#cookiehorse

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She’s still going. 

Sophie: “--up, and a two, and a three, and a--” *phone rings* “--wha-? Oh crap, who’s calling me?” *lets the ball roll away as she pulls the phone roughly out of her shorts pocket*

Amelia: “Hm?”

Sophie: “Yello? ...Hey, Carrie. What’s up? Feels like I haven’t heard from you in a while. ... Uh-huh? ... Hm, can’t say I know her. Playgrouper or-? ... Right, cool. So what about you and Katya?” ... “...oh. You’re dating now, huh?” 

Oh shit, thanks for reminding me. I almost clean forgot.

Sophie: “...Oh, no no, I’m happy for you! I know that was a - ...yeah. ...yeah, that’d be great, actually! I just need to, you know, get over the birthday hump, then I’ll see if we can sort something out, yeah? ...okay, cool. ...yeah. Listen, I gotta get back to my soccer, you mind if I-? ...great! Bye! Congrats again! Bye.” 

Amelia: *whispering to Eplis* “Does she sound rejected to you too? Or is it just me?”

Eplis: *not bothering to be as quiet* “It’s you, Bibi.”

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Carrie: *quietly* “Oh god, ohhhh god, why am I so nervous? It’s not like I’ve never sent one of these before... oh god, I hope she likes it. I mean... she’s gotta, right? Katya said she -”

Laurel: “Hm.” 

Carrie: “--shit, Sophie?” *turns, trying not to call too loud* “Sophie, I swear, it’s not what it looks--”

...

Carrie: “Nothing. ...” *sighs* “I have got to get it together.”

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Sophie: “Oh shit I’m in! ...Wait, no, not oh shit at you, Carrie, I... uh. I- it’s me again. Just wanted to check in on you? You seemed pretty--

“No, I know, you said. I guess what I mean is, you can talk about it if you feel up to it? Long as these phones are working, I wanna lend an ear. That’s what these things are for, isn’t it?” 

...

“Uh-huh? ... Oh geez, Carrie, that’s rough. ... For twenty years? What?! I don’t even think we’ve been ALIVE that long! ... ... Well, he should’ve said two weeks then! Getting you all confused-- ... What do you mean he does this all the time?!”

Amelia, continuing to watch her talk: “...yes. She’s going to be just fine.” *turns back to Eplis* But there’s no harm in just making sure. Is there?”

Eplis: “Guess not, Bibi. I’ll see what I can do!”

Amelia: “Thank you.”

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A Symphony of Emotion, in Four Pictures

Sophie: *eager* “Please pick up please pick up... ...oh! Hi, Carrie! It’s Sophie! You know, from the house opposite? Figured I’d--” 

...

Sophie: *confused* “Wha’? But I only just--”

...

Sophie: *disappointed* “Oh. Rough day with your dad, huh? Okay, uh... I’ll call back. Later. Maybe.”

*click*

Sophie: *dejected* “Aww, fuck...”

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Leighton: “All done, Madison - I got her real good.”

Laurel: “Ow... oh god...”

Madison: “Finally. Come on, let’s get outta here while it’s still not a lost cause. Scat.”

Carrie: “Shit, gotta go. Um... n- no hard feelings about all this, right?”

Sophie: “Uh--”

Madison: “Carrie! Move!”

Carrie: “Coming!!” *looks back entreatingly* “U- maybe see you later at some point, Sophie? Maybe? ...if Dad doesn’t find out and kill me again?”

Sophie: “...”

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*thud* 

Sophie: “--ow?”  Carrie: “Ow!”

Sophie: “Uh.”

...

Sophie: “So. You came up to join the fight too?”

Carrie: “No.” *quietly* “Look, I’m really sorry about this - I, I didn’t want--”

Sophie: “Then why are you here?”

Carrie: “I saw t-- uh - they were scoping you out last night, I saw from across the road. I tried to stop them, but Leighton told me not to squeal or Dad’d be next, and he’s got enough going on--” 

Sophie: “Across the... shit, I thought I remembered you. I’ve seen Eplis come back with you and your sisters from playgroup before. Ca- no, not Candy - Carrie Persimmon, right?”

Carrie: *sheepishly* “Yeah. One of Cinnamon’s kids. Or, er. Was.”

Sophie: “Cinnamon? Like Twist?”

Carrie: *nods*

Sophie: *in revelation* “Oh god, oh fuck, the one Bibi cut--!” 

Carrie: “Xe doesn’t really like talking about it, so can y-”

Sophie: “--sorry, sorry! I know, sorry...” *grim laugh* “Ain’t that funny, though? You’re the one trying to protect us when you’ve got more reason to hate Bibi than those two do.”

Carrie: “Yeah, well. Most of you guys haven’t even done anything bad yet - you don’t need that, you know?”

Sophie: “It’s big of you even so. Wasn’t expecting anything gorgeous tonight-” *realizing what she said* “I- I mean gener- what?”

Carrie: “What?”

Madison: “And this is precisely why we don’t talk to the enemy, Carrie!”

Carrie: “I- I wasn’t--”

*thud*

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Madison: “You had one job, dude! One job! Sneak up there and steal their shit! This really wasn’t that hard!”

Burglar: “It was Carrie! She tried to squeal on us and woke them up like you--”

Carrie: “I didn’t mean it this time, I swear!”

Madison: “Sure you didn’t, that’s why you’re yelling loud enough to wake the whole fucking street!” 

Eplis: “Aren’t you yelling too?”

Madison: “It’s not the same-- who asked you?! Ugh, please don’t make me have to write this off as a...”

Laurel: “Look, I, um, can you have this argument somewhere else? It’s just, there’s no police here, and our children are trying to sleep, so--”

Burglar: *fiercely* “No! No no no! I can still salvage this! You wanna fuck ‘em over, Mads?”

Madison: “I wanted-”

Burglar, leaping onto Laurel: “Let’s fuck them over!”

Laurel: “AH-?!”

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*creak* ... *creak* ... *creak*

Amelia: “...” *whispers* “Laurel.”

Laurel: “Mrh?”

Amelia: “Laurel, darling, wake up. I think someone’s coming upstairs.”

Laurel: *snaps to attention* “Hm?” 

Carrie: “L-look, I really don’t think we should be--”

*in a hiss* “Sssh!! You’ll wake them up! Too late to fuckin’ object now, kid.”

Carrie: “But-”

Madison: *quietly* “Quit stalling, go up! I’ll check the mailbox.” 

“Got it.”