"Good morning, Erin" he said cheerfully
"What do you want?" she snapped back
"We're going shopping" he answered her "You'll need more clothes than what you have for the tour."
"My clothes are fine!" Erin bristled
"Doubtless, but you need more. We can't stop to do laundry every few days so you need extra clothes."
"I told you, my clothes are fine. I am not going shopping!"
"Oh yes you are," said Brian in a matter of fact voice "If you don't come I'll shop for you. What size are you? Ladies 16?”
"Oh fine, whatever, I'm coming. Go and let me get dressed." Brian left. As he walked down the stairs he chuckled to himself. So it was possible to get the best of Erin. Perhaps he just needed to be firm and have a sense of humor.
Erin glanced at the clock as she pulled her T-shirt over her head. She couldn't believe she had slept so late. It was 9 AM. In New York she had woken up at 5 or 6. She would get some food and then head to the vacant building that served as the headquarters for X.
When she lived with her foster family, the Hutchins, in Pennsylvania she had woken up early too. The Hutchins had been the ones who had installed the habit of waking up at 5 in the morning. She remembered getting up while it was still dark with Keturah, pulling on bulky wool sweaters and walking to the barn. They would watch Joshua milk the cows. When Erin was 9 Joshua started teaching her how to milk. When all the cows were milked they would walk to the farmhouse for a huge breakfast. "Oma always outdid herself on those breakfasts" Erin remembered.
Erin suddenly remembered she was in Florida, not Penn. She mentally scolded herself for daydreaming and finished dressing. Erin stepped out of her room and looked for the stairs. Where were they? This house was huge. After 5 minutes of looking she found them. Now to find the kitchen and something to eat. After a 10-minute search she found the kitchen.
Brian was already there eating a bowl of cereal. "Took you long enough" he commented.
Erin decided to be silent. "Where's the cereal?" she asked after a few minutes of searching.
"2nd cabinet to the right of the stove" Brian answered her. Erin found a box of shredded wheat and poured a bowl full. She sat down and started eating. It was good. In New York, breakfast had consisted of a piece of stale white bread or whatever else was on sale at the thrift store.
Brian stared at Erin as she ate the shredded wheat. She acted as if she had never had anything so good. But then, he reasoned, she was so skinny that maybe she hadn't gotten good food at her home. Erin was conscious that Brian was watching her. Was she enjoying it too much? Should she pretend not to enjoy her food? Erin put a bored expression on her face and resumed eating.
When she had finished Brian said "Come on, let's go. After we finish shopping you need to pack for the tour tomorrow." Erin followed Brian out of the house. She was surprised to see that Brian led her to a small green Toyota instead of the limo she had expected. "I don't usually use the limo" Brian told her as if reading her mind. "I prefer my own car. Lonnie is gone too. I didn't want to risk being recognized yesterday, so I asked him to do a favor and pick you up."
"Do you think I care?" interrupted Erin rudely. "Lets just go and get this over with."
"Fine then." said Brian "Hop in." Erin got in the car and they drove away.
