It's Got a Beat, Mr. Jones

The World Isn't Like It Was Back Then

Mary was rocking Odette. She was sitting on the bed. She didn't feel very well this morning. It was probably stress. She wanted to go and get some air, but Odette was almost asleep and she didn't want her to wake up. She was a little upset with herself for telling Bobby to leave. If he were here he could watch Odette and then Mary could get some air.
The clock was ticking. It was so loud in the almost silent room. Mary laid Odette into the basket. She paced around the room for a little while. Maybe she could carry Odette around in the basket as Odette slept.
Mary looked at the door. It was so inviting. She wanted out of this cramped and stifling room.
Mary picked up Odette's basket and walked out the door. She wanted to look around her hometown. Odette was not bothered by the change in scenery. The sun was shining very nicely and the day was nice. Mary couldn't help but smile at the gorgeous weather. She decided she wanted to walk to the general store to see where she had worked. The outside was still the same. She stood out front for a little while. She was sort of scared to walk in and she didn't know why.
Mary breathed in before walking into the general store. There was a man behind the counter. She recognized him immediately, and he recognized her just as quickly.
"Mary?!"
"Jeff?!"
"What are you doing here?" Mary asked quickly.
"I live here now," Jeff said.
Mary stared at him for a little while. She didn't know what to say. It was such a surprise to see Jeff again.
"You visiting your mother?" Jeff asked.
Mary nodded.
"She's a very nice lady," Jeff said. "Don't really care for the guy she married though. Audra's really sweet though."
Mary stared at him. "You know Audra?" She asked.
"Yeah, she comes in here all the time. She does the shopping for her parents a lot," Jeff said. "She's a smart little girl. She knows all to the words to the music on the radio, and she's got a very pretty voice. I gave her a few guitar lessons before, and she picked that up real nicely too."
Mary continued to stare at him. "What are you trying to do to my little sister?" She asked. "Don't make her try to become a singer. She's too young to understand what it's like to always be on the road."
Jeff's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?" He asked.
"I mean what's going on right now. The riots, the people... They're all just too crazy and she doesn't know because she lives in a small town," Mary said. Mary's eyes were wide in a type of worried horror. "Don't let her make the same mistake I made."
Jeff look at Mary up and down. "You only travelled with me for a few years," He said.
"Jeff you don't understand," Mary said. "The world isn't like it was back then."
"I'm not forcing Audra to do anything," Jeff said.
"She's only thirteen. She is impressionable right now," Mary insisted.
Odette began to cry. Mary set Odette's basket onto the counter and rocked Odette in her arms. She shushed Odette for a little while.
"I've only just met Audra. I didn't even know about her or her father until I made this trip, but if I find out you're encouraging her to do something that'll get her hurt I will hurt you," Mary said glaring at Jeff.
Jeff looked at Mary surprised. Something about what she had said scared Jeff slightly. He knew she meant what she said. A young man walked into the store. Mary recognized him.
"Andrew?" Mary said surprised.
Andrew stared at her for a short amount of time. His eyes widened with recognition. "Mary?!" He exclaimed.
Mary nodded smiling. Andrew stare at her surprised. "You've changed a lot," He said.
Mary shrugged. "Yeah," She said. "You still look the same."
"Yeah, people say that," Andrew said scratching the back of his neck. "How long has it been?"
"High school, I'd think," Mary said smiling.
Jeff was leaning on the counter. He watched Mary and Andrew silently.
"So, what have you been up to?" Andrew asked.
Mary shrugged. "Not much, I'm married now, and this is my daughter Odette," Mary said.
"That's French isn't it?" Andrew asked.
"Yeah," Mary said.
"Who's your husband?" Andrew asked.
"Um... You don't know him. His name is Bobby Rossi," Mary replied. "What about you?"
"Oh, I married Elizabeth, from our graduating class," Andrew said. "We have one son named Cason, he's nine."
"You married Elizabeth? I was sure you'd marry Lisa, you were goin' steady with her all high school," Mary said.
"Lisa died in an automobile accident about twelve years ago," Andrew said quietly.
Mary was silent for a little while. She remembered Lisa very well. Lisa was always a nice person... Mary was never very close to her, but she had liked her a lot. Andrew gave Mary a weak smile. "Hey, I bet you've done pretty well for yourself," Andrew said. "You got out of this town didn't you?"
Mary nodded. "I guess I did," She said.
Mary thought about how lucky she was. She was one of the few people that were able to escape this hellhole, to get away and not come back for anything except to see her mother. Mary decided then that she would never come back to this town for more than a day or two, not for any reason.
A short young lady walked into the general store. "Jeff, when you close up the store remember to bring Ruby's birthday present home," She said.
Jeff smiled. "Alright, honey," He said.
"Oh, and pick Ash up from school," The lady said. "I'm going to take Ruby to the next town over to buy her that new record she wanted."
"Okay, be safe," Jeff said.
The lady smiled at him. "Have a good day, dear," She said.
"You too, honey," Jeff said smiling.
The lady walked out of the store. Mary looked over at Jeff. "Who was that?"
"That's my wife, Meghan," Jeff said.
Mary frowned slightly. "Has she always lived here?" She asked.
"No, me and her moved here after my music career died," Jeff said. "She was the girl after you."
Mary glared at him. Andrew stared blankly at both of them. He walked to the back of the store and grabbed a pound of flour and a pound of sugar and a pound of coffee beans. Jeff looked over Andrew's purchase. "That'll be a dollar and twenty cents," Jeff said.
Andrew pulled out some changed and a dollar bill. He sighed. "I remember a time when I could buy all this for just under a dollar," He said.
Jeff shrugged. "We have to do what we have to do," He said.
Andrew looked at the money on the counter for another few seconds. Jeff counted it then Andrew picked up the things he had just bought. Andrew turned to Mary. "It really was very nice to see you again," He said smiling widely.
Mary smiled back at him. "I feel the same way," She said.
Andrew walked out of the store. Mary rocked Odette then sighed and looked over at the clock.
It was ten thirty.
(So this story is dedicated to patamon32 because of something very special she did for me. She bought me a Monkees CD some candy and then found The Monkees album Headquarters. She's supplying my addiction and I am happy because of it. She is someone very special to me. A special shout-out to her is that I used her as a character in my story, Meghan, she's married to Jeff. I really love her dearly. I need to get her something really good as a gift...)