“Join us when you’re ready. She’s not going anywhere.”
I climbed out of bed and glanced in the mirror. I had a black eye—or rather, a purple, green, and yellow eye. There was pretty much only one costume that would hide it. I dressed in a pair of black leggings and a loose white puffy shirt, and then, after brushing my hair, slipped a black leather pirate’s patch over my head.
Ebony was in the kitchen with my dad. I threw my arms around her and she squeezed back tightly, as though she thought she’d never have the chance to hug me again.
“Now things can get back to normal.” She looked around and knocked on a wooden spatula. Today her Afro was pulled back into a puff on top of her head. She wore large gold hoop earrings, a latte-colored silk dress, and strappy gold sandals that laced up her calves.
“You’re still missing something,” I said. I picked the medallion from the table and hung it around her neck. “Now things are back to normal.”
Immediately her fingers rubbed the metal. I thought about Willow’s theory and knew, no matter how confident Ebony appeared to be, her medallion gave her strength.
“You never told me where you got that necklace,” I said.
“My mother gave it to me before she died,” she said. She looked at the metal, raised it to her lips, and tucked it into the neckline of her dress. “Now before you go hammering me with a hundred questions, sit down and relax.”
“Why are you both up here? Shouldn’t someone be downstairs running the store?”
“Kirby’s down there. He said he didn’t mind watching over things as long as you were up here.”
Since everything ended last night, I couldn’t stop thinking about giving up my job in Las Vegas and moving back to help run the store, but it bothered me that I hadn’t bonded with Kirby the way everybody else had.
“You guys wait here. There’s something I have to do,” I said.
I found Kirby by the accessory wall, restocking neon fishnets and brightly colored plastic earrings. “Can we talk for a second?” I asked.
“Sure.” He set the box down and looked at me. “Your dad told me what happened here last night. I can’t believe Black Jack was holding you at gunpoint.” He looked down at the toe of his black Converse sneaker. “I wish I’d had more of a chance to get to know you.”
“You’ll get that chance. I’m leaving my magician’s assistant job and moving back to Proper. I’m going to work right here.”
“That’s why I’m looking for another job.”
“Kirby, I know I don’t have a lot of experience being the boss, but did I do something to offend you?” I asked.
“Offend me?” He seemed confused. “No.”
“Then why do you want to quit?”
“I don’t. But I know there’s only enough work here for two people, and I figured it would be you and Jerry.”
I couldn’t believe how badly our signals had crossed. “My dad’s not healthy enough to work, not yet. But when he does make a full recovery, he’s going to head out around the country and look for new costumes for the store, like he did with the alien costumes from Area 51. I’m going to need somebody to help me run things here, and I was hoping that somebody could be you.”
“Really? I could use the money,” he said. His eyes lit up.
“Not just a few hours here and there, but something more regular. A permanent schedule. Do you think you could do that?”
“That would be awesome!” he said, and then, as if embarrassed by his enthusiasm, he thrust his fists into the front pockets of his baggy jeans. “Thanks, Margo. You’re pretty cool,” he added.
High praise coming from a seventeen-year-old. We shook on the deal, and then he handed me a package wrapped in plain brown paper. “I almost forgot. This came in the store’s mail, but it’s addressed to you so I didn’t open it.”
In lieu of a return address, the package said $+?=? Money plus change equals possibility. Money Changes Everything.
“Anything important?” Kirby asked.
“Yes, I think it probably is.” I started back up the stairs. Halfway up I stopped and watched Kirby pick the dune buggy magazine out of the trash bin, dust it off, and open it to a dog-eared page.
I carried the package to my bedroom and shut the door behind me. I pressed my ear to the door for a few seconds to make sure I was completely alone before I tore into the paper.
Inside the wrapping was a plain white shoe box. I opened the lid and found a furry brown teddy bear with a note pinned to his chest.
Dear Margo,
This bear needs a home.
(He also needs a costume.)
Welcome back to Proper City!
Love,
Bobbie Kay