Choose Your Own Blogventure!

As I mentioned on Wednesday, today is Choose Your Own Blogventure Day! My section of the story is below. To read the previous section, click here. Or to start from the beginning, click here.


Now it was confirmed: Orange Slush fumes do lead to insanity. Henri's eyes were wild; Emma decided the best tactic would be not to take the bait. Focus on the practical.

"Okay, Henri. I'll take over the Store 24. You have fun in New York." But he was gone before she even finished her halfhearted well-wishes.

The store was empty. The feeling was the same as when her parents deemed her old enough to stay home alone as a kid: silent, slightly abandoned, but also exhilarating. She stood still, the Hostess cupcakes still in one hand and the five quarters in the other.

A chime at the door snapped her out of her reverie; two boys had entered the store and were debating over Dorito flavors. Feeling like she had better pretend to project some authority, Emma lifted the barrier and stepped, for the first time, behind the counter.

The feeling was heady. She had seen Henri behind here so many times that she knew what to do. She practiced on the cash register by ringing up her own purchase. The ching of the drawer snapping open pleased her; the rattle of her five quarters dropping into their slot felt fulfilling and correct.

"Excuse me." Emma looked up; the boys were in front of her, holding Cool Ranch Doritos. Emma felt her mouth curve into a professional smile she didn't know she was even capable of delivering. She rang up the sale and set the $20 bill the taller boy gave her on the counter as she made his change. The boys left, seemingly without having noticed her impostor status.

Then Emma lifted the coin tray out of the drawer to safely stow the $20 bill away. But when she saw what was stored underneath, she dropped the drawer in shock. It hit the floor with a crack of broken plastic, coins spraying against the counter. She hardly noticed, her eyes glued to the huge stacks of bills arranged neatly in the cash drawer.

Feeling automated, Emma pulled out one of the stacks of bills and flipped through it. All bills of $20, $50, and $100. A thick stack of them. Why didn't Henri take this money with him to New York? What was he thinking?

Then pure materialistic instinct set in. Right in front of her was a huge stack of cash that added up to thousands of dollars. She could do anything with that. She could hit up Carmax for a gorgeous convertible. She could upgrade her wardrobe from TJ Maxx to Neiman Marcus. She could buy a top-of-the-line laptop. She could…

Well, she could use Henri's money to improve his store. She could clean the place up, hire some proper employees. Expand the merchandise selection, add a new wing to house a coffee shop and deli. She could turn the Store 24 into a veritable powerhouse among convenience stores. The possibilities were endless.


If you think Emma should spend the money on Store 24, click here.
If you think Emma should spend the money on herself, click here.