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 Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:05 pm
Tis the season! Right? Wrong! So wrong! So very very wrong! Melody shifted her weight from one leg to the other, glowering at the woman six people ahead of her who was unloading her groceries onto the belt. Are you kidding me? This is the express line woman! Twelve items or less, lord learn your numbers.18… 19… 20… And the items kept coming. Oh my God, just because you have three of the same yoplait yogurt flavors doesn't mean they count as one. The cashier still has to scan them all. Her mental trade continued while her frown deepened, pursing her lips in a heightened level of irritation.
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:18 pm
All she needed was a bag of white chocolate chips for making a marble fudge which she had but her brothers golden retriever pulled the bag off the table and tore off outside with it. Twenty-five minutes in line all because of people like the woman at the front who got in lines they weren’t supposed to. Next time Eric could tote his own damn a** to the store. Finding a parking was bad enough but this… this brought her to new levels of creativity that would probably have Negaverse agents taking notes.
“Let’s see. Milk. Eggs. Cream. Sugar.” Delilah was checking off her list as she pushed the cart away from the checkout line and towards the exit. Everything her mother has asked for her to grab before heading home seemed to be in order. Only one thing they were out of and well, she figured her father could carry out finding the champagnie.
Slipping the list back into her bag, Delilah humphed to herself before she had to stop a moment as a woman pushed her cart and cut her off. Clearly people were very into their own little worlds and not paying attention to anyone else around them.
But in that little pause, it gave Delilah a moment to look around and glance back. That was when she managed to notice a very familiar loop of blonde hair. Blinking, she pulled her cart to the side and waited with a grin on her face.
“Well hello there stranger. Merry Christmas.”
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:20 pm
“Heeyyy,” Melody replied with a bit of a grunted laugh at the end. A sound only someone thoroughly unamused would make. “Last minute shopping before the big feast?” She asked, noting the mix of ingredients and general grocery list items Delilah had in her bag.
“At least it looks like you made it through the swarm of people relatively unscathed.” The blond finally cracked a smile for the first time in the last few hours before finally letting out a light chuckle. As if on queue the cashier at the front handed the elderly couple their receipt and said her farewells.
Melody moved forward as much as the line would allow, a little less miffed but at least glad for the temporary distraction her former intern brought with her. “How are you doing? Any big plans for the holidays?”
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 10:57 am
Delilah could tell by her voice that Melody was anything but amused. She had a sneaking feeling it had to do with the crowd but so close to the holidays left little doubt in Delilah’s mind that things would only get worse here. “Just the traditional family things. Mass and dinner with the immediate family Christmas eve and then Christmas day with the extended. I got stuck with cookie duty this year. Thank the heavens decor is on the little chefs.” Delilah sighed, wondering how she managed to get stuck with the bake and decorate group. Oh that's right. She was college age and single. “What has you here in this zoo? Clearly not the delightful cheer that is slamming carts and screaming babies.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:53 pm
“Nooo…” Melody shook her head in tandem with her response. “Trust me I would rather be at work setting up for the next production then be in this madhouse.”
Another customer bid farewell and another step forward towards freedom. Finally, the line’s actually moving. Now to shuffle that woman out the door and we will be on a roll!
“My brother rescued a two year old golden retriever, Duke, and brought him to our parents house. Unfortunately the little nugget isn’t very well trained yet. We kind of suspect that his former owner starved him because the moment I turned my back to my last bag-” she held up the one she was currently holding for emphasis, “of chocolate chips, the little punk snatched it off the counter and bolted.”
“Thank god it wasn’t the regular chips otherwise we’d have a vet visit to deal with too.” This is why she was a cat person. Curious at times but generally lazy.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:40 pm
As soon as she saw the bag of white chocolate chips, Delilah winced. Chocolate and dogs. Never a good thing. “So then how did you end up on the errand run and not your brother? Would have sent him packing.”
But, tis the season and one she was glad to be an only child for. “Unless he is handling the dog and giving it a crash course in manners at the table.”
Joking was one thing. It was still a serious matter that someone...anyone could do that to an animal. Those people were worse than agents.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:41 pm
“Trust me I almost did.” Melody let out an undignified snort. “But no, he’s got to keep an eye on Duke to make sure he doesn’t get sick all over the house. My parents have a split level house so Eric’s keeping his dog downstairs an out of people's way, at least until everyone’s out of the kitchen and the foods been put away.”
The last thing anyone needed was for the dog to get his paws into the stuffing or sweet potatoes. Usually Melody was fine with animals, hell she took care of a friends bird for a while that had a thing for biting her but this was one time that her brother should have got a dog sitter or set him up in a doggy daycare kennel facility for a day or two until he was properly house trained.Blessed be whatever God existed, at least Duke knew to go pee outside; that’s what truly mattered.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:41 pm
“Brave brave souls.” Delilah smirked, nodding her head to the side signaling they should walk out together. She had other things she wanted to ask her former boss but here, talking where others could hear here was not the place.
“Or foolish. Family had no pets rule for a reason outside of my Aunt’s tiny thing. Mostly because if we tried to lock it away, it would cry….for hours.” Delilah shook her head, smirking at the memory.
“What are you making anyway?”
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:42 pm
“Eh, I was trying to make a marble fudge with white chocolate and regular chocolate. I would have just opted to make a regular but I would have still had to come to the store regardless because I’d only have enough for a half batch.” And if anyone knew her family, that just wouldn’t fly. Her mother alone was a bit of a chocolate fiend but once you mix eric in well... Nobody else would get a piece. For a lot of people pie was the traditional desert, not hers.
Blessedly the line moved forward again and what she thought was two individual customers were actually a couple waiting in line together Oh thank god.
“Hello mam, were you able to find everything you were looking for?” The cashier beamed a smile in their direction. What a trooper, there’s no way I’d be smiling like that after dealing with so many idiots.
“Thankfully, yes.” Melody handed the young woman her bag of white chocolate chips which were promptly scanned and placed in a plastic bag. A few buttons pressed and her total rang up on the flat screen monitor above the register.
“3.49 is your total.” The girl spoke as if she had rehearsed this a million times; almost drone like in a way.
“Here you go!” Handing the girl a five dollar bill, Melody stuck the plastic bag in her side bag then grabbed her change from the dispenser and put it back in her wallet along with the single bill Christy handed her.
“Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful holiday.”
“You as well.” With a smile Melody drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she walked towards the automatic doors. “Are you heading home now or do you still have some more shopping to do?”
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:43 pm
Watching it all play out, Delilah stood behind her cart, slowly shaking her head. She could tell Melody was fed up with well...all of it? But it wasn’t like the raven hair woman could blame her. If he wasn’t for her family she wouldn’t have been out in this either. Holidays…
Joyous was not the word she would use for it.
“Heading back home. Got to get all of this prepped and at least one batch in the oven. We always have those who don’t want to make anything but want to eat them.” With a shrug, she followed Melody to the doors and cocked her head to make sure they were alone. “But now that I have seen you, just want to make sure you are okay. Nothing happened with...sparkles and dress?”
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:43 pm
“There was a long haired chick and someone sprung out of a mirror at me; but nothing really happened in either case. There were two incidents with monsters but they got taken care of by someone else who was also present.” Melody shrugged as if all of it was nothing more than a walk in the park.
“Other than that I've been exploring my wonder.” She continued while stepping through the sliding doors into the brisk cold evening air. The sky that opened above them gave her reason to pause and caused another customer to run their cart into her back. A pointed glare and muttered curse escaped the brunette as she passed by the two in haste all of which went ignored as Melody stepped aside. “Now that's a sight I haven't seen in years” Ribbons of blue and green waving like a flag in a gentle summer breeze fanned across the skies horizon, beautifully breathtaking; a moment to be remembered.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:45 pm
“That’s good to hear.” Delilah offered. It was strange to say that in a way as most would have taken her lack of interaction as a poor sign. A sign she wasn’t doing her so called ‘job’. To Delilah though, it was a relief. Just because one awaked a lost powered did not mean they needed to jump into the frying pan.
“One day when we both have time I would…” Delilah’s train of thought died as she followed Melody's eyes upward to the break in the clouds. She was blinking quickly trying to realize if what she was seeing was real or a sugar high. Oh it was real.
“Well now. Christmas miracle or space invaders?” She offered with a playful shrug. “Or we are suddenly in Alaska. Because I don’t think those should be visible down here.” Not that she minded at that moment because as the heavens danced, she just couldn’t accept that something so beautiful could be deadly.
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:45 pm
“The fact you just asked that makes me wonder…” Melody glanced over, one brow raised as if anticipating a story to again along with the comment. “This being Destiny City, I really wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.” It had been seven years almost since she last saw a similar sight; still as wondrous as it was before.
“Anyway it's freezing out here and I need to get going. Give me a call some time when your free ok?”
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:46 pm
Shaking out of her daze, Delilah glanced over at Melody and gave a single nod. “Of course. After we get done with this Holiday craze let’s grab coffee. I need to hear if this dog sticks around or your brother lives.”
Pushing her cart to keep going, Delilah only stopped a moment to call back. “Merry Christmas Melody. Stay safe and try to keep some sanity.”
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 6:48 pm
“Ha, you too!” Melody winked in Delilah’s direction before parting ways. Gingerly making her way across the salted-yet-still-somewhat-slick parking lot to her parked car where the heater blessedly still worked unlike her mothers car which went out yesterday.
Running into acquaintances was always a good thing, well most of the time anyway. This time, however, was no exception and for the sake of her family improved her mood greatly by the time she got home.
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