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A day in the life. (Jude intro / open)
#1
Monday 5:45 am
"Come on Cruz."
"unghhhh..."
"Cruzito! I'm not standing here all day trying to wake your ass up."
"Go away Jude!"
"If you aren't up by the time I get out of the shower, I'm going to drag you out of the bed. Wet."

Monday 6:30 am
"I don't like the way you make pancakes."
"I don't like your face."
"Why can't mom get up and cook?"
"Because your mother needs her beauty rest."
"Yeah well...so do you."

Monday 7:30 am
By the time Judith edged the old blue and white pick up truck in front of her little brother's high school, he was complaining again. The last year had been hard. She chalked it up to the raging hormones of a 14 year old, but her mother had grown to fear her own son. She wanted less and less to do with the dark haired kid and it left Jude to pick up the pieces. She had to have enough faith that she wouldn't die if her kid brother snap shifted in a moment of uncontrollable Rage into a 7 foot whirling dervish of claws and fangs, right? Otherwise...Cruzito would have nothing but the wolves. Nothing. But.

"Baseball practice tonight?"
"No, not on Tuesday's."
"I'll pick you up at 3:30 then?"
"Whatever."

Monday 9:45 am
"You're late again Becky."
"I know...I knoooow. I'm so sorry. Traffic was a fuckin' nightmare Jude."

If Judith had another four hours in the day she'd fire Becky and forego sleep all together. The dark haired shop owner continued to sweep up the sawdust from the tile floor behind the counter. "You need to grab some Gumbo, Sister and Blue Dream from the back and stock the counter. I think...Mrs. Krieger is coming in and she'll buy some of each..."

"Jude, you need to catch a few winks in the back of the store. You look like shit."
"Thank you, Becky. Your honesty is always greatly appreciated."

Monday 12:45 pm
"Okay, so how much is the awning actually going to cost?"
"$1545"
"For a fucking awning??"
"Yes, ma'am."
"That's a little high."
"It's the cheapest you're going to find.."
"Go ahead, put it on. But it better look really goddamned good."

Monday 2:00 pm
"Mom. Mom, calm down. No one is trying to break into the house. We have the security system remember? The cameras in my office? No - mom wait, just listen okay? Ghosts??? Did you take your medication? There's no ghosts coming for you mom...I'm not going to look for my dad, I have to pick up Cruz from school it would take me hours to get back into the city and look for him. Just..put the shotgun away, I'll be right home with Cruz okay?"

Monday 3:40 pm
"Well, she's crazy you know."
"She is not crazy. Don't speak about your mother that way mijo."
"She thinks that ghosts are coming to get her. She says spirits are trying to steal her soul. Normal people don't think those things."
"Who are you to define what normal is? Maybe she's normal and we're the fucked up ones."

Monday 6 pm
Jude tended her plants. It was a full time job but she got by between herself and an old friend she paid $400 a week to help. Her father cut an imposing figure in the greenhouse doorway. His hair was longer than it ought to be for a man in his 50s. His skin was weathered and tan, his Navajo heritage dominated the Caucasian genes that made him who he was. His jeans were tattered, his tshirt loose on his muscled frame.

"Judy." Never Judith or the preferred Jude. Always Judy and she cringed every time.
"Dad."
"Got your mama sleeping. Cruz is settled."
"Thanks."
"Y'know...I never wanted to leave you all. I can't live this life..with you and your mom.."
"But you want to take Cruz?"
"Judy.."
"Don't fucking Judy me Dad. I raised him. Me. I didn't date, I didn't do extracurricular activities. I didn't do shit because I had to raise your son, now you want him? You want to play father?"
"No..I have to play mentor. You know he'll change soon. Could be any time...I can't leave him here to hurt you or your mama."
"Dad..if you love me like you say that you do? Just get the fuck out."

Monday 11 pm
The light from the laptop illuminated the grow area. Judith sat with her plants - her families livelihood - while attempting to finish a course in her accounting class online. She could have probably gotten into a community college. But time was never a friend of Judith's and so University of Phoenix it was.

She sat staring at the screen. Reading the same line over and over: Units of Production: Cost - Estimated Residual Value / total estimated units = $ cost per unit.

Slowly, her eyelids drifted shut.

Tuesday 2 am
Snap. Crack. Whispers.

Her eyes were slow to open. Her focus wasn't clear. The laptop monitor was asleep, but it still sat open on the table in front of her. That line about residual values and estimated units still stuck in her head.

The sounds, again. Her brow creased.

One hand gripped the barrel of the shotgun she had to keep out of her mother's hands. It was adjusted, allowing for a better grip. Outside the air was warm. She was sweating, but she hadn't even realised it until then.

"I've got a gun and a cop in my pocket on speed dial. If you don't get the fuck off my land I'll blow your brains out before I can make that call."

Laughter - no, giggling. Feet moving in brush.

She fired a warning shot and everything fell quiet.

Tuesday 4am
The greenhouse was locked. The alarm was set. Jude showered. She made coffee and checked on her sleeping (sedated) mother.

Tuesday 9am
There was the fight to wake her brother. To get him to shower. To feed him and wake her mother. Set the alarm. Stop for fuel for the truck.

By the time Jude reached the clinic the awning was being installed.

The sign was flipped from CLOSED to OPEN and she picked up the broom, swearing beneath her breath at Becky for being late, yet again.
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