The Ice Cream Shop Incident

Sparrow sighed. “Morning, please stop.”

“Huh?”

“Stop. Please.” Sparrow dropped her head onto the counter. “You’re so annoying. Where’s our sister?”

Morning smiled. “What? No idea. You don’t like my dancing?”

“Hate it. How are we related?”

“Um… we have the same mom and dad. Hello.”

“Lucky me.”

“Nova loves it,” Morning said as she spun past the counter in a graceful pirouette.

Sparrow straightened and looked around the room. “Sorry, everyone. My sister is an idiot.”

Nova came up behind Morning, grabbed her, spun her around, and dipped her low as Morning kicked her leg into the air.

Sparrow sighed.

“Okay… they’re both idiots.” She eyed them. “Done?”

They nodded in unison, giggling.

“Thank God. Now get back to work.”

Nova shrugged and made her way behind the counter. Morning stuck her tongue out at Sparrow before grabbing a rag and clearing a table.

Nova walked over to Sparrow, wrapped her arms around her, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “You know we love ya.”

Sparrow chuckled and shook her head. “I can’t say the same,” she remarked, playfully nudging Nova.

An older lady moved toward the counter. “You know, I love coming here just to watch you three. Can I get a scoop of vanilla to go, please?”

“No problem, Ms. Anderson.” Sparrow smiled and glanced at Nova, who was already scooping ice cream into a cup and adding candy sprinkles.

“Oh, you girls are so sweet,” Ms. Anderson said as she pulled out her coin purse.

Morning came up behind her and rested her head gently against Ms. Anderson’s. “Put that away, ma’am. You know your to-gos are always on us.”

“You girls, I can pay.”

“We know,” Sparrow said. “Think of it as payment.”

“Payment?”

“Yes,” Nova chimed in. “Payment for letting us spend time with you.”

“Did you walk here again?” Sparrow asked.

Ms. Anderson’s eyes dropped.

“On it,” Nova said as she rounded the counter and took Ms. Anderson by the hand. “Let’s go, ma’am.”

“No, no, girls, it’s too much. I can…”

“Nope,” Morning said.

“I can.”

“You want to fight?” Morning raised her fists and bounced around Ms. Anderson playfully.

Ms. Anderson couldn’t help but laugh.

Nova and Ms. Anderson made their way toward the door when three well-dressed men entered.

Nova felt Ms. Anderson’s grip tighten. She glanced back at her sisters and gave them a mischievous grin.

Morning and Sparrow returned it.

Morning’s playfulness vanished. “May we help you?”

The men said nothing as they slid into a booth.

Morning and Sparrow exchanged a glance. Morning shrugged. “Well… I’ve gotta pee. So, yeah. Let me know, sis, you know.”

Sparrow gave her a thumbs-up.

“Sure, I can’t get y’all anything?”

The men didn’t answer. One of them checked his watch.

“Right. Well, if you need anything, I’m right here,” Sparrow said as she hopped up onto the counter.

A moment later, Nova returned and stood beside her sister, crossing her arms. “So?”

Sparrow shrugged. “I think they’re doing that silent intimidation thing… or at least trying to.”

Annoyed, one man shook his head and nodded to his companion.

The second man stood and clapped his hands.

“All right. This place is now closed. Everyone get the fuck out. Now!”

The five customers looked at Sparrow and Nova.

Nova nodded. “It’s okay.”

The man giving the orders frowned slightly, confused, before nodding to another partner, who headed toward the back.

The first man stood and unbuttoned his jacket, flashing the gun tucked inside.

“Oh no,” Sparrow deadpanned. “He’s got a gun.”

“Little lady, you seem not to understand the gravity of this situation. Your little shop here is six months behind.”

“Behind?” Sparrow asked.

“Don’t play stupid. An associate of mine stopped by here when you opened and told you the price of doing business here.”

“Wait… that guy was serious?”

“Really? Are all bitches this stupid? Yes, he was fucking serious.”

“Oh… my bad. And what if we tell you to fuck off?”

He scoffed. “Then we close the place down permanently, and we hurt you.”

“Hurt us? That’s funny,” Morning said as she strolled in from the back.

“What the fuck were you doing back there?” Sparrow asked.

Morning turned bashful. “Um… that Indian food from lunch had its revenge.”

“Why do you do that to yourself?”

“It tastes good. Hello.”

He stepped back, drew his gun, then leveled it toward the sisters.

“Eddy! Hey, Eddy! What the fuck are you doing back there?”

“Aaron, keep an eye on them,” the leader said as he headed toward the back.

Aaron raised his gun.

He froze the instant he entered the back room.

A shiver shot through him as he threw up.

The partner rested face-down, head twisted all the way around, eyes fixed upward.

The leader staggered back into the ice cream shop and fell to the floor. He scrambled to his feet and saw Aaron on his knees.

Sparrow stood over him, one hand resting on Aaron’s head, tapping her fingers lightly as she smiled.

His breath caught in his throat.

Beside her stood an eight-foot blue demon, crystal-red, dagger-like horns rising from her head. She would have been angelic, if not so terrifying.

She swayed gently, smiling as she gave him a playful little wave.

His gun shook in his hand. His eyes were wide. Sweat slicked his palms.

A porcelain-white, forked tail, its tip framed in sharpened blue sapphire—curled slowly around his neck, followed by a silver, clawed hand that came to rest on his shoulder.

“Hi,” Nova said as her tail uncurled. “Sorry. It has a mind of its own sometimes. Come have a seat.”

She guided him to one of the booths. Then she stopped and wrinkled her nose.

“Hey, guys… I think he just pissed himself.”

She turned back to him. “Scared?”

He managed a small, nervous nod.

“Think we’re going to kill you?”

He didn’t answer.

“As long as you behave, you’ll be fine,” Nova said with amusement. “Fuck up, though? My sis Sparrow will incinerate you. Or you can deal with Morning, she’ll probably rip your heart out. Or if you like, I could just rip your spine out. We’ll let you choose. Now come sit.” She smiled.

The leader slid into the booth, followed by Aaron, who sat beside him. Morning slid into the booth across from them, Sparrow following close behind.

“Hey, scoot,” Nova said, looking at her sisters.

“There’s no room,” Sparrow replied.

“Sit on the counter or grab a chair. Jeez,” Morning added.

Nova crossed her arms, her tail flicking back and forth in annoyance. She huffed, then turned and grabbed a stool from the counter, dragging it across the floor. The legs squealed loudly as it scraped along.

Sparrow rolled her eyes.

Morning wrinkled her nose and covered her ears.

The two men sat there, trembling.

“So, gentlemen, as you can probably guess, we have no intention of paying your stupid little fee, today or ever,” Sparrow said as Morning laid her head on her shoulder.

“Do you mind?”

“What?”

“Your horns are in my way,” Sparrow said, pushing Morning off her shoulder.

Morning stuck her tongue out at Sparrow before turning to the men and giving them a playful smile.

Both men looked at each other in fear and confusion.

“What… what do we tell the boss about, about his son?” Aaron asked the leader.

“We’re… we’re dead men,” the leader added. “Fucking dead men.”

Morning perked up. “Really?”

Sparrow sighed. “That’s not an invitation, I’m pretty sure.” She looked at the two men. “You gentlemen are free to go.”

Exiting the booth, the men stood.

“What… what are we going to do?” the leader asked.

“Don’t care. Not our problem,” Sparrow answered.

The men made their way to the door. Each step was heavy and filled with dread.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Sparrow called out. “The apartments at the end of the block will no longer be paying that stupid fee either.”

The leader swallowed hard and nodded then defeated and scared, they left.

Sparrow looked up at Nova. “Really?”

“What?” Nova asked, glancing up from her phone.

“You were all bitchy about not sitting with us, and you’re on your fucking phone?”

Nova shrugged. “Do you think they’re going to tell their boss?”

“Oh, fuck no,” Morning chimed in. “They’re going to run and hide.”

“So we’re not done, are we?” Nova asked as she slid into the booth.

“Nope. Guess we’re going to have to take them all out.”

“Yeah. Get to have some fun.”

“We’re going to have to tell Mee Maw first.”

Morning laid her head on the table. “Sparrow!”