As for my hood, I wasn't liking how it narrowed my view, and I was just about to push it back when I spotted a hooded figure standing in the front yard directly across the street.
I stopped moving.Bingo.
When the person reached deep into the pocket of their parka, I stood utterly still, watching and waiting – for what, I didn't know.
A gun?
A knife?
When the item finally emerged, I did a double-take.It was…I squinted through the shadows…a roll of toilet paper?
What the hell?
Oh, yeah. It was toilet paper, alright – a nice fat roll of it. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the face under the hood finally revealed itself, and I let out a long, amused breath.
It was Harper – Gwen's cousin with the attitude.
In a saner world, this would've been my cue to leave. But there was no way I'd be turning back now, not when there was something I needed to know.
As Harper turned and began heading toward the neighbor's front door, I moved forward and strode across the street. Wary of scaring her, I stopped a few paces away and quietly called out her name.
She whirled to look. At the sight of me, her eyes widened with panic until recognition dawned, and her features formed a disgruntled scowl. "Oh, it's just you."
I glanced toward her hand. "Yeah. Me and your toilet paper."
Her scowl deepened as she replied with a trace of a slur, "It's not what it looks like."
Huh.So she was crazyanddrunk. Even so, I couldn't resist razzing her. "So you're planning to what? Do your business on the front porch?"
She made a face. "Don't tempt me."
I laughed. "So, whatareyou doing?"
"Maybe I'm making a snowman. You ever think of that?"
"At this hour," I laughed. "I can't say that I have."
"Oh, yeah? And what areyoudoing outside?"
I shrugged. "Walking the dog."
Her eyes narrowed. "I don't see no dog."
"Yeah, andIdon't see no snowman," I mimicked. "So, whatareyou doing?"
"Nothingtoobad," she grumbled. "I mean, the guy's not even home."
"So?"
Her chin lifted. "So while he's out, I'm gonna decorate his wreath."
I eyed the roll in her hand. The twelve-year-old in me wanted to snicker. "With ass-wipe?"
"Yeah, what of it?" she demanded as she gestured wildly with the roll. "It's not like it's gonna beusedor anything. If you askme, he's just lucky I'm not doing something way worse."
"Wayworse?" My eyebrows lifted. "Like, uh, pooping on his porch?"
She was still waving the roll around. "Hah!You'ddo that way beforeIwould."
