find out soon enough, she figured.
A man was buying cigarettes. Perry waited behind him. She checked her phone, she shifted from foot to foot, she touched the packets of gum like they were jewels. She wanted the lady to see how nervous she was, wanted the lady to feel sorry for her. Didn’t want the other option: getting a lecture about keeping her legs closed. She was surprised to realize the dread in her belly was real: it swirled and stabbed, it had a mouth with teeth.
The old woman finished with the man, looked at Perry with her eyebrows arched. They were mostly drawn on, Perry could now see, in a navy blue pencil. Her lips just lines of orange. Perry felt for the woman, all those colors that didn’t go.
“You buying something?” the woman asked. “I can’t sell you no cigarettes unless you got an I.D.”
“No, ma’am,” Perry said, using her best I’m scared voice. “I’m not a smoker.”
“Not here to judge you,” the woman said.
“Thank you, ma’am. No, I’m, I need help with, pregnancy tests?”
The woman watched her, those two orange lines moving like the woman was working her answer around in her mouth first, making it smooth and clean, before spitting it at Perry.
“I’m not saying I am pregnant,” Perry said. “I just need to know.”
Finally the woman answered. “Well,” she said, “what do you need help with? Are you asking do we sell them?”
Perry hadn’t prepared for this. The woman’s eyes were pale blue, like they’d been put through the wash too many times. They glittered at Perry, watching her act like an idiot.
“I know you sell them,” Perry said. She hoped it hadn’t sounded too bitchy. Where in the hell was Baby Girl? “I’m just asking if you know which is the best one. And also what aisle?”
“Sweetheart,” the woman said, but it was clear she didn’t feel like Perry was no sweetheart. “I am seventy-two years old. When I was the age to have babies they didn’t have no tests. You just waited for the doctor to nod or shake his head. Aisle three. As to which is the best brand, your guess is as good as mine.”
“Well, thank you, I guess,” Perry said, and this time she hoped it did sound bitchy. Fucking Baby Girl. Now Perry wasn’t sure what to do. This woman had clearly dismissed her but her job was to distract the woman, not go off to aisle three and stare at the pregnancy tests. In fact, she hoped to never have to look at a pregnancy test, ever in her life.
“What else?” the woman asked. Perry looked at her nametag. Mabel .
“Well, Mabel ,” Perry said. “How about condoms? You got any advice on those?”
The woman laughed, so hard that Perry could see a gold crown at the back of her mouth.
“You got it backward, young lady. You should’ve asked about condoms a long time ago.”
That was it. Perry would rather be at school, would rather be licking the floor of her math class than standing here getting lip from this old lady while Baby Girl did God knows what.
Perry picked up a slim pack of gum and threw it at the woman. It thumped her on the chest and fell to the floor. The woman flinched, made a sharp oh sound. “I guess I’ll just buy this pack of gum and hope for the best, you old bitch.” It was exactly what Baby Girl would have done. She felt like laughing.
The woman was reaching for the phone. “Need a manager up here,” she said. “Repeat. Need a manager at the front cash register.”
That was the last thing Perry needed. She turned and ran out the door to the car. Baby Girl had parked in the closest spot to the front door she could get, but the doors were locked. Perry crouched on the passenger side, hidden from the entrance. Where the fuck are you??? she texted Baby Girl. Come outside I fucked up we have to GO!!
There was no answer. Perry stayed in her crouch. If she got up to run, it might be at the very moment the manager was coming out to find her. If she stayed put, there was a chance he’d just come out the
A man was buying cigarettes. Perry waited behind him. She checked her phone, she shifted from foot to foot, she touched the packets of gum like they were jewels. She wanted the lady to see how nervous she was, wanted the lady to feel sorry for her. Didn’t want the other option: getting a lecture about keeping her legs closed. She was surprised to realize the dread in her belly was real: it swirled and stabbed, it had a mouth with teeth.
The old woman finished with the man, looked at Perry with her eyebrows arched. They were mostly drawn on, Perry could now see, in a navy blue pencil. Her lips just lines of orange. Perry felt for the woman, all those colors that didn’t go.
“You buying something?” the woman asked. “I can’t sell you no cigarettes unless you got an I.D.”
“No, ma’am,” Perry said, using her best I’m scared voice. “I’m not a smoker.”
“Not here to judge you,” the woman said.
“Thank you, ma’am. No, I’m, I need help with, pregnancy tests?”
The woman watched her, those two orange lines moving like the woman was working her answer around in her mouth first, making it smooth and clean, before spitting it at Perry.
“I’m not saying I am pregnant,” Perry said. “I just need to know.”
Finally the woman answered. “Well,” she said, “what do you need help with? Are you asking do we sell them?”
Perry hadn’t prepared for this. The woman’s eyes were pale blue, like they’d been put through the wash too many times. They glittered at Perry, watching her act like an idiot.
“I know you sell them,” Perry said. She hoped it hadn’t sounded too bitchy. Where in the hell was Baby Girl? “I’m just asking if you know which is the best one. And also what aisle?”
“Sweetheart,” the woman said, but it was clear she didn’t feel like Perry was no sweetheart. “I am seventy-two years old. When I was the age to have babies they didn’t have no tests. You just waited for the doctor to nod or shake his head. Aisle three. As to which is the best brand, your guess is as good as mine.”
“Well, thank you, I guess,” Perry said, and this time she hoped it did sound bitchy. Fucking Baby Girl. Now Perry wasn’t sure what to do. This woman had clearly dismissed her but her job was to distract the woman, not go off to aisle three and stare at the pregnancy tests. In fact, she hoped to never have to look at a pregnancy test, ever in her life.
“What else?” the woman asked. Perry looked at her nametag. Mabel .
“Well, Mabel ,” Perry said. “How about condoms? You got any advice on those?”
The woman laughed, so hard that Perry could see a gold crown at the back of her mouth.
“You got it backward, young lady. You should’ve asked about condoms a long time ago.”
That was it. Perry would rather be at school, would rather be licking the floor of her math class than standing here getting lip from this old lady while Baby Girl did God knows what.
Perry picked up a slim pack of gum and threw it at the woman. It thumped her on the chest and fell to the floor. The woman flinched, made a sharp oh sound. “I guess I’ll just buy this pack of gum and hope for the best, you old bitch.” It was exactly what Baby Girl would have done. She felt like laughing.
The woman was reaching for the phone. “Need a manager up here,” she said. “Repeat. Need a manager at the front cash register.”
That was the last thing Perry needed. She turned and ran out the door to the car. Baby Girl had parked in the closest spot to the front door she could get, but the doors were locked. Perry crouched on the passenger side, hidden from the entrance. Where the fuck are you??? she texted Baby Girl. Come outside I fucked up we have to GO!!
There was no answer. Perry stayed in her crouch. If she got up to run, it might be at the very moment the manager was coming out to find her. If she stayed put, there was a chance he’d just come out the
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