Ann was going to step up, and she was going to give Grace a chance to redeem herself. And after that nasty review in Country Weekly, she was sure Grace needed redeeming. Nothing was more important in life than the ones you loved. Than family. It was because of Grace that Carrie Ann understood what it even meant to have a family. Even if Jody and Jim hated her, Grace made up for all of that.
âDonât let me down,â she said, softly, aloud. Carrie Ann reached for her purse, took out the worn picture, and stared at it. Two Raggedy Anns and one Andy. Grace, Carrie Ann, and Stan. She and Grace looked pretty much the same. But boy, it was mind-blowing to look at Stan. He had been so unlucky as a kid. All that weight, and the acne, and the braces. Those greasy black bangs hanging in his face. Just one big pile of misery. He was lucky he had made it through that time without being on the evening news for going berserk. Carrie Ann liked to think that he had her to thank for that. She had done a good thing bringing him into the fold. Maybe even saved innocent lives.
But Grace. Oh, how she loved Grace. How long had it been since sheâd seen her? (Not counting Facebook or from afar.) Too long. Way, way too long. She was flabbergasted that Grace had never reached out to her. Not once in all these years. Then again, Carrie Ann wouldnât have been easy to find. She never lived anywhere longer than a year. She didnât tweet, or Facebook, or put herself in the limelight. Maybe Grace had looked for her, but couldnât find her. Maybe Carrie Ann hadnât wanted to be found. But it was time. And it was the perfect time.
So it was decided. She would be the bigger person. She would make the first move. And she would do it with her usual flair. How far would she actually take things? Well, that would depend on Grace. But so far, if she did say so herself, she was nailing it.
She slipped the picture back in her purse. What would Carrie Ann do if her plan failed? She had to at least brace herself for the possibility that Grace would turn her back on her. Again. That couldnât happen. It just couldnât.
The front door suddenly swung open, and there stood Rafael in full costume. He slammed the door shut and glided across the floor as he slipped off his feathers. My God, how much did those things weigh? They were huge, black beasts, which looked capable of flight. After partially undressing, he turned and grinned at her with a face concealed under hideous white paint. He was also still wearing the eye mask. He continued to grin and balled his hands into fists. A swooshing sound cut through the air, and then the knives popped out. The silver gleamed as if he had just polished them, and he probably had. The freak.
âAre those real?â Carrie Ann asked. She took a step forward.
âIâll never tell,â Rafael said. He thrust his hands up in the air.
âWeirdo,â Carrie Ann said. More than once she had had second thoughts about involving him. But since it was too late to kick him off the team now, she was certainly glad he was on their side. She imagined he could be pretty scary under the best of circumstances.
Rafael arched his eyebrows and then took off the contraptions. He ambled over to his kitchen counter where he kept his stash and began to roll a joint. He lit it and rested it in the corner of his mouth. The place soon filled with the cloying scent of marijuana. He carried his stilts to a corner of the room, where he deposited them. Then, he threw himself on the sofa. Carrie Ann had just enough time to move her legs before he crushed them. The joint remained sealed between his lips. He reached Carrie Annâs legs and tried to put them over his lap. She pulled away and scooted to her corner of the sofa. He exhaled a gray cloud, and his eyes ran over her body.
âAre we going to the beach?â he said.
âNo,â Carrie Ann said.
âCome on. It is right at the end
âDonât let me down,â she said, softly, aloud. Carrie Ann reached for her purse, took out the worn picture, and stared at it. Two Raggedy Anns and one Andy. Grace, Carrie Ann, and Stan. She and Grace looked pretty much the same. But boy, it was mind-blowing to look at Stan. He had been so unlucky as a kid. All that weight, and the acne, and the braces. Those greasy black bangs hanging in his face. Just one big pile of misery. He was lucky he had made it through that time without being on the evening news for going berserk. Carrie Ann liked to think that he had her to thank for that. She had done a good thing bringing him into the fold. Maybe even saved innocent lives.
But Grace. Oh, how she loved Grace. How long had it been since sheâd seen her? (Not counting Facebook or from afar.) Too long. Way, way too long. She was flabbergasted that Grace had never reached out to her. Not once in all these years. Then again, Carrie Ann wouldnât have been easy to find. She never lived anywhere longer than a year. She didnât tweet, or Facebook, or put herself in the limelight. Maybe Grace had looked for her, but couldnât find her. Maybe Carrie Ann hadnât wanted to be found. But it was time. And it was the perfect time.
So it was decided. She would be the bigger person. She would make the first move. And she would do it with her usual flair. How far would she actually take things? Well, that would depend on Grace. But so far, if she did say so herself, she was nailing it.
She slipped the picture back in her purse. What would Carrie Ann do if her plan failed? She had to at least brace herself for the possibility that Grace would turn her back on her. Again. That couldnât happen. It just couldnât.
The front door suddenly swung open, and there stood Rafael in full costume. He slammed the door shut and glided across the floor as he slipped off his feathers. My God, how much did those things weigh? They were huge, black beasts, which looked capable of flight. After partially undressing, he turned and grinned at her with a face concealed under hideous white paint. He was also still wearing the eye mask. He continued to grin and balled his hands into fists. A swooshing sound cut through the air, and then the knives popped out. The silver gleamed as if he had just polished them, and he probably had. The freak.
âAre those real?â Carrie Ann asked. She took a step forward.
âIâll never tell,â Rafael said. He thrust his hands up in the air.
âWeirdo,â Carrie Ann said. More than once she had had second thoughts about involving him. But since it was too late to kick him off the team now, she was certainly glad he was on their side. She imagined he could be pretty scary under the best of circumstances.
Rafael arched his eyebrows and then took off the contraptions. He ambled over to his kitchen counter where he kept his stash and began to roll a joint. He lit it and rested it in the corner of his mouth. The place soon filled with the cloying scent of marijuana. He carried his stilts to a corner of the room, where he deposited them. Then, he threw himself on the sofa. Carrie Ann had just enough time to move her legs before he crushed them. The joint remained sealed between his lips. He reached Carrie Annâs legs and tried to put them over his lap. She pulled away and scooted to her corner of the sofa. He exhaled a gray cloud, and his eyes ran over her body.
âAre we going to the beach?â he said.
âNo,â Carrie Ann said.
âCome on. It is right at the end
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