sweet magnolias

astronomy

No Complaining

That's what Dana Sue's office sign read in bright red letters, 'office' being the terribly loose term Annie used for her mom's kitchen. Ever since Dana Sue fired their incompetent sous chef, she'd watched her mom throw herself into work. The hours grew longer, restaurant busier. Dana Sue could only drive Annie back at 9 pm, earliest.

"Sweetheart, you get your license in two months. Cut me a little slack, would you?" She leaned into that sweet Southern dialect only someone named Dana Sue could pull off.

Annie was upset, but also understood her mother. Rather, didn't understand, and therefore sympathized.

"I'm falling behind in school. I need to get home earlier," she plead.

"Fine. We'll find you a ride. Maybe Aunt Helen can start stopping by."

Annie thought about Helen. God, she loved Helen. But she also knew how busy she was, fulfilling the exhausting role of the town's best lawyer. She kicked ass twenty-four seven. That left barely any time to see Annie, let alone carpool with her.

"No. She doesn't have time."

"Neither do I." Dana grabbed a pie off the counter and cut into it with a silver knife. "Slice?"

Annie nodded. As she grabbed a plastic fork out of the wooden bin, the front door bell chimed.

"Are you having pie without me?"

Annie smiled. Only one person in Serenity had that voice. As she turned to confirm her suspicions, they were answered in the form of auburn hair.

"Maddie." Annie ran to hug her, enveloping her and sniffing in her expensive perfume.

"Seriously, Dana Sue, cut me a slice."

"On it, Mads." Dana Sue and Maddie had a telekinetic relationship. Annie envied it, but also loved how Maddie had grown into her life. Her roots were a part of Annie's story.

Dana Sue began to speak. "What brings you here? It's not Friday yet, I assume."

"Actually," Maddie began. She was cut off by another door chime.

"I left my baseball stuff here yesterday," said Tyler, walking in the door in his pitcher uniform, complete with dirt patches on his knees. Annie swallowed her pie and smiled at him.

"Rough practice then, I assume," laughed Annie.

"What, this?" Ty looked down at his knees. "Collateral damage. Happens to all the best players."

She smiled. "Pretty confident for someone who left their bat here." She noticed it next to the cabinet and picked it up. Heavy, she thought. Very heavy. "This the one?"

"That would be it, yes," he said, reaching an arm out to grab it. Dana Sue and Maddie scuttled off to have their wine and pie elsewhere, and probably trash talk all of their coworkers. It was routine.

Right then and there, Maddie was struck with an idea. A pretty great one, if you asked her.

"I'll give you this bat back," she said.

"Great—"

"If-"

"Oh, no."

"You take me home from school."

"What, like tomorrow?"

"Like, until I get my license." Tyler was a junior and had a car. Annie was a sophomore and had only a lack of one.

He paused. Smiled. "Fine. But I have stipulations too, you know."

"Um, I'm the one who has your bat?"

"Um," he said, mocking her tone, "I'm the one taking you home?"

"Touché."

"Free pie."

She laughed. "Deal. But you have to help me with my astronomy essay. I know you had Mrs. Lenker, too."

"Deal."

She handed him the bat.

"So, should we start now?"

"Start what?"

"Our deal."

She looked at her bag full of homework and then to Dana Sue and Maddie. Both wore exasperated expressions. Neither looked in a hurry to get home.

"Let's go," Annie said. Dana Sue gave her a questioning look as they left, even raised an eyebrow, but Annie shook her away. Maddie snorted a bit, too. Ugh. How would she deal with both of them in the morning?

Ty opened the door for her as the bell chimed again.

"Bye, mom. Bye, Dana Sue."

They both gave him a wave as he followed Annie to the car and tried his best to remember everything he knew about astronomy.