"So, anyway, I get this letter off this seventeen year old asking me what
should she do now that's she's pregnant."
"And that's why you quit?" Riley asked.
Alice rolled her eyes. "No Clarke. I quit because it was the fifth letter like that in a week. My editor told me the generation needed me. I told her the generation needs to be neutered."
Riley nearly chocked on the slice of pizza she was eating. "So what are you going to do now?"
Alice shrugged. "I figured I'd go get pregnant. Everyone else seems to be doing it. Why aren't you fat? I was expecting you to be huge."
"I'm ony four months."
"So. I was wondering when you where going to ask me to visit you."
"I didn't ask you." Riley reminded her, throwing her crust into the pizza box and getting herself another piece.
"I know. It was nice of Shane. He even paid for the flight and everything."
"Yeah, well he would." Riley muttered.
Alice retrieved the mother and baby magazine from by the couch. "Do I sense a hint of bitterness Clarke?"
"I'm not bitter. It's like he's trying to buy me over. Shall we got shopping? Want to see a movie? Shall I fly your friends from New York?"
"Yeah, how dare he. It sounds to me like he's doing all the running around and what part of no mushrooms don't they understand?"
"He is not doing all the running around, I just don't like him throwing money at every problem."
"You're not going to get any sympathy off me." Alice told her, flipping to an article about the most popular baby names.
"Well I should! you got me into this. It was your grand idea."
"Yeah, my grand idea to have you taken care of and maybe get a little papmered and that is exactly what he's trying to do. So enjoy the ride, buy a pair of ridiculously expensive shoes and give them to me when your feet swell."
"You don't understand..." Riley started.
"Have you consider Calla for a girl? Calla Honey Helms. What do you think?"
Riley pulled the magazine from it and threw it across the room.
"Alice!"
"Clarke. This is how your life is going to be. The way it's should be. Stop making Shane doing all the running around. Stop making him chase you. Just stop."
Alice had always had the knack of making Riley feel about two inches high. If she'd been anyone else, Riley would have given them the finger and swore at them. But this was Alice. "Aunt Alice' who had been dissing out accurate advice to teenages all over the country. She knew she was right.
That night, long after Alice had gone to sleep, as Shane read a book next to her, Riley's mind was in overdrive. Everything Alice had said to her kept flashing up in her mind, like the sentances had been written on flashcards and retained to torture her. Several times she opened her mouth to speak, then closed it abruptly. Giving a mental scream of frustration she sat up, licked her lips and cleared her throat.
"Shane, I just wanted to say that......bringing Alice here.....well....it was nice of you."
"You said you had no friends here and I felt bad."
Guilt flashed through Riley. "Yeah, well. Thank you."
She kissed him quickly on the cheek before lying on her side, facing away from him so he couldn't see her burning cheeks.
"And that's why you quit?" Riley asked.
Alice rolled her eyes. "No Clarke. I quit because it was the fifth letter like that in a week. My editor told me the generation needed me. I told her the generation needs to be neutered."
Riley nearly chocked on the slice of pizza she was eating. "So what are you going to do now?"
Alice shrugged. "I figured I'd go get pregnant. Everyone else seems to be doing it. Why aren't you fat? I was expecting you to be huge."
"I'm ony four months."
"So. I was wondering when you where going to ask me to visit you."
"I didn't ask you." Riley reminded her, throwing her crust into the pizza box and getting herself another piece.
"I know. It was nice of Shane. He even paid for the flight and everything."
"Yeah, well he would." Riley muttered.
Alice retrieved the mother and baby magazine from by the couch. "Do I sense a hint of bitterness Clarke?"
"I'm not bitter. It's like he's trying to buy me over. Shall we got shopping? Want to see a movie? Shall I fly your friends from New York?"
"Yeah, how dare he. It sounds to me like he's doing all the running around and what part of no mushrooms don't they understand?"
"He is not doing all the running around, I just don't like him throwing money at every problem."
"You're not going to get any sympathy off me." Alice told her, flipping to an article about the most popular baby names.
"Well I should! you got me into this. It was your grand idea."
"Yeah, my grand idea to have you taken care of and maybe get a little papmered and that is exactly what he's trying to do. So enjoy the ride, buy a pair of ridiculously expensive shoes and give them to me when your feet swell."
"You don't understand..." Riley started.
"Have you consider Calla for a girl? Calla Honey Helms. What do you think?"
Riley pulled the magazine from it and threw it across the room.
"Alice!"
"Clarke. This is how your life is going to be. The way it's should be. Stop making Shane doing all the running around. Stop making him chase you. Just stop."
Alice had always had the knack of making Riley feel about two inches high. If she'd been anyone else, Riley would have given them the finger and swore at them. But this was Alice. "Aunt Alice' who had been dissing out accurate advice to teenages all over the country. She knew she was right.
That night, long after Alice had gone to sleep, as Shane read a book next to her, Riley's mind was in overdrive. Everything Alice had said to her kept flashing up in her mind, like the sentances had been written on flashcards and retained to torture her. Several times she opened her mouth to speak, then closed it abruptly. Giving a mental scream of frustration she sat up, licked her lips and cleared her throat.
"Shane, I just wanted to say that......bringing Alice here.....well....it was nice of you."
"You said you had no friends here and I felt bad."
Guilt flashed through Riley. "Yeah, well. Thank you."
She kissed him quickly on the cheek before lying on her side, facing away from him so he couldn't see her burning cheeks.