I pried her hand off the medallion gently but resolutely. “It was a gift from my Mom. It used to belong to my Dad.” I cleared my throat and quickly changed the topic before they could ask more. “Anyway, what’s my real gift then? If this is a joke gift.”

“Ah, we need a bit of help with the real gift,” Colette said while Gabrielle and Luna nodded.

They all leaned closer. Luna glanced around the store and I followed her example, also looking behind her to see what she was looking at. I found the store mostly empty. My boss was still out back.

“You’re eighteen now,” Gabrielle said in a hushed tone. The way she said it made me raise a skeptical eyebrow.

“Yes?” I replied, drawing out the word so it came out like a question.

“So you can get us alcohol now, dummy,” Colette quickly clarified. “For your party tonight.”

“My gift is buying myself alcohol?”

Colette scoffed. “No, silly, we will buy it but you have to help. Or just sell it to us and don’t ask for our ID.”

“What? I don’t think so,” I hissed, tensing up.

Gabrielle and Luna seemed to think differently than I did. Their faces lighted up with barely concealed excitement.

“Come on,” Colette whisper-shouted. “Your boss isn’t here, he won’t notice.”

“No,” I refused again, shooting her a pointed look. “Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea in how much trouble I would get if I get caught? ”

“You won’t get caught,” Collette replied, which rang hollow despite her obvious confidence. She’d promise anything to get what she wanted. How could she be sure?

“Yeah! And none of us will tell,” Luna added.

“I don’t even know if I want a drinking party,” I protested. “It’s my birthday and maybe I just want to read a book or turn in early tonight.”

The three girls started laughing like I just told a hilarious joke.

“It’s a little too late for that! We already invited everyone,” Colette said, still grinning. “And they’ll all be terribly disappointed if there’s nothing to drink.”

“So? It’s my party.” I stood my ground, but at this point, I was actually praying for my boss to walk into the store the next few seconds. Of course, the bastard didn’t. I wouldn’t get any support.

“Come on,” Luna pleaded.

I sighed and gave in. “Fine. But I will not sell it to you. I’ll get it for you after work. Not here.”

“Oh Heidi, you’re such a cutie. Living a little won’t hurt you.” Collette messed up my hair which she knew I hated. I glared at her, smoothing it out again immediately.

“I don’t consider a several-hundred euros fine and getting fired with a blemish to my name for future employers living a little,” I snapped. “A criminal record can even prevent you from going to some colleges.”

Luna, Gabrielle, and Collette all just laughed my concerns off again.

“Okay, so you’re going to arrange things. Good. See you later then,” Gabrielle said with a wave.

“Yeah, your not-so-surprise birthday party is going to be super fun!” Luna said. “It’s at Gabrielle’s place by the way. See you there!”

Colette made kissing noises and blew me an air kiss. “Bye, babe.”

I could finally relax once the trio I called friends left the store. I released a deep breath through my mouth and looked down at my hands. There was glitter all over them. If my boss noticed, that’d surely get me a scolding. I’d have to clean up and close  the store by myself, which always took longer than the hours I actually got paid for. Then, I’d have a ‘surprise party’ to look forward to, rather than curling up on the couch with the book Jasmine got me.

I leaned back in my chair, groaning. My hand moved to the medallion.

“Nothing you can do about it huh, spirit or whatever you are, buddy?” I spoke against the medallion, making another attempt to pull it open against better judgment.

I was met only with silence and stuck hinges. I honestly don’t know what I expected or why I did that. Friends, bosses and responsibilities were things nobody, human or spirit, could protect me against anyway. Having to deal with them was just life.

Luckily for me, not a lot of people stopped by the store. Nobody was around to see my boss wrinkle his nose at the glitter scattered all over the cashier chair, nor to witness the subsequent scolding.

My boss left the store muttering angrily under his breath about the lack of customers and glitter, and put me in charge of the hefty assignment of making soup towers. Chinese tomato soup towers to be exact, which would be on sale starting tomorrow.

I was already halfway done when the store bells rang. I caught a glimpse of a man donned in a dark, heavy coat.

“Evening, sir!” I automatically called out the greeting, hardly bothered when I didn’t receive an answer. The man’s back was turned on me after all, and people hardly ever returned my required greeting, anyway.

I paid him no mind until I saw his form stop in my peripheral vision.

“Do you need some help finding anything, sir?” I asked.

I looked up, right into the barrel of a gun.