Countdown/New World Man

William clinched his teeth.

“And how long are you going to stay here?” he asked. The old lady looked up at him. She raised an eyebrow.

“Hm?” she asked.

“How long do you plan to stay here?” William asked again. Liz and Clover sat at the table, staring quietly. The old lady kind of smiled.

“Why do you ask?” she asked. William tried not to scream at her.

“No reason,” he lied. The girls’ grandma gave him a puzzled look.

“You don’t look so good,” she said. “Are you sleeping well?”

“Yes,” he growled. The clock ticked in the background. The girls looked at each other. Should they do something? The two old people glared at each other.

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The old biddies sat in the library. Lewis rubbed her forehead and groaned.

“I can’t take this anymore,” she said. “My niece has to go.”

“Have you asked her why she won’t leave?” Aisha asked. The farmer looked at her through the cracks of her hands.

“To torture me,” she complained. “What else could it be?”

“Maybe she needs your help?” Muriel suggested. The farmer looked up at her with her eyes narrowed.

“You can’t be serious,” she said.

“What do you want us to say?” Aisha asked. Clyde smacked Lewis on the back.

“Cheer up, Lewis!” she shouted. “You’ll think of somethin’!”

“Ow,” the farmer whispered. The leader cut her a cold look as she hit the dirty old biddy in the back of her head.

“Ow,” Clyde muttered.

“Don’t be so loud,” she hissed.

“Shhh!” a librarian hissed. The four old biddies looked up.

“Sorry, Aisha, Muriel, and Lewis whispered. Clyde just sat there, rubbing the back of her head.

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It’s another day at the Sunny Plum. Tucker and Annie stood at the counter, waiting for customers. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Your sister is coming today, isn’t she?” he asked.

“Uh-huh,” Annie said. Tucker groaned and rubbed his forehead. His wife turned her head.

“What?” she asked. He forced himself to grin.

“Nothing,” the man lied. Annie narrowed her eyes at him.

“What do you have against my sister?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Tucker said. “Nothing at all.” His wife glared at him.

“Why do you always lie about her?” she asked.

“I’m not!” he said.

“There you go again,” Annie complained. “Why do you not like her?” Tucker threw back his head and groaned.

“She’s just…” he said. Annie put her hands on her hips.

“What?” she asked. He gave her the side-eye.

“Are you really going to make me say it?” Tucker asked. “No, I’m not going to do it this time. Uh-uh. No. No way.” His wife frowned and walked back into the kitchen.

“What?” Tucker asked.

“Liar!” Annie shouted from the kitchen. Her husband rolled his eyes and finished wiping down a glass.

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William and Lewis were stuck with family members that they didn’t want around. But yet they can’t get rid of them. So what were they going to do?  They families and friends were not helping, by the way. This was going to be a long summer, wasn’t it? Oh buddy…

End