Crystal's vision blurred as she stared at the bookshelves, indecisive for longer than she should have been. How many of these books had she already read countless times before? Mabel should really update her library.
Live.
She glanced around at the newly furnished building and its freshly painted walls. Obviously Mabel had higher priorities than the purchase of the latest books. Then again, everything was on the internet anyway. Crystal herself would have been perfectly fine with online books if not for her lack of any device whatsoever.
Even without her future expenses, her savings wouldn't make a dent in the price of a phone. Especially now that she had received the wonderful news that she was unemployed the moment she came back from camp. Not like she missed the contemptuous looks she received as a cashier though.
Please live, Crystal.
"Crys!"
Crystal jolted at the sudden voice split seconds before she was wrapped in a familiar embrace.
"Hey, Kent."
She did her best not to react to the glares now openly fixed on her.
Kent pulled back slightly, a huge grin on his face. It faltered as he noticed her strained expression.
"They're doing it again?"
He scowled, glancing over his shoulder.
"Ignore them, I am."
"Barely. Want to 'accidentally' knock out the power again? These idiots are only here for the free Wi-Fi anyway."
That made Crystal's jaw relax as she smiled at him.
"Nah, let's just get out of here. These books are as old as Mabel anyway."
"Make sure she doesn't hear you. I'm still recovering from the shin kick she gave me for calling her cookies squishy."
Kent said with a smirk.
"You dug your own grave with that comment."
It wasn't long before they arrived at their usual spot for lunch. Kent fed her irrelevant information about everyone in town while Crystal munched on her burrito.
Gerald's new drunk incident, how he ended up hanging upside down from a tree branch from chasing after his cat, which was more of speculation as no one actually knew how it happened.
About Mrs. Green's hysterectomy and her oversharing of every little detail of it to anyone who dared to have ears.
He tried to ask about camp, and she answered in a way that said everything without saying anything at all.
Crystal couldn't lie even if she wanted to, one of those bloody Neanderthals would no doubt soon start spreading news of their "good deeds" like wildfire. She couldn't stop that but she could at least avoid ruining their reunion with such things for now.
From the way his brows furrowed deeper with each of her replies, Kent didn't miss her evasions but decided to let Crystal off the hook for the moment.
Eventually Kent grew silent, he clearly knew there was something about camp that he wouldn't like to hear.
Just when she thought he'd speak up about it, the occasional ding that indicated a new customer arriving was accompanied by a loud thud and a man howling.
"Mrs. Silver, I was merely asking!"
Kent and Crystal turned to see Tony rubbing his head, grimacing and Mabel glaring up at him, her cane raised high.
"And I've told you to STOP asking me about my inn. It's not for sale you bloody twat!"
Mabel yelled back.
"You already have your library and bar, aren't you overwhelmed?"
Tony whined.
"I'm only seventy-three, certainly not senile. And even I was, there's no way you'll get any of my property!"
With that, Mabel huffed and strided off, everyone giving her a wide berth.
Mabel, despite her brashness, was well-loved because she was just as kind. Though, people made sure to stay out of her way when she was in a "mood" and did their best not to irritate her.
"Mabel!"
Kent called out to her, waving.
She sized him up with an exasperated look then turned to Crystal with a smile.
"Crystal, good to have you back. I fear everyone in this town is becoming more and more deranged, except me and you, of course."
She said, patting Crystal on the shoulder.
"And me as well,"
Kent insisted but she ignored him.
"I heard that dreadful Cooper fired you."
Mabel said, a promise of retribution in her voice.
"Yes, but it's fine."
Crystal quickly insisted, knowing fully well what Mabel would 'suggest'.
"Nonsense, how will you fare without a job, you must come work for me."
Crystal sighed. How many times had she already refused Mabel on this?
"Mabel, you've already given me a discount on rent in your lovely home—"
"After you refused to stay for free."
Mabel interrupted.
Crystal continued as if she never spoke.
"Refusing to let me stay at your inn instead—"
"That's too impersonal."
"The last thing I want to do is work as your employee, people will talk."
"Let them, it's the only thing they know to do rather than being useful with themselves."
"And you'd definitely overpay me."
Mabel waved her hand in the air, dismissing Crystal's statement.
"You'll be wasting your talents in any other place, Crystal."
Mabel said, not even bothering to refute what Crystal said.
"Thank you for the compliment but I think I'll try working at Boomer's bar."
"The tips there are crap and the waitress outfits are tacky."
Kent informed and Crystal glared at him.
"Whose side are you on?"
"The side where you get a good job with a good boss. Not Cooper or any other person who'll treat you like crap."
Kent said with a huff.
"They treated me well."
"Yeah if 'well' is synonymous to being an *sshole. They barely paid you anything."
"I was a cashier, all I did was put stuff in bags."
Crystal defended, a little annoyed now.
"If that's so simple, why didn't they do it themselves?"
When she glared at them silently, they both snorted but dropped the subject.
As they talked about anything and everything, it became more obvious that Crystal was avoiding any mention of camp so she was grateful when her phone rang.
"It's Mrs. Wilbur, I'm sleeping over at her house today to take care of Barry."
Mrs. Wilbur was the only other person who was nice to Crystal although it had taken a while for that to happen.
Crystal quickly said her goodbyes to Mabel and Kent, promising half-heartedly to meet up with them sometime tomorrow and silently praying they wouldn't hear about what happened anytime soon.
***********************************************
Barry, Mrs Wilbur's son was as friendly as usual, clearly excited about Crystal's return and ranting about the 'boring' his mom had hired in her absence.
With Mabel's recommendation and her own personal observation, Mrs Wilbur eventually warmed up to Crystal and began actively asking her to babysit Barry from time to time.
Mr. Wilbur was mostly absent but he was civil, if not a little nervous that Crystal would be loose-lipped about, not what he had done but what he had silently witnessed. Although seeing him often left Crystal with a bitter taste in her mouth, she decided not to hold what happened against him. It hadn't been an easy situation for him anyway.
"Crys, can we give Wolf a bath?" Barry asked, drawing Crystal from her thoughts.
Said terrier opened his eyes apprehensively and grunted, looking ready to run.
"I think he's fine for now."
She said and held back a laugh as Wolf barked in agreement but Barry's face scrunched at that.
"I don't think so, he's been smelling a little off—"
His protest was cut short as Wolf pounced on him, licking his face as a distraction.
Crystal couldn't hold back her own laughter as Barry giggled, weakly trying to push Wolf off him.
But she soon froze—something in the air shifting, like she was being watched.
When she looked out the window, Crystal caught a glimpse of something before hearing the low sound of the grass rustling.
Wolf must have heard something too cause he started barking and growling.
Feeling a little scared, she drew out the curtains.
"Crystal?" Barry voiced, sounding slightly freaked out.
Mustering a reassuring smile, Crystal turned to him.
"It's nothing, I think we've stayed downstairs a little too long. Let's go to your room, maybe braid Wolf's fur."
She teased and Barry huffed, no longer worried.
"He doesn't like that, sulked all night when you did it last time."
"Maybe it just wasn't the right style. Come on, I've been practicing."
"You've been practicing dog hairstyles?" He asked with disbelief.
"I have a lot of free time on my hands. Last one upstairs has to go to bed early."
Barry and Wolf both rushed upstairs and Crystal slowly followed, making sure everywhere was locked up and to turn off all the lights, with one last glance towards the curtain.