That Was Then
Late Winter
Early Spring
- 1 - Lilac
- 2 - Departure
- 3 - Escape
- 4 - Consequences
- 5 - Girl Power
- 6 - Pivot Points
- 7 - Sewing Bees
- 8 - If At First ...
- 9 - Moving On
Late Spring
- 10 - Green Ham
- 11 - Shopping
- 12 - Arguements!
- 13 - More Shopping
- 14 - Routines
- 15 - Yet More Shopping
- 16 - Too Close For Comfort
- 17 - Blood Trail
- 18 - First-Aid
- 19 - Semblance Of Normality
Summer
15 - Yet More Shopping
"I'm coming with you", stated Sophia-Grace.
"No, you're not!"
"Yes, I am! I need things that you can't get."
"Just tell me, I'll get them."
"Regular tampons, medium flow panty liners with wings and a 34B sports bra."
Deano opened his mouth, then shut it. "Tell me what they look like."
Early on, they had agreed that one of them would always be near the bus, in case Lottie or Ona woke up. Now they both needed to go 'shopping' and the argument had started.
"I'm coming!"
"No! You're! Not!"
"Tell me how to disable the alarm and you stay then!"
Deano did his fish-out-of-water impression again.
"Go on, how hard can it be, if you can do it!"
"If it's not a Secu-U-Store I leave."
Deano tipped his head upwards, rolling his eyes backwards, as if reading from some internal script, "You open the cover. If it's a mark 1 or a 2b, you cut the red wire; if it's a 2 or a 3, you cut the yellow wire, then the red wire; if it's a 4 or a 5a, you cut the yellow with white stripes wire, enter 2486 on the key-pad, then cut the red wire; if it's a 5b or 5c you cut the yellow with white stripes wire, then the red wire, then enter 8624 on the keypad."
He looked at EssGee. "If it's a mark 7 you run, as the silent alarm has already sounded."
"So how do you know what mark it is?"
"I just know by looking at them!"
"Tell me!"
"I'd have to draw pictures", he sighed.
Sophia-Grace did the fish-out-of-water imitation.
"What about the mark 6?"
"I don't know about them, I'd leave."
"Why not?"
"Larry didn't teach me about those."
"Why don't you ask him?"
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"I suppose I could get arrested again and hope to get sent to the same jail, if you really want to know."
Sophia-Grace did the fish-out-of-water imitation again.
They walked along the highway back into town, Deano kicking at stones.
"So how do you know about the mark 7?"
"How do you think I met Light Fingered Larry?"
"What colour?"
"White with a pale red check."
She took Deano's hand in her own and they walked, hand-in-hand, towards the store, Sophia-Grace smiling to herself.
Deano disabled the alarm, forced the side door and they entered the store.
14 - Routines