|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- I LOVE BAILEY CONG--CUP 4--"SISTER" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  I Love Bailey Cong  ||  -------> (Cup SRbc004, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Suddenly, Hester's computer froze up. "Goddammit!" she yelled. Just then, her mother entered her room. "What's got you so upset?" "Oh, Mom this, this online service always crashes my machine!" "Were you having a chat?" "What?" "A chat? A computer chat?" "Yeah, yeah. I guess so." "With anyone nice?" "Yeah, whatever, some kid." Hester said, and then leapt onto her bed and started sulking. After a pause, her mother spoke. "Hester, I'm sorry about Fake. I'm sure she had a very good reason to cancel your get-together." Hester turned to face her mom, her eyes welled with tears. "Why don't you trace her calls with the phone company or something, so we know..." "Honey, I'm sure Fake will let us know what she's up to one of these days. Whatever it is, she certainly seems to be happy. And making a lot of money while she's at it! Do you know that she's paid back your father and I every cent we loaned her in college? I never thought I'd see that money again." "Mom, what's your problem? She has to be doing something illegal! She's either selling drugs, or maybe she's a whore! Letting guys fuck her for money! The money she gave you!" "I don't want to hear that kind of language in MY house, do you hear me? And don't you know I asked Fake just that question and she swore to me that she wasn't doing anything like that, and you know that whatever else her flaws, she tells the truth, she doesn't lie." "She's not my sister anymore." Hester said, burying her face in her pillow. "How can you say a thing like that?" Mrs. Cerquaine said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Fake loves you. She loves all of us. Now for some reason she can't tell us what she's up to in her life right now, but I'm sure she has a good reason. And you, young lady, you have to grow up and face responsibility in the real world! You have to run your own life, don't keel over and croak just because your sister isn't around." "FUCK YOU!" Mrs. Cerquaine got up. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that. But let me tell you this one thing, Hester, get your life in order. I want to see you out there in the real world, not planted in front of that video screen chatting it up with a bunch of freaks and weirdoes. Do you understand me?" Hester held up her middle finger, her face still buried in her pillow. Mrs. Cerquaine walked out. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----