Ted sat shrinking in his chair next to his aloof-looking Grammy as Mrs. Wiggins frantically paced back and forth in front of them, seeming ready to rant on endlessly and demanding for answers.
"So let me get this straight," she began as she came to a stop, rapidly tapping her foot as she eyed both son and mother carefully with a death glare, then raising her index finger and sharply pertaining to Ted, "You have been visiting some stranger that was supposedly a fictional character that Mom used to tell me in her stories when I was younger, and he lived all the way outside of town?! Theodore Wiggins, why have you never informed me of this?! You could've gotten hurt or even worse while venturing that far out into the valley!!"
"W-We-Well--I--You--You never asked!! I always thought you were cool with me just--just heading out on my own!!" Ted stuttered in his defense, "And I didn't know that you've heard of gra--of Mr. Once-ler before!!"
"That's because I thought you were just visiting Audrey!!" Mrs. Wiggins cried, throwing her hands up into the air, and began pacing back and forth once more, but in a much faster pace this time before briefly stopping and facing her mother, "And as for you, Mom; how are--how are you consenting your grandson to just--!!" she paused, puffing up her cheeks, "To just wandering out there in some place where no one ever goes to!! My baby could've been hurt!!"
"But Mom--!!" Ted tried to speak up.
"Zip it, young man!!" but it was obviously a futile effort.
"And let's not get started on... on this..." the frantic mother waved and swiped and spun her hands about, and began pacing around again, "On this person that we barely know -- that just so happens to have been someone you met a long time ago; that--that if they really are the kind of person you told me about in your stories then... Then how could you just trust a person like that with our Ted!?!" To which Mrs. Wiggins finally stops, facing Grammy Norma with a look full of worry and concern, all evident and bottled up in her eyes.
Silence fell within the room, and Grammy had come to realize and understand why her daughter was flaring up so.
"Oh, honey... Helen, I--" she tried to say in a gentle and understanding way, but her daughter wasn't gonna hear any of it.
"Nope! That's it! I'm done!" Helen cried, raising her hands to the air, turning her back on them and marching away and up to the stairs, straight to her room.
"Mom...!" Ted tried to call out weakly.
But his mother only stopped for a brief moment as she opened the door, shooting a disdainful glare towards her mom, saying, "...And of all the stories you could've told me about the people you've met... you could've just been telling me ones about Dad!"
And with that, she enters her room, slamming the door shut; leaving the living room in silence once more.
Grammy Norma then took a deep sigh, leaning back on her seat, "Yeesh, that was even more intense than I thought,"
"Are you okay, Grammy?" Ted asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, kiddo; your mom's just pretty bitter about a few things," she replied, "Kind of like someone she took after..." adding that last bit quietly and ruefully under her breath.
Audrey then stood up from the sidelines and approached them, wondering if Helen would be alright, and if she should be going off on her way now. Grammy said it'll be fine, and that Helen just needed to cool off.
After getting themselves a drink, and a good sitting position by the couch, Grammy Norma sat across the two and asked, "Well what now, kiddos?"
YOU ARE READING
Lost And Still Missing
Fanfiction"Because when a guy does something stupid once, well, that's because he's a guy. But when he does the same stupid thing twice... that's usually to impress some girl." A different account on the events of The Lorax. *Norma-ler/Once-lerXNorma fanfic :...
