Touch of Hellfire

☕️15☕️

"Ugh," Mom groaned, looking at a crossword book. "I hate these, they make me feel stupid."

"Then don't do them," Rory suggested. "It also shows cowardice," Mom pointed out. "Ooh who's the new guy?"

"Marty," Rory told her. "Dean's out of town so he's his sub," Rory explained to her as we were lining up at Doose's.

"He twirls the salsa before bagging it," I pointed out. "Ambitious, Dean's got some competition."

"Evil!" Rory elbowed me. "Dean's the only one that can reach the top shelves."

"So doing doubles Taylor?" Mom asked him. "Well, I like to fill in every now and then," he told her. "I also have a chance to keep an eye on the 'keep a penny' pot, make sure people aren't talking them for their own personal gain."

By people he means Jess.

"Hey, it's the 'Movie in the Square Night' again," Rory picked up a flyer. "We'll be there."

"What's the movie?" I asked him. "It's going to be something great young lady, a real winner," Taylor told me.

"Then what is it?" I challenged him. If it's The Yearling again, I'm complaining about Taylor's lack of change in the next town meeting.

"It's a surprise," Taylor grumbled. "Just tell me," I ordered. "Because it's The Yearling again," Mom told me.

"Oh come on!" I moaned. "It's a fine wholesome motion picture," Taylor informed me. "That you showed the last three times!" I exclaimed. "Pick. A. Different. Movie."

"I'm getting a little tired of hearing you complain."

"Well I'm getting tired by the lack of variation, I know that script off by heart!"

"A lot of hard work and careful planning go into those nights young lady. You have never helped out or volunteered. If you can't participate without a smile and a hug then you shouldn't participate at all," Taylor nagged me.

"I ain't moving until you pick another one," I made my point clear.

"Then you do it!" Taylor snapped. "I will," I smirked. "Pick a movie, any movie in the universe! I do not care!" he ranted.

We left Doose's. "Heather Victoria Gilmore has Taylor's crown!" Mom laughed.

"I'm helping," Rory piped up.

The next morning I was literally glued to my shelf.

"Okay, so we got Wizard of Oz, Rocky, Crimes and Misdemeanours, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Arthur, Sophie's Choice," I was going through my collection.

"Rory! It's six forty five!"

"And?" Rory called down from my room. "Wednesday," Mom told her. "Dad," Rory bolted down the stairs with me close behind.

After that fight with Mom and Dad, things got normal again as the days went by. Except with what went on between Mom and Dad.

Rory and I put the phone on speaker in my room. "Hey kiddos."

"Hey Dad!" we said into the phone. "What's going on?" he asked us.

"Heather is going through her movie collection while we're getting ready for school," Rory told him. "Heather, why are you doing that?"

"There's this festival in our town, our town has an outdoor movie festival every year and I'm picking because I annoyed the guy that usually does it," I explained. "So how's Sherry?"

"Nothing much is going on over here, same old, same old, I have to cut this talk short but I sent you both emails and I'll add an extra forty minutes for next week, deal?"