Hostage Read Free Page A

There was only, like, two minutes to go before opening time, but do you think she would open the door and let us in?
    Uh uh, no way.
    The window was full of tinsel and pretend-wrapped presents and those ball things that you hang on Christmas trees. Without Mum around, Christmas was just making me edgy. Usually I didn’t miss her too much, but even she made a fuss about Christmas and presents—not like her sister who was just interested in telling people off and using their makeup.
    Helene walked past the door a couple of times but she was just pulling our chain. There was no way she was gonna open that door before time. Finally she came to the door with her bunch of keys, unlocked three padlocks, then pulled up the grille to let us in.
    The Asian lady went off to the left and entered the clinic. Short-legged man went straight up to the men’s products section. I was holding onto Bamps’s script and marching straight to the counter up the back of the shop when Helene popped from out of nowhere to serve me. I could see Ed the pharmacist behind the glass up the top and he gave me a little wave. I waved back and scooted off to the left, pretending I was looking for a Christmas present.
    A beep at the door announced that someone had entered the shop. The gutter-kicker was next in line at the counter, but some woman with bright pink hair pushed in front of him to get served first. She had a sore throat. Yes, and a cough. Then she gave us a demonstration by coughing all over the counter.
    Cover your mouth, I wanted to say, but I didn’t want to sound like Laney.
    Finally, Helene found something to help the woman. I kept waiting for Ed to come and help out with serving but he seemed busy. It was too early for Uli and Suzanne must have slept in or maybe she was on holidays already. Then the young guy slapped down a script onto the counter.
    Ms Helene/Barbara picked up the paper and sniffed, then put it down primly on the counter, like she was working in a posh department store instead of Loserville Chemist.
    ‘I’m sorry, we are unable to fill this script,’ she said. Her lips were all plumped up with the latest lip gloss promo but they didn’t fit with the rest of her face. In fact, I was surprised she was able to talk with them all puffed up like that.
    ‘What?’ The guy mumbled like he didn’t want to be there.
    Helene spoke slowly, like he was missing a brain or something. ‘We are unable to fill this script. We cannot process it,’ she said.
    ‘Why?’ The guy was looking confused and a little angry.
    Helene pointed to something on the script and I watched a red flush light up his face better than any Christmas light at home.
    ‘It’s only a day over,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t get here yesterday. It’s only a day out.’
    Helene was pouting her lips like she was considering what to do. Then she shook her head slowly. A woman walked up to the counter, jingling her keys in one hand as if she was the busiest person in the world and needed to be served straight away. Helene looked up at the woman whose hair was screwed on top of her head so tight that she must have had a migraine. The woman was wearing a suit like she wanted to be a man.
    ‘Can I help you?’ Helene asked the woman.
    The woman started to talk about chapped lips and sunscreen factors and the young guy was left looking down at the script that could not be filled.
    ‘Ed’ll fill it for me,’ he said loudly.
    I looked up to the top platform, but Ed wasn’t there. He must have gone out the back, which left the young guy with nowhere to go. I heard another beep at the door warning that someone else had entered the shop.
    ‘There’s nothing I can do,’ said Helene. More lip pouting. Then she turned back to the woman, pulling out a few colourful cylinders of lip balm and talking about the benefits of sunscreen in this harsh climate.
    The young guy was still standing at the counter. He half-turned to see me watching him. I looked down at the floor