Convenience store food is way more satisfying than it should be.
Choosing between filling up my extra-large slushie cup with cherry and blue raspberry flavoring is the hardest decision of my life, but my dad was used to my hemming and hawing and the pacing I did before convincing myself that my flavor concoction was the best choice, so he didn't bother sticking around.
In fact, when I turned to ask for his opinion again, I saw he was talking to someone over the phone.
His eyebrows were furrowed and he was making that I-don't-like-this face, like he was disappointed in someone. I turned away and decided to question him about it some other time. There were more important things to focus on now.
Before the phone call, Dad suggested pouring myself a healthy mixture of both, but I shot him down pretty quickly.
There was no way I could stand myself if the colors were to mix together into that specific, ugly bruise-purple shade that I used to get when I was secretly shadowing my parents during Christmas, waiting for them to reveal the ultimate secret behind Santa Claus' existence.
Now that I'm older, I remember those memories with fond derision. Silly me, I think, I can't believe I didn't know that I could just record people instead of following them around with frumpy notepads all time time.
Eventually, my dad slipped his phone back into the pocket of his jeans and, spotting my full slushie cup, headed to the register. He was charitable enough not to mention the packet of gummy bears and the two corn dogs that I grabbed on the way.
We were hour seven hours into our road trip and both of us were tired - of each other and of sitting in the car.
We had exhausted all games of Eye Spy and even my dad's out-of-date tunes didn't make me groan in exasperation like they used to. I was too antsy for any sort of entertainment, unless you counted pulling my own hair out in frustration.
Obviously, when my dad had suggested we stop and take a break, we both shot out of the car at light speed.
Now, I unloaded my treasure grove of unhealthy goodies onto the creaky conveyor belt and watch them roll into the cashier's hands with satisfaction.
My dad's own stomach growled and we shared a grin. The cashier a stubbly looking college student with a lip piercing, looked as apathetic as he did when we entered the store.
I didn't think I'd seen him change expressions at all and we'd been in the store for fifteen minutes already.
"That'll be $10.32."
My dad took out his wallet to pay and his phone rang again. He glanced at it quickly before shutting it off.
That's weird. Even mom doesn't get that kind of reaction out of him.
My focus drifted onto the small television hidden away behind the counter. The volume was off and it was settled on some news program. A sleek, shiny looking limousine pulled up on screen. The door opened to show a dark-haired man, except I couldn't catch a very good look at his face because of the crowds and the camera angle.
I squinted but people were already swarming him and he hadn't even fully gotten out of the vehicle. The television was so old and fuzzy that I couldn't decipher the scrolling text on the bottom of the screen, either.
The camera switched to a news anchor sitting at her desk. The words 'BRUCE WAYNE ATTENDS GALA IN SUPPORT OF GOTHAM DISASTER RELIEF FUNDING' scroll across the bottom. So that's who that was. Mystery solved
I turned back just in time to catch my dad stuffing a handful of gummy bears into his mouth.
"Hey," I shrieked, "Dad!"
He laughed at my downtrodden face. This meant war.
I grabbed both of the corn dogs and he clearly got the drift because his eyes widened. I mimiced taking big, meaningful bites from each one and dad made a sound like a deflating tire.
"You wouldn't!" He yelled dramatically, pointing the bag at me like a weapon of war.
The cashier was watching us both out of the corner of his eye, but most of his attention was on his phone screen.
"Try me!" I declared. Dad laughed as I called him out and promptly declared his surrender.
We both tumbled out of the store and back outside. It was a little chilly for summer, but we were both too jittery and tired of sitting down. The chance to stretch out our legs was worth the cool wind nipping at my nose.
Our snack break lasted another ten minutes before I regrettably wiped the last few crumbs off of my hands and hopped back into the car's interior. This time, I lay down in the backseat. My dad slurped up the rest of the slushie and ran back inside to throw out the cup.
I considered starting up another recording, but my eyes were closing and I decided I could document's my dad's weird behavior later. We still had a ways to go until we got to Happy Harbor.
My dad returned and queued up some calming jazz, and we settled back on the road.
author's note: not a lot of action in this one, but we get a glimpse into the world of superheroes and whatnot. im still trying to figure out ellen's character, but i promise they'll be in happy harbor in the next chapter