The Counter Plan Part IV

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The Counter Plan

Part IV

An R.L. Mathewson Chronicle

“You know, I really thought that your father and Uncle Darrin would have won after they pulled out the handcuffs,” Sebastian said, looking thoughtful as Mikey sat there, going for what she hoped was a friendly smile as she pushed the rest of her fries towards the two men glaring at her.

Without a word, Uncle Jason and Uncle Trevor reached over and helped themselves to her fries as they sat there…seething. That really was the only way to describe it, Mikey thought as she glanced past the two men that in retrospect, she should have offered the tickets to when she had the chance, and spotted Aunt Haley sitting with Uncle Jared several booths over, enjoying a quiet, glare-free lunch.

Swallowing hard, Mikey shifted her gaze back to the two men glaring at her and-

“I love you?” she said with a hopeful smile as she pushed the rest of her burger their way only to have Sebastian reach over and take it.

When she turned a glare of her own at her best friend, he simply shrugged it off with a, “I don’t share,” as he finished her burger.

Realizing that he wasn’t going to be much help, mostly because he didn’t seem to care, Mikey cleared her throat, murmured an, “Excuse me,” and got up, tried for another smile, bit back a wince when their glares followed her, cleared her throat, nodded like an idiot, and said, “Excuse me,” again with another pointless nod before she made her way towards the counter, hoping that pie would help them forget about all the unfortunate things that had occurred this morning.

Things that she decided would be in her best interest to forget ever happened.

“So, what did you do?” someone said, drawing her attention to the cute boy standing next to her.

“I’m sorry, what?” Mikey asked, following his gaze to find Uncle Jason and Uncle Trevor watching her every move through narrowed slits that had her quickly deciding that this required a slice of cake with an extra scoop of ice cream on the side.

“I tormented them for my own enjoyment,” she said with a sad shake of her head and a sigh, wondering when she would learn.

Chuckling, he moved up with her in line. “Backfired?”

“You could say that,” she said, absently nodding as she risked a glance back and-

Decided this was a pie and cake kind of moment.

“My name’s Mark,” he said, drawing her attention back to find him smiling down at her.

“Mikey,” she said absently as she mentally calculated her funds and realized that there was no way that she was going to be able to afford to buy her way out of this with baked goods considering everything that happened…

“That’s a cute nickname. What’s it short for?” Mark asked as they waited for the elderly man in front of them to finish ordering.

“Just Mikey. My father chose my name before he passed away,” she explained as her attention went to the tray of brownies that might help soothe things over.

“I’m sorry,” Mark said.

“Thank you,” Mikey murmured absently as she glanced over her shoulder and realized that it was going to be a really long weekend.

“You can sit with me if you want,” Mark said, making her frown as she looked back at him to find him smiling sheepishly.

She opened her mouth only to have someone else answer for her.

“She’s already sitting with me,” Uncle Jared said as he joined them.

“Who are you?” Mark asked, swallowing nervously.

“The Ghost of Christmas Past,” Uncle Jared said with a glare that had Mark opening his mouth, shutting it, nodding, and quickly turning around and heading back the way he came.

“What was that about?” she asked as they stepped up to the counter.

“What was what about?” he asked, blinking innocently down at her.

“Umm, that?” she asked as she pointed towards Mark, who was now sitting with what she was assuming was his family and hiding behind an elderly woman.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, blinking.

Nodding, Mikey said, “All right, then.”

Matching her nod with own of his own, he said, “That’s probably for the best,” as she glanced over her shoulder and-

“Why is Sebastian glaring at me?” she asked, which was met with a heavy sigh and a, “You’re really going to make my job difficult, aren’t you?”