Meet Harper Youngblood - Chapter 4

Harper is on the hunt for some more candy and a smoke. And she wont take no for an answer.

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Dirk wiped the sweat from his forehead, relieved after finally placing the last heavy-weighting box in the storage room behind the counter. He adjusted his glasses and carefully counted the remaining stock items, gesturing with his finger as he went. "There we go, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. That should be sufficient for the rest of the month."

He dusted off his hands and checked the time on his phone. The store would open in ten minutes, leaving him with enough time for a quick smoke break. He pulled out a pack of Marlboro from an inside pocket of his jacket. Stretching his back and letting out a sigh, he couldn't help but think about how much more enjoyable it would be to spend the day playing video games on his computer instead of working in this dull store. With that thought in mind, he slipped out the back door and into the alley behind the store for a few moments of peace and nicotine.

With a cigarette in one hand and a lighter in the other, Dirk pushed open the door with his shoulder. The flame of his lighter danced as he brought it closer to the end of his cigarette, swaying in the gentle breeze of the alleyway. Suddenly, something fell from above and landed only a few feet away from where Dirk was standing.

"Hello, Dirk," Harper greeted Dirk with a smile. Her gaze lingering on the cigarette in his hand, she looked longingly at it.

With reluctance, Dirk sighed and handed Harper the cigarette before pulling out a new one from his jacket.

He lit up both of their cigarettes and took a deep drag before asking in a not-so-friendly tone, "What are you doing here?"

Harper inhaled deeply, feeling the warmth of the smoke fill her lungs.

"Can I work here?" she said, smoke escaping her lips.

Dirk couldn't hold back a coughing fit. Once he regained his composure, he looked at Harper with disbelief. "You're joking, right?"

"Why would I be?"

"Who's idea is this? Not your own, I'm sure."

"Of course not. It was my mother's idea. She thinks that taking a job would teach me about humility and help me find my purpose in life. So how about it, Dirk? Is this job any good in giving you a sense of purpose?"

Dirk gifted her a smile without joy. "You can't work here, Harper." He took a long drag from his cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke above his head.

"You're not the boss of this joint," she said.

"Why don't you go someplace else? How about that Mexican joint across the street? I heard they're looking for new employees and seem to prefer hiring white chicks."

Harper snorted. "Why would a Mexican joint search for a white chick?"

Dirk raised his shoulders in a shrug. "Who knows? Maybe they're trying to prove themselves as model citizens of this wonderful country, willing to integrate with its native inhabitants."

"Natives? What are you, an ignoramus?" Harper asked.

"Only when I choose to. But you still can't work here."

Harper let out a frustrated sigh and stomped her foot on the ground, causing a small crack to form on the pavement. "Why the fuck not?"

Dirk yelped, struggling to maintain his balance. "Because of that! You have anger issues, Harper, and with powers like yours, that's dangerous."

Harper's face contorted into a scowl as she folded her arms in defiance. "I do not have anger issues!" she said. She then added in a quieter tone, "Perhaps only when people vex me."

"And let's not forget about the thousands of dollars worth of damage you caused by wrecking all those windows and the coffee machine with your rash behavior. You think my boss is dying to get an employee like you in service?"

Harper sighed. "Whatever, at least I tried. Anyway, do you have the usual for me?"

Dirk cocked a brow, confusion etched on his face.

"Candy and cigarettes!" Harper said like she was talking to an imbecile.

Dirk watched the time on his phone. "The store is still closed. Come back in five minutes. Through the frontdoor. And with enough money this time!" he said, glancing at her intently through his glasses.

Harper's hands searched her pockets but came up empty. "I'm afraid I don't have a penny," she said with a wry smile.

"Then you have no business in the store."

"Aw, come on, Dirk. Don't be a wet blanket."

"Nope."

"Pleeeeease. Only the cigarettes, then; I don't want any candy, I swear."

Dirk stayed firm, shaking his head.

"Fine!" Harper snapped, her eyes averting and her arms crossing as she sulked like a petulant child denied their desired treat.

Dirk felt uneasy as he observed Harper's mood plummeting, knowing she wouldn't get away from his unwavering stance. A fleeting thought entered his mind: maybe he should give in and give her the cigarettes and M&M's to avoid another destructive outburst. However, he didn't want to enable her behavior by giving her what she wanted.

Dirk swallowed before speaking. "You… aren't going to break stuff now, are you?"

Harper gave him a piercing look for a few moments, resembling a pouting child glaring at their parent.

As she caught sight of his car key hanging from his belt, her expression turned slightly curious. The metallic cylinder bore the words "Dodge Dart," Dirk’s poorly maintained car.

Just as quickly as her demeanor had changed, it shifted back to overly cheerful, a stark contrast to the grumpy mood she showed merely seconds before. "Of course not, big ugly bear you!" She slapped her petite hand on Dirk's back, making him wince with pain. "Last time was an accident. I would never do something like that to one of my friends."

"Friend?" Dirk scratched his head, suspicion in his eyes by Harper's sudden friendliness.

"Yeah, friend, you know what that is, right? Hey, you know what? I wont bother you any longer. Have a good day at work." She stepped closer and hugged and kissed him on his cheek. "I'll see you around."

Dirk shielded his eyes from the sun as he watched Harper fly up into the sky. She hovered above the towering apartment buildings, waved down at him with a grin, and then blasted off.

Dirk scoffed and snuffed out his cigarette with his shoe before heading inside. "She's a strange one."

Later, when Dirk went outside for another smoke break, he reached into his jacket pocket, where he kept his mostly full pack of cigarettes, only to find it missing.

At closing time, as Dirk locked up the store and prepared to head home after a long day of work, he was shocked to discover that his car was also missing.

A familiar neighbor, an elderly woman who recognized him from his daily parking in front of the store, emerged from her house across the street. When Dirk noticed her walking towards him with a knowing expression on her face, he decided to ask her. "Excuse me, but do you happen to know where my car is?"

The elderly woman nodded and motioned in a specific direction. Dirk's gaze followed her hand until he saw his beloved but beat-up Dodge Dart miraculously perched on the edge of a church roof. His eyes widened like saucers at the impossible sight, and he even heard a faint groan as the car swayed precariously in the wind.

Harper flew through the air, munching on M&M's she had swiped from an unsuspecting child. Despite the insults being hurled at her from below, she paid them no mind. Landing on a warehouse rooftop, she crouched down and pulled out a cigarette that she had snatched from Dirk's jacket when giving him a hug.

After lighting it, she took a long drag and looked up as she heard wailing sirens growing closer.

Curiosity took hold of Harper as she peered down from her vantage point and witnessed a frantic car chase with police cars in hot pursuit.

The police cars were quickly gaining on the fleeing vehicle.

A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, and she let out a burst of heat vision, aiming it at the road just ahead of the police cars. The intense heat caused the asphalt to heat up instantaneously, its composition of aggregates and bitumen melting and spreading toxic fumes. In less than a second, cracks and potholes began forming in the road.

Harper couldn't help but laugh as she watched all of the patrol cars screeching and sliding as they hit their brakes. The roads were riddled with cracks and potholes, causing the vehicles to bounce and swerve into each other, unable to maintain control due to their tires getting caught in the crevices.

The fleeing vehicle suddenly stopped as it spotted the commotion behind him. A man emerged from the car, shielding his eyes with one hand as he surveyed the chaos of police cars stuck in cracks and potholes. A smirk appeared on his face as he looked up at where Harper was perched, calmly smoking a cigarette. He gave her a thumbs-up, which she sarcastically reciprocated with a sassy "You're welcome!"

He hopped into his car and sped away.

Realizing it was futile to try and pursue him, one by one, the police officers abandoned their vehicles and directed their frustration at Harper. They hurled insults at her. Harper merely stuck out her tongue in response before taking off, creating a deafening sonic boom that shattered several windows in an office building as she flew by.