I and You by Lauren Gunderson

Author:Lauren Gunderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2018-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Three

Ten minutes later. Anthony is not leaving her, but he is giving her space, waiting for instruction.

Caroline has burrowed under her covers on her bed.

And will not come out.

Under the covers . . .

Extending her hand with the following directive . . .

CarolineKleenex.

Anthony rushes to find and deliver the Kleenex to her outreached hand, which retracts under the blanket with the spoils.

Snorting sound from under the covers.

Another hand with another directive.

CarolineTurtle.

Anthony rushes to find and deliver Turtle.

Pause.

CarolineThank you.

AnthonyYou’re welcome. Anything else you need? Water? Or . . . (Digging through his backpack.) I think I have some bubble gum or some . . . (Seeing his treasure.) Never mind.

CarolineWhat.

AnthonyPop-Tarts.

Caroline (suddenly out from under the covers) You have Pop-Tarts in your backpack?

AnthonyI’m hungry all the time!

CarolineSee, you are what’s wrong with America.

AnthonyThey never go bad!

CarolineThey’re gross.

AnthonyThey’re perfect!

CarolineThey’re gross.

She goes back under the covers.

AnthonyNoNoNo, stay out, come on. Caroline. Please.

CarolineI think it’s better for everyone if I stay in here.

AnthonyNo it’s not. Come out.

CarolineI think . . . never.

AnthonyPlease. I’m here and you’re here and it’s weird if one of us is hibernating.

CarolineShut up.

AnthonyI’m saying I’m here. I am right here and I’m not scared. Whatever you need, even if it’s rockabilly, I am on Team Caroline.

She flips down the covers, emerges.

Grateful but has to be snarky.

CarolineTeam Caroline is a very poor choice of team.

AnthonyNo it’s not.

CarolineTeam Caroline never wins the Super Bowl.

AnthonyDo you even know what sport you’re talking about?

CarolineTeam Caroline is a big old freak who freaked out and ruined perfectly good air piano. Which must have been superweird for you.

AnthonyNo it’s – whatever – I just didn’t know what to do.

And for the record your air piano was way weirder than your freakout.

CarolineTurtle loved it. Two against one.

AnthonyYes. You totally win.

Pause.

So . . . What . . . What happened? I mean you don’t have to – but . . . you were fine and then suddenly . . .

CarolineYeah, it just happens like that sometimes. I get tired and . . . so mad . . . at everything. And thanks for not calling my mom, she goes crazy but it always passes, it’s just . . . all this bullshit in my life right now. And it pretty much sucks the fun out of the world and poisons everything and I hate it. It’s like bad follows bad.

AnthonyWhat do you mean “bad follows bad”?

CarolineI mean . . . that there’s a reason why the stupid fire alarm kept going off and it’s because my dad isn’t here, and the reason for that is my mom and dad are separating, and the reason for that is kinda . . . me. I know it’s not me me, but it’s all my stuff. And it ruins everything.

So that’s one of the many super discoveries of the past few months: nothing is good ever. So yeah.

AnthonyWhoa.

CarolineMmmhm.

AnthonyThat completely sucks.

CarolineYou have no idea.

AnthonyCaroline, I’m so sorry. He just left?

CarolineWell he’s very much not here. And the house falls apart and my mom cries about everything and .

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