I'll Stop the World (5)

As it turned out, lots of people.

Rose tapped the coffee can against the side of her leg, listening to its meager contents jangle against its tin sides. They’d been stationed in front of the Food Mart ever since school got out and had barely collected anything, despite the bustling Friday foot traffic.

She arched up onto her tiptoes, shading her eyes as she scanned the parking lot for the hundredth time.

“I don’t think she’s coming,” Noah said from the lawn chair beside her, fanning himself with one of the dozens of flyers they’d had printed. His skin glistened like burnished copper in the unseasonable heat. Technically, summer had ended the week before, but it would seem that no one had remembered to tell the weather.

“She said she’d be here.”

“If she was going to be here, she’d be here.”

Rose bit the inside of her cheek, torn between loyalty to her sister and the truth in Noah’s words. But before she could admit defeat, she brightened, recognizing a figure in the distance.

“Ha!” she exclaimed, pointing. “Told you.”

“Hate to break it to you, but that’s not Lisa.”

“Shut up,” she said, waving at Shawn as he made his way toward them through the parking lot.

“Well, if it isn’t the finest citizen in Buford County,” Noah said loudly. He took off his glasses, which had fogged up with sweat, and used his shirt to clean the lenses as Shawn jogged the last few steps to reach them. “Thanks for gracing us with your presence, your highness.”

Shawn swept his arms to the side and bowed theatrically. “At your service,” he said, flashing them one of his perfect, dazzling smiles. Just that afternoon, he’d been announced as the winner of the Buford County Citizenship Award, not that it was a surprise to anyone who knew him.

“Did you tell your dad yet? What did he say?” Rose asked.

Shawn shook his head. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, ignoring her question. “How’s it going so far?”

“Great. We’ve earned a whole fifteen bucks, plus these Cokes,” Noah said, holding up what was left of the six-pack the Food Mart manager, Mr. Rushkin, had given them when they arrived. “I guess he’s a big fan of Diane’s,” he said, referring to Rose’s stepmother. When Mr. Rushkin had spotted the VOTE FOR DIANE pin on Noah’s backpack, he’d practically forced the sodas into their hands.

Shawn grinned at Rose. “Hey, look at that, Rosie, you’re famous!”

Rose and Noah exchanged glances, sharing a small laugh. “Actually,” Noah said, “he thought I was Diane’s kid.”

Shawn wrinkled his nose. “But all Diane’s kids are girls.”

Noah shrugged, tossing Rose a knowing look. “I think we’re all interchangeable to some people,” he said, gesturing to his deep-brown skin.

“Oh.” Shawn’s smile flickered for a second before settling back in place. “Well, hey, a vote’s a vote, right? Plus, free drinks!” He pulled one of the remaining Coke cans from its plastic ring and cracked it open, taking a long swig.

Noah looked at Rose with raised eyebrows. Yikes, he mouthed, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

She stifled a giggle. Free drinks! she mouthed back, and he grinned.

Shawn lowered the can, turning to Noah. “Where’s Steph?”

Reality came crashing back over Rose at the mention of Noah’s new girlfriend, washing away the warmth that had been rising in her cheeks. Suddenly, she became very interested in her nail beds.

“She had to work. Where’s Lisa?”

Shawn finished his Coke in a second long gulp, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “At Charlene’s,” he said, his eyes surveying the parking lot. “Bonfire prep, you know.”

Rose’s shoulders fell at the nonchalant way he said it. As if this had always been the plan. As if Lisa hadn’t told her earlier that same day that she would be there, to make up for missing the last two fundraisers.

Shawn was still talking. “She said she was sorry she couldn’t—hold on a sec,” he said, swiping the coffee can from her hand.

Shawn approached a woman with a baby on her hip who was struggling to push a cartful of grocery bags out of the store. Rose couldn’t hear what he said to her, but a few seconds later, Shawn was steering the cart and the woman was trailing behind him, finger-combing her hair and attempting to surreptitiously straighten her blouse without dropping the baby.

“It’s like he has some sort of superpower,” Noah marveled as they watched the woman dig through her purse while Shawn loaded groceries into her car. He glanced at Rose, then tilted his head. “What’s with your face?”

Rose gave him a pointed look, and Noah sighed. “Rosie, I’m sure Lisa didn’t mean it personally. She probably just thought Charlene needed her help more than we did.”

“But this was important.”

“Maybe she thought that was important, too,” he said, unfolding himself from the chair. He gave her a small smile, patting her on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here, okay? It means a lot.”

Rose’s heart gave a happy flutter, then promptly dropped into her stomach. They were only doing this because his grandmother had lost everything, yet here Rose was, practically giddy at his touch.