the gravel and hit the pavement of a narrow winding road, taking us further into the wood. Tyler pulled onto a long, tree and shrub-lined driveway. Honey-suckle vines grew in abundance, giving the sweetest smell to the air. A good distance from the road, the sun was setting in an array of pinks, giving a beautiful backdrop to a sizable log cabin. The cabin was weather worn, the wood not shining like the models that were for sale along the highway. There were no curtains in the large front windows, and the reflection from the glass was smudge free, something I’d grown to appreciate after working at the store. Tyler pulled his bike around to the back where the property leveled into a clear acre of green grass.

  “Where are we?” I said as soon as the engine quieted.

  Massive trees surrounded us. Tall oaks stretched toward the darkening sky, making the glow in the back window warm and inviting. I stepped off the bike onto the soggy ground.

  “It’s Tom’s place,” Tyler said, unexpectedly taking my elbow to keep me from slipping in the mud.

  “Mr. Smith lives here?” I asked confused. Taking so many lunch breaks, I figured he'd been running home to nap. “I thought he lived in a house in town, near the store.”

  Tyler’s eyes grew impatient as I guardedly surveyed the heavily wooded area. “He uses this place for extra storage.”

  “Are we picking stuff up?” I asked, not missing the fact that Tyler’s hand around my arm had grown a tad tighter. Apparently, questions were not welcome.

  Jayson was one of the last to head up the wooden steps that descended off the side of the house’s massive front porch. Robyn trailed closely behind, listening to our conversation.

  “He lets us use the place,” Robyn called back, clearly as annoyed at my inquisition as Tyler. “It’s cool,” she said adamantly. “Justice, just come inside.”

  Taking one last look at the glow of orange disappearing over the tree line, I shuffled up the creaky steps behind Tyler. I was the last one in the heavy, oak door. The living room was cheerful, with bursts of color on painted canvases along the wall behind the couch. The floors were a dark cherry wood and glistened in the setting sun. I could smell a hint of pine in the fresh air. Straight back from the living area sat a beautifully crafted wooden table and chairs. I’d been shopping with my mom enough to spot a knock-off,
and this one looked like the real thing. The cabin was like walking into a vacation rental. Everything looked new and fit so perfectly. It was as if the furniture had sprouted from the floors. The kitchen was sparse compared to the living room. There were no appliances on the shiny marble counters. Only a double refrigerator stood beside the door. From the back-door window, I could see swaying trees and the wooden railing of a deck.

  Unlike Robyn’s, there were pictures on the walls. Opposite the couch, a portrait sized frame held a photo of a younger Mr. Smith with an attractive blonde woman. The backdrop of a winding staircase painted behind them. The pictures helped ease my nerves enough to take another step into the boisterous room. Everyone sat in the large living room, Robyn and Jayson lost in conversation in the corner across from the couch. Robyn was perched on Jayson’s lap in a brown leather reclining chair. The only empty seat was next to Liam on the matching couch in front of them.

  “Let’s get this started,” Tyler said, raising his eyebrows at me as I hovered in the middle of the room. I was suddenly overcome with the same feeling I’d had in the cafeteria the first day of freshmen year.

  Tyler perched on the edge of a chair in front of the large picture window adjacent to the front door. Maneuvering between the couch and coffee table, I did my best not to brush against Liam and ended up bumping my knee before taking a seat. Tyler gave me a tight smile before commanding everyone’s attention. Robyn wasn’t living up to her name at the moment, acting more like a hawk. She watched my every move. I was careful to keep my distance from Liam, even though we were less than four inches apart. He was blatantly ignoring me anyway. If only it were that easy to ignore him. I started when Tyler began to move around the room as if leading a business meeting. He paced the floor in front of the coffee table as he spoke.

  “The run was a piece of cake,” Jayson said, answering whatever Tyler had asked. “Marco was more at ease this time, more himself. He wants me to stay on as the point of contact.” Jayson grinned, clearly pleased with this news.