The boxes were stacked pretty high. This apartment had two bedrooms, with the shared laundry down the hall. Dad had written me a note on the side of one of the boxes.
Hey, unpack these kitchen boxes and put the stuff away.
I had my marching orders and a five dollar bill. Chances were it was for my meals for the day. I wasn’t looking forward to the stifling heat of the apartment, so I stuffed the money into one pocket and my new key into the other. After sliding on my Converse look-alikes, I was out the door.
We didn’t have a working elevator, which made moving in a giant pain in the ass. I noticed a service elevator, but it needed a key. I trotted down the stairs and out the fire door. The morning air was cool enough to inspire a deep breath. I had a feeling I’d miss the smell of fresh cut grass here. I eyed the bar across the street like it was a villain in a movie. It was closed, but Tapps being so close to our place was a possible problem. Dad being on the wagon was probably temporary, I realized this, but Tapps was going to pull at him when times got rough. I looked up and down the street. The traffic was steady but not crazy. The whole neighborhood seemed to be sleepy this early. I rubbed my elbow while trying to decide where to go first. I figured I’d walk a few blocks and then keep making lefts so I’d wind up back where I started.
I felt eyes on me on my second left. Even the buildings seemed less inviting. Most had the doors barred off and closed. It wasn’t even a weekend, so I wasn’t sure how they stayed in business.
Eventually, I came across a building that was open. The library. I stepped into the foyer just as Pixie Rae was coming out, her arms full of two thick books and a boxed cat puzzle.
“Hey, Gaze!” She loped toward me, her chestnut hair peeking out of her rainbow headband.
I tipped my chin toward her, not wanting to seem overly excited. The walk to the library had gotten my guard up.
As I feared, Pixie was taller than me. In my last classroom, I was second to smallest. My dad said I might shoot up someday, but it certainly wasn’t today.
“You got summer reading?” That made me nervous. I didn’t want to find out that the new school was stupid rigorous about homework. I hated to do any of it, except for math. That was my favorite, besides PE, of course.
“I mean, I’m reading in the summer. But it’s just because I like to. You’re not missing any assignment or anything.” She tried to flip her hair from her shoulder, but it stubbornly fell back to where it was. “You getting a library card?”
I shook my head. “Nah. I don’t even know how this place works. We never lived close to one before. I’ve got money for food, so I was looking for some.”
“You like bagels? We’ve got a good shop for that.” She stepped toward me. “I’ve got to drop this stuff off at home, but I can show you where it is on the way.”
“I like bagels.” I offered to hold the books for her, and she shuffled her arms and gave me one.
I peeked over her shoulder, but all I could see of the library was a tall desk and a metal detector. Pixie Rae seemed so worldly to me.
“Happy birthday again, by the way.” We went down the steps together.
“Same to you.”
I went to go back the way I had come.
Pixie stopped and made a tsking noise. “We don’t go that way without adults.”
“Is that because it seems so creepy?” I turned on my heel and followed behind her.
“For sure. From the library on home this way is good. It’s where the better stuff is anyway. Like the bagel store and the magazine store. They have comics, if you like that.”
She’d guessed right. I was a huge Marvel comic fan. The pictures combined with the text made them way easier for me to follow.
“That store opens later in the day.” She motioned with a tilt of her head toward the brightly colored glass that held the comic store, Inkies.
We smelled the bagel store before we got there, and I was pretty sure that I could find it with my eyes closed. When we got to the thick glass door