Free Time's Daughter by Anya Breton Page B

While the cameras had been unable to detect my
power anomaly, Alex had. He now knew I was different. He’d said
others would want to know what I was and how I’d gotten my
power.
    But what others were there? Were they like me? Was
Alex part of the bad thing that was going to happen in Junction
Hill? The thing I was supposed to stop?
    If so, what hope did I have of stopping him when he
was able to ignore the only power I had?
    None, that’s what.

 
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    “ Do you have this
in medium?”
    I held out my hand for the t-shirt junior Jenna
Brand waved at me. “Let me check.”
    Burning Idea was busy enough that Felix and Trey
were forced to work. I gestured to them that I was going to the
back.
    I had no idea why the store was so busy.
    Two girls chatting while looking at make-up near the
employees-only door soon gave me the explanation. There’d been a
parade downtown. Everyone had hit the stores afterward.
    I grabbed three sets of medium t-shirts that matched
Jenna’s then returned to the front. Pleased with the garment, she
folded it over her arm and then moved into the quickly lengthening
line. I stayed and put the extra mediums I’d brought out away in
their spots near the window.
    “ Hi, Aeon!” Jenny said boisterously
as soon as she stepped through the store’s glass entrance. She
bounced beside me with Jen and Melissa in tow. “I love this store.
I always forget it’s here.” She shook a hoodie at me. “Look, Gir
from Invader Zim . He makes me laugh.”
    Jen attempted an impersonation of the cartoon
character, “I love this show.”
    The others giggled. I forced a smile.
    Melissa leaned in. “When do you finish?”
    “ Five—” Felix’s frantic wave
diverted my attention.
    “ Can you stay late, Aeon?” he called
out.
    I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Scratch that.”
    Melissa shook her head in mock dismay.
“Workaholic.”
    “ As if.” I laughed. “Have fun guys.
Shop some for me.”
    “ Call me if you get done early,”
Melissa said. “We’re going to Bogies.”
    “ All right,” I fibbed. Even if I
finished at five I couldn’t afford miniature golf.
    My friends got in the ever-increasing line. I
decided to shove Trey off his register so that we could efficiently
get the customers rung through. He muttered something
unintelligible as he shuffled off toward the back room. Within five
minutes the crowd was down to a manageable size.
    Felix joined his brother for lunch shortly after. I
dutifully called my mom and warned her I’d be late. For the rest of
the afternoon I did my best to answer customer questions while
manning the register too. The work kept me occupied and made the
day go by quickly. Before I knew it the sun had set and my stomach
was growling voraciously.
    I wanted to go home but Felix had never returned
from lunch. How late did he expect me to stay? An
eleven-hour shift was technically illegal for someone my age. At
least I thought it was.
    My hunger made me sluggish. By eight thirty I was
energized with anger. Felix was abusing my good nature and need for
money. I had homework to do. He shouldn’t have left me alone with
his store when I was supposed to leave hours earlier.
    The pair of reprobate brothers walked through the
front door at five minutes before closing time. Their bloodshot
eyes implied they’d been up to no good. Felix came around the
counter and slumped against it.
    “ Thanks for helping out, doll,” he
crooned and shoved something in my hand.
    I glanced down to find I was holding a wad of
twenties. “Felix—”
    He held up a finger to his lips while nodding his
head toward Guy the camera guy. Then he turned, put his key in the
register and opened the drawer so he could close it out. The money
in my hand hadn’t come from Burning Idea’s daily profits.
    I was too angry with him for making me work alone
when I wasn’t scheduled that I didn’t try to give the money back.
Instead I shoved it in my pocket for later.
    “ I gotta get