Anthony went back to going over the card game with Bobby while Rex came around the desk and pulled up a stool for me. 

“Sorry about that. We thought you were one of those crazy people who come in here sometimes.”

I thanked Rex and hopped on the stool next to Bobby. “Crazy people?”

Rex took his place back behind the register and grimaced. “Yeah. Shop owners and those stuck up Laguna Beach wannabe posers who have never stepped foot in here before. They suddenly want to storm inside to harass us about Sean. Demanding that we make him leave his job. Because it’s bad for the mall’s reputation or something. Like any of that crap even matters.”

“One lady wanted Rex’s dad to straight up lay Sean off,” Anthony said, wrinkling his brow in concern. “She said she would even pay us to do it.”

Bobby spoke up, “Are you serious? Screw those guys.”

Rex sniffed and folded his arms. “Like hell we would fire Sean. He’s been helping run this shop with me and my pops since we were in middle school. He knows more about these old machines than most of the kids we hand over summer jobs to.”

By now, all my nerves had dissipated. All I wanted was for Sean to come back to a place that wasn’t trying to kick him out.

“I had no idea that was happening,” I said. “How could people be so insensitive? After what he just went through? And he’s innocent anyways.”

Rex shook his head and propped his elbows on the counter. “People see what they want to see. I mean, were you there when it happened?”

Bobby and I both nodded.

Rex closed his eyes, as if trying to reimagine the moment. “Sean was breaking down. No one should have seen that.” He opened his eyes and said quietly, “I guess that’s what happens if you’re unlucky enough to see a dead body when you weren’t expecting to.”

The sudden rattle of a magazine rack pulled each of us out of the conversation. We all turned our attention onto a shape going through one of the aisles. From where I sat, the only thing that I could see was the top of their head.

The shopper sort of receded into the darker part of the arcade. 

Rex lowered his voice. “Anyway, we don’t know when Sean’ll be back.”

It then occurred to me that Rex likely hadn’t spoken to Sean since the incident either. That was a little worrying seeing that they were so close.

“He was super excited about your show though,” Anthony added, as if to soften the blow. “He put it on the wall so he wouldn’t forget.”

“That’s sweet, but that’s… not important right now.” I tried to smile, but at the same time, I didn’t think it was working. “What I want is for Sean to be okay.”

Rex sighed. “That’s what we want too, but I don’t think that’s the case. I think Sean is in a shitty place right now. Otherwise he’d have called me with an update.”

Bobby tried to lighten the mood. “You are really blunt, huh Rex?”

Rex looked down at Bobby like he didn’t know what he was talking about. Anthony vouched for his friend. “Only because he’s concerned.”

“Oh shoot! My shift’s about to start!” Bobby hopped off of his stool and hesitated. “You ready, Aqua?”

I followed his lead and got up. Then I thanked Rex and Anthony for helping out.

“You can stop by whenever you want,” Rex said, clearly giving me his seal of approval when it came to mall goers that he could trust.

Once Bobby and I were back among the arcade machines, I told him that he didn’t have to wait up for me.

“You sure?”

I gave him a little shove. “Yes! I don’t want you to be late.”

Bobby turned and then paused. “Hey, I’m not sure if Sean’s going to be in the right headspace to go to your runway show, but he was right to be excited for it. You’re going to be awesome, I hope you know that.”

His words made me feel warm despite how cold it was between the humming arcade machines.

“Thanks Bobby.” I wanted to say more, but he had a job to get to. So I waved him off. 

Once Bobby left, I didn’t have any intention of sticking around, but I did want to take a moment and get a better look at the place where Sean spent most of his time. I felt like I was just starting to get to know him when those chances all got ripped away. If I was being honest, then the two of us probably were never going to go on that date to the movies.

Still…

My hand drifted up to the spot just above my heart, where it was tingling and fluttering. The thought of Sean expressing interest and excitement about me to his closest friends – and putting my debut runway show on the wall so he would remember? It was too sweet. I had tried to push the feeling aside earlier, but it was back now. That flyer was all I could think about.

It was proof that before everything had happened, Sean was excited to see me just being in my element. He cared about something that mattered before I had even gotten a chance to tell him what modeling meant to me personally.

I kept thinking about the conversation we had over the phone and how nervous he must have been – how nervous I was…

Whatever Sean was going through before that man died wasn’t normal. And yet he was using that carousel as a canvas for his inner demons. Dumping everything in his system out so that he could keep himself together. And with me… things were a little rocky in the beginning, but it still seemed that Sean was doing everything he could to create something normal for just the two of us.

I thought of the ground floor where that strange purple tent stood looming in the center of commerce, a quiet omen of chaos and upheaval. 

So then, where was Sean’s sense of normal now?

Would he have any to go back to?

“In case you were wondering,” said a voice behind me, “it’s not the sight of a dead body that upset your friend.”

I spun around. Standing right there was one of those sanitation experts. 

“I’d be willing to bet it’s what happened after that sent Mr. Mori over the edge.”

Was this the same guy who saw me and Bobby on the balcony earlier? Had he followed me all the way up here? 

I was freaking out now. I took a step back. 

“Aqua Moore? Please don’t be alarmed.”

“I’m alarmed,” I said, not really trying to be funny, but the man who looked like he was wearing a futuristic garbage bag chuckled. Then he pulled something out of his pocket. 

Is that…?

“Mr. Mori’s cell phone,” the strangely suited man said, confirming my guess. “We confiscated it temporarily. There’s something on there that has been wiped clean from the mall surveillance tapes. Something that I think might interest you.”

The man dropped the phone in my hand before I could speak. I felt like I was holding something that could possibly detonate.

“Hey! Why are you giving this to me? Don’t the police–”

“The police no longer have anything to do with this case. They are not helpful when it comes to paranormal affairs.”

Please tell me he did not just say paranormal-freaking-affairs like it’s something official.

The man smiled like he knew exactly what was on my mind. 

“I expect that you’ll get to know us better over time. But for now, we no longer need Sean’s phone. You’re welcome to return it to him. I think he should get it back from someone he trusts.”

He started to walk past me and then thought again. 

“The last video he took. Watch it first. Don’t forget to do that part.”