Star

“I think the witch in Hansel and Gretel was misunderstood,” Muriel said. She reached up as if to grab a cloud. Her friends looked up at her with weird looks on their faces.

“That was rather random,” Lewis said.

“But it’s true,” Muriel said. “I mean, what if she just wanted a nice edible house in case she had guests over? It’s not her fault that fat little children are trespassing on her property.” Aisha sat up.

“Are you just trying to avoid talking about your problems again?” she asked. Muriel looked up at her.

“What problems?” Muriel asked. Lewis and Clyde shook their heads.

“Nothin’!” Clyde was quick to say. Aisha narrowed her eyes, frowning.

“Muriel, you can’t keep avoiding your home and your son like this,” she said.

“Sure I can,” her friend said. Muriel gets up and started walking down the hill. Aisha sat up with a confused look.

“Muriel?” Aisha asked.

“Now you’ve done it,” Lewis said.

“She can’t keep avoiding the situation,” the leader said. “She was the one who asked for us to help get her son out of the house.” Clyde and the farmer narrowed their eyes at her.

“What?” Aisha asked.

“Leave ‘er,” Clyde said. “She’s upset.” The leader gritted her teeth.

“Why can’t you ever speak properly?” she asked under her breath. Clyde lay back, smirking.

----------

William looked around his house. When did this house get so big? Clover moved out and went up to university last year. She was in school locally. Just like Liz, Clover grew tired of Brit-Wales. William didn’t know how to take this at first.

“Are you sure you want this?” he asked.

“Yes,” Clover said. She sounded so determined too. William sighed and dropped his shoulders.

“Fine,” he said. The old man knew that he couldn’t change her mind. So, William helped her pack up and drove her up to New London. Granted, both of his nieces came down to visit him during the summer. (They were coming to visit him tomorrow.) But it wasn’t the same. Muriel talked about how she envied him.

“Lucky you,” she told him yesterday. “You get to have the house all to yourself.” The old biddy frowned. “I’m still stuck with Tre.” But Liz and Clover weren’t Tre. They, especially Clover, kept William in line. But now, he had to fend for himself. The old man had been doing well for himself so far. Yet that wasn’t enough, wasn’t it?

He looked up when he heard the phone ring from the kitchen. William had to drag himself off of the couch and grabbed the receiver.

“Hello?” he asked. The old man perked. “Clover!”

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Lewis, Aisha, and Clyde managed to track Muriel down into town.

“Oi!” Clyde yelled at her friend’s back. The old biddy didn’t even turn around.

“Muriel!” Aisha shouted. She ran to catch up with her. The leader finally grabbed her by the shoulder. Muriel looked up at her with a cold look in her eyes.

“Hey,” Aisha said. “Where are you going?”

“The library,” Muriel answered. Lewis and Clyde looked so confused.

“When was the last time we did that?” the latter asked.

“Well, I’m going now,” their friend said. She broke from Aisha’s grasp and marched down the street. Her friends looked at each other. Okay then…

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“Did you get the flyers printed out?” Annie asked at the counter.

“Huh?” Tucker asked from the kitchen. His wife turned around.

“The flyers!” she said. “We need them for the summer celebration next week. Did you get them printed out?” Her husband had a dumfounded look on his face. Annie threw down the drying rug on the counter.

“How could you forget?!” she yelled.

“I didn’t,” Tucker lied.

“Then where are they?” she asked. He didn’t speak at first. His eyes shifted back and forth. Annie glared at him.

“Come on, woman!” he shouted. “I have been busy all week! Get off me!”

“Wrong answer!” Annie shouted. Her husband rolled his eyes.

“I’ll be back,” he said. She put her hands on her hips as he walked out of the kitchen.

“Don’t come back until you have them!” Annie shouted. The door shut behind him.

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The old biddies made it to the library. How long has it been since they had been here? Muriel frowned as everyone stared amazed at the doors.

“I don’t know why you lot are here,” she said. She didn’t wait around for answer as she walked inside. The other friends followed her inside. But then, they all froze. Clyde’s jaw dropped.

“Mr. Brice?” she asked. The old librarian looked shocked.

“You!” he shouted as all of the color drained from his face.

End