covered smile.
She really was kind of a cute kid, Alicia thought. Very pretty. Even if what she said was all bullshit and the world didn’t end, Alicia thought that she would have a bright future. She didn't seem to be afraid of public speaking; certainly had a big imagination. Maybe she could even become an anchor or, God forbid, an actress.
"Let's get some make-up on you," Alicia told her as she helped her up from the floor.
"Make-up?"
"Yeah. You don't want to address the world looking like this do you?"
"I don't understand. We should do this immediately. We have waited long enough."
"It's okay, just follow me. No one’s going to take you seriously with dime store chocolate smeared all over your face."
Alicia led her to a folding table with a lighted mirror that served as the studio's makeshift cosmetics room. She wiped her face with a damp cloth, applied a bit of base and powder. She even went the extra mile and gave her a little lip gloss and mascara. She began brushing the girl's hair. Sariana, for all of her hurry, took a moment to enjoy this. She closed her eyes and relished the bristles of the brush gently scratching her scalp. She indulged in the scent of Alicia’s fresh perfume and Sariana did her best to memorize her every move. These were brief memories that she wanted to cherish. Moments like this didn’t have to happen. Sariana knew this.
"Thanks," Sariana said.
"For what?"
"Thank you for creating this brief respite between us. It’s special to me. I know you don’t know what all of this means. I know that you don’t understand what you’ve just done for me. I also know that you must think I’m crazy.” Sariana smiled sweetly. “So, thank you."
"Well, you're welcome, I guess,” Alicia put the brush down. “ All done. I think you're ready for your close-up, kid." She looked over Sariana’s shoulder to check herself in the mirror.
“First,” Sariana said. “We need to talk about why we’re here. You and I.”
“We’re pitbulls, right? Evil, scary pets,” Alicia smiled and clawed the air. “Rawr!”
“You are, yes. I’m not,” Sariana didn’t quite know how to put this. “Thanks to you.”
"All I did was almost kill you,” Alicia said. “And, now, we’re going to go on TV and talk about that bug and the war on Humanity.”
"No. I’m here because it is my birthright. We are to change the time-line."
"The two of us, huh?"
"You and I. Yes."
"So, you're saying that I was predestined to meet you today?"
"It was your wish. Yes."
"My wish?" Alicia laughed. "And when did I add this item to my agenda?" The girl was silent. Alicia smirked at her. "Well?"
"It was your dying wish."
"No kidding? I’m dead now?"
"I'm sorry. Yeah. Well, not now. Don’t be sad. Before, you lived to be quite old... and wise too," the girl stammered.
“So... we know each other in your dimension?”
“Not exactly.”
"But all of this is going according to plan?' Alicia said as she applied more lipstick.
"Not at all. Not really. No. I feel that it’s very important that you understand...”
“Alicia!” a voice shouted from beyond the cereal aisle. “We need you now.”
“Look, I need you to understand something. I saw what you did out there. But I can’t prove it to anybody. You need to help me convince the world that you’re legit.”
“What’s ‘legit’?”
“That what you’re saying is the truth.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Goddamn it, Alicia!!”
“Ummm... okay. Let’s go.” Alicia took the girl by the hand. “I’m counting on you, kid.”
“Yes, I know but is there not time for us to talk?”
“You want to talk now? What happened to hurry the fuck up?”
“I’m afraid what I have to say... this might be awkward for you.”
Sariana’s warning barely registered with Alicia. “I interviewed Charlie Sheen mid-nervous breakdown, kid. You want to talk about awkward? You’ll do fine.”
Alicia led the girl to the cameras and Sariana was quite impressed.
She really was kind of a cute kid, Alicia thought. Very pretty. Even if what she said was all bullshit and the world didn’t end, Alicia thought that she would have a bright future. She didn't seem to be afraid of public speaking; certainly had a big imagination. Maybe she could even become an anchor or, God forbid, an actress.
"Let's get some make-up on you," Alicia told her as she helped her up from the floor.
"Make-up?"
"Yeah. You don't want to address the world looking like this do you?"
"I don't understand. We should do this immediately. We have waited long enough."
"It's okay, just follow me. No one’s going to take you seriously with dime store chocolate smeared all over your face."
Alicia led her to a folding table with a lighted mirror that served as the studio's makeshift cosmetics room. She wiped her face with a damp cloth, applied a bit of base and powder. She even went the extra mile and gave her a little lip gloss and mascara. She began brushing the girl's hair. Sariana, for all of her hurry, took a moment to enjoy this. She closed her eyes and relished the bristles of the brush gently scratching her scalp. She indulged in the scent of Alicia’s fresh perfume and Sariana did her best to memorize her every move. These were brief memories that she wanted to cherish. Moments like this didn’t have to happen. Sariana knew this.
"Thanks," Sariana said.
"For what?"
"Thank you for creating this brief respite between us. It’s special to me. I know you don’t know what all of this means. I know that you don’t understand what you’ve just done for me. I also know that you must think I’m crazy.” Sariana smiled sweetly. “So, thank you."
"Well, you're welcome, I guess,” Alicia put the brush down. “ All done. I think you're ready for your close-up, kid." She looked over Sariana’s shoulder to check herself in the mirror.
“First,” Sariana said. “We need to talk about why we’re here. You and I.”
“We’re pitbulls, right? Evil, scary pets,” Alicia smiled and clawed the air. “Rawr!”
“You are, yes. I’m not,” Sariana didn’t quite know how to put this. “Thanks to you.”
"All I did was almost kill you,” Alicia said. “And, now, we’re going to go on TV and talk about that bug and the war on Humanity.”
"No. I’m here because it is my birthright. We are to change the time-line."
"The two of us, huh?"
"You and I. Yes."
"So, you're saying that I was predestined to meet you today?"
"It was your wish. Yes."
"My wish?" Alicia laughed. "And when did I add this item to my agenda?" The girl was silent. Alicia smirked at her. "Well?"
"It was your dying wish."
"No kidding? I’m dead now?"
"I'm sorry. Yeah. Well, not now. Don’t be sad. Before, you lived to be quite old... and wise too," the girl stammered.
“So... we know each other in your dimension?”
“Not exactly.”
"But all of this is going according to plan?' Alicia said as she applied more lipstick.
"Not at all. Not really. No. I feel that it’s very important that you understand...”
“Alicia!” a voice shouted from beyond the cereal aisle. “We need you now.”
“Look, I need you to understand something. I saw what you did out there. But I can’t prove it to anybody. You need to help me convince the world that you’re legit.”
“What’s ‘legit’?”
“That what you’re saying is the truth.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Goddamn it, Alicia!!”
“Ummm... okay. Let’s go.” Alicia took the girl by the hand. “I’m counting on you, kid.”
“Yes, I know but is there not time for us to talk?”
“You want to talk now? What happened to hurry the fuck up?”
“I’m afraid what I have to say... this might be awkward for you.”
Sariana’s warning barely registered with Alicia. “I interviewed Charlie Sheen mid-nervous breakdown, kid. You want to talk about awkward? You’ll do fine.”
Alicia led the girl to the cameras and Sariana was quite impressed.
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