Watch Your Temper

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Would You Like Sprinkles With That?

        "Tem... Ronnie... I have something to tell you guys."

I groaned, covering my eyes with my hands and sinking back into the couch.

"Oh, don't tell me you're going to get married again!" I howled, wondering who my new step-mother was going to be. Dad laughed nervously, wringing his hands around in a weak gesture.

"No, Temper, I'm going to avoid the whole dating thing for a while," he muttered, pacing around the room.

"So why did you call us in here? I have to go get back to my video game! Jack said he'd help me get past level forty-seven!" my brother whined, wriggling on the couch impatiently.

"I'll let you get back to your game in a minute... I just wanted to tell you kids that I'm leaving tomorrow."

"What?" I spat.

I visibly saw him gulp.

"Well, kiddo, I figure I don't really belong here... I mean, now that things are kind of smoothed over with Lauren and your mother, I think I'm just gonna shuffle out of here... New York City isn't exactly my favourite place in the world," he mumbled.

I gave him a scowl. "So where is your favourite place? Where are you leaving to?" I managed to hiss out.

"I did a bit of research on some condos down south, and I found this really nice little subdivision in Texas," he explained happily.

I sucked in a raspy breath, narrowing my own eyes.

"I don't understand. You left us when I was a toddler! Ronnie couldn't even speak or walk or anything yet! Don't you get how upset Mom was? I still don't even know what that dumb fight was about, but I don't know how... how you just come back into our lives, and then you decide to just walk out again," I ranted, angry tears pooling up in my eyes.

Ronnie shifted on the couch, now clearly paying attention. Dad looked so afraid... he knew I had a harsh temper.

Literally.

And I don't think he knew how to deal with it.

"Now, honey... when you put it that way..." he trailed off. I was tempted to go embrace him-- to hug him and kiss his cheek and to have him call me his little girl and to tell me that everything was going to be okay... but I couldn't.

I had an argument to keep up with, here.

It was just a shame that my dad and I were finally getting along, and now this had to happen.

"I cannot believe this. I cannot believe this is happening! Again!" I roared, thrusting myself off the couch and stomping off down the hall in a hostile cloud. I yanked a pair of flip-flops on and opened the door, slamming it shut behind me. I felt my lower lip begin to quiver.

Oh no. Oh, no. This couldn't be... no, I couldn't let this happen! I was going to have a break-down.

I started to panic, drawing in short, huffy little breaths. I pounded down the steps and threw open the apartment complex doors, running off down the street. I sprinted around the corner, wild tears flowing steadily down my cheeks, and continued on into the neighbourhood. I dashed into a dark alleyway and collapsed.

"Hey, I know you... don't I? Temper, right?" a deep, husky voice murmured from behind me. Letting out a surprised squeak, I jumped up and whirled toward my unknown acquaintance.

"Duck? Duck, is that you?" I whispered, staring blankly at my crime-committing ex-friend.

"Eh... I don't exactly go by that name anymore..." he mumbled, sounding embarrassed for some reason.

"What? Why not? What happened to Amber and Joy and Xander and Mitch? Aren't you still a part of their, like, 'gang' or whatever?" I questioned him cautiously. He shook his head vigorously, sending the chocolate brown curls on his head flying.

"No... I had a huge epiphany when Amber and Xander crashed your dad's wedding a few weeks ago..." he declared, and I prodded at him to go on. "Anyway, to put it in a nutshell, I basically realized that Amber and the rest of them are idiots and I had much better things to do with my life than to be a part of their group. My mom and dad kicked me out of the house last year when I started hanging out with them, because they thought they were bad influences-- and my folks were right-- and they said they didn't want me as a son anymore. I lived at Joy's place once I started dating her, but I dumped her three days ago. I went back to my parents and talked with them, and they let me back in."

I smiled. "That's great to hear, Duck! Er, I mean-"

"Daniel. My real name is Daniel McMann," he introduced himself properly and proudly.

"Well, I'm glad to hear you've turned your life around, Daniel McMann. I'm curious... if you have really turned your life around, then..."

"Why am I in this random dark alleyway?" he finished for me, scratching the back of his neck thoughtfully. "I got myself a job at this department store right here and my boss had me take out the garbage," he informed me, gesturing to the big black garbage bag in his arms and the jean overall uniform he was wearing and the department building to the left.

"My excuse for being in this random dark alleyway is pretty lame, but to sum it all up... I got in a bit of a fight with my dad and I just ran out here for someplace to hide and think for a minute. You know, typical teenage tantrum," I told him. He nodded, flashing me an honest, genuine grin.

"Well, I got to get back to work now. It was nice talking to you, Temper."

I smiled again, collecting myself up from the dirty alleyway and waving him goodbye.

I felt confident and content and refreshed.

I still wasn't enough confident or content or refreshed yet to go confront my dad, though.

I sighed and wandered down the street, stopping at my favourite restaurant.

I frowned. Should I now call it my former favourite restaurant?

Lombardi's Pizzeria.

I shook my head and continued on down the street, leaving any thoughts of Apollo or Lily or Arabella back in the dust.

I knew where I was going to go.

I rounded another corner, halting directly in front of the best ice cream parlour in all of New York City.

Would You Like Sprinkles With That?

It was kind of a family tradition to go there at the end of each summer, and I was probably breaking that tradition by going there a week before the end of summer by myself, but I didn't care. I was in the mood for a banana split with-- yes-- sprinkles.

I strolled in the cheery shop, reminiscing on old memories created there as the little bells above the door jingled. I went up to the counter and waited to be served.

"Hi! Welcome to Would You Like Sprinkles With That? I'm Jenny. What can I get for you?" a young, fresh-faced girl chirped, clad in the typical pink-and-purple uniform all employees wore.

"I'd like a small banana split," I declared, sifting around in my back pocket to produce some money.

"And Would You Like Sprinkles With That?" Jenny trilled the parlour's funny motto.

"Of course."

I mean, you can't go into Would You Like Sprinkles With That? and not order sprinkles with that.

It's just unheard of.

Jenny quickly served up my order, making sure to add sprinkles with it. I paid her and took my wonderfully delicious cold treat to a table near the back of the parlour. I sat down and dug in.

Ice cream makes everything better.

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Woo-hoo! One chapter left! Please comment, vote and fan! Thanks :)

-Jenna