NOT ALLOWED

CHAPTER FIVE: FAMILY TRIPS

ATHENA stared ahead at the road carefully making the turn as she'd been directed to by Amber, Mitch continued to stare at the ceiling just barely raising his gaze when the car slowed to a stop and found a spot in the parking lot.

"I told you the map was right." Amber stated looking to Aidan as she made the statement, "this road wasn't here when I was younger, so theoretically I was still right." the blonde rolled her eyes, "can't you just admit defeat? It's literally slapping you in the face right now." he shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to climb over Amber to the door ignoring her yells of protest.

As he moved to climb over Mitch, the man looked up at him with an empty glare, he knew that if he were to even hover over the man chances were he'd get the shit slapped out of him, so instead, he retreated to his side of the seat and went out the other door.

"Alright, everyone got everything?" Athena glanced over her shoulder into the backseat watching as Aidan produced a credit card from his pocket with a wide smile on his face- all while he held the door open- the girl smugly smiled at her brother, "swiped Apollo's card." he stated quietly slipping it into his pocket once again.

Grace let out a chuckle and climbed out from the front her eyes barely falling to Aidan as he held the door open for Amber. She smiled at the sight, he was a gentleman at heart, that was one of the many things she loved about him. Her thoughts were disrupted by Mitch as he swung the door open in a wide arc- just barely missing her side- causing her to quickly take a step back and let out a grumble beneath her breath before she followed her friends away from the car with Mitch in tow behind them.

"Anyone have any requests?" Aidan questioned glancing around the small group of five, Grace was the first to raise her hand, "yes?" the boy responded trying his best to sound as formal as possible, "I'd like to put in a request for ice cream." she spoke carrying on in a phony British accent, "your wish is my command." giving a small bow, he rushed forward towards an abandoned shopping cart and proceeded to wheel it over to them.

"In you go Grace." she raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the left almost as if she was asking how the hell she was supposed to climb inside, "Ava, hold the cart for a sec." he stated carefully rolling it to his sister. Grabbing the handles, Athena held it steady while Aidan grabbed Grace's hands and helped her inside the basket of the cart with a wide smile, "perfect." he stated quickly reclaiming the cart from his sister.

"Can we get this over with?" Mitch grumbled his eyes half-open as he watched them with a look of distaste, pursing her lips, Athena shook her head, "it takes as long as it takes Rapp." with a phony smile of her own, she gently nudged her brother to get him moving in the direction of the grocery stores entrance.

Grace tried her best to get comfortable in the cart before glancing over her shoulder to look at Aidan as he pushed her along, she couldn't help but smile at the look of concentration on his face, it warmed her heart.

"Should we make a list before we start shopping?" Amber questioned, Athena softly bit her bottom lip before giving a nod, she didn't want to bring home too much for their fridge if it would just be wasted. The blonde removed her phone from her pocket and opened her small notes app before looking up to Athena for suggestions, the girl looked to her brother almost as if she suspected he had already compiled a list within his head.

"Carrots, for starters." Amber smiled and quickly began to type, "fruits, nothing specific, we'll take a look in that area as we go. Ice cream per Grace's request, white chocolate for Apollo, since he hates it." he paused resting his forearms across the front bar of the cart, "milk, we'll need some cereal, I'd put orange juice on there too." he stated glancing to where Amber stood, she gave a slight nod and continued to nod.

"Bread." Athena began gently twisting her fingers, "lunch meat, jelly, peanut butter. Um..."

"We could get applesauce." Grace suggested resting her head in her hand, Amber nodded her head at the suggestion and quickly typed it into the list looking up at them expectantly once she finished, "a gun." Athena looked up at Aidan as the words left his mouth, for what reason they had, she wasn't sure.

"You're hardly sixteen, they won't let you go in there and get one, plus, I'm pretty sure the grocery store doesn't carry weapons." her brother scowled back at her, "it's a Wal-Mart, they have a gun section you dinkus." rolling her eyes, Athena crossed her arms over her chest, "how are you gonna get the gun then? As I said, you're hardly sixteen, Apollo has a better chance than you."

Aidan let out a sigh gently jabbing his finger in Mitch's direction, "who said I was the one getting it?"

Athena's eyes widened with realization and she quickly let her hands drop to her sides, "no, absolutely not, Dad would wreck your ass for that." Aidan smugly smiled back at her, "that's why he doesn't have to know."

The girl once again shook her head, "I don't mean to be the bringer of bad news." Grace began, "but how do you expect to get something like that, past Apollo?"

Athena gestured to her friend with wide eyes, "please, do tell me how you plan to get past him, Aidan." he shrugged his shoulders, "sneak it in through the window, obviously." he watched as his sister closed her eyes and dragged her hands over her face, "you do realize your bedroom window is upstairs, right?" he softly nodded his head, "I'm not dumb, it doesn't matter right now, Mitch can get the gun while we shop and then we can figure it out when we get to the house."

Mitch held out his hand a finger roughly pointed in the boy's direction, "I don't remember agreeing to this." Aidan smiled back at him, "good, nobody asked you to, now, let's get on with this and get out before Apollo notices we swiped his card."

Athena let out a sigh, "you can't use Apollo's card for the gun, it'll show up on the bill, then both he'll now and he'll tell Dad." the boy let out a small string of curses beneath his breath before quietly exhaling, "it's fine, this is fine, we can still figure it out."

"I have cash..." Grace began slowly looking up at Aidan through her lashes, "if you promise to pay me back?" she watched as his face brightened and he quickly nodded, "I promise, god you- you are just a freaking godsend." she smiled back at him her cheeks gently brightening to a light red.

"Why you guys even need a gun?" Mitch questioned, Aidan met his gaze giving a small shrug, "no offense meant, but, I don't exactly trust you or that other dude." Mitch pursed his lips softly nodding to himself, "yeah... I wouldn't either."

Amber held her phone in hand roughly clearing her throat as she scratched her neck, "we should probably go inside before people start giving us weird looks." the three teens turned to look at their friend before they all began to move towards the stores front entrance once again- Mitch silently trailing behind them.

As they entered the store, a few of the employees cast them annoyed looks- more than likely due to the sight of Grace in the basket of the cart- as they passed, Athena seemed to be the only one to notice the looks as they passed through her attention being drawn away from the people as Amber began to direct them down an aisle to their right.

"Divide and conquer?" Aidan questioned stopping at the beginning of the aisle, Athena gave a short nod casting Mitch a look from over her shoulder, "come on Rapp, we've got a gun to buy."

Turning to leave, Aidan called out for his sister after Grace had gently pulled on his sleeve, "you need money to buy it." she stated quietly rolling her hand through her pocket before producing a small slip of cash, "will three hundred work?" she asked holding out the wad to Athena, the girl's eyes widened as she took it in her hand.

"Where did you get this much cash?" she replied slipping the money into her pocket for safekeeping, "guilt money, my Dad forgot to come to the school's art gallery night." Athena pursed her lips, she felt bad about Grace's father forgetting, but she felt even worse about taking the money meant to suffice for the mistake.

"I'm sorry."

Grace smiled up at her almost as if it didn't bother her, Athena knew deep down it did, and that the money only made her feel worse as well, "it's okay." she stated turning back to face Aidan, "let's get this show on the road!" she exclaimed settling back into a sitting position so she didn't fall when Aidan began to push the cart once more.

As they wheeled away from the pair, Mitch and Athena began to make their way towards the back of the store where Aidan had claimed there was a gun section, and although she didn't want to believe him, Athena knew he was more than likely right about the Wal-Mart having one.

She just wondered if they would sell one to Mitch, she wasn't even sure if he had a permit to carry a firearm.

Her Dad.

She hadn't thought about it until then, but, if Mitch worked for her father, or rather, Irene, then he would have to be certified to carry one, meaning they would sell him one, but would they alert Irene or her father?

She wasn't sure, but it was a risk they'd have to take.

Mitch followed beside the girl stopping a few aisles from the small section where they kept the guns in a glass cabinet ahead of them, pulling her into the nearest aisle, he expectantly held out his hand. Athena questioningly raised an eyebrow at the gesture as she waited for a response of sorts, "the money, give it to me." he stated his hand still held out to her.

Letting out an annoyed huff, Athena removed the money from her pocket and set it in his palm watching as he crumpled it in his hand and stuffed it into the pocket of his worn-out dark blue jeans.

Once he'd secured the money in his pocket he pulled her along out of the aisle and proceeded ahead of her towards the counter where a man with gelled back hair sat in a wheeled chair a toothpick in between his lips and a magazine in his hands. As they approached, the man looked up from his magazine carefully setting it down on the counter along with his toothpick.

The man slipped out of his chair and carefully leaned against the counter planting a small smile on his lips as they settled themselves at the edge of the counter, "what can I do for you folks today?" he questioned holding his smile as Mitch glared back at him, "you guys carry a model 870 Remington?" the short man's eyes slightly widened and he glanced down at the guns in the glass cabinet below him.

"We might... man I'd have to check." he stated running a hand through his hair, "okay, then check." Mitch replied slipping his hands into his pockets, the man cast him an annoyed look before he proceeded to disappear behind the back counter and into a small space that more than likely served as their storage space for extra- or larger- guns.

"You don't have to be such a douche." Athena mumbled crossing her arms over her chest, "yeah and you don't have to be a hardass, but, here we are."

NOT ALLOWED

CHAPTER FIVE: FAMILY TRIPS