Story: Middle Part 27
[[Continuity Note: Jessica and Alf told Jessica's parents that Damien has magical powers. I don't want to write the next scene so this is filler interlude... I think I'm running out of plot, anyway. My story's going to finish far short of 50 000 words.]]
On Saturday morning, Alf was sitting at the breakfast table with a bowl of Weet Bix and banana slices when his mother came traipsing in with far too much good cheer for that time of the morning.
"Good morning, Alfie," she greeted him with beaming smile.
"Morning, mum," Alf responded before shoving another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.
She sat at the table beside him. "Is that enough for you?" she asked. "I could make pancakes or something. I'm sure we've got eggs."
Alf shook his head. "I'm fine." He honestly didn't think he'd manage to stomach that much this early in the morning. Not to mention he was looking at the prospect of visiting Damien's house later to tell him the good news. And that was not a happy prospect.
"Are you sure?" his mother asked, outwardly a little put out that there seemed to be nothing she could do to make her son's mood match her own.
"Sorry mum." Alf was apologetic.
"It's not your fault," she sighed, getting up from the table and rummaging in the fridge, presumably to see to her own breakfast.
"I'm sorry I haven't been home as much, recently."
His mother turned to give him a sad smile. "You needn't apologise. You're growing up. That's what teenagers do."
"That doesn't mean I don't feel guilty sometimes."
"Well," his mother suggested. "If you've got time to spare today, you could make it up to us. Your father's home from work for once. We could go on a picnic or something."
It took Alf a moment to wonder if he should get right on the Damien situation or if it could wait a day. Surely it could wait a day. It wasn't every day that his father had the day off. The Alduses would surely understand that. In the moment that Alf took to think this over, Mrs Struthers began to grow worried that her son truly didn't want to spend any time with them.
So she was a little startled when Alf suddenly suggested "Let's go to the beach. It's been warm the past few days."
"Sure," she nodded. "I've just got to get some things together. Did you want to invite Damien?"
Alf winced.
"Still not talking to you?" his mother asked rhetorically. "He'll come around." His mother just reminded him of his duties. Damien would come around, merely because Alf would have to make him. "Did you want to invite Jessica instead, then?"
Alf shook his head. "It'd be nice just us."
His mother smiled. "We'll I'm going to get some food ready. You should pack a bag and tell your dad what we're doing."
"Okay," Alf nodded, then headed upstairs. First he knocked on his parents' door, telling his father that they were going to the beach. He didn't seem too enthusiastic, but Alf thought that had something to do with the fact that he'd been woken from his sleep.
He headed into his room and quickly called Jessica on her coin. She didn't pick up, so he left her a message and hoped that it would be okay.
Alf took it upon himself to pack a backpack for himself. He changed into his board shorts, slipped on some thongs and a shirt then went in search of sunscreen. He threw that and a towel, his magical orb and mp3 player into a backpack. He brought that downstairs and looked observed his parents. His mother had packed a bag full of junk food and water bottles. His father was sitting shirtless at the table, hurriedly eating his breakfast of scramble eggs and English muffins.
"Put a shirt on, dad," Alf complained.
He just grinned at his son. "Sorry son, if your mother couldn't make me, why do you think you'd have better luck?"
Alf raised a metaphorical eyebrow. With all the attempting of that gesture, he was certain that in a few months he'd actually be able to raise his right brow. "Well, maybe the combined power of our disgust would be enough?"
"Oh your mother was far from disgusted," his father smirked.
Alf's eyes widened and he sank into a chair covering his eyes and ears by virtue of the fact that he was graced with unusually large hands and a smallish head. "Not listening, not listening."
Mr Struthers laughed at his son's antics and leaned up to plant a kiss on his wife.
"All right, all right," Mrs Struthers stated, lifting plates from the table and placing them in the sink. "We'll just get changed and be ready to go soon."
Half an hour later, his parents were ready and they loaded themselves into their car, headed for the nearest beach.
When they got there it wasn't too crowded, despite the warmth of the weather recently. They set out their towels and sank the beach umbrella into the ground.
Alf ran off to soak quickly, swimming out as far as he dared, remembering to keep between the flags. He hovered in the shallows until he was tired and consequently ravenous before heading back to the set up that his parents were still occupying.
His mother laughed at him as he collapsed onto his towel, complaining of a deadly empty stomach.
"I thought you wanted to spend some time with us, Alfie," his mother goaded.
Alf instantly felt guilty and turned to face his mother. "You have me for the rest of the afternoon."
"Fish and chips for lunch, then?" Alf's dad asked.
"Of course," Alf nodded. He went off and Alf lazily stretched on his towel.
The Struthers family spent a relaxing afternoon at the beach, lounging on the sand and sharing jokes. It was late before they even thought of going home, so grabbed dinner at a McDonalds before heading home.
Alf would have had a much nicer time of it if he hadn't had his Damien issue hanging over his head. He took a deep breath as he tried to get to sleep, his nervousness keeping him up. He could do it. After all, what's the worst that could happen? Damien could try to keep him out, but he knew pretty well how to get through a door. Damien could hurl insults, but what could he say that would hurt more than what had already occurred? Damien could try to attack him, but with his training, and Damien's lack of training, he should be okay. Even if Damien did have better reflexes. And anyway, the Alduses knew where he was, and they'd be able to come to his rescue quickly enough... not to mention collectively they were sure to be better than Damien. It was going to be okay. He hoped.
[[End scene.]]
posted by Cedric @ 5:30 pm
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