The Corner Store

Chapter 10- Karlen? What are you? A Swedish Pretzel?

I dropped the pillows to the ground. Is someone in my house?

That deep voice with the thick Russian accent came back to me. It still sends shivers down my spine - even ten years later. He killed my parents like it was some lame garden work he needed to do, and couldn't wait to get it over with. Because of him, I had to live in loneliness for ten years.

What if they found me now? Would they really be this unprofessional as to leave the door slightly open and the lights on?

This is the Russian mafia we're talking about. Would they really make a dumb mistake like this? I don't know how long I stood there for but it must've been a long, long while.

"Hey!"

I jumped and yelled so loud I almost hit my head against the overhead compartment. Almost. But I did manage to slip on a pillow and fall flat on my butt.

"Are you guys trying to murder me? Because there are easier ways to die than a heart attack. Maybe easily detectable, but easier to execute."

Lara laughed a little - just a little - but it was enough.

"Sorry Soph. But you hadn't come in a minute and I got a little worried."

"I just realized that the lights to the garage were on, I was just trying to remember if I was the one who left them on." Lies are the glue that keep families together- don't let them tell you otherwise.

I don't like lying, but you get the point.

"Oh that was me! I'm so sorry! I went to see if you had any trash bags outside, and I must've forgotten to close them, my bad." She helped me up and picked up the pillow that almost caused my painful demise.

"Oh no worries! Just needed to make sure no criminal broke in or anything."

She just nodded her head, put her hands in her pockets and looked away.

"Hey. Is everything okay? I don't mean to push or anything but you've been a little off today. Not your usual, ecstatic self. What's wrong."

She looked at me, probably contemplating what to tell me. I won't push her, because I haven't been very forthcoming with them either, so I wouldn't expect her to.

She just shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't want to bother you with my nonsense. I'm probably just overreacting anyways."

"You know girl, I know I'm not one to talk, but for people to become friends with each other and become close, you need to be vulnerable. Show a side to you that you won't show to other people - only to those you trust with your life. I'm not one to make friends easily and I've never been one to open up to people very easily, but that was before I met you and Cooper. I feel like I could talk to you guys. I feel like... like I'm home."

"But you are home? This is literally your house..."

Leave it to Cooper to always lighten up the room.

"Cooper, grown ups are talking right now, go play scrabble with Landon or something."

"Since it's only us right now, can you please tell me what's been bothering you all day." He completely disregarded her entire statement. He leaned against the frame, waiting for a response. I don't know why I'm just noticing this, but damn this kid is pretty tall. I mean I'm not that short and yet Lara and I look like mini minions standing next to him.

"We can't leave Landon alone there, he'll come looking for us and honestly I don't want every single person to know."

"Don't worry about him. He got a call from Axel and said he needed to go pick him up from somewhere. He's going to be gone for a while. So it's just us. But he did specify that we shouldn't watch the movie without him, which naturally means that we should watch it without him, definitely."