Abby


    After a while of walking to town through the thin nket of snow that has settled over thendscape fromst night, | arrive at the


    food drive, wearing my disguise—a baseball hat, sunsses, and a blue surgical mask.


    Actually, it’s more so that the sound of the food and clothing drive reaches me before | actually reach it; it''s clear to me that the


    community center is bustling with people, and | can hear the sounds of voices, music, and vehicles.


    Up ahead, there are two lines: one filled with cars, which are pulling up to a station where workers are handing bags of clothes


    and boxes of food through the windows, and one where the patrons are lined up on foot.


    | adjust my mask on my face and stand up on my tiptoes to see if | can spot Karl, but that’s easier said than done.


    Despite Karl''s height, the parking lot is filled to the brim and | can barely make out the bright orange shirts of the workers.


    Honestly, it’s surprising. | didn’t expect there to be this many people here.


    “Hey,” a voice says, causing me to turn. “You here for the drive, or are you here to work?”


    I spin around to see a young man, maybe in histe teens, looking at me. He’s got one of the orange t-shirts that say “staff” on


    the front worn on his thin frame, and he’s holding a clipboard in his hands.


    “I''m here to work, actually,” | say.


    The boy nods and hands me my own orange t-shirt from a box that he’s got next to his feet. “Just find a spot wherever,” he says.


    “Job’s simple: everyone gets one box of food and one box of clothes. The clothes arebeled ‘kids’ and ‘adults’, so as long as


    you can read, you''ll be fine.”


    | offer him a smile as | take the t-shirt and slip it on over my head. It’s about three sizes too big for me, so it goes on easily over


    my disguise.


    As | make my way through the crowd, | finally spot Karl. He’s in the thick of it, working tirelessly to help those in need.


    My heart warms at the sight of him, so different from the man | used to know, the Alpha who once imed that volunteering was


    ‘below his pay grade.’


    Suddenly, | realize that | can’t stay mad at him as | watch him interact with an elderly woman. He’s got a warm smile on his face,


    and she’sughing at something he’s saying. The woman then walks away, and Karl turns away to sort through a box.


    |e up behind him and tap him on the shoulder. He turns, and after squinting his eyes at me for a moment, his expression


    changes to a mixture of surprise and excitement when he realizes that it’s me.


    “Abby,” he says, a hint of disbelief in his voice. “I thought you weren’t gonnae.”


    | tilt my head and give him a yful grin even though he can’t see it. “Changed my mind,” | reply, my voice muffled by the mask.


    Karl chuckles and shakes his head. “You really are something, you know that?”


    | lower my sunsses just enough for him to see my raised eyebrow. “Is that apliment or an insult?”


    Heughs again. “Definitely apliment,” he says. “But Abby, if you help me here, people might start thinking you’re the Luna


    again, and it could be a hassle, just like you said.”


    “Don''t worry, I’ve got my disguise on,” | say, tapping my baseball hat. “I learned a thing or two from someone who used to go


    incognito all the time for me.”


    Karl raises an eyebrow, a smirk ying on his lips. “Oh, did you now? Well, in that case, what’s your fake name for today, Miss


    Incognito?”


    I give it a moment of thought, then offer a yful suggestion. “How about... Jane?”


    Karl chuckles. “Very creative, Jane Doe,” he says. “Nice to meet you.”


    With that, Karl shows me the ropes. Just like the kid at the front of the parking lot said, it''s obscenely simple: there are boxes of


    food and bags of clothes, each one clearlybeled. All | need to do is pay attention to who’s next in line, and give them the


    appropriate clothes.


    “Unfortunately, they don’t really get a say on the clothes,” Karl says as he exins it to me. “But they can always re-donate stuff


    they don’t want. Oh, and if someone is looking for baby stuff, direct them over there.”


    As he speaks, he points over to the front door of themunity center, where there’s a booth just for baby things: clothes, toys,


    nkets, form, anything like that. | make a mental note to remember that, and return to my task at hand.


    The day flies by faster than | realize, what with how many people areing and going. However, | can’t help but notice how


    Karl interacts with the recipients.


    He’s not just handing out food; he’s actually taking the time to chat with them, ask about their families, and offer a kind word or


    two. It seems as though he really cares, and | hope that’s really the case and it’s not just for publicity.


    At one point, after a family of three passes by and thanks Alpha Karl for his contributions, there’s a lull in activity.


    | nce over at Karl, nudging him with my elbow to get his attention. “You’ve surprised me today,” | say.


    He looks at me, a hint of shock in his eyes. “Oh? Have |?”


    I nod. “Yeah, you have. You never would''ve done something like this in the past. And you''ve got a way with people, I''ll give you


    that.”


    He smiles, a genuine warmth in his expression. “Well, | guess I''ve learned a thing or two from someone,” he says.


    His words made me blush, but


    there’s no time to dwell on it; there’


    another wave ppands\toring?and


    the danls Hifnost over. We don’t want


    to be sending people away at closing


    time, so we decide to move faster.


    Please read the original content at


    NovelDrama.Org.


    Before | know it, another hour has


    passed. My back and my feet are


    sore and there''s a lightyer {sweat


    under my_c thesan@in dying to rip


    aaah isguise off, but it still


    feels good. It’s a reminder of what it


    was like when | was a Luna, and ina


    strange way, | guess | do miss it just


    a little bit—minus the publicity. Please


    read the original content at


    NovelDrama.Org.


    As the day draws to a close, however, | look over to see that Karl is gone. Frowning, | look around, but don’t see him. Did he go


    home? Did something happen?


    “Care to join me, Jane?”


    The sound of his voice snaps me out of my reverie, and | whirl around to see Karl standing behind me.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He’s got a cheeky grin on his face


    and two cups of something im


    each of his hapdenniait see e


    tendrifa of steam curling out of each


    cup, and judging from the smell, | can


    guess what it is. Please read the


    original content at NovelDrama.Org.


    Hot apple cider; my favorite.