“.... Yes. Let’s go.” Ormad said this without a blink of an eye, putting his cold bony hands in the pockets of his jacket. “We can even go out to eat somewhere if you two would like.”
“But what about what you’re already cooking?” Rudy asked.
Ormad shrugged and rolled his shoulders. “I’m not a very good cook. I’m sure it won’t taste well, anyway.” Then he gestured for Rudy to go out the door first. “After you.”
She gave him a small smile before she took a few steps back and took Cardinal’s hand, leading her out. Her fingers were a bit sweaty against the older teen, but that smile was still on her cheeks. Her steps were fast as she led them their fathers.
Meanwhile, Ormad stayed behind with Cirus. He gave the latter an unreadable look and rose his brows. “Take a few deep breaths,” he told him quietly. “Things are going to be alright.”
The group walked to the 7/11 in a few minutes. Rudy’s hand was still around Cardinal’s, but then she let go, wiping the sweat from it on her jeans. “Hey. I don’t think I’ve been to a 7/11 before,” she said. “Or had a slushy. I’ve had snow cones, though. Is that close enough?”
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Cardinal shrugged. “I mean,” I guess it’s like if you took a snow cone and smashed it in a blender.”
She said this, punching her fist into her other palm.
The bell rang as they walked through the store’s glass door. Mrs. Nang, who usually manned the counter during this time of day, smiled and waved at Cardinal, who gave a half hearted smile and a peace sign back before pretending to browse the candy.
She let her fingertips slide over the hanging packages of m&ms and bugle chips. She snagged a packet of trident when she neared the end of the isle, sliding it into her pocket easily, winking at Rudy, and pressing a finger to her lips. Her narrowed, mischievous glance darted to their fathers, who by now had entered the store.
Instantly, Cirus looked alert, his eyes on Cardinal with a disapproving furrow of his eyebrows. His lips quivered a little with a held-back snarl.
“Oh, mister Ostrom!” cries Mrs. Nang, “I have something for you from my husband!”
Cirus’s eyes went wide, and when he turned away to smile at Mrs. Nang, Cardinal grabbed another stick of gum and stuffed it into Rudy’s pocket.
She quickly shushed Rudy, pulling her close enough to make sure the gum got into her pocket without it technically being seen. Cardinal then made to look like she were simply grabbing Rudy’s hand, instead of making her a gum-smuggling mule, and dragged Rudy over to the slushie machine at the back of the store, smiling.
Meanwhile, Cirus was doing his best not to shift in front of Mrs. Nang, keeping his cool only through tapping one of his fingers, in a claw-like manner, on the counter. He tried his best to be polite, curt nods and tight smiles hardly masking his discomfort at the situation, and rage at Cardinal.
When Mrs. Nang pulled out a burlap sack from behind the counter, the smell hit his nose- grassy, dry, and mildly sweet.
“Coconuts,” he said, earning an easy smile from the little old lady.
“You always guess correctly!” she said, wagging a bony finger at him. “Your nose is too good! Robert bought a few extra from the market, and we thought you would like them!”
Cirus’ smile came a bit easier. “Loraine loves coconut. Tell Mr. Nang that we appreciate the gesture.”
He took the bag of coconuts from the counter, and motioned to Ormad, saying, “This is my friend. He and his daughter are visiting from- where are you from, again?”
Cirus left things a little open-ended for him, not sure if Ormad went by an alias, and knew better not to out someone’s secret identity, not even to a woman as kind as Mrs. Nang.