In the Interest of Full Disclosure

I just started drafting a story based on an idea that's been sitting in my head. Below is an excerpt of a scene that I've been tinkering with for the last hour or so. It's still very early but I am trying to get used to putting my writing out in public, and share my process/progress.

“But that’s every store! Every store has things for ninety-cents or more! It doesn’t make sense.”

“Okay, Asha, okay,” Mother touched her arm.

Father continued to pick umbrellas off of the floor and straight them out on the spinner rack. Asha sometimes complained loud enough that the customers could hear but father acted as though he couldn't.

“Our sign shouldn’t say ’99 Cents Plus Store.’ It should be ‘Store’ and that’s it. ‘Store Like Every Other Store.’”

Father used to get furious and even once threatened to beat her when he got home (this was his signature bluff. My parents never raised a hand to either of us), but every night, he would come home so fatigued that all he wanted was peace and certainly not to fight with my sister about something she had said hours before.

“Nadi, where is the ladder? Come outside with me to change the sign.”

I looked at mother and she tilted her head toward the door, giving permission. We both knew Asha was being silly (change the sign!) and mother was happy for the store to be Asha-free at least for a little while.

            I caught up with Asha at the far end of the block. She already had a cigarette out and was blowing smoke out at the passing cars and I really wished she would stand with her back to the road when she smoked near the store. It wasn't proper. As she spoke I tried to see the insides of each car that went by, looking out for anyone we might know.

            “It’s dumb, right?” she said to me, to nobody, to me I guess. “The whole thing is moronic.”

            I said okay because that’s what I said when I didn’t know what to say but didn't want her to get mad at me too.

            “I shouldn’t be here. This is summer break and I’m shelving cheap shampoo and safety scissors. Why is that? Huh? Michelle and Iris are in Vegas. Those whores. They couldn't give me a second to get out of this? Fuck them too.” She peered down the sidewalk as though she could make out her two best friends having fun across the Vegas strip, thousands of miles away. She dropped her cigarette, half-smoked, and crossed her arms. “It’s not like I don’t have money. I can go right now!” the last, she folded over her stomach and yelled out at the store. I reached out and touched her shoulders with my fingertips, my silent entreaty, please please no more trouble.

            “Oh please, Nadi. What’s gonna happen? Huh?” she looked down at her half-smoked cigarette, smoldering on the ground. I thought she moved to stamp it out but instead she squatted and picked it up. She dusted the filter with one stroke of her index finger then propped it back in her mouth.  “You need to get out too." she mumbled through it.