The electronic buzzer rang as they opened the door, letting the cashier on duty know that someone had entered the convenience store.
The man looked up from his Saturday paper to see a boy and girl enter, Freshmen from the looks of them.
Cute couple, he thought, staring at the red head lady and the blond haired lad who held the door open for her.
"Thank you kind sir," Ginger O'Toole said.
"You're welcome," replied John Harper, looking around as he entered.
Moon Lake was all new to him. A convenience store may not be high on the list of local tourist attractions, but it still fascinated him.
"Something wrong?" Ginger asked, noting him stare at things.
"No burglar bars on the windows. The cashier isn't walled behind bulletproof glass, and I don't see no security cameras," John answered.
"We have the cameras," the clerk replied. "It's just that they can see you but you can't see them. I know that accent is from somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but I can't quite place it."
"Alabama, sir," said John.
"Just be glad you're here now. It's a lot worse from where I came from," the clerk said.
"Where's that?" idly wondered John.
"New York. If you ask me, that's a REALLY tough place. They even have metal detectors at some store entrances to warn the cashier if you might be carrying a weapon," the clerk said.
"Really?" said Ginger in disbelief. "Guess I never realized just how good I have it here in Moon Lake before now."
"What will it be kids?" the clerk wanted to know, changing the subject.
"Just some drinks and maybe a couple of snacks. I'm showing my new friend around town," bragged Ginger, before grabbing John's hand and leading him down the store aisle.
"What is all this stuff?" he asked, staring at the food they passed.
"Cookies. Potato Chips. Other goodies. Don't tell me you've never seen any of this before," replied Ginger.
"At the grocery store, yeah; but mom never bought most of it because she said it was too expensive and not good for us."
"Then how do you know what's inside a convenience store?"
"I only know the front from going inside long enough to tell whoever's in the booth what pump number and give them my dad's money for gas," explained John.
"Oh. Well, we definitely need to expand your horizons," Ginger said with a smile, before leading him onward.
In the end, they wound up with 2 bottles of water, a bag of chips for each, and a large package of cookies to split between them.
After paying for everything and leaving the convenience store, Ginger led John past the high school and on further into the heart of Moon Lake.
She liked being with him and secretly wished to have a greater presence in his life, for she was willing to give him one in hers, but every time Ginger looked at John, he was hard for her to read.
She knew he had a lot on his mind. Ginger just hoped there was a place in it and his heart for her.
"Since the town is laid out in a wagon wheel shape, the hub at the center is our downtown," Ginger explained, as they reached that area. "We still have a few parks and other open areas here and there for the... naturists among us, but other than around the hospital, the Tachiba Industries complex, and along the main road where the hotel and diner are; this is the most developed section of Moon Lake."
Then she started pointing out some of the local sights, beginning with the town's lone movie theater.
"It's not like a multiplex in a big city. It only shows one second run feature a week long after that movie has played elsewhere. Would you like to go sometime?" she asked, hopefully.
"Afraid I don't really have much movie experience," confessed John. "You know how strict my family was. The movie not only had to be on TV where we could see it for free, but the film also had to be something they would approve of."
"Like what?" asked Ginger.
"Anything religious based or documentary usually got approved unless it took a position my folks didn't agree with, like saying dinosaurs existed. Otherwise my dad loved westerns, especially when the good guys won."
Ginger privately figured James Harper Senior's personal bias when it came to Cowboys versus Indians, but remained silent on her suspicions. Instead, she pointed out that John could see all the movies he wanted to now that he was here with his younger sister Janice under their older sister Jenny's guardianship.
"Would you like to go see a movie sometime?" she wondered.
"It would depend upon what's playing, and whether or not I can afford to go then," admitted John.
"You never got an allowance from your folks?" wondered Ginger.
"What's that?"
"Money they give you. Usually for doing chores and other stuff around the house."
"You mean like a paycheck?"
"Kind of."
"No. We were supposed to help and do what we were told when we were told, or else," was John's answer.
Ginger could see him shiver slightly, recalling something unpleasant in his past, and dropped the subject.
Then, as they started to approach the Town Hall, John spotted something important.
"That's Huck, with Betty Timid, his fiance."
"Aren't they supposed to be getting married some time?" Ginger asked, as they watched the couple enter the building.
"Yeah. In front of a Justice of the Peace, if one's available."
"There should be at least one in there. While we do have a formal court house, Moon Lake's small enough that most of the judicial administration facilities are also in the Town Hall."
"You don't suppose today's..."
"Probably. Let's go find out," said Ginger, as they changed course and walked to the front doors of the Town Hall.
TO BE CONTINUED...