Sticks of Love Ep 6

“I just have to chill out. I mean, it isn’t that weird right? Oh gosh, it’s weird isn’t it?” James whine
“Dude you are really freaking me out.” Eric sat across from James while trying to eat his waffles.
James’ hair was dishevelled and he was starting to grow a beard, he sighed and his head fell onto his arm. “Eric? What should I do? My girlfriend and arch-nemesis are siblings.”
“Isn’t arch-nemesis a bit much? Sure, he wouldn’t sell you your rightful groceries, but you don’t have to hate the guy.”
“I hate him so, so much.” James groaned and stood up, his back cracking as he stretched.
“This isn’t healthy James, you got to go outside again. You have to go to your job, or they are going to fire you.”
“I am in shock Eric! How would you feel if Lydia was Store Clerk’s sister? Probably not very good.”
Eric seemed to muse on the idea, then shook his head. “I am just saying you should talk to them about this, and how uncomfortable it makes you.”
“I am most certainly not going to their house.” Lydia entered and Eric rose to greet her.
James flinched as he remembered their moment holding hands, she looked over at him and the corner of her lip lifted ever so slightly in a smile. James was suddenly very self-conscious that he was wearing a pink bathrobe. “Good morning, Lydia.”
“Good morning, James, Eric.” She helped herself to some waffles and sat down. “What are you two up to today?”
“I am thinking of heading over to Margaret’s place later.” James didn’t feel like elaborating.
“Can I come too? I would love to meet your girlfriend officially,” Lydia responded.
James felt uncomfortable about it, but he didn’t have a good reason to say no. “Sure.”
“Great, I will get ready.” She left without eating her waffles.
Eric turned to James, arms crossed. “What was that?”
“What?”
“That. What just happened. You aren’t interested in Lydia are you?”
Coffee spurted out of James nose, and he tried to wave away the burning. “No,” he tried to say through the tears and burning. “I am not interested, she’s all yours.”
Eric narrowed his eyes, and slowly walked backwards out of the room.
James got some paper-towel and cleaned his face, he happened to catch his reflection in the window. “I guess I better shave.”

The doorbell rang, and Margaret walked through the maze of hallways to tell whoever it was to go away. After the whole thing with James, she hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone. Even when Store-Clerk had visited she hadn’t been able to enjoy dinner. She opened the door and testily said, “I’m not interested in whatever your selling.”
“Hey, Margaret.”
She looked up to see James standing there in a casual bright yellow hoodie and jeans.
“Oh, hi, James,” she responded, her heart suddenly racing.
“I brought Lydia too.” He moved to the side and Margaret could see Lydia behind him. Somewhat deflated at the unwanted visitor, she apprehensively invited them in. They journeyed through the creepy black halls and arrived at the visiting room. They all sat down, and awkwardly looked around at each other. Margaret couldn’t think of anything to say.
“I have to make a phone call,” Margaret excused herself and went into the next room. She punched in the numbers, and heard the line begin to ring. After about ten seconds someone picked up.
“Greetings,” said the person across the telephone.
“You really shouldn’t pick up the phone like that, you sound like a robot,” Margaret responded.
“Hmm.”
“I need you to come to the house.”
“Hmm?”
“I have visitors and I can’t entertain them myself.”
“Hmmmm.”
“Can you come?”
“Hmm.”
The line beeped and she went back into the next room. “So guys, do you like boardgames?”
“I love boardgames,” said James, supportive as always. He looked like he was stressing out though, probably because Lydia was here. Margaret desperately wished that woman hadn’t come.
The doorbell rang and Margaret excused herself saying, “I have to go get that, be right back.” She went back through the house and came to the door again; opening it she saw her brother wearing his usual uniform.
“Hey Store-Clerk, come on inside.”
He entered and they made their way to the visiting room. When they came to the visiting room, James nearly jumped out of his skin seeing them. He still must not be accustomed to this, she thought.
“Why don’t you two boys hang out?” She mentally groaned, why had she said that? Now she would have to visit miss nice hair and not James.
Store Clerk nodded, and James looked like he would faint,
“No, let’s not.” He tried to resist, but the Store-Clerk beckoned him into the adjacent room. James lowered his head, his face pale, and followed the Store-Clerk into the next room.
Margaret looked over at Lydia and attempted to smile, “Nice to meet you… Again.”

The Store-Clerk’s face was placid as always, as he played with a rubber duck while staring at James.
James could feel his shirt sticking to his sweaty back, and his socks swelling from his sweaty feet. In fact, he just felt sweaty all over. Now that he knew Store-Clerk was Margaret’s brother, he was even more stressed around him. He tried to say something, but all that came out was some sort of awful squeak. Why did stuff like that have to happen when he was stressed?
The Store-Clerk set down the duck. “I have to go soon,” he said.
James wished he had to go now, but not wanting to seem rude he tried to reply, “Oh, that is too bad, what is the occasion?” The stupidest reply ever, James wanted to run away just thinking about it, but all he could do was laugh in agony.
The Store-Clerk looked to the side, as if listening for something, “I just have to stop the Bolsheviks again.”
“The Bolsheviks? I thought they weren’t a threat anymore.”
“That is the story for the public.”
“I am the public, and I really don’t think you should tell me stuff like that.”
“They are a massive threat, I have to stop them every fifty-three minutes.”
“I don’t want to know- Wait, every fifty-three minutes?”
The Store-Clerk nodded and sighed. “I have been doing this since I was ten, I am very good.”
“SINCE YOU WERE TEN? I am almost completely positive that that is illegal. Margaret would have only been like eight, but she seems to have had a semi-normal childhood?”
“I volunteered, I have always been special, it is none of your business anyway.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
The Store-Clerk changed his expression to a slight grimace. “Margaret asked me to be… Nice.”
“So you tell me your traumatizing past! Very nice.”
“I don’t usually communicate with peasants, mostly just rulers and leaders.”
“Peasant?”
“I must take my leave now.” The Store-Clerk stood and looked down at James. Then was gone, without another word.

Lydia crossed her legs, the boys had just left, it was the perfect opportunity to talk to Margaret. She made her face look agonized. “Poor James, huh?”
“Why?” Margaret looked confused, which was just fine.
“You haven’t noticed? He looks so pale these days and so lifeless.”
“Oh, no I didn’t notice. It is probably just stress, he always seems so stressed.” Margaret tried to laugh to relieve the tension, but Lydia made her face even more serious.
“He definitely looks worse lately, he has been going downhill.”
Margaret wrung her hands, and her face seemed to go pale. “Is there a reason for this?”
Lydia paused for effect. “Well, he seems pretty sensitive to stress. I think he needs to just relax for a while and get away from all stressful situations and people. Of course I don’t know who that would be, but all I want to do is to help him.”
Margaret’s eyes opened as wide as seemed humanly possible, then she looked at the floor.
They didn’t talk for the rest of the time. James came back out, and Margaret noticed that his face was sallow and thin. Her face fell, and James and Lydia stayed for another few minutes, then went home.

“Hey Lydia?”
“Yes James?”
“Did Margaret seem strange to you?”
“She probably just has something on her mind.”

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