My So-Called Life
Dallas, TX
Feb. 16th
“BIRFDAY! IT’S MY BIRFDAY!” the young voice of Aaron Madison streamed through the store and as fast as his little legs could carry him, he was running full tilt through the walkways of one the many Dallas Walmart’s.
Hot on his heels, was his big sister, Bella Madison, “AARON!”
Aaron stops at one of the workers, a very tall black gentleman, who stepped out in front of him to slow him down, “HI! IT’S MY BIRFDAY!” This allows his sister ample time to catch up with him and sweep him up into her arms.
“Thank you!” Bella says to the worker, she looks at the name tag, “DeMarcus, thanks for the intercept. We let him walk instead of riding in the cart and turned one minute...”
“It’s all good. Glad I was able to help.” DeMarcus says before turning to the wiggly 3-year-old, “And a Happy Birthday lil dude. Don’t take off on her like that again, alright?”
“K!” Aaron barks out, as DeMarcus walks away. Bella levels her little brother with a glare, and Aaron looks down and whimpers a pathetic, “Sorry, Be.”
“Dude, we had an agreement. You stick with me and Mal and we weren’t gonna force ya to ride in the cart.”
“I am 3 now, I don’t wanna!” Aaron says pouting and folding his arms across his tiny chest.
“Yeah, I know but you blew it kid.” Mal says catching up and pushing a cart, “In ya go.”
Aaron tries to growl at his brother-in-law but Mal just looks at him to say ‘Dude really?’, “Nice try pipsqueak, I invented that.”
Bella snickers as she places her little brother in the seated part of the cart, “I won’t buckle ya in, but try me bro, I dare ya.” The trio make it to the toy department after a bit of whining, “Alright, birthday boy, what are ya thinkin this year?”
“DRUMS!” he waves his arms like he’s playing them already.
“Oh your mother is gonna LOVE that one.” Mal quips with a laugh in his voice.
Bella gives him a quick glare before looking at her brother, “Uh, I don’t know if they have drums here. How about Hot Wheels tracks with cars or something?”
“No, I want drums! So I can play with daddy.” Aaron beams.
That brings up even more laughter, “Oh please, please let this happen.”
Bella sighs, “Ok tell you what, cause I know we’re not gonna find drums here, how about we get something else? And maybe we can order you what you want and we’ll have it delivered to your house?”
Bella wanders off as Aaron kind’ve whimpers, Mal taps him on the shoulder and whispers, “It’ll be alright rugrat, trust me.”
Aaron smiles brightly and reaches up and hugs Mal real quick. That catches a little ole lady’s attention, “Aww, so sweet! You have a real connection with your son like that.”
Mal looks up and can’t help himself, “Actually he’s my brother-in-law.”
“Your...but he’s...”
“I’M THREE! IT’S MY BIRFDAY!”
Bella walks back around with a huge box that features Mario Kart, “Bro, check this out!”
The woman looks at Bella and back to Aaron and Mal and the look on her face is a look of confusion, “Uh, well...” and that’s all she can get out before she just walks away.
Mal smirks, “That’ll never get old.”
“Fun?” Aaron looks at his brother in law with a questionable look.
He laughs, “A lot of fun.”
“You both are silly.” Bella holds up the box, “Speaking of...check this...”
Aaron’s eyes get big, “YAS! And drums?”
Bella sighs and drops it in the cart, “We’ll see.”
She turns her back to them but Mal taps Aaron on the shoulder one more time, “I got you.”
Aaron gives him a high five and they continue through the store.
A RERUN?
“So I just got a text message from my mother, wondering who ordered the drums.” Bella says as she walks into the hotel room.
“I haven’t the foggiest idea what you are talking about.” but he can’t help but smirk, “I’m sure I’ll pay for that one soon enough.”
“She had several curses for you,” she said looking at him, “Trouble maker.”
He just shrugs, “What can I say? I have a bit of a soft spot for the kid.”
“I’ve noticed.” she said, shoving him a little bit.
“Where were you?”
“Trying to keep my motivation up.” she says almost looking deflated, “I understand that I’m sort’ve in this awkward phase right now where I’m back to the beginning of the line but I don’t know...part of me feels like a failure right now when it comes to SCW.”
“Not even close.” Mal tries to protest but she just shakes her head.
“They’re playing with me with kid gloves, Mal.” Bella blurts out, “It’s round fuckin’ 2 with Chloe Benton after I soundly schooled her at Inception. I don’t know what I gotta do but playing best of what the hell ever with the greenhorn isn’t exactly my idea of getting myself back into the main event picture.”
“So repeat the process? Remember what I told you then?” Mal says looking right at her, “I told you flat out that you have every tool in the box that you have taken from your parents and what you have learned from everywhere else. Are you going to seriously let a repeat in matches deter you from what you really want?”
“No. I just am really annoyed by it.” Bella says before she smirks, “I guess I’m just gonna have to go Phoenix 101 on the poor girl again.”
“Sounds like a plan. Besides, you could be worse off.”
Bella looks at him with one eyebrow up, “How so?”
“You could be teamed up with Todd Williams in the BFTP like Lanah.”
Bella laughs, “We’ll thank the Gods for me having the good sense to trust my PTSD instincts then, eh?”
“That you can, love. That you can.”
