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Shook Chapter 7: The Last Errand
Mrs. Blue was on a misson. There was only one day left before the family trip, and she had to clear the shopping list before then. The younger twins needed some new swim trunks, and Dyan being a runaway orphan, needed some brand new clothes entirley. While she drove as swiftly as she could, the children in the back sat quietly-but not for long...
Azure sat across the table from Dyan and Wild Yonder. He stood two fingers from each hand on the table, and began to make them poke each other, with sound effects courtesy of his mouth.
“Mom, can we celebrate Christmas this year please!? I want a new gaming controller! Y’know, the one with the army fatigue on it!?” Wild Yonder pleaded.
“No.”
Wild Yonder groaned. “Our family is probably the only one in the world who doesn’t celebrate Christmas.”
"My friend Aiden’s getting a bike for Christmas, and I want a bike to keep up with him.” Azure saud, frowning.
Wild Yonder smacked his teeth. “The only Christmas presents we get are from our cousins, and even then Mom says we can’t open them until New Year’s Day.”
“Why don’t y'all celebrate Christmas?” Dyan asked.
“Lots of reasons." Mrs. Blue answered. "One of them being our family’s too big for all of us to be getting all those presents. We wouldn’t be able to go on family trips like this if we used vacation money on the holidays. Besides, the stores are always too busy, and fussy for me to even think about gift shopping for nine people. That’s why for New Year’s Eve, each person in our family gets assigned three people to give presents to so that every one of us gets three presents.”
“But I want a bike!” Azure groaned. “And I bet I won’t get a bike on New Year's Eve!”
“And I bet I won’t even get a new game. I’ve basically finished all the games we have at home!” Wild Yonder added.
While the twins bikered Dyan kept thinking if she even got ONE present for Christmas, She'd be happy.
Soon they turned into the shopping center, where multi-colored christmas trees, present boxes, and wire-reindeer lined the grass.
They went into a huge supermarket. The small group was constantly side-stepping people as they walked by. Everyone inside was rushing around buying gift cards and toys.
“This is unbearable,” Wild Yonder mumbled.
“There’s barely any carts left!” Mrs. Blue shook her head at the measly two carts left within three long metal rows.
“Can I push the cart?” Azure asked.
“No.” Mrs. Blue told him. “You’re just going to run around the store with it.”
“No I won’t! Please?” Azure begged.
Mrs. Blue huffed.“Fine. Go get the cart, but no running around this place. We don’t have time to play games.”
Azure slowly walked over to the carts, grabbed one, and then gained some speed as he walked back, making truck noises with his mouth.
“Now, sorry to say it… but there are a few things we need besides clothing,” Mrs. Blue gave the children a weak smile.
"What!?" Wild Yonder's face wrinkled.
Yes, there is other stuff we need to get by before the trip. Like eggs for tonight's dinner. But if we stick to the list and quit complaining, we'll get it done in no time. How about we be team Get It Done today? Team-" Mrs. Blue looked up in thought. "-Team G.I.D.!"
Dyan winced.
"Please, don't ever make a team name again." Azure groaned.
“Let me get the stuff! Please! If you send me out to grab stuff, we can leave faster!” Wild Yonder pleaded.
Azure snorted and struggled to keep his wobbly lips in check.
“No. We need to stick together. And besides, I don’t think I’ll ever let you get anything at the store by yourself after what you did to that fish.
Azure busted out laughing. “The fish!” he yelled.
“What happened with the fish?” Dyan asked Azure.
Azure could barely talk through his laughter. “Well-one day- when we got home from the store, Mom asked Wild Yonder to bring the fish in the house- and right when he got to the front door-” Azure held his sides, “- we heard a big 'PLAP!' And found out Wild Yonder had dropped the fish face down on the ground! Mom was so mad she made this face,” Azure made an angry glare with his eyebrows barely above his eyes and his mouth in a straight line.
Dyan began to laugh along with Azure while Wild Yonder told him to shut up.
Mrs. Blue shushed them all. “Let’s go.”
The crew went to the clothes aisle first. Mrs. Blue spent lots of time picking out swim shorts for the boys while Dyan sat and thought.
Last night she had written about the little energy-filled alien she'd named after Azure getting lost on Earth. They still had to find him before they could leave. Since no one had mysteriously gotten lost in the Blue family, Dyan began to wonder if her book characters were controlled by her or not.
Maybe they live their lives normally, and I’m supposed to write about them, she thought to herself as she looked out the store window at the filled parking lot.
“'Kay Dyan, ready to go pick out some clothes?” Mrs. Blue said with a smile.
“Oh! yeah!" Answered Dyan. "Where’s Wild Yonder?”
“I sent Wild Yonder to go get some cookie samples from the bakery section. C’mon, Azure. Head to the girls’ clothes section.”
Azure groaned once more. He gripped the cart and went speeding over to the girls section, while Mrs. Blue yelled after him.
As Dyan got there, she looked at all the dresses, sweaters, and shirts on the shelves and racks. All of them were bright, colorful, or just made her feel in the holiday spirit.
“Since we’re at the store, can I please get a bike!? I won’t ask for anything on New Year's! Please!?”
“No! Azure! You are not getting a bike! Stop asking!”
Azure groaned his loudest.
“Stop it boy. Go get some eggs. Now. And then go meet up with Wild Yonder.” Mrs. Blue snapped. Azure frowned and drove off, headed for the eggs aisle.
After Dyan had picked out some underclothes she went back to Mrs. Blue.
Mrs. Blue nodded. “Now that we've got hat out of the way and the boys are busy, we can finally get you an outfit!”
Dyan went close to the dress rack, but then turned to Mrs. Blue. “So, what should I pick?”
“Clothes.”
“What kind of clothes?”
“Well, I’d say summer clothes since we’re going to-somewhere hot-and maybe a bathing suit too, since there's a pool, but you can have whatever, just get what you want!”
“Really!?”
Mrs. Blue nodded and smiled.
Dyan felt like the store had suddenly gotten bigger, like there were hundreds of clothes to choose from!
Dyan studied each clothing rack. The clothes I get now will be the only ones I have that aren't hand-me-downs from Royal or Maya. Whatever I choose, I better make them count!
Find out what happens next in the next part!
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