Page 103 of Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal
“Dwight, I really don’t think this is the place—” Storee starts, but Uncle Dwight ignores her.
“He’s horrible,” he continues. “The things he’s done to me.”
“Dwight, come on,” Atlas says, causing Uncle Dwight to eye him angrily.
“Tormented me in high school because I was different.”
“What are you talking about?” Atlas asks.
“You’ve seen it around town,” Uncle Dwight continues. “The way everyone seems to like him, but no one likes me. He’s been a master of manipulation since high school, and now he’s turned you against me.”
“No, that’s not what’s happening,” I say.
“It’s not?” he asks. “So you’re just over here, letting him touch you because...”
I bite on my bottom lip, because I really have no answer to that.
“I see. Well, I heard rumblings that people have seen you two together, but I didn’t think much of it. I thought they were talking about you being at the farm, but now I know.” He nods and lets go of my arm. “Well, let me leave you with this.” He blows out a heavy breath. “Remember when my girlfriend in high school was fighting cancer?”
I nod. It was a terrible thing. The whole family knew about it because we donated and raised funds for her cancer treatments, but sadly, she lost the battle.
“I made a wish that Christmas,” he continues. “I made a wish on the Ornament Park tree with a very special, near and dear to me ornament. I wished for her to battle, to fight.” I see tears start to well in his eyes. “And when I went to go look for it the next day... it was missing.”
I gasp, my heart pounding a mile a minute.
No.
There’s no way.
Atlas wouldn’t do that.
Uncle Dwight looks Atlas in the eyes. “I later found out it was Maxheimer who took it down.” He wets his lips. “Jessica passed a few days after Christmas.”
“Oh my God,” I say as I turn to Atlas. “That’s... that’s horrible.”
“And the only reason why he’s talking to you, why he’s trying to get on your good side is to not only save his farm but to try to take you away from me as well. When you first got here, I told him to stay away from you. I told him to not even look in your direction, and he took that as a challenge.”
“Dwight, that’s?—”
“Don’t,” I say, backing away. “Please don’t say anything.”
“Betty,” Storee says, looking confused. “Atlas wouldn’t do that.”
“How doyouknow?” Uncle Dwight says. “You’ve only been around a few years, but you saw the Christmas Kringle competition last year, how he got everyone to turn against me. The entire town doesn’t like me, and it’s all because of his manipulation.” He shakes his head. “I’ve always been different from you, Maxheimer. Shorter, weaker, not as talented or well-connected, but I’ll be damned if you try to take Betty away. Your little game is over. The challenge is over. Leave her alone.”
And with that, he turns away and starts heading toward the exit.
Not even thinking about it twice, I leave my coffee cake and drink on the table and chase after my uncle until I reach him just outside the coffee shop. “Wait,” I say, tugging on his arm.
“How could you do that to me?” he says, looking so disappointed. Angry. “How could you... embarrass me like that?”
“I wasn’t... I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“The entire town is probably laughing at the fact that my own family member would rather hang out with a Maxheimer than me. Is that why you kept canceling? To hang out with him?”
“No,” I say out of desperation. “No, I’ve just been... I’ve been confused.”
“Because he’s preyed on you.”
