Part 15 (2/2)

He finally turned his head.

He felt a jolt in his chest, like his heart had popped like popcorn. Turned inside out.

A purple car was parked across the street from the van. Parked upside down. Like a Mardi Gras turtle on its back.

Zavion shuddered.

What had he come back to?

He bit down hard on his top and bottom back teeth. Clenched his jaw.

He had a job to do.

He let go of the blanket and climbed into the front seat. He opened the door and got out of the van.

- He put his face down low and raised his shoulder so that his nose was just tucked under his t-s.h.i.+rt.

At least the sun was out. Zavion gazed around him. Gray as far as his eyes could see. The world was gray. A strange combination, a dismal gray under the bright yellow sun.

Could he really do this? Now that he was here, he wasnt so sure. He looked down the block. HELP ME was painted on the side of one of the houses. Zavion remembered the man and woman on the roof of the house on his block. With the sign. HELP US.

HELP US.

HELP ME.

What had he been thinking coming back here? Could he really do this? Find the store and pay it back?

He took a deep breath, hitched his backpack up on his shoulder, and squeezed the marble in his pocket. He tried not to choke as the thick air went down his throat.

chapter 30.

HENRY.

”h.e.l.lo?” called Jake.

”Coming!” yelled someone from the back room at the Salvation Army.

Henry inhaled the cold air. It was different from the air outside, easier to take into his lungs.

A woman appeared, carrying a cake. ”h.e.l.lo,” she said. ”Sorry. I was in the kitchen, just finis.h.i.+ng up this new idea I had. This.” She held up the cake. ”It might taste awful. It might taste just horrible. But I need someone to try it. Want to try it?”

”You make it sound so appealing how can we resist?” said Jake.

The woman closed her eyes and put her hand on her forehead. ”I did it again,” she said.

”Did what?” asked Henry.

”Dragged out the toilet paper-”

”Huh?” The woman was funny. Henry liked her. He liked the magnet man he had met too. He inhaled again and got a whiff of-cinnamon?

”Stuck my foot in it,” she said. ”Or shoved my foot in my mouth. Either way. A foot issue. The usual.” She grinned. ”Im Cora. How can I help you?”

”Im Jake, and this is my friend, Henry. Is this five sixty-four Camp Street?”

”Indeed it is,” said Cora.

”Then we have a delivery from Vermont.”

”Vermont! You all are wonderful. This is the second delivery weve had from your lovely state this week.”

Henrys ears perked up. Maybe the marble was here. Wouldnt that be lucky? Wouldnt that make him believe in its luck again? Maybe?

”Should I start bringing in the bags?” said Jake.

”Oh, yes,” said Cora. ”Thank you. I can help-”

Henry wanted to know where the bags were from the first delivery. ”Do you need help unpacking the new stuff in here?” he asked, trying to sound like he didnt care.

”I could use your help outside,” said Jake.

”The smell-” said Henry quickly.

”Its overwhelming,” agreed Cora. ”The whole city stuck its foot in it, didnt it?”

Jeezum Crow! This woman was so cool!

”It smells like cinnamon in here,” he said.

Cora beamed. ”You can tell? Its in the cake! Oh, Im so glad you can tell! Thats a good sign, right? Maybe the cake tastes good? I know! How about we try a little of it after we work?”

Henry nodded.

”I have a job for you right in here,” she said. ”I wont ever turn down help. That would be foolish, wouldnt it? I try not to do foolish things if I can help it. Except for the toilet paper thing.” She laughed as she walked toward the door. ”Some of the bags are there, behind the counter,” said Cora pointing. ”And some are on the floor in front of those shelves. Can you take out the clothes and organize them by size?”

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