Back to Normal
Chapter 31: Back to Normal
This is it, y'all. The prequel to Wilde At Heart is finally done. And I swear, one day I'll have a title for it.
“Deeeeeeeeeeeeean,” Sally hurtled out of Wilde at Heart and launched herself at the older girl as soon as she was in sight. After a moment she leapt back as if scorched. “Oh gods, I didn’t hurt you, did I? Your last phone message said you were okay, are you okay?”
Dean smiled. “I’m fine, Sally. However,” she lightly smacked the other girl on the arm, “I want to know where the fuckerty fuck have you been? I had to leave a phone message because I haven’t been able to get a hold of you. If your Dad didn’t send me nightly updates, I would have hauled ass back here thinking you were dead or something.”
Sally blushed. “I’m sorry, Dean. I… uh, I met someone.”
“Oh Christ,” Dean rolled her eyes. “And how long do you expect this one to keep your attention?”
“I gave Gentry an ultimatum,” Sally answered.
“Oh Christ,” Dean repeated, but in a much softer and astonished tone. “And he didn’t…”
“Say a word,” Sally filled in.
Further conversation was lost by Cody and Ben entering the bookstore, their postures tense.
The reason for this was clear a few seconds later when a slurred and young voice called out, “Bunch of… fa... faglets is what you all are. Shouldn’t you… havbeen run outta town by now?”
Shaking his head, Ben turned to the obviously drunk tourist and made shooing gestures with his hands as if warding off a wasp. “Bugger right off.”
“Bug… buggy you!”
“Go on,” Cody leaned over his father’s shoulder and pointed down the road, “off you fuck.”
“Go screw yourself, pretty boy,” the young tourist spat, or tried to but he found his mouth too dry to achieve his ends.
“We’ll be here all day if I have to explain the laws of physics and biology that render that command null and void,” Cody shot back smoothly closing the door of the shop.
A small rock sailed through the door’s glass a second or two later, falling short of doing anybody any injury. “Fuck off,” came the closing reply.
Dean yanked open the door, but Ben put a restraining hand. “He’s not worth it. Tourists leave; we’re much better off being approved of by the townsfolk.”
Growling, Dean returned to heft her duffel bag to her shoulder. “Well, I’m gonna head home and catch up on the sleep I’ve missed these past couple days.”
“You all right there, Dean?” Ben asked, already taping a rainbow patch over the small hole in the door.
“Another demon sent back to Hell,” Dean rolled her shoulders and winced through the cracks and pops. “A night of real rest and I’ll be fine in the morning.”
Cody was sweeping up the glass shards as he said, “Don’t come in until at least lunchtime.”
Nodding, Dean popped next door to say hello to Karl and Taylor before she headed home to crash.
The door to Wilde at Heart opened and all the anxiety Sally had felt watching the previous exchange dissipated. “Louis,” she said as though the name said aloud had some sort of healing properties.
“What happened here?” The young man in question asked.
“Drunk, bigoted tourist,” Cody answered, checking carefully to see if any shards were left on the wood.
Louis lifted his t-shirt slightly to reveal his wand tucked into the waistband of his jeans. “I could give him a nasty case of boils, if you like?”
“Wow, you’re evil. I am so into you,” Sally giggled, leaning up to kiss her boyfriend.
Ben shook his head. “I think the hangover will be punishment enough. He didn’t do much harm anyway.” Clapping his hands together, Ben said, “So, let’s get a proper start to this morning. Sally?”
“I’ll grab the coffee,” said the teenager.
“I’ll help,” volunteered Louis.
“Then I’ve got to update the Big Book O’ Books,” Sally added. Even though the entire inventory was stored on a computer, there was still a huge ledger that the family added to whenever new books came in.
“I, for one, have to measure that back corner so we can see just how big an armchair we can tuck into it,” Cody grinned at his sister, knowing it was due to her fervent pleading for the armchair that their Dad was going to order one.
Sally squealed in joy and hugged her father’s neck. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll make sure Karl throws in an extra muffin for you!” Taking Louis’ hand, the couple walked next door.
“I’m going to dive into that stack of books in the back room and see if I can make a dent in their numbers,” Ben smiled. “Send a dashing hero with a rope around his waist if you don’t see me after three hours.”
“Will do,” Cody said with a small salute. A customer came in just after Ben disappeared and started to wander around with an appreciative look at the many tomes filling the shelves. Cody took a deep breath and smiled. This was the day, he decided, the day things felt as if they were back to normal.
This is it, y'all. The prequel to Wilde At Heart is finally done. And I swear, one day I'll have a title for it.
“Deeeeeeeeeeeeean,” Sally hurtled out of Wilde at Heart and launched herself at the older girl as soon as she was in sight. After a moment she leapt back as if scorched. “Oh gods, I didn’t hurt you, did I? Your last phone message said you were okay, are you okay?”
Dean smiled. “I’m fine, Sally. However,” she lightly smacked the other girl on the arm, “I want to know where the fuckerty fuck have you been? I had to leave a phone message because I haven’t been able to get a hold of you. If your Dad didn’t send me nightly updates, I would have hauled ass back here thinking you were dead or something.”
Sally blushed. “I’m sorry, Dean. I… uh, I met someone.”
“Oh Christ,” Dean rolled her eyes. “And how long do you expect this one to keep your attention?”
“I gave Gentry an ultimatum,” Sally answered.
“Oh Christ,” Dean repeated, but in a much softer and astonished tone. “And he didn’t…”
“Say a word,” Sally filled in.
Further conversation was lost by Cody and Ben entering the bookstore, their postures tense.
The reason for this was clear a few seconds later when a slurred and young voice called out, “Bunch of… fa... faglets is what you all are. Shouldn’t you… havbeen run outta town by now?”
Shaking his head, Ben turned to the obviously drunk tourist and made shooing gestures with his hands as if warding off a wasp. “Bugger right off.”
“Bug… buggy you!”
“Go on,” Cody leaned over his father’s shoulder and pointed down the road, “off you fuck.”
“Go screw yourself, pretty boy,” the young tourist spat, or tried to but he found his mouth too dry to achieve his ends.
“We’ll be here all day if I have to explain the laws of physics and biology that render that command null and void,” Cody shot back smoothly closing the door of the shop.
A small rock sailed through the door’s glass a second or two later, falling short of doing anybody any injury. “Fuck off,” came the closing reply.
Dean yanked open the door, but Ben put a restraining hand. “He’s not worth it. Tourists leave; we’re much better off being approved of by the townsfolk.”
Growling, Dean returned to heft her duffel bag to her shoulder. “Well, I’m gonna head home and catch up on the sleep I’ve missed these past couple days.”
“You all right there, Dean?” Ben asked, already taping a rainbow patch over the small hole in the door.
“Another demon sent back to Hell,” Dean rolled her shoulders and winced through the cracks and pops. “A night of real rest and I’ll be fine in the morning.”
Cody was sweeping up the glass shards as he said, “Don’t come in until at least lunchtime.”
Nodding, Dean popped next door to say hello to Karl and Taylor before she headed home to crash.
The door to Wilde at Heart opened and all the anxiety Sally had felt watching the previous exchange dissipated. “Louis,” she said as though the name said aloud had some sort of healing properties.
“What happened here?” The young man in question asked.
“Drunk, bigoted tourist,” Cody answered, checking carefully to see if any shards were left on the wood.
Louis lifted his t-shirt slightly to reveal his wand tucked into the waistband of his jeans. “I could give him a nasty case of boils, if you like?”
“Wow, you’re evil. I am so into you,” Sally giggled, leaning up to kiss her boyfriend.
Ben shook his head. “I think the hangover will be punishment enough. He didn’t do much harm anyway.” Clapping his hands together, Ben said, “So, let’s get a proper start to this morning. Sally?”
“I’ll grab the coffee,” said the teenager.
“I’ll help,” volunteered Louis.
“Then I’ve got to update the Big Book O’ Books,” Sally added. Even though the entire inventory was stored on a computer, there was still a huge ledger that the family added to whenever new books came in.
“I, for one, have to measure that back corner so we can see just how big an armchair we can tuck into it,” Cody grinned at his sister, knowing it was due to her fervent pleading for the armchair that their Dad was going to order one.
Sally squealed in joy and hugged her father’s neck. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll make sure Karl throws in an extra muffin for you!” Taking Louis’ hand, the couple walked next door.
“I’m going to dive into that stack of books in the back room and see if I can make a dent in their numbers,” Ben smiled. “Send a dashing hero with a rope around his waist if you don’t see me after three hours.”
“Will do,” Cody said with a small salute. A customer came in just after Ben disappeared and started to wander around with an appreciative look at the many tomes filling the shelves. Cody took a deep breath and smiled. This was the day, he decided, the day things felt as if they were back to normal.