The electronic chime above the door went off as it did every time there were customers. Megan walked in with Carrie trailing slightly behind her. She felt an odd compulsion to lead her sister by the hand, but was wise to refrain from doing so lest she be accused of going on a so-called power trip. There was nearly a full house that day: Josh and Vern were discussing something in the back, Natalie and Simone were on registers, Marci manned (or in this case, womanned) the photo counter and Raul stood faithfully behind the prescription desk. To complement the abundance of workers, there were an abundance of customers. It seemed that Bledsoe’s daily sales had finally opened the floodgates.
Josh concluded his conversation with Vern and came over to greet them.
“’morning, Meg. I see you brought someone.”
“My sister, Carrie,” Megan presented.
“Hey,” said Carrie.
“I was thinking about maybe asking Vern if she can do some work here, but I don’t want to piss him off. So could you….”
“You can ask him yourself. The Drug King across town is closed for renovations and we’re doing great. He’s in a surprisingly good move.”
Josh began to introduce Carrie around while Megan made her inquiry. Indeed, Vern had nary a threat to shout nor a profanity to utter. Meg was in awe.
“Can she work a register?” Vern asked of Carrie.
“She can learn,” Megan replied. “And she can learn fast, too.”
“Good. I hope she likes minimum wage.”
Within a half hour, Carrie was on her own register. Though nervous at first, she seemed to have gotten the hang of it and was slowly becoming at ease. Megan was proud of her. She was also amazed at the amount of business they were doing. For the first time ever in her tenure there, they had four registers open at once and there were lines at each one.
“Let me know if you need a break,” Josh said to Carrie.
“Thanks,” she answered, ringing up a few items. “But I’m doing fine.”
“I have to hand it to you,” he said in an aside to Megan. “Bringing your sister in today was a stroke of genius.”
“She’s sick of being cooped up at home and fighting with my brother and my mom, so of course she’s gonna do everything she can to avoid going back,” Megan told him. “Besides, Carrie gets very enthusiastic about things…for about two seconds. Then she gets bored and moves on.”
“I detect tension.”
“Tension?” she mocked. “What tension?”
“You should take it easy on her,” Natalie advised.
Raul came sauntering over, his queue at the prescription window temporarily void.
“I don’t believe this!” he jovially exclaimed. “For the first time EVER, I might actually make it through the day without Vern yelling at me. And it’s all because of those dumb pendejos at Drug King. I gotta love them, man.”
“Excuse me,” said an elderly customer. “I came to get my prescription filled and noticed that there was nobody back there. Would somebody…”
He was in a full sprint to the back of the store before she finished her sentence. So far, it seemed as if Raul’s dream would actually come true.
Business tailed off slightly as it grew closer to the lunch hour and Carrie began to tire.
“How do you do this all day?” she complained. “It’s like customers nonstop…then nothing.”
“You get used to it,” Megan told her. “Look, I’ll be done soon. Why don’t you wait for me outside and we’ll go to lunch?”

Carrie nodded and disappeared out the door while Megan tended to her customers. She returned a few moments later with a look of urgency about her face. At first, Megan thought she might be in need of a diaper change, but the truth turned out to be far less simple.
“What is it?” Megan asked.
“I saw one of those Vasco girls standing around outside,” Carrie explained. “She said she wanted to talk to you.”
Megan bit her lip. What the hell could this be about? Revenge was an obvious answer, but she felt she had taught Deanna a pretty good lesson the last time. Then again, it might not have even been Deanna. It might have been Lena or one of the other sisters. Megan was weary, but curious as well.
“She said it was important,” Carrie added. “Those girls creep me out.”
“Yeah,” Megan answered. “Me too.”
A.)“Tell her I’ll be right out,” she said to Carrie. She wasn’t looking forward to another confrontation, but her curiosity got the better of her. Besides, not even Deanna was crazy enough to try anything right outside the store.
B.)“You stay away from her,” Megan cautioned. She wanted nothing to do with Deanna and her sisters. Ever. And she didn’t want Carrie getting involved either.
C.)As Megan pondered, a wicked smile crept across her face. “You tell that bitch,” she instructed Carrie. “That I’ll be out when I’m good and ready.”