15. Seven
FIFTEEN
SEVEN
“You have a visitor,” Georgie says to me when I return with the costumes she wanted. She takes the costumes off of me and lays them out to assess them. They all need mending, and she’s been teaching me how to do the simple sewing so she can focus on making the new costumes.
“Nope,” Georgie says. “Just someone coming to say hello.”
I don’t know who besides Havoc or Vortex would come to say hi to me — and Havoc has been busy avoiding me. I haven’t even seen him around the casino, either, which means that Caleb has to be helping him do work outside to keep him away from me.
It hurts.
Vortex had told me that Havoc needs time, but I keep wondering how much time he’s going to need… or if he’s going to come back at all.
I swallow down my hurt, trying to focus on who could possibly be coming to see me .
I don’t have to wonder long because I see Lori sitting on the small couch by the door. She smiles and waves enthusiastically. “Hi, Seven!”
My smile freezes, and I realize I have no idea how to approach this, approach her . I’m not used to being blindsided, and this is the epitome of that. I look imploringly at Georgie, wanting her to tell me that it’s not time for my break yet, but I know better.
“Go on,” she says. “I can handle things today. All that needs doing for tonight is a bit of washing and mending.”
I nod, but it’s even worse knowing that I could have a full hour and a half of talking to Lori before Vortex arrives to pick me up for lunch. How am I supposed to keep her entertained for that long?
“How did you even get back here?” I ask, feeling dumb.
“Well, it was a half-day at school—or maybe more like a two-hour day at school, and Mom was too busy to pick me up so Dad had to do it, and we were chatting and chatting and he accidentally drove me to the casino instead of home.” Lori giggles.
“And I said it was okay and I’d hang out here while he worked, and he mentioned you were here so I came!
I have a visitor pass and everything.” She holds up her visitor badge proudly.
“Linda said it’s okay if I hang out here. ”
Georgie scoffs. “Oh, you don’t need to do that. There’s nothing pressing, so Seven can take off early and you two can have some fun. Not gambling though. You are definitely not old enough for that, young lady.”
Lori rolls her eyes. “Yes, yes, I know.” She looks back at me. “Want to go window shopping, then? I bet there’s a lot of really kitschy decorations at the gift shop.”
I’ve only been in the gift shop a few times — and the first time had been a blur because I’d only been focused on escaping the casino. I’d met Havoc that night, and my throat tightens at the thought of him being upset with me.
It doesn’t feel fair .
“Sure,” I say.
“Sweet!” Lori hops off the couch, and my gaze is drawn to the shirt she’s wearing. It has the logo for Martial Law on it, along with its tagline: Justice is served with a punch .
I want to get clothes like that, clothes that have personality. It’s cheesy, though, and I’m probably too old for anime t-shirts. It seems like something she would say is too childish… or maybe it’s something she’d have wanted me to wear for that very reason.
My stomach churns.
I force a smile anyway — I feel like I’m doing that so much lately — and lead her through the backstage areas to get to the front area of the casino. It’s slow for how early in the day it is, and there are no crowds to push through and risk her getting lost in.
I realize I’m responsible for her, for keeping her safe, and my heart thuds harder in my chest.
“Did you read that fic I sent you?” Lori asks. “Where Mitsuki and Natsumi have to solve the murder of the frog?” She laughs. “I keep giggling when I think about it. A froggy autopsy! Frogtopsy!”
“Not yet,” I admit. I’ve been too busy bouncing between the game she’d shown me and the blackjack games I’d discovered to read. “I’ll read it tonight and tell you what I think of the… frogtopsy.”
Lori nods, and I startle when she takes my hand to pull me along the casino floor. “Okay! And let me know if you find any good ones, too.”
I’m not sure what to make of the feeling of her hand in mine, but I let her drag me behind her.
Maybe she’s the one babysitting me instead of the other way around.
“Yeah. But I’m sure I won’t find anything that interesting,” I say, trying for cheer in my voice. It sounds hollow, though. Besides, the fan stories I’ve been more interested in have been too adult for anything I’d share with her.
Lori stops at the gift shop and lets go of my hand, making a beeline for the t-shirts. “Oh, look! A snow design, even though when’s the last time it ever snowed in Calamity? Never , that’s when.”
It snows in New Bristol, but I’d rarely seen it in person. “Have you ever been anywhere it does snow?” I ask cautiously, finally taking a deep breath as she gives me enough space to breathe again.
“Yeah, last year we went skiing in New Mexico,” Lori says.
“And the year before that, we rented a cabin in the Alps and it was white all around.” She stops touching the shirt and wrinkles her nose.
“I kind of hate skiing, but it’s like, the one thing Mom and Dad both love.
They didn’t even fight at all during those trips, they just gushed about the slopes and the quality of the snow and blah blah blah. ”
I frown at her. I want to ask her if they fight often, but it feels too personal, too invasive — and I don’t know what I’d say if she said they do. Plus, I don’t want to invite her to ask questions about me, too. Instead, I tell her, “I can get you one of the shirts if you want.”
Lori laughs. “I just said it never snows here!” But she takes one of the shirts off the hook—and grabs a second, larger one too. “Here, you should get one too. We can match!”
I have enough touristy shirts to last a lifetime, but I don’t want to disappoint her by saying no. What if she gets upset? “Okay. The snow globes are kind of pretty, too?” I ask more than say.
Lori nods. “Yeah! I’ll give it to Dad.” She gives me a strange grin. “He’s going to hate it, but since I gave it to him, he’ll pretend to love it. Just watch. I bet he’ll say, ‘Oh, Lor-Bear, thank you so much. I’ll treasure it forever. It’ll go on my work desk.’ Or something like that.”
I have a feeling that anything I’d give Caleb or Vortex or Havoc would go over the same way. They’d pretend to like it, even if they hated it, and that makes me frown. I should still try to find something, especially with Vortex’s birthday being soon.
I can’t remember when that is. I’ll have to ask Caleb.
“That’s nice of him. He’s… nice,” I say even though I have my doubts about Trent.
Lori’s smile turns strained. “I guess. He’s really trying right now, because he knows if he messes up, Mom will keep him away from me.
” She stops by the snow globes and shakes one.
“Sometimes it’s embarrassing how involved he wants to be in my life.
Like, give it a rest, Dad, let me hang out with my friends in peace. ”
It all sounds trivial to me, and I have to bite my tongue not to say so.
“Yeah, that sounds like it sucks,” I tell her dutifully, swallowing back my envy. Her problems are so small .
“Yeah. Especially when we’re all in the same room, and Mom and Dad are doing their silent not-fighting thing,” Lori goes on.
“Like I won’t notice that they secretly hate each other because they aren’t saying anything.
It’s kind of obvious when they ask me to pass the salt but one of them is closer!
Like even handing over the salt shaker is too nice. ”
I watch her, not quite able to believe how upset she is over them not talking. Who cares if they hate each other, or that they don’t want to pass each other salt? At least they’re not?—
I shut the door firmly on that thought.
“That…” I have no idea what to say that isn’t petty and mean. “I’m sorry,” I settle on after a moment. That’s what I should say, right?
“I mean, at least they aren’t hitting each other!” Lori says, louder. “That’s what Riley’s parents are doing. I mean, I haven’t seen it, but Riley always wants to hang out at my place instead of hers.”
I don’t blame her friend. Lori’s problems are tiny compared to Riley’s.
She picks up the snow globe. “Okay, one kitschy present for dad, and a t-shirt for each of us.”
Lori takes all of our things to the checkout counter and gives me an expectant look.
I pull my wallet out of my pocket and pull out my bank card.
I get a small thrill from being able to pay for the items with my own money, the same kind of thrill I get from gambling.
Maybe I should start buying things for the guys.
They’d be upset about the apps, but they can’t be mad if I’m buying things for them, right?
“Here you go,” I say, handing one shirt and snow globe back to her. I keep my own.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I step to the side so I can pull it out.
Where are you?
It’s Vortex, but it’s only 1 p.m., so I don’t know why he’s texting me yet.
In the gift shop with Lori.
Three dots instantly appear on the screen as he types back.
Okay. Don’t go too far.
The reminder that I’m not safe even down here is like a splash of cold water. I tuck my phone away, and my smile is forced once more as I look back at Lori.
“Do you want to go upstairs?” I wince. “Never mind. You probably didn’t take your allergy meds. We can get lunch or something, but…” I trail off, not sure I want to take Lori to one of the restaurants where someone can approach us.
“Yeah! I love the Mexican restaurant! Their tacos are so good.” Lori takes the shirts and snow globe but declines the plastic bag. “I’ll text Dad where we are. He and Uncle Caleb can meet us there.”