The Girl with the Gryffindor Hoodie

Work and Play

The fourth of July! Fireworks, noisemakers, and cake; oh my! Not exactly what went through Ariel's mind as she sat writing a story on her computer. More like: No one bugging me, tall tales, and adventures on paper; oh my!

That all changed when her mother came in, revealing that they would in fact be going out to her grandparent's house for dinner that day. Ariel grumbled to herself. Why did she have to go hang out with them right now? There was a wizard in need of saving from a bunch of lizard-like beasts in her story! How could she leave when the tale was just getting good?

However, she went anyway, knowing very well that her mother would be very sad and upset if she didn't. Ariel didn't like it when her mother was sad. You could totally tell by the way Ariel's mother would be despondent and deny that she was feeling any emotion at all that she was in fact depressed. However, Ariel knew that her mom knew that Ariel didn't like visiting any of their extended family. Her mom took it personally when it was her family that Ariel didn't want to visit. It wasn't that Ariel didn't love them, she just couldn't stand to be around them for so long; especially when it got in the way of her drawing or writing.

When Ariel arrived, her mother had to go back to their house to retrieve some marshmallows and hot dogs for the Fourth of July feast. Todd and Richard, Ariel's youngest and oldest brothers, went back with her, leaving her and her sister, Liz, at their grandparents house. Ariel stretched, taking off her shoes to leave them by the door.

Suddenly, her grandma smiled reluctantly at her, "You look excited to be here."

Ariel had not known that grandparents could be so sarcastic! She decided to tell her grandmother the truth: No, she didn't want to be there. She wanted to be home writing her stories.

"Oh. Well next time you should stay home. Finish your stories." Her grandma turned and walked back into the kitchen. It pained Ariel to see her like that. She hadn't wanted to hurt her feelings! She was just in a salty mood. However, she had indeed screwed up, which put her in an even worst mood.

There was this chair that Ariel always sat in whenever she visited her mom's parents. It was a black bar chair put against the wall and tucked away in a small corner of the house. Ariel sighed and moped to the corner, putting her feet on the seat to hide her face with her knees.

Others arrived. Cousins, aunts, uncles, mom, dad, etc. Ariel stayed in the corner throughout dinner, only getting up to get some food and go to the bathroom. Some of the family members asked her about her college plans. It was always the same answer:

"I'm working all summer, going to Geber University in the fall for a semester, then going on my mission in January."

"Oh cool! Where are you going on your mission?"

"I don't know. I haven't put in my papers yet."

"Oh. Well what classes are you taking in Geber?"

"A lot of history classes and--"

"Oh that's good!"

If they knew Ariel better, they would say, "Didn't you try to apply for BYU?"

Ariel's scar that she had been trying to suppress opened up again, "Yes. They didn't accept me."

"Oh that's too bad. But Geber is a good school! I'm sure you'll love it there!"

Ariel was positive she would not. Geber was the university where everyone in her high school who didn't have life goals or a plan for education was going. There was a 98% acceptance rate which pretty much meant anyone and their hamster that could flip could get in. Ariel did not want to be grouped with those people. Yes, Ariel knew that wasn't the case with everyone who attended Geber, but she knew the some of the people that were going there. She did not want to see those people ever again. 

Once the meal was over and everyone had gone except for Ariel's family, her grandpa got a call.

No one had come to set up chairs for church tomorrow for her grandpa's ward. They had a chart for which family did it each week, but no one ever bothered with charts. Ariel's family volunteered to help their grandpa.

Ariel got into the car with her mother fuming.

"Usually it's just grandpa setting up the chairs each week! Can you believe that?! No one comes to help!" she shook her head as they drove off.

"Yeah. So much for being Mormon." Ariel smirked.

"No doubt!" Her mother riled.

"Utah Mormons are not very good at being friendly Mormons." Ariel's sister added.

Ariel's mom sighed, "I know. I'm sorry we moved here, guys. Promise me you won't become Utah Mormons. Promise that you'll be active in service and participate."

Ariel, Ben (Ariel's second youngest brother), and Liz all promised.

Once they all got to the church building, Ariel walked with Ben inside. Their father told them to go into the gym, so they did. Or... more like they stopped at the door looking into the dark ominous gym, neither one of them daring to step into the dark. Ariel found two light switches, but they only turned on dim lights, making the gym look even more menacing.

"Run to the other side!" She laughed, jokingly pushing her brother into the gym. Ben jumped and ran back.

"No!" He laughed. He then ran around the outside hall, appearing on the other side of the gym through double doors. He switched on more lights, but it still wasn't bright enough in the gym.

Ariel walked into the gym, meeting her brother halfway.

"Do you think the lights are on the stage?" Her brother asked, pointing to a stage on the far side of the gym, near where Ariel had walked in.

"Yeah. That's where they probably are." she replied.

"Let's go!" Ben said, running off to the farthest set of double doors. Ariel walked until her brother disappeared behind the doors. Ariel's mind wandered, and though she was in a church, though she saw something in the shadows. She booked it to the doors, throwing them open and yelling for Ben.

Ben, "Yeah?"

Ariel, trying to look calm like nothing happened, "Nothin'. Just wanted to know where your were, that's all."

Through a lot of running, switching on of lights, and tomfoolery, they were able to turn on every single light in the gym, making it look happy and friendly again. They both walked into the gym.

"It's weird that no one else is here." Ben noticed, looking at the double doors they had first come to.

"Yeah." Ariel replied. They both looked at each other, then looked to the stage. "Hey, want to perform a show for me?!"

"Heck yeah!" Ben smiled, running up to the stage.

Ariel sat in the middle of the gym and faced the stage, giggling as her brother performed spontaneously.

Ben put his finger to his upper lip like a mustache, "You must pay the rent!" He hopped over a chair and put his finger in his hair like a bow, making his voice high pitched, "I can't pay the rent!" Mustache finger, "Then I'm taking you to jail; and by jail, I mean the railroad tracks with lots of dynamite!" Finger bow, "Ohhhh!!!"

Ariel laughed throughout the entire performance. Ben was always hilarious! He wasn't the perfect brother by any means, he having a high strung temper. However, Ben always knew exactly how to make people laugh. Ariel, even though he was her younger brother, looked up to him immensely.

Eventually they were found by the rest of the family and had to get to work putting up chairs. However, Ariel was happier now, making the work easier as she joked with Ben.

"I want to be like that." Ariel thought as she walked out of the church and looked at her brother laughing and joking with Todd.

Suddenly, Ariel wasn't so sad that she didn't finish writing her story.