People Change

“Lanie, this is ridiculous,” Sydney insisted, leaning heavily on her crutches. She stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the shop portion of the bakery, holding the swinging door open with her body. “I can handle myself just fine in here with my extra limbs.” She tapped one of her crutches on the ground to emphasis it.

“I just don’t want you to get burnt,” Lanie said soothingly, sounding like a mother who has wrapped her kid in layer upon layer of clothing to keep them from getting a cold. She held a pair of tongs and stood in front of one of the fryers, waiting for the doughnuts to fry before she plucked them out with the tongs.

“I won’t,” Sydney whined.

“Yes you will,” Lanie replied calmly, dunking the tongs into the sizzling grease to pull out the doughnuts. As she let the extra grease soak into a paper towel, she strode over to one of the large ovens to check on the pumpkin bread she had cooking in there. “And then you’ll yell at me for not forcing you to stay in the shop.”

Sydney huffed out an impatient breath as the bell over the door tolled. She glared at the back of Lanie’s head before turning herself and hobbling out into the shop. She smiled upon seeing Jimmy entering the store, and he returned the smile somewhat reluctantly. His hands were buried in his pockets, and he looked extremely guilty, an expression Sydney did not see very often on Jimmy’s face.

“What’s wrong, big bro?” Sydney asked. Jimmy just sighed and seated himself on one of the stools sitting in the shop. Sydney stepped carefully over to the shelf behind the clear glass counters and plucked off a neatly wrapped blueberry muffin. She offered it to Jimmy, and he took it with thanks, slowly unwrapping it from its plastic shell.

Jimmy mumbled something unintelligible, focusing instead on his muffin. Sydney moved to take it away, but he scooted it closer to himself and sent her a death glare.

“Speak up, Jim.”

“I punched Brian in the face,” Jimmy sighed, talking loud enough for Sydney to hear this time. She leaned forward happily, finding great interest in this gossip. She snagged a stool for herself behind the counter and plopped her bum down on it.

“Details, Jimmy, details,” she said gleefully, resting her arms against the edge of the glass counter.

“Well—”

“Just a moment,” Sydney interrupted. “Hey, Lanie, c’mere a minute! Jimmy has something of interest to say!”

“Really?” Lanie asked, just as interested as Sydney as she stepped out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. “I’ve got to hear this.”

“As you were saying, Jimmy,” Sydney said eagerly, looking back at Jimmy.

“I punched Brian in the face...two times,” Jimmy continued, holding up two fingers. “I went over to his house last night to see what the hell his problem was...I wanted to hear his side of the story. But as the story went on and on, damned if I could hold in my rage. Apparently, he felt something missing from his relationship with you, so when he met Michelle, he felt their old spark again and couldn’t seem to help himself, even though he already had a perfectly fine girlfriend.”

“Not to mention a very sexy and forgiving girlfriend that he wouldn’t deserve if he was God,” Lanie added knowingly, seating herself on the thigh of Sydney’s good leg.

“Which I sometimes think he does think he’s God,” Sydney said with a nod.

“Anyway, I just got angrier and angrier during his whole little explanation. Before I knew what I was doing, my fist connected with his nose so I just decided to hop aboard the Kick-Brian’s-Ass wagon. I ended up probably breaking his nose, giving him another black eye, and I knocked him straight off his feet.”

“With just a punch?” Lanie asked.

“Nah, I tripped him and then stormed out. Now all day today he’s been really leery of me,” Jimmy answered.

“As well he should be,” Lanie replied smugly. “Just keep giving him that cold shoulder, Jimmy. The little fucker deserves it.”

With those articulate parting words, Lanie lifted herself from Sydney’s leg and walked back into the kitchen. Jimmy only sighed and took a bite out of his muffin.

“What’s got you so worried, Jim?” Sydney asked, watching him as he ate his muffin. “If you’re worried I’m disappointed in your abilities to control your anger, don’t be: I’m glad you beat him up. He deserved it, every last bit of it. Actually, I was surprised you didn’t kick his ass sooner.”

“It’s just that we’ve been friends ever since junior high,” Jimmy said, finishing his muffin and crumpling its plastic wrapper up into a little ball. He threw it into the trash can behind the counter and ran his hands through his hair. “I just feel bad for going ape shit on the guy. He’s being a bitch, but I think I broke his nose.”

“Jimmy, if it means that much to you, just let your anger die down. Let Brian’s wounds fade away a little bit. And then go see him about it. If you two are as good of friends as I think you are, I’m sure you two will be able to forgive each other. Go see him this weekend sometime,” Sydney suggested.

“If you don’t want me to—”

“Listen, Jimmy: it was very noble of you to kick Brian’s ass for me. But don’t let it ruin your relationship with him on my account. I’ll get over it, and I don’t want you to suffer until I do,” Sydney said calmly. “Your relationship with Brian is none of my business, and I won’t love you any less just because you’re friends with him.”

“You don’t love me enough to love me less,” Jimmy teased, jerking back as Sydney moved to slap him. She pointed sternly at him, and Jimmy laughingly apologized. “Well, thank you for your wisdom, Miss Sullivan.”

Jimmy leaned across the counter and pecked Sydney on the cheek before yelling into the kitchen, “Good day, Elena!”

“It’s Lanie, you asshole!”

“Whatever,” Jimmy called back as he hopped down off the stool. He winked at Sydney, said his farewell, and left the bakery.