Unforeseen Circumstances: Day 12

Word Count: 72,013

Summary of Events:

Weston, Andie, and Shawn decided to cancel plans they'd made for a hike on Tuesday and go to the swimming pool instead because the day was too hot for them to feel like hiking. After enjoying themselves at the pool, they went for ice cream, and just as they were nearly done, Darryl and three of his closest friends arrived at the shop, but they didn't notice Weston and Shawn — as Andie had to go to the bathroom — until after they'd gotten their orders. Darryl's friends — to Weston and Shawn's surprise — weren't as wont to pick a fight as Darryl was, prompting Darryl to get mad at them, allowing Weston and Shawn to get away. Later on, as Andie was beginning to prepare supper, Shaw came to the farm quite angry, wanting to give Weston the beating that he believed Weston deserved and Weston's father wasn't giving him, but Weston's father intervened…

Excerpt of the Day:

“This has gone far enough Shaw!” Dad declared firmly. “I have every reason to trust Weston is telling me the truth. Nevertheless, if he is found to be lying, I will be meting out the punishment for it, not anyone else.”

“Highly unlikely,” Shaw spat back. “You’re far too blinded by your false beliefs that Weston is too perfect to do anything wrong.”
“Whatever biases I harbour toward Weston pale to near-invisible in comparison to the biases you harbour toward Darryl,” Dad declared. “You’re the pot calling the kettle black, and I’m quite tired of being told that my son is the villain when I have quite solid proofs on which to build my reasons to believe that it is your son who is the villain.”

“What gaslighting!” Shaw raged. “Your monster of a son has done a masterful job of persuading you that he’s the epitome of saintliness!”

“It is Darryl who’s been doing the gaslighting, Shaw,” Dad replied firmly. “And you’re the one who’s been gaslit, and it’s at the point now that I’m really not sure that you and I can be friends anymore.”

“If that’s what you think, then I don’t have any interest in having anything further to do with you!” Shaw declared. “In fact, I’ve wasted far too much of my life spending time with you, and I’ll have you know that I will get your son properly punished for all that he’s done to Darryl in the last week!”

Turning, Shaw stalked off to his truck, getting inside, slamming the door, starting the engine, backing up, and shooting down the driveway at a rapid speed, turning the corner back south without hardly decelerating.

Dad looked somewhat sad as he watched Shaw depart, but he looked at Weston with signs of relief on his face. “Good riddance.”

Weston walked up to Dad and hugged him. Dad returned the embrace and Weston could tell even though Dad didn’t hardly make a sound, that Dad appreciated the gesture.

After a long moment that started to get sensations of awkwardness, Weston loosened his grip on Dad, who released him.

“Also, Dad,” Weston said. “I had no idea Darryl slipped on his ice cream, nor that it did such a number to him to do so.”

“I know you too well to believe you’d wantonly waste food like that,” Dad said. “You know the work it takes to produce food, you’re not going to let it go to waste if you can help it, even though your survival doesn’t necessarily depend on it.”

“The list of injuries he gave for Darryl also sounded rather unbelievable,” Weston added as he fell into step beside Dad, heading around the garage.

“It did,” Dad agreed. “I know most businesses have concrete floors that can be both slippery and solid, but that’s a lot of damage for falling on ice cream. Even if Darryl would be the sort who could go down heavily.”

Weston nodded. He’d thought so too.