Who: Parker and open if, for some reason, you want to jump in. When: Present day before moving in with her Leverage buddies Where: a toy store in Lawrence What: Parker is contemplating whether or not to pay for a stuffed rabbit. Ratings: Perfectly tame.
Parker looked vaguely similar to Holly Golightlty as she stood, staring in the front window of a toy store nibbling at her grilled cheese sandwich. Ever since she’d arrived she had been considering adopting a new toy bunny into her one-person family.
All her life, Parker could only count on a few things. One of the only constants in her life was her stuffed bunny appropriately dubbed Bunny. Her foster parents sometimes took it away as punishment, but she could always steal him back. In the middle of the night the one thing that helped her slip into a fitful slumber was clutching that plush rabbit close to her chest.
Just beyond that store window sat a stuffed bunny rabbit bearing a striking resemblance to Bunny, the only difference being a purple ribbon tied in a bow around his neck. Parker wanted to just reach in and take it like she imagined that Kitty girl could do, but she couldn’t. She chewed at her grilled cheese with exaggerated chomps, taking her frustration out on her lunch.
Stealing it would be easy. There were parents and children moving in and out of the store. The clerks were busy with legit customers. If Parker watched the security cameras it would be a piece of cake to steal the plush toy. She narrowed her eyes, wondering why she didn’t just swoop in and get it all over with. It was then that she realized she was having a moral dilemma.
Prior to her arrival, stealing that bunny would not have phased her one bit. Now her mind was flooded with foreign notions. Paying for the bunny would allow some store clerk to pay rent and eat sandwiches. She’d never put this much thought into her actions before. It was crazy.
With a shake of her head, Parker crumpled her napkin up and tossed it into a trash receptacle just outside of the toy store. She stepped inside and scooped the stuffed rabbit up from the display in the window. Parker hugged it close to her and buried her nose into its fur. It was as close to her old bunny as it could possibly be. Parker found herself smiling with her eyes closed as she tried to remember how Bunny smelled.
“May I help you, miss?”
Parker looked up at the sound of a female clerk speaking to her. She just kind of stared at her for a second, only slightly perturbed at having her moment with the rabbit interrupted. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, she spoke up.
“I’d like to purchase this rabbit. With real money.”