[ It's a 5 second snapchat: a selfie of a girl lying on her bed, camera pointed right above her face as she grins, the caption reading Skipping school today!!! ]
[ A little while later (a little delayed, as is Stella's wont), there comes a short video, Stella's already preternaturally large eyes magnified by a sparkly filter that causes her to laugh. Then, cheerfully: ]
(Stella's kinda dumb, but she's fun, and Winnie still remembers those days when Cate was mad and Grace was being, like, whatever, so it was Stella and Winnie pouring over old magazines. Legs kicking in the air, while they listened to old 90s CDs, the room of a girl who Winnie replaced. The older brother, tied up in the closet, dressed in nothing but his underwear and gagged with tape.
Mother's girls don't have birthdays. But Winnie likes pretend, and Stella's good company, if you remind her to be.)
A second or two later, and Winnie hits the call button on her phone. Immediately: ]
Hiii, Stella-bella. [ Her grin's audible through the line. ] Are you in town?
[ There are times when she's lonely. Her sisters, they have their own lives, they're not as tied to the house as Stella is. But that, she supposes, is why Mother gave her the power that she did. She crops up in pictures, in paintings, flickers through cell phone screens to say hello as her body lies prone back in the house.
Of course, things changed a little after Daniel.
(She doesn't make it clear what Winnie does, but then again, she never makes it clear about any of her siblings. Daniel knows better than to think she doesn't understand their individual idiosyncrasies, but— that's love, isn't it?)
For instance, now — she's not too far off. ]
Hel-lo, Winnie! I— I think so. [ A beat, the sound of some discussion in the background. ] Yes. Yes! Can I come see you?
IMMEDIATELY CLUTCHES CHEST OH GOD DANIEL & STELLA.
[ "Mom" is still home, doing the laundry; "Dad" is in his study. This house is getting a little boring, actually, so she'll probably say goodbye soon. Or maybe Dad can come with. It's fun, sometimes, seeing how long she can draw it out.
Winnie sits up, crossing her legs on the bed. One hand holds her ankles together, rubbing along the golden anklet that sits above the spur of bone there. ]
Are you gonna come see me or come visit? [ She pouts. ] Because I kinda thought we could hang?
[ A beat. With a gasp: ] Unless you're with your boyfriend.
[ She sounds sweet, if a little distant, the way she usually does. (Sleepy, almost.) There's the faint beep-beep of traffic as she pauses — she smiles at Daniel from the passenger seat (she says I can come visit as if she needed permission, but that's never the case, it's her prerogative, even if she finds that difficult sometimes), though the expression doesn't carry into her voice when she speaks again.
She knows better. ]
He's going to drop me off. I'll be there soon, okay?
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Naughty!
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(Stella's kinda dumb, but she's fun, and Winnie still remembers those days when Cate was mad and Grace was being, like, whatever, so it was Stella and Winnie pouring over old magazines. Legs kicking in the air, while they listened to old 90s CDs, the room of a girl who Winnie replaced. The older brother, tied up in the closet, dressed in nothing but his underwear and gagged with tape.
Mother's girls don't have birthdays. But Winnie likes pretend, and Stella's good company, if you remind her to be.)
A second or two later, and Winnie hits the call button on her phone. Immediately: ]
Hiii, Stella-bella. [ Her grin's audible through the line. ] Are you in town?
no subject
Of course, things changed a little after Daniel.
(She doesn't make it clear what Winnie does, but then again, she never makes it clear about any of her siblings. Daniel knows better than to think she doesn't understand their individual idiosyncrasies, but— that's love, isn't it?)
For instance, now — she's not too far off. ]
Hel-lo, Winnie! I— I think so. [ A beat, the sound of some discussion in the background. ] Yes. Yes! Can I come see you?
IMMEDIATELY CLUTCHES CHEST OH GOD DANIEL & STELLA.
[ "Mom" is still home, doing the laundry; "Dad" is in his study. This house is getting a little boring, actually, so she'll probably say goodbye soon. Or maybe Dad can come with. It's fun, sometimes, seeing how long she can draw it out.
Winnie sits up, crossing her legs on the bed. One hand holds her ankles together, rubbing along the golden anklet that sits above the spur of bone there. ]
Are you gonna come see me or come visit? [ She pouts. ] Because I kinda thought we could hang?
[ A beat. With a gasp: ] Unless you're with your boyfriend.
i've fallen and i can't get up.avi
[ She sounds sweet, if a little distant, the way she usually does. (Sleepy, almost.) There's the faint beep-beep of traffic as she pauses — she smiles at Daniel from the passenger seat (she says I can come visit as if she needed permission, but that's never the case, it's her prerogative, even if she finds that difficult sometimes), though the expression doesn't carry into her voice when she speaks again.
She knows better. ]
He's going to drop me off. I'll be there soon, okay?