Visible Monsters
Phone Call
With a toothbrush and Crest "lemon ice"-flavored toothpaste from my bag, I scrub out my mouth in the bathroom. Rebecca crosses her arms, watching me through the mirror. The paste foams in my mouth; I look rabid. "So this is where you run off to after every show! Oh, I'm sure it wasn't all that bad. Blaine's pride would shatter if he saw you right now," she comments, grinning. "I think he enjoyed it, actually. All five times."
"I sure didn't. That was probably the most disgusting thing I've done in a while." I cleanse my tongue. "His mint-cherry chap stick didn't help either." Thank God that's the last showing; I can't handle another menthol/Bing-cherry kiss.
"Well, I've got some Listerine in my purse, so..." Rebecca places the bottle near the faucet. "Good luck with rinsing out the taste." She giggles, pats my back, and waves goodbye.
After a good five minutes of scouring my mouth, I step outside, feeling somewhat less disgusted than I felt minutes ago. Though my mouth is very dry and lemon/mint-flavored, I'm content. Andrew, Daphne, Madeline, Arin, Desiree, and Aunt Iliana are waiting near the steps. Once they spot me, they shout encouraging words and applaud.
"There's our shrew!" Daphne pats me on the back, and Andrew hands me a bouquet of blue roses.
"I thought you'd appreciate these." He smiles weakly. "And how was...um..."
"Andy, are you all right?" I ask, frowning. Arin and Desiree look at each other, trying to hold back their laughter. I glare. "What's going on?"
"Someone was a little jealous."
"Cute, really."
I roll my eyes. "Let's just leave; I'm sick of this place."
We drive back to Daphne, Madeline, and my house, popping champagne and having a quaint party. Daphne's unhappy Desiree joined our party, but she attempts to make the best of the situation. However, this means she hits on Desiree's boyfriend.
At two in the morning, Andrew and I sit watching "telenovelas" in the living room while lying on the sofa. "I should probably go home; it's late, and you need your rest." He kisses me goodbye, but I hold onto his arm. "Tawny, it's late."
"Just stay here tonight." I wrap the blanket around us. "Unless you feel like leaving."
"Why would I pass up an opportunity like this?"
<<<<>>>>
Afternoon, and Daphne informs me there's something important on the answering machine before she leaves for class. Aunt Iliana and Charcoal arrived hours ago, and sit at the kitchen table, drinking coffee. Andrew slinks up to my room, allowing for some "family time".
"Tawny, we're planning on coming to the funeral. After all, Paul was your father's brother. We'll be seeing you soon. Marla better be there too--mommy misses her baby." Click.
"They can't go," I snarl, sipping my coffee. I dump in two heaps of sugar and spin the spoon around while adding cream.
"Tawny, she's right." Aunt Iliana sighs, tugging at her yellow sundress. "We can't prevent them from going." Lock them out. Barricade the doors. Call the national guard. Police officers. Firemen. Just keep them away from my deceased uncle; I don't care how. "Hon, I'm really sorry."
"They aren't allowed in." I turn to Charcoal, who shifts uncomfortably. "Granddad, you've got to fix this. This is a mourning, not a celebration." He nods hesitantly, biting his lip. "Can't we do something about this?"
"...I'll see what I can do."
Aunt Iliana and Charcoal rise to leave, bidding me goodbye. The service is scheduled for tomorrow, and all our acquaintances will arrive. The phone has been ringing for weeks at Aunt Iliana's house. Pieces of consolation. Encouraging words. I ignore those phone calls and play cards with Andrew. It's what answering machines are for, after all.
"Do you have any kings?" He hands over a card.
"Do you have any aces?" I shake my head, and he reaches for one from the pile.
"...Tawny, 'Goldfish' is getting boring. It's been about two hours." Andrew shuffles his pile and places it back into the small blue box. "I heard the conversation--I shouldn't have been eavesdropping, but I couldn't help it--and I'm really sorry." He draws in a deep breath. "If they--"
"They won't be there. They are not allowed inside. I'll call the United States Marine Corps to keep them away." I put my cards away too. The phone rings, but we ignore it. I can hear Daphne shouting for me to pick it up. "Those white trash hicks will not be anywhere near my uncle."
"Tawny, there's no way you can keep them out." He strokes my hand. "I'll try my best to keep them away, but that may not be enough."
"Granddad has connections. They won't come in." He frowns. "Andy, I can't deal with them. And what about Madeline?"
"I don't know, Tawny." Andrew brushes a strand of hair out of my face. "I don't know."
"I sure didn't. That was probably the most disgusting thing I've done in a while." I cleanse my tongue. "His mint-cherry chap stick didn't help either." Thank God that's the last showing; I can't handle another menthol/Bing-cherry kiss.
"Well, I've got some Listerine in my purse, so..." Rebecca places the bottle near the faucet. "Good luck with rinsing out the taste." She giggles, pats my back, and waves goodbye.
After a good five minutes of scouring my mouth, I step outside, feeling somewhat less disgusted than I felt minutes ago. Though my mouth is very dry and lemon/mint-flavored, I'm content. Andrew, Daphne, Madeline, Arin, Desiree, and Aunt Iliana are waiting near the steps. Once they spot me, they shout encouraging words and applaud.
"There's our shrew!" Daphne pats me on the back, and Andrew hands me a bouquet of blue roses.
"I thought you'd appreciate these." He smiles weakly. "And how was...um..."
"Andy, are you all right?" I ask, frowning. Arin and Desiree look at each other, trying to hold back their laughter. I glare. "What's going on?"
"Someone was a little jealous."
"Cute, really."
I roll my eyes. "Let's just leave; I'm sick of this place."
We drive back to Daphne, Madeline, and my house, popping champagne and having a quaint party. Daphne's unhappy Desiree joined our party, but she attempts to make the best of the situation. However, this means she hits on Desiree's boyfriend.
At two in the morning, Andrew and I sit watching "telenovelas" in the living room while lying on the sofa. "I should probably go home; it's late, and you need your rest." He kisses me goodbye, but I hold onto his arm. "Tawny, it's late."
"Just stay here tonight." I wrap the blanket around us. "Unless you feel like leaving."
"Why would I pass up an opportunity like this?"
<<<<>>>>
Afternoon, and Daphne informs me there's something important on the answering machine before she leaves for class. Aunt Iliana and Charcoal arrived hours ago, and sit at the kitchen table, drinking coffee. Andrew slinks up to my room, allowing for some "family time".
"Tawny, we're planning on coming to the funeral. After all, Paul was your father's brother. We'll be seeing you soon. Marla better be there too--mommy misses her baby." Click.
"They can't go," I snarl, sipping my coffee. I dump in two heaps of sugar and spin the spoon around while adding cream.
"Tawny, she's right." Aunt Iliana sighs, tugging at her yellow sundress. "We can't prevent them from going." Lock them out. Barricade the doors. Call the national guard. Police officers. Firemen. Just keep them away from my deceased uncle; I don't care how. "Hon, I'm really sorry."
"They aren't allowed in." I turn to Charcoal, who shifts uncomfortably. "Granddad, you've got to fix this. This is a mourning, not a celebration." He nods hesitantly, biting his lip. "Can't we do something about this?"
"...I'll see what I can do."
Aunt Iliana and Charcoal rise to leave, bidding me goodbye. The service is scheduled for tomorrow, and all our acquaintances will arrive. The phone has been ringing for weeks at Aunt Iliana's house. Pieces of consolation. Encouraging words. I ignore those phone calls and play cards with Andrew. It's what answering machines are for, after all.
"Do you have any kings?" He hands over a card.
"Do you have any aces?" I shake my head, and he reaches for one from the pile.
"...Tawny, 'Goldfish' is getting boring. It's been about two hours." Andrew shuffles his pile and places it back into the small blue box. "I heard the conversation--I shouldn't have been eavesdropping, but I couldn't help it--and I'm really sorry." He draws in a deep breath. "If they--"
"They won't be there. They are not allowed inside. I'll call the United States Marine Corps to keep them away." I put my cards away too. The phone rings, but we ignore it. I can hear Daphne shouting for me to pick it up. "Those white trash hicks will not be anywhere near my uncle."
"Tawny, there's no way you can keep them out." He strokes my hand. "I'll try my best to keep them away, but that may not be enough."
"Granddad has connections. They won't come in." He frowns. "Andy, I can't deal with them. And what about Madeline?"
"I don't know, Tawny." Andrew brushes a strand of hair out of my face. "I don't know."