Jon tried to cover himself, recognizing both of them.
One of the girls Barb...or had been. She'd gone from an antisocial teen to a tween, looking nervous around the older kids, but also a bit bored. Jon recognized her sister as the former Marie...though he wasn't sure who she'd been before. "You're Mikey's big brother, right?" Barb asked.
"Oh, that's why you look so familiar," Mallory said. "Barb is always talking about Mikey."
"That's cause she has a crush on him," Marie said.
Barb shot her an angry look. "Do not..." she protested. "Just all the girls are into boring stuff."
Jon looked interested. The Mikey he knew wasn't the sort to hang out with a girl...he still thought they had cooties. Jon had always had female friends. He wondered if Mikey was different now in that regard.
"Why'd you leave your phone at McDonalds?" Barb asked.
"I went to buy a drink, and was reading and then....my sister reminded me I was late, so I ran out and left the phone behind," he said, honestly.
"Is there some kind of reward?" Barb asked.
"Barbara," Mallory said sternly. "You did a good thing, that's a reward."
"I'm sorry..I don't really know what I could give you, other than...thanks," Jon said.
"That will do," Mallory said. "Now, we have to be going. The girls have homework to do. It was nice meeting you, Jon. One of these days, I'll have to meet your mother..."
"I'm sure she'd like that," he said...if she was the same mother as yesterday.
Mallory walked off with the two girls. He hoped that having a stern authority figure would help Barb...he wondered who she had been previously. He remembered, he had the phone, so he could find out again.
