Complete Chaos

063

"The law," Erica said, walking into the kitchen. She held a Minute Maid juice box as she said, "What is this, Gunsmoke? The Stupid and the Ugly," she mocked. She placed the juice box on the kitchen island.

Melody turned her body, eyeing the juice. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish settling the cup down. Julia stood in front of Melody with one hand on her leg to keep her safe. 

"Should I round up the posse? Saddle the horses?"

"Erica. Please, just go away," Lucas said, annoyed across from her.

"Here's the deal," she stood up straight. "Either you tell me what's happening," she glanced at Lucas and pointed at his friends, "or I tell Dustin and Julia what I found under your bed."

Julia scrunched her nose because she didn't want to know what the teenage boy had under his bed.

Dustin lifted his eyebrows and stared at his friend.

"Please, no," Lucas begged.

"Spill your guts, cowpuncher."

"What'd she find," Dustin asked, intrigued. "Nothing," Lucas answered quickly.

"Is it gross? Scale of one to ten," Dustin asked, looking at Erica. "A hundred," the young girl answered.

Julia glanced at the boy.

Melody moved her hand, wanting to get the unattended juice box.

"A hundred?" Lucas knew he wouldn't win against Erica.

He had all eyes on him; he caved in. "The serial killer is a dark wizard from the Upside Down. And we've been looking for him, but he's in the Upside Down, which we can't reach," Lucas said rapidly.

Erica grabbed her juice box. Melody frowned "mama," she whined.

Erica slurped the juice as Lucas continued, "At least we thought we couldn't until we found a gate at Lover's Lake. That was the reason why we were there, but these stupid cops grabbed us."

Dustin shushed him since Lucas was raising his voice after every word. The plastic cup was no longer in Melody's possession instead was rolling down the counter. Julia stopped it before it went over the edge.

Melody moved her hands, wanting the cup again. "Don't drop it," Julia said, giving Melody the cup again.

Her daughter smiled with the cup in hand and started hitting the counter with it. Before the cup smashed with the counter again, Julia caught the cup "don't do that, please," she told Melody.

As it was expected, the eight-month-old didn't listen to her mother and continued to hit the cup against the counter.

Julia took the cup from Melody's grip. The young girl fought long and hard with her strength, not letting go of the cup.

Seeing that Melody wasn't going to give her the cup and if she took it by force, she knew Melody would cry at the top of her lungs since she wanted her daughter to stop hitting the counter. Julia came up with a little game.

The game was simple; it had the same concept as tug of war. Instead of the rope, it was the cup; the leaders of each team were Melody and Julia, with no extra players, only the two of them. Mother vs. daughter.

Melody seemed to enjoy the game, moving the cup back and forth. Julia smiled proudly at herself; her daughter was happily focused on something else and wouldn't destroy Mrs. Wheeler's kitchen.

Lucas leaned his elbows on the top of the kitchen island. He lowered his voice, "And if you tell anyone about this, that's including Mom and Dad and Tina," he added a finger after every name.