Page 12 of A Curvy Carol
I tried to open my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
“OUT!” Scrooge yelled.
A few people at the other side of the diner turned our way, snickering.
I turned to Carolynn for help, but she was already grabbing her stuff and getting up. I stood up too, and we hurried toward the door.
“Don’t let the door hit ya!” Scrooge called.
Once we were outside, I stared at Carolynn. “What—”
Then she burst out laughing. Like, non-stop, clutching-her-side laughing.
Meanwhile, I could only stare at her in shock.
When she finally stopped laughing, she wiped at her eyes. “Oh my gosh, that was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Funny? I’m pretty sure he was close to punching me. Or having a coronary.” My own heart was still beating fast.
She began laughing again. “I told you he was cranky and didn’t like Christmas, and then you went and told him…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence because she started laughing again.
I stood there, blinking. “You’re the worst.”
When she was done laughing, she said, “Don’t sweat it. Scrooge is part of the Garland charm. Getting kicked out of the diner is like an initiation.”
“An initiation, huh?” I said sarcastically. “More like a near-death experience. I’m pretty sure my life flashed before my eyes.”
She laughed some more at my expense. “Don’t worry. My friends and I got kicked out two years ago for trying to gift him a ball cap that looked like a Santa hat.”
I shook my head as I pulled out the notebook from her bag, flipped it open, and crossed off eating at Scrooge’s Diner. “Let’s move on to the next thing, shall we?” I suggested. I looked down to read the list. “I know. Let’s go get a souvenir from Santa’s Bag. Sounds safe.”
She snickered as I gave the notebook back.
“Let’s go, Christmas Carol,” I teased.
That had her rolling her eyes again. “Don’t call me that.” There was still a smile in her eyes as she said it, though.
“I think it suits you,” I joked.
Shaking her head, she said, “Come on. But then we’re done. This is about all the Christmas cheer I can take in one day.”
7
CAROLYNN
Istill couldn’t believe Scrooge had thrown us out of the diner, but then again, it was right on brand. At least one not-so-lucky person got kicked out around this time of year and gave everyone something to talk about until next Christmas.
Whit and I made our way to Santa’s Bag, which had some of the coolest and most unique souvenirs around. It used to be my favorite place growing up, even if it didn’t really draw up a lot of excitement for me anymore. My parents and I would each pick out a new decoration for our tree, and it was fun to see all the different kinds we’d picked out over the years. Now there were two different trees, two trips to Santa’s Bag. And the old decorations we picked stayed in a box in my mom’s garage because it didn’t feel right to split them up. Mom kept the decorations but didn’t have the heart to put them up without Dad.
“Do you think I’ll be allowed back into Scrooge’s?” Whit asked as he held the door to Santa’s Bag open for me. “There’s not a lot of restaurants in town.”
Coming back out of my thoughts, I walked inside, turning back to grin at Whit. “Maybe, if you never mention Christmas or menu changes ever again around him.”
Whit scoffed. “He knows he lives in the most Christmas-obsessed town in America, right?”
I shrugged. “As if he could forget.”