𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒊𝒙𝒕𝒚-𝑻𝒘𝒐 | b. rodriguez

the legend

The video above is Squint's tale about the Beast. I'll let you know when to watch it, if you'd like..

"Mom," I begged, for the thousandth time. "Mom, please."

I was folding the stupid laundry as my mother ironed some clothes the afternoon before the campout.

"Sheila, there is no need for you to spend the night in a– a treehouse with a bunch of ragtag boys."

I knew I was acting like a child, but I didn't care. I was so sick of my mother telling me I couldn't do "unladylike" things that she would go ahead and tell Scotty to do anyways. To hell with ladylike. I wanted to have fun.

"Mom." I sighed, barely holding back my rage. "They're my friends. It's not like they're my, boyfriends or something. Honest, they're all real nice– once you get to know 'em. And my friend, Kate, she might be–"

"Sheila, what part of 'no' do you not understand? And don't speak in such a lazy manner. It's not ladylike."

Ohhhh, ho ho ho, oh no she didn't.

I opened my mouth this time meaning business, but just then the front door opened and my mother and I heard it slam shut from her and Bill's bedroom.

Bill was back.

"Honey," he called. I held back my urge to barf all over the piles of clean laundry I'd sorted. "I'm home."

My mother's annoyed face broke into a smile and she shut off the iron, hurrying into the front hall to greet Bill.

Now's my chance, I thought.

I hurriedly snuck into Scotty's room where he sat on his floor toying with his erector set. He looked up at me when I shut his door behind me.

"She still didn't cave, huh?" he asked.

"Nope. Scott, I need you. She'll only listen to you, and now she's sure to be in a good mood."

"You're right" he said. "I've got an idea. You just go back to doing the laundry and come into the hall with it in about.." he closed his eyes for a moment, calculating the perfect time for me to appear. "Three minutes."

"Okay, ready?"

"Ready."

Then I left Scotty's room, returning to the laundry once again. I heard Scotty's door open, and he went to greet Bill.

Two and a half minutes later, I carried some of the laundry into the hall, lingering in sight for an extra second or two.

"–I don't know, Mom," Scotty said. "Maybe I just shouldn't go."

"Nonsense," she said. "Scotty, Honey, why don't you want to go anymore?"

"I-i don't know.. I just.. Shaye, she makes me braver, and stuff. I don't think I could–"

Bill noticed me standing in the hall.

"Shaye," he said, a look of fake enthusiasm just enough to trick my mother appeared on his smug face.