Smile-Time A-3, Saturday Night
She actually hadn't hid under the covers all day, if for no other reason than the fact that burgers lived in town. Eventually, though, Francine found herself back in her alcove, the curtain only half drawn. She wasn't seeking out company, but she wasn't turning it away, either.
What she wasn't expecting was for her cell-phone to ring, and the caller ID to not show a Fandom area code.
"Mom?"
"Of course this is the right number; who else would answer the phone with 'Mom?'"
"Okay, fair enough, but I hope I don't sound like Benjamin. Why are you calling so late? Is something wrong?"
"No, something doesn't have to be-- no, I'm glad to hear from you, Mom. Really. No, I'm not too busy, I'm just sitting here on my bed." Feeling sorry for myself. "Yes, alone!" Now. "Why would you ask--" Oh God, how wide of a broadcasting area does WTFH have?
"Ohhhh. No, we're in the cabins right now. My roommate--" Who you don't approve of and don't even know is going to this school let alone living with me, let alone would you hate me if I kissed you?. "--isn't here. Why?"
"That's my name. What, Momma?" There is something wrong. Great, just one more thing to add to this week of Mondays. Ben flunked out of college. Aunt Libby finally got taken away by the aliens. They can't afford my tuition here anymore. What? Spit it out!
"...How am I?" All that dead air for that? "I'm...fine." Really.
"No, it's the kind of fine that means--" Your only daughter is a moron who could totally be in jail if this island had anything like drug and alcohol enforcement laws. "--fine. ...No, I didn't flash anybody again!" This week. "Mo-om! Fine is fine."
"My homework is fine. My classes are fine. My um. My clarinet? Uh. That's--" Perfectly fine. In my closet. In the case that hasn't been opened in a year. "--fine! My friends are fine too." Not everyone we know is a nice person... "What? ....Yes, I still have a boyfriend! Why would you -- oh. Fine. But this one's different." Oh, you have no idea how different.
"My diet? Uh. Actually I just started a new one today!" The no-more-oregano-brownies diet. "I don't know exactly how much I weigh, Mom. I haven't checked-- What? No, Merlin's not like that. He doesn't care." Pause. "All men don't-- okay, Mom. Fine, I will, Jes--geez."
"Geez, Mom, I said geez. With a G." I almost said the J-word to my mom. Afterschool Special, here I come. "Um. Well, we don't really have--- yes, there's a church, just no p---" Oh yeah, tell her the only church on the island is an abandoned one. You might as well mention how everyone goes there every Sunday for the all-night orgy, smoke-in and heavy metal concert. "Yes, mom. Of course I'm going to services." Every time they've had a service, I've gone. Not a lie, right? Oh G-word, I'm so going to H-word.
"Is Daddy around? Can I-- oh. Okay. Well, tell him hi for me when he gets home, I guess."
"I love you too, Mom." And now you say 'I love you three, and I say...' "...Bye."
She didn't say I love you three.
Francine hung up the phone and stared at it for a bit, before leaning over the side of the bed and reaching for her emergency box of cookies. Which were totally on her no-more-brownies diet.
[Estaaaaablishy, but sure, cabinmates can stop in. Dun hate, Lainey. Here, I'll linkdrop it for you: And later, Francine got a phone call. Done!]
What she wasn't expecting was for her cell-phone to ring, and the caller ID to not show a Fandom area code.
"Mom?"
"Of course this is the right number; who else would answer the phone with 'Mom?'"
"Okay, fair enough, but I hope I don't sound like Benjamin. Why are you calling so late? Is something wrong?"
"No, something doesn't have to be-- no, I'm glad to hear from you, Mom. Really. No, I'm not too busy, I'm just sitting here on my bed." Feeling sorry for myself. "Yes, alone!" Now. "Why would you ask--" Oh God, how wide of a broadcasting area does WTFH have?
"Ohhhh. No, we're in the cabins right now. My roommate--" Who you don't approve of and don't even know is going to this school let alone living with me, let alone would you hate me if I kissed you?. "--isn't here. Why?"
"That's my name. What, Momma?" There is something wrong. Great, just one more thing to add to this week of Mondays. Ben flunked out of college. Aunt Libby finally got taken away by the aliens. They can't afford my tuition here anymore. What? Spit it out!
"...How am I?" All that dead air for that? "I'm...fine." Really.
"No, it's the kind of fine that means--" Your only daughter is a moron who could totally be in jail if this island had anything like drug and alcohol enforcement laws. "--fine. ...No, I didn't flash anybody again!" This week. "Mo-om! Fine is fine."
"My homework is fine. My classes are fine. My um. My clarinet? Uh. That's--" Perfectly fine. In my closet. In the case that hasn't been opened in a year. "--fine! My friends are fine too." Not everyone we know is a nice person... "What? ....Yes, I still have a boyfriend! Why would you -- oh. Fine. But this one's different." Oh, you have no idea how different.
"My diet? Uh. Actually I just started a new one today!" The no-more-oregano-brownies diet. "I don't know exactly how much I weigh, Mom. I haven't checked-- What? No, Merlin's not like that. He doesn't care." Pause. "All men don't-- okay, Mom. Fine, I will, Jes--geez."
"Geez, Mom, I said geez. With a G." I almost said the J-word to my mom. Afterschool Special, here I come. "Um. Well, we don't really have--- yes, there's a church, just no p---" Oh yeah, tell her the only church on the island is an abandoned one. You might as well mention how everyone goes there every Sunday for the all-night orgy, smoke-in and heavy metal concert. "Yes, mom. Of course I'm going to services." Every time they've had a service, I've gone. Not a lie, right? Oh G-word, I'm so going to H-word.
"Is Daddy around? Can I-- oh. Okay. Well, tell him hi for me when he gets home, I guess."
"I love you too, Mom." And now you say 'I love you three, and I say...' "...Bye."
She didn't say I love you three.
Francine hung up the phone and stared at it for a bit, before leaning over the side of the bed and reaching for her emergency box of cookies. Which were totally on her no-more-brownies diet.
[Estaaaaablishy, but sure, cabinmates can stop in. Dun hate, Lainey. Here, I'll linkdrop it for you: And later, Francine got a phone call. Done!]