Before I am Famous

literature is something we infer after the story is told

Firefly Chapter 5

Posted on | February 18, 2008 |

Aunt Beth called them downstairs. Beth and her longtime boyfriend, Fred sat in the kitchen. Fred was the local plumber and 40 something, divorced dad of two boys that he sees regularly.

“Girls, I have some big news,” Beth said, Fred squeezed her hand. “Sit, please.”

Neither of them really knew for sure what was going on. Carrie knew it had to me marriage and she dreaded the thought. Living with Fred and his occasional kids would be a disaster. The little powwow also confused Ray. Whatever the news, she knew it wouldn’t benefit her or Carrie.

“What’s the news?” Carrie asked.

“Well girls, Fred and I have been dating for a while now and something wonderful happened I’m pregnant.”

Both girls were speechless.

“Because I am pregnant, Fred asked me to marry him and I said yes,” Beth continued.

A baby or babies, marriage this was Carrie and Ray’s worst nightmare come true. They might be opposites but they both felt anger.

Beth hugged them, “Girls, you are gonna have brothers, and maybe a sister. This is wonderful, isn’t it?”

“Where are we going to live?” Ray asked.

“Well sweetheart, Fred’s got the big Victorian with an extra room for you girls. We just don’t have the room here for everybody.”

“We don’t want to go!” screamed Carrie.

“Girls, I know this is an adjustment but we will be a happy family. Trust me, you’ll be happy. Give it time.”

“Whatever,” Ray said as the girls walked out the back door. Ray called EJ and he picked them up and took them to his camper.

“So what’s going on?” EJ asked lighting a cigarette.

“Aunt Beth’s pregnant and she’s marrying that awful Fred,” Ray told him.

“Yeah? You all moving in with him?” he asked.

“Can I try one?” Carrie asked.

“Are you sure?” Ray asked.

“Yeah, why not? I want to try new stuff.”

EJ tossed her a smoke. Both watched as she lit up and inhaled. Carrie’s lungs expanded and her stomach turned. Ray took a drag and handed it back.

While Carrie smoked, Ray continued, “Yeah, we’re gonna move in with him. We don’t want to but we have to.”

Carrie smoked away. For some reason she enjoyed the act of smoking, feeling the smoke enter and exit. The nicotine raced through her body. She wondered if Ray would let her smoke. She joined the conversation, “we think he’s creepy.”

“Well just think, he lives only two blocks from me. You can be here anytime you want,” EJ said.

***

Ray went to work for Carrie, but she took over as soon as they got there which was more than fine by Ray. She never realized how much it took to keep them going. Carrie wanted money so she could buy smokes and a car. EJ gave her the rest of his pack and she’d smoke one every day at her and Ray’s secret spot. Ray took a drag once and awhile but didn’t enjoy it as much as Carrie did.

Carrie’s choice to smoke baffled Ray; it seemed to relax her and she ate less. Ray liked that Carrie kept the pink highlights. To Ray, Carrie seemed to move on from Nick and Michelle because Carrie hasn’t talked to either of them.

Category: firefly

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