A-Sides

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  “Jenny! Come to supper!”

  Jenny bounced up from her bed and ran into the kitchen, her face freshly scrubbed of makeup, her cuts and bruises healed. She was ravenous. The unsettling events of the day had already diminished to a mere memory.

  Lisa glanced furtively at Jenny as they ate, and not for the first time. It wasn’t the first time that Jenny’s injuries had faded and she thought it worried Lisa. It was with great glee that Jenny pretended not to notice.

  Jenny’s parents (Jack and Jill Flynn) talked of the day’s work and tonight’s bridal shower and bachelor party for the respective participants in the upcoming wedding.

  Lisa talked about Steve Kirk and little else.

  After supper, Jenny went into the living room to watch thousands of dollars worth of cash and prizes being given away by smiling emcees in Botany 500 suits on TV game shows.

  Lisa washed the dishes while Jack and Jill prepared to go out to their parties.

  At the door, Jenny’s mother told her to mind her sister and be good. She assured her that she would while Lisa beamed sardonically behind her. Her parents left after saying they would be back around twelve. Don’t wait up for us.

  Jenny watched them leave, now at Lisa’s mercy. She could only hope that all the fire was out of Lisa’s eyes. She looked around. Lisa paid no attention to Jenny at all. She was busy dialing the phone.

  Interested, Jenny sat down in the small rocker across from where Lisa sat with one leg tucked beneath her. Lisa stared at her very hard but said nothing.

  “Steve? Hey, it’s me.”

  Jenny listened to the conversation with disfavor, eying Lisa with a look as cold as January in a Siberian salt mine. The gist of the conversation was, “No, Steve. Not tonight. My parents aren’t home.”

  Jenny suddenly thought about something her father, an IT guy, would do with hackers. If somebody was trying to hack a system or a website, he would put in a snippet of code and a hyper-link and “Rick-Roll” them, sending the hacker to a YouTube video of Rick Astley singing “Never Gonna Give you Up.” Jenny thought it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. She thought about what Lisa had done today and closed her eyes. She concentrated very hard and tried to “Rick-Roll” Lisa.

  She opened her eyes.

  No luck.

  Lisa was still on the phone, swinging her one free leg. She told Steve -apparently also un-“Rick-Rolled”- that he could come over if he promised to leave by eleven. Jenny was heartsick.

  Lisa, he’s only using you. I’m only eight years old and I know that.

  At that instant Jenny wanted to rip the phone from Lisa’s hand and rid her of Steve Kirk forever. In that same instant, the phone slithered and ran ever so slightly, as if it had partially melted and quivered.

  The phone fell from Lisa’s hand.

  At the same time the phone had quivered, Lisa had felt its texture change from rigid plastic and metal to a warm, soft jelly. A giant, invisible hand of great strength pulled at the phone and wrenched it from her hand. The phone fell to the floor where it started to emit high pitched trills and squeaks.

  In that one second while the phone trilled and buzzed, Jenny knew that she had done it. She had felt that something inside her surface. She had wanted Lisa off the phone, and suddenly, she was. Jenny felt ridiculously pleased with herself, like one of those chimps that has just solved a monkey puzzle by placing all the rings on a peg in descending order of diameter.

  Lisa stared at the phone for a full five seconds in uncomprehending surprise. She looked up slowly at Jenny. Jenny had not moved and she saw the stark dread in Lisa’s eyes. Lisa looked away and hurriedly picked up the phone.

  “Steve? Steve, are you still there?”

  A squawking noise came through the phone.

  “Yes…. Yes! Come right over. I…. I dropped the phone.” She stole a timid peek at her bemused little sister. “Alright. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  Lisa turned on Jenny, windy and blustering. “What are you staring at,” she said, flapping her arms. “Go on. Go to your room. And don’t you dare tell mama Steve was here.”

  Jenny calmly got up and walked to her room, but when she passed Lisa she favored her with a crimped little smile.

  No matter how she tried to hide it, Lisa knew. And was afraid. Jenny idly wondered what she would think of the surprise she had left for Lisa.

  In her room, Jenny pulled out Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and read for a little while. The doorbell rang. Steve was here and Jenny listened as they went into Lisa’s room. She heard their muffled voices through the bedroom door. After a time the voices stopped and Jenny heard the door being latched.

  Jenny walked over to her music box and wound it up. The ballerina went through her timeless dance while Jenny watched and listened, hoping to hear nothing else.