Monday, October 27, 2008

More of Carrie's search for a friend

I've been known to post only sporadically with previous blogs but not this time. I'm on a roll! Before I give you more Lisa and the Angels, though, I want to say how happy I was to notice that this blog has already been linked to on the awesome 30 is the New 13. Thanks, Sada! I totally stole her idea for this blog and I love reading her childhood stuff. You should check it out if you haven't already.

Now on to the next couple of chapters. I know you are on the edge of your seating waiting to find out what happens to Carrie. What will Josephine DO to her??? Read on!


Chapter Three

"Tabatha, go into the basement. I'm sorry but I've gotta go!"

I had to go to the doctor's office for a checkup. Tabatha wouldn't go into the basement. Finally, I got her in there.

(A gratuitous scene that came from real life ... our dogs always used to stay in the basement when we were out.)

We drove to the doctor's office in Josephine's beat-up station wagon in silence. I got out and slammed the door.

We went into Dr. Miller's office. I took off the ugly tan overcoat Josephine makes me wear.

A nurse came into the room five minutes later.

"Well, Carrie," said the nurse. "Come outside to the scale and I'll weigh you." I didn't like this nurse. She's too fake.

We walked outside to the scale. Josephine stayed inside on a rocking chair with a big frown on her face.

(Okay, what kind of doctor's office keeps their scale "outside"? Or has a rocking chair? As for the nurse, I pictured her to look and sound like an actress named Patrika Darbo, who once played a nurse in an episode of Just the Ten of Us, and who I always used to confuse with Edie McClurg.)

I stepped on to the scale.

"Hmm," said the nurse. "50 pounds. 50 pounds?!! How old are you?"

"I'm twelve today," I said. I think she should know that. I mean, I am short, and thin, but people say besides that, I look older.

(Yes, Carrie, and it also might help if she, oh, looked at your chart ...)

"My gosh, girl, what does that aunt of yours feed you?"

I shrugged uncomfortably. What business was it of hers, anyway? I'm pretty much a lot fatter than I used to be.

The nurse and I walked into the room.

"Ms. Richter?" said the nurse.

"Yes?" said Josephine.

"This child only weighs 50 pounds! That is much too thin for a twelve-year-old girl!"

"Well, she is tiny-boned and only 4'6"!"

The nurse and Josephine went on, the nurse left, the doctor came, he did all the stuff, and told me I was fine except for one thing. He told me to leave the room (why?) while he and Josephine talked.

I listened at the door, of course. I just heard the words 'not that serious', 'growing', and 'too skinny.'

Finally, I was allowed to go into the room.

"Carrie," said Dr. Miller. "It's nothing that serious. You just stopped growing. You probably won't grow for another year, or two, or three."

(Oh, okay. That doesn't sound serious at all. Who gave this "doctor" a license? Really, my sister and I once heard about a girl who stopped growing and both of us vaguely wanted that to happen to us. We were so weird. Anyway...)

Stopped growing? This girl I knew named Christine Hart stopped growing. It wasn't bad for her, and she's practically a midget.

"But," the doctor went on. "The nurse is right. You are too skinny. You need to eat a little more, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

(That doctor's appointment had so much to do with the rest of the book.)

When we were in the car, driving, Josephine told me, "I don't care what that doctor says. I don't want you getting to be a big, fat punk. You're already a skinny punk." The rest of the way to the studio was silent.

When I walked into the studio, all of Lisa and the Angels were setting up. The band was warming up. The dancers were here for when we practiced for the concert afterward. Oh, yeah! The concert! Lisa and the Angels are going to have a concert in Los Angeles in August.

I'll give you the words to all the songs on Dangerous Love.
(In order on tape)
(Oh, THANK you!)

1.Together
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

One night
That night
Stars were shinin'
Oh, so bright

One night
Candlelight
Shined on our faces
Oh, that night

Chorus:
TOGETHER
Baby we were TOGETHER
Probably the last night
We will spend, ooh ooh
TOGETHER

Baby
Come back
Oh, my darling
Why'd ya leave me?

Repeat chorus

(What wonderful lyrics already. To think, they were written by someone not even 12 years old! Don't ask me why the title is capitalized in the chorus. I love how Lisa doesn't even bother to rhyme in the last verse.)

2.Just Enough Love
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

Push me around, why don't you
I'm NOT
Hearing the sound of your love
Come home at night, act like I don't exist
(11-year-olds live together?)
But all I need is a kiss

Chorus:
I need JUST ENOUGH LOVE
To stop all the te-e-ears
To stop all the fears inside.
I need JUST ENOUGH LOVE
To erase all the sorrow,
Start a new tomorrow with you
Ooooh...

You come home at night
I-I do, too
Even since our fight, I still love you.
Please won't you love me,
Kiss me and hug me
Ooooh...

Repeat chorus

Bridge:
I love you
I think you love me, too
But baby, you don't act like it
I just want you back to normal...

Repeat chorus

(Now I have the "tune" for this in my head. Well, I remember all of it except for the "bridge.")

3.You're the Best Boy I Ever Met
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

When I look at you I notice
Special sparkle in your eyes
And it comes as no surprise
You are in love with me
(How arrogant...)

The negative vanishes
The positive appears
And there are no more tears
We are in love again

Chorus:
You are the best boy I ever met!
The very best boy I ever met!
We argue so-ometimes, yet
You're still the best boy I ever me-e-e-et...

Oh baby, don't ya leave me
Stay here with me, boy
Happiness and joy
Oh, that's what we feel...

Repeat chorus

Bridge:
You, you, you, you, you ... the very best...

Repeat chorus

(La di da. Not your best effort, Lisa.)

4.More Than Just Attention
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

Adults, they don't seem to understand
I'm not saying that we have to make demands
But it would be nice
Oh, I'll tell you twice

Chorus:
More than just attention
I need more than just attention
Do not leave me in suspicion!
I need more than just attention...


(Um, wouldn't "suspension" have worked better than suspicion? It makes about as much sense. Also, why does the spoiled brat want MORE than "just" attention?)

Adults, they never understand the children!
Always we should be seen and not heard!
Don't underestimate the feelings we feel...

Repeat chorus twice

(Whatever -- at least it's not about a lover's quarrel like many of the other songs on this sure-to-be-legendary album.)

5.My True One, My Brand New One
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

It's like we never met before
I only see you in my dreams.
Your face is taped on to my door
I love it as real as it seems.


Chorus:
It's like we never met,
I only see you in my dreams.
You're my true one, my brand new one
And I always think of you...

I know we'll meet again someday
Oh, I wish I knew just when
And if we ever meet again,
I hope you're better than you've been!

Repeat chorus

(This one sounds sort of stalkerish. "Your face is taped onto my door?" Lisa sounds sinister in the last verse.)

6.Dangerous Love
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

Take one look at me
What did I do to you?
I know I'm innocent
I still think you are, too.

Please stop blaming me
For things I did not do.
I'm still in love with you
I think you love me, too.

Chorus:
Slippery when wet!
So smooth when dry-y

Safe truths and dangerous lies.
Crash into eachother, that is not safe!
Our dangerous love is just the same...

(Okay, I don't even know what to say ... make sense, Lisa!)

Love is like a game,
Like an uneasy test.
Oh, when I look at you
I still think you're the best.

If love is a test
None of us fai-ailed yet.
I'm still in love with you,
I always think of you...

Repeat chorus

(Now look at the next one, Kathy's song made the cut!)

7.Tough Youths
(Music by Lisa McOrrill, lyrics by Kathy Bell)

Wake up in the morning
Ready for another day
To feel the sorrow
Each and every way

The people laughing,
There's no more clapping for you
Anymore.
If they finish (finish what?)
you'll know what to do...

Chorus:
Tough youths!
Feel the hurt, feel the pain
Hear the laughter!
Take it slow, just ignore
Tough youths!

You're tired of all the pressure
Tired of all the pain they give you.
You have no power
There's nothing you can do.

Repeat chorus

Bridge:
Dreaming that you'll have a happy youth
No more pressure from the children, no more...

Repeat chorus

(Poor, angsty Kathy. But what's with the "youths"? Who has more than one youth?)

8.I Don't Need Gifts
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

When the darkness is light
It just begins.
(Profound...)
The memories, the happiness
And I remember when

Everything was easy
Boy, that's not like now.
Our friendship, our lovin'
Is just about to drown.

Chorus:
I DON'T NEED GIFTS
In exchange I want your love.
Oh, I don't need gifts
Not heaven above.
Not rubies or pearls or diamond rings
I don't need gifts
Not even a thi-i-ing.

Don't give me a ring,
Just give me your love.
Don't give me a string
Of pearls or a dove.

Repeat chorus twice

(Oh, Lisa. All she needs is love. Personally, I wouldn't mind if someone gave me a dove for a present.)

9.Together Forever With You
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

The music still plays in our heads,
The memories as we lay in bed. (!!!)
Remembering the horrible days
Days of darkness...

Chorus:
Together forever with you
And I'll never, ever forget you
The wondrous lives
Still lay in our heads (WTF?)
oooh, oooh

The troubles, they all melt away
And both of us just seem to say
We love each other,
We love one another.

Repeat chorus

Bridge:
Only wanna be with you
Boy, baby
Only wanna be with you
Together... forever...

Repeat chorus

(Lisa got a little, uh, PG-rated with this one. Not much else to say about it.)

10.I Want You Back
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

Ever since I met you
We were in love.
But since you left
I went down, you went above.

I never thought this would
Have to be true.
No one was in love
More than me and you.

Chorus:
I want you back
Whenever I can
I want you back
Yeah, I want you back.

Now that you are gone
I'll miss you, oh, so long
Baby, come back please
Baby, come back to me.

Repeat chorus

(The chorus of this song -- what little there is of it -- was written by my sister after we found homes for our dog's litter of puppies. She wrote it to "her" puppy. Wasn't it nice of her to let me borrow it? She also wrote the tune, which, unfortunately, I can't share with you.)

11.Lovin' You
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

(not to be confused with the Minnie Ripperton song of the same title)

Rockin' round the clock tonight
Having fun
All night long.
Knees are shakin', hands are clappin'
Music playing
Every day and I'm...

Chorus:
Lovin' you
Giving you all my love
All my romance.
Why don't we dance?
I love you, you love me
So let's get together...

Dancin' by the candlelight
Loving you
You're loving me, too.
People laughin', no more rappin'
Just the rockin'
No more stoppin'

Repeat chorus

Bridge (spoken):
Baby
Maybe
We will lose each other
Let's aim for that never to happen
Just keep on snappin' and dancin'

(I can just imagine Lisa saying that in a "seductive" voice. By the way, there is no "repeat chorus" in this one. It must just fade away to a cheesy, bubblegummy end.)

12.The Best Day Of My Life With You
(Music and lyrics by Lisa McOrrill)

Baby, I remember that day
And it makes me want to cry
Baby, when I think of that day
The best day of my life...

I wonder why the world
Makes us be apart
It doesn't matter,
You'll always be in my heart.

Chorus:
The best day of my life with you,
Having all my love with you.
Best day of my life with you,
Best day of my life...

Someday when the world finds out
I will want to cry,
I hope that day never comes
That is not a lie.

One and one make two
That two is me and you.
We're such a great couple
We will never be apart.

Repeat chorus twice

(The last verse seems out of place. The rest of it makes it sound like Lisa is having an affair.)

Those are all the words. We finished setting everything up. Cyndi ran over to me.

"Ew," she said, "Ugly outfit. I bet you're glad we have outfits for the tape cover."

I gave her a dirty look. Didn't she know Josephine made me wear these clothes?

"All right," said Miss Jewell, our manager and producer, clapping her hands. "Everybody change into your tape cover outfits!"

We all changed. I'll describe how we looked.

1. Lisa. She was wearing tight jeans, a baggy white T-shirt with a green smiley face on it, a denim vest with a smiley face on back, white push-down socks, and black tennis shoes without the laces. She also had on dangly happy-face earrings and a gold chain bracelet.

(Ugly. I'm surprised she wasn't wearing a fedora with the top cut out, like Joe McIntyre in that New Kids on the Block video, which is where I KNOW the smiley faces came from.)

2. Cyndi. She was wearing a loose white mini-dress, a denim jacket, white push-downs that said Esprit in black letters, and denim flats. Her earrings were dangly red hearts, and around her neck was a peace symbol on a chain.

(Esprit ... how very 80's. The peace symbol on a chain came from Donnie Wahlberg.)

3. Racquelle. She was wearing a long white cotton dress, a bleached black-jean jacket, black nylons, and white flats. In her ears were tiny black bows.

(Okay, Racquelle is supposed to be one of the "nerdy" Angels, but... black nylons and white flats?!! Apparently Lisa and the Angels couldn't afford a stylist.)

4. Kathy. She was wearing these cute skegs that had white spandex and a jean skirt for the skirt, a baggy white T-shirt, white sport socks, and black canvas shoes. She wasn't wearing any jewelry.

(Boring. I "love" how they coordinated all the black and white and denim.)

5. Stacie. She was wearing a long jean skirt, a puffy white blouse, a long jean jacket, and hiking boots. She wasn't wearing any jewelry, either.

(A long jean skirt with a long jean jacket? sounds hideous.)

6. Me. I was wearing a very loose denim mini-skirt, a white turtleneck, a black cardigan, white push-downs over black push-downs, black flats, and dangly black puppies for earrings.

(And this outfit sounds positively beautiful in comparison to the others ... if you ignore the feet. So much black and white.)

We went through the tape and practiced the concert. Then we changed into our normal clothes and decided to go to the Soda Shoppe. I walked a couple of feet behind the whole time.

"Carrie, what's wrong?" Kathy asked.

"Nothing," I said a little too quickly.

We got to the Soda Shoppe. Racquelle ordered a fruit cocktail. Stacie ordered a butterscotch sundae. Kathy ordered a chocolate ice cream cone. Lisa ordered a medium Diet Coke. Cyndi ordered the Soda Shoppe Special, a huge banana split with lots of everything and twice the whipped cream. I ordered a root beer float.

We all sat down. Racquelle took a bite. "Yum," she said. "I love their fruit cocktails. You know, I like Rick Ballis. You know, the one who plays the saxophone."

I started laughing but turned it into a cough. Rick was eighteen! (that dinosaur...)

"What?" asked Raquelle testily.

"Nothing!" I said.

I sipped my root beer float. Suddenly, Cyndi burst out laughing.

"Lisa, you like Rick!" she exploded gleefully.

"Ewww!!! Nasty!" said Lisa. Everyone was laughing. Everyone except for me.

"Carrie," Cyndi said cheerfully. "What's wrong?"

I sighed. "You guys," I said. "I have something to tell you."

Chapter Four

"What is it?" asked Stacie.

"I don't want to be your friend anymore. I mean, I'll still be your friend, but I don't want to hang around you. I want a new, better friend."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lisa asked huffily.

I could feel the tears coming. "You guys caused my parents to die! If it wasn't for you, Mom and Dad would be here and Josephine wouldn't!"

Kathy and Stacie burst into tears. Cyndi was giving me a shocked look, and Lisa was giving me a dirty look. "That is the rudest thing I've ever heard!" said Racquelle. Then she burst into tears.

I silently finished my root beer float (just leave it, Carrie) and walked home. I let myself in with my key.

"Oh, it's you," said Josephine. "Look." She held up my white bathing suit. On it was an iron-on of Big Bird! She held up three of my ugly sweaters, and on each of them was a different iron-on of Big Bird!

(She must have found a good deal on those iron-ons.)

I gasped.

"Go see your room," she said. What about my room?

I slowly walked up the beige stairs and went to my room. Above the door, there was a green sign that said 123 in white letters, like the one in Sesame Street. What was this?

I opened the door. I couldn't believe what I saw.

In place of my pink bedspread was a white bedspread with pictures of Grover, Hairy Monster, and Cookie Monster all over it. My pillow had Cookie Monster's face on it. My pink garbage can had been painted gray, and it had Oscar the Grouch on it. My white walls now had wallpaper up with pictures of Big Bird and Little Bird all over it. On my wall was a framed picture of all the Sesame Street characters. My posters were still there, luckily. A huge Snuffelupagus doll was standing by my bed, and a Barkley piggy bank was on my windowsill. In my plant was one of those sticks you put in plants with a picture of Big Bird on it.

"Happy birthday!" yelled Josephine.

I started to cry. This was too much!

(What if Josephine thought Carrie would like her new room? Actually, I don't know why she has such a Sesame Street fetish. It's a little weird. I liked Sesame Street well enough but I didn't really follow it. I wouldn't mind having some of that stuff, though ... like the Oscar garbage can.)


One hour later, at about 2:05, Josephine called me downstairs. "Carrie Lynn Packer, get down here, neow!"

I walked downstairs. "What?"

"Here." She threw two packages at me.

I opened the tiny one first. It was one of those clip things that looked like Oscar the Grouch.

"I want you to put that on your trash can," she said.

I opened the big one. Inside were a Bert doll and an Ernie doll. There was also this lamp that was supposed to look like Big Bird once you put it together.

"I'm getting rid of that ugly white lamp of yours, and putting this on your dresser. I'm also taking your ugly posters down, fixing up your new toys, and putting this clip on your trash can," Josephine said. She disappeared into my room, and came back half an hour later.

"Go outside!" she yelled.

I was glad to go outside. It gave me a chance to search for a new friend.

I walked outside, glad I didn't bring my coat. It was burning hot, even for a summer day in Albany, New York. That's almost always cold!

(Note, I have never been to Albany, New York.)

I walked across the street and turned left. I saw a girl with chestnut braids and thick, round glasses. Nah. I saw fat people, thin people, short people, tall people, young people, old people. Most people would go up and ask me for my autograph. No one seemed like the right person.

When I was about twelve blocks away, and about ready to give up, I saw the perfect girl. She had short auburn hair that was fixed in two pigtails, but the pigtails looked good on her. She didn't wear bangs. She had large glittery brown eyes, and was wearing tons of makeup, but that looked good, too. She was wearing yellow leopard-spotted spandex, a black turtleneck sweater, lacy black socks, and snakeskin pattern tennis shoes.

"Hello," she said. "You must be Carrie Packer. I hate your kind of music. But I wouldn't mind being around you. My name is Sandra Marcus."

"Hi," I said.

"Come to my house. My mom told me to start on dinner. We're supposed to make a big dinner, 'cause we're having company. I heard you like to cook so come help me." We walked about two blocks away to Sandra's house.

(In case you can't tell, because it's not like it's completely obvious or anything, Carrie's new friend isn't supposed to be a very nice person. Still, stupid Carrie all goes along willingly to take orders from someone she just met.)

Sandra told me to start up a tuna casserole while she started a salad. I began the casserole.

"So," said Sandra, cutting up some lettuce. "What're your parents like?"

"I don't have any parents," I said quietly.

Sandra stopped cutting and put her hands on her hips. "Well, then who do you live with?"

"My dumb aunt Josephine."

"Why is this aunt Josephine so dumb?"

"She beats me, okay?" I cried.
(oh, the drama!!)

Sandra gave me a warning look. "I won't be your friend, Carrie, if you don't apologize."

I sighed. "Sorry, Sandra."

"Call me Sandy if you want."

We worked in silence. When I was putting the casserole in the oven, Sandra was still dumping shredded cheese in the salad.

"Start the brownies, okay?" said Sandra. "We have some brownie mix in the cupboard."

I opened the cupboard and found two boxes of E-Z Brownee Mix.

When the brownies were in the oven, Sandra told me to make some potato salad, while she made an orange jello salad.

When the casserole, the brownies, the potato salad, and the salad were all finished, and the jello was in the refrigerator, and everything was covered with aluminum foil, Sandra told me to do one last thing.

"What?" I asked.

"Make sandwiches. Take as many breads as you can find and as many toppings as you can find, make the sandwiches, and cut them in half. Once you're done, come up to my bedroom. I'm upstairs on the second door to the left."

"Okay."

I made peanut butter, jelly, and honey on white bread; lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on whole wheat bread; ham, cheese, Miracle Whip, lettuce, and pickles on sourdough bread; and tunafish on rye bread.

When I was finally finished, I covered the sandwiches with aluminum foil. Then I walked up to Sandra's room.

I walked inside. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" she asked. I giggled.

We both heard someone come in the front door.

"Mother," Sandy muttered. She ran downstairs and I followed her.

"Hello, Sandy," said Mrs. Marcus. "Who is your friend?"

"This is Carrie Packer from Lisa and the Angels."

"Hello, Carrie," said Mrs. Marcus. We shook hands. "Sandra, dear, did you make dinner?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Sandy," Mrs. Marcus said warningly.

"I, well, I made the salad and the jello."

"Well, who made the casserole, the potato salad, the brownies, and the sandwiches?"

"Carrie," Sandra squeaked.

"Carrie!" Mrs. Marcus said. "Carrie, I'm sorry we can't have you over for dinner, but here." She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a plate, dished out some tuna casserole, dished out some potato salad, and put a brownie and a tunafish sandwich on the plate. Then she covered the plate with aluminum foil.

"Here," she said. She handed me the plate.

"Thanks," I said. "It's my birthday and this is really nice."

"Your birthday!" said Mrs. Marcus. She whispered something in Sandy's ear. Sandy groaned, ran upstairs, and came back down with a white ballpoint pen. The pen had a happy face on it and it said Don't Worry Be Happy.


"Thanks, Sandra," I said. (Too bad Carrie dumped Lisa as a friend, her new pen matches Lisa's tape cover outfit.) I went home.

Josephine met me. "What is that?" she asked, pointing to the plate when I was inside.

I paused. "Food."

"It's your dinner," said Josephine. "I was going to order some Mexican food, but I'll just order tomorrow. By the way, your friends dropped by with your presents. They said you had a fight."

"I have a new friend," I said. "Her name is Sandra. I think you'd like her."

"I'd better," said Josephine. "Cause if I don't..."


****

Ooh, ominous. Coming up ... more NKOTB references, plus a funeral.




3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What? Your Aunt beats you?! Apologise right now!!

I love it.

And the face taped to the door lyric ... I totally guessed Josephine sliced off the face with her plastic belt and ironed it to the door.

Just found your blog, love it :)

zanne said...

Love your blog. Fun story! I can't wait to find out what happens next.

When the girls went to the Soda Shoppe it reminded me of the Sleepover Friends.

Deathycat said...

I'm loving this story so far. It seems like something I would've written. ^_- I love where she tells her friends she can't hang out with them anymore because they're the reason her parents are dead. Do you remember why they were in the car with them? I'm kind of curious. ^_^