Page 53
Story: Runaways (Orphans 5)
"I'm hungry anyway," Raven grumbled.
"We had a big breakfast," Crystal reminded her. "I'm still hungry. I want a shake, too. And
Sunshine says the fries are good here."
"I stopped here once before," Sunshine explained. "Maybe twice."
She ordered a double burger, fries, a shake and a scoop of chocolate ice cream for dessert.
"You pay the bill," she told Crystal afterward, "and I'll straighten up with you later."
Crystal gave me one of her looks, but I didn't want to make a scene at the table so I just nodded. Reluctantly, Crystal paid the bill. We left a tip and started out.
"I'll just be a minute," Sunshine said and went in to the bathroom.
"Let's drive away and leave her in there," Crystal said the moment we were back in the wagon. "We're never going to get the money for her lunch. She's only going to be trouble, Brooke."
"We can't do that," Raven said. "Her suitcase is in the car."
"Leave it in the parking space," Crystal suggested.
"Someone might steal it," Butterfly said.
"Steal that? I doubt it. The road department might take it to prevent disease, but no one's going to steal it, Butterfly. Let's do it, Brooke."
"I can't, Crystal, she's as bad off as we are. We'll take her along a little farther and then tell her we're going someplace else."
"She won't care. She'll stay with us as long as she can," Crystal warned. "You'll see."
"Here she comes," Raven said.
Sunshine walked quickly from the restaurant and got in.
"Drive on," she ordered and we pulled away. As we did, she turned to hand Crystal some money.
"Here's for my lunch," she said with a smirk.
Crystal took it, surprised, glancing at me before she rubbed the bills a moment as if she thought they might all be counterfeit. Then she looked up with more surprise, even shock.
"Where did you get this five-dollar bill?" "What do you mean, where did I get it? I had it on me. That's all," Sunshine said.
"No, you didn't. This was the five I left with the tip. I know it is because it had this ink spot on Abraham Lincoln's face," Crystal said.
"Jesus, what do you do, memorize the way your money looks?" Sunshine asked.
No one spoke.
"I remember because I thought it was odd that there was an ink spot on it," Crystal said slowly. "You took the waitress's tip."
"What of it? She'll get tips from people who can afford it better," Sunshine said.
"That's awful," Crystal insisted.
"Oh, and I suppose stealing someone's car will get you the Nobel Prize," Sunshine retorted.
Crystal turned all shades of pink before biting down on her tongue and sitting back.
"It's just not right," she muttered.
Table of Contents
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- Page 53 (Reading here)
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