Free Collide by Shelly Crane Page A

am. Why fight what you can’t change?”
    “I guess so...” I said as we pulled into the half empty parking lot.
    It had taken longer than I thought because I had driven so slow, lost in thought and conversation with Merrick. I wondered if Merrick had already seen all this, our conversation and everything in his glimpse of the future.
     
    We got out and I pulled on Danny’s thin blue corduroy jacket that was left in the back seat last night. It shouldn’t be cold in June.
    The sleeve got caught outside in as I tried to force my arm through, quite comically and unsuccessfully. Merrick grabbed my arm to help me and reached in the sleeve, grabbing my fingers instead and readjusting to grab the fabric out gently.
    I watched his face as he did this with great interest. When our hands touched he looked up into my eyes, then jolted his gaze away. The look. He refused to meet my gaze again as we started towards the doors but instead he briefed me on the rules we discussed earlier.
    “Remember, no thinking of Danny or the warehouse. No thinking about anything you wouldn’t want one of them to see. Let’s get in and out as quickly as possible.”
    “Okay. Understood.”
    I flashed my card and the door attendant flashed a smile. We snagged a squeaky shopping cart and he pushed as I grabbed. Then I pushed while he grabbed. I thought we were getting too much but, when you started to add how much three people eat in a month, I guess it did add up pretty quick.
    How the rabbit would hold all this was beyond me. Beyond. Then I remembered a pretty important question still left unanswered.
    “Uh, Merrick. How are we going to pay for all this? I’m sorry but I definitely don’t have the cash.”
    “I’ve got it under control. Now, uh, you want to go and get some... personal items. For yourself. I’ll keep going and meet you in the toilet paper aisle in fifteen minutes, ok?” he said looking a little uncomfortable.
    “Oh, I’ve only dreamed of a guy saying that to me...”
    He looked at me puzzled, going over in his head, no doubt, what he could’ve said to have prompted my dreaming. I pursed my lips to keep from laughing.
    “It’s a joke, Merrick. A joke.”
    “Oh. Sorry.”
    “No, I’m sorry. It apparently wasn’t that funny,” I said as I chuckled and walked over to the ‘personal items’ section.
    After grabbing a few things I made my way over to the clothes section of the warehouse for a five pack of underwear and then two pairs of jeans and two tank tops. I mean, if he’s paying.
    I grabbed a pack of socks as well, and a new under wire bra. A girl couldn’t live on one bra alone. I was set, Where was Merrick... Oh yeah, toilet paper. I chuckled to myself as I made my way down the aisles.
    I heard my name being called behind me and swung around thinking I somehow missed the toilet paper aisle, but no. It was Racine, Matt’s flamboyant gorgeous older sister. Oh no. What in the world was she doing there? I’d have to keep away from the toilet paper aisle.
    I ran to her as I usually did or she’d think something was up. Crap. I wondered if Merrick saw this too in his future glimpse. Racine and I had been friends since grade school. Surely this would be ok, we didn’t have to worry about her.
    “Racine! Hey! What in the world are you doing way out here?”
    “I’d ask you the same thing. And Lord, what are you wearing?” She gave me a cursory glance and then covered her heart with her hand like she was in pain as she went on. “Honey, did you hear about Matt? They found his truck at Orland Park. Burned. He crashed into something but escaped somehow. Haven’t seen a trace of him. Mom and dad are out looking with a search party. I’m just here stocking up on supplies for our trip to Georgia. The news said those things, the Keepers or Seepers, or whatever, were crawling closer to town and we should evacuate and run like heck if we see one. I heard on the radio that Georgia and New Mexico are safe, they