Bruce Wagner - Dead Stars

— Just one more thing, because I know you can’t stay. [The host directed his words toward the infinity of windblown emptiness] Michael’s going in for his weekly check-up — let’s pray with him that the cancer’s back.

The actor started getting angry.

He closed his eyes and tried the breathing meditation.

Ebert said:

— Michael? There’s just one more thing I’d like you to share.

Mercifully, he awakened.

California URLs

Gwengot a reprieve.

Phoebe agreed the truth could wait until after the Courage Ball, when the little Canadian girl who’d become Telma’s nemesis had gone home. Phoebe said that Aleisha triggered Telma’s attachment disorder, or something like that.

Hours after they aborted their plan, Gwen got a shot of clearheadedness in the tub. She’d already phoned Phoebe twice.

“Sorry Pheeb, I know I’m a broken record.”

“You call as much as you need to, Gwen. I’m here for you.”

“What I wanted to say was, there’s another reason I’m glad we didn’t tell her.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m just sitting here soaking, and — I remembered how specific they were, the attorneys, about not revealing anything to anyone—”

“Telma’s hardly ‘anyone,’ Gwen.”

Gwen loved that Phoebe never rolled over. She wasn’t contentious, she just liked to advocate all different sides of an argument. She told Gwen that was how she got “clear.”

“But I should really talk to my lawyer, shouldn’t I Pheeb? I mean, before we tell her? At least sort of bring him in on what’s going on, on what my plans are. Don’t you think?”

“I kind of brought this up when you said you were getting more medical opinions. Is informing Telma what happened any of his business?”

“It could be — I think it probably is.”

“Tell me your concern.”

“There’s going to be a settlement, Phoebe. That’s a foregone conclusion. As soon as I can figure out what the hell to do, which may be never. But which kind of has to be soon, or so my lawyer — my lawyers , there’s like seven of them — said. Or relatively. I just don’t want, when they start to negotiate or whatever, I just don’t want anyone saying, ‘We told you not to discuss this with anyone and now we hear your daughter’s been blogging & twittering’—which is exactly what she would do, Pheeb! — and then it gets picked up by the Huffington Post, with The New York Times not far behind… I don’t know. I think maybe their plan, the hospital’s plan, their attorneys’ , is to seal it, you know seal the records once we agree to a settlement — I’m going to have to set up a trust — I’m sure that’s probably what they would want , to seal the record so the hospital doesn’t look bad. I just don’t want to fuck that up, for Telma, I’ve already fucked so many other things up—— Jesus, Phoebe, you know I’m just thinking, I think I might have even signed something, something binding to that effect.”

“Ah. OK, right. Now I see.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, & it’s very smart. Talk to him. Talk to your lawyer.”

“I will, in the morning. But how am I going to ever tell her?”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t order Telma not to talk about it. I can’t say, OK honey, the doctors made this mistake but you can never discuss it with anyone, ever— ”

“You won’t have to say that. Gwen, St. Ambrose can’t put a gag order on Telma. They’ll never be able to suppress the truth of what happened anyway, not with the internet, and that’s something they’re going to need to come to terms with. That’s what your lawyers are for — that’s something to be negotiated. That if and when it does come out, there won’t be any penalties. At the same time, I think your daughter is eminently capable of coming to certain understandings. I think she’ll have no trouble seeing who needs to know what, & how much. Telma’s still very much a kid, but in other ways she’s very much a young lady.”

“OK.”

“I’m glad we had this discussion, because I think I probably did you a bit of a disservice. I might have leapt before I looked.”

“ You didn’t do anything, Phoebe…”

“Not true, I got emotional . I wasn’t coming from a very grounded place, which is what you — what both of you really need right now.”

“Phoebe, I know how hard it — you love her so much— ”

“I can’t let that cloud my judgment, Gwen.”

“I think you’re being a little hard on yourself.”

“ As I should. Look, it happens. I know that. It just hasn’t happened to me. Therapists are people too, that’s why therapists have therapists. We’re fallible. And because I have a very special relationship with your daughter—”

“She calls you Mama Bear #2, did you know that?”

“—we’ve been through the fire, all of us together. Which means I need to be extra careful, extra aware, I really do. To not let my feelings intrude. But that’s no excuse, that doesn’t excuse me being sloppy. I need to take a look at my codependency. Do some work. And I just need to call that out.”

“Thank you. I love you, Phoebe.”

“Would you like me to be on the phone when you talk to your attorney?”

. .

im 12. and im a 32A. now all the guys like me but they are always like wow ur flat. im like ohk? so is there a push up bra for a 32A and where can i get them for not too expensive??? please girls.

1 year ago

Telma was multitasking: watching TV, shopping online, and writing a letter all at the same time.

She was looking at sites that sold pushup bras. She talked to her mom about getting one a few months ago but they never did. She was visiting a Y! Answers forum.

Okay listen you 12 years old and apparently flat chested. If the guys like you then you shouldn’t worry. If you got a push up bra to moderatly please the guys you are also building up a rep as a guchi mama to the girls. Wait they will grow trust me.

4 months ago

if the boys like you already thats great you must be so beautiful, but if theyre disapointed that you are flat chested thats just too bad for them because the only reason people like big boobs is so they can take your bra off and do all sorts of things with and to them BUT if you use a push up bra the boys will be even more disapointed when you take off your bra cause they will be expecting you to have a nice pair of boobies but if you wear a normal bra atleast you know your boobs are real and you can even tell guys that if you want cause its the thruth and theyll like you more for your real boobs;) plus trust me its only a matter of time before those A’s turn into C’s unless small boobs run in the family

8 months ago

She thought she might have erased The Nine Lives of Chloe King . She watched a little of The Vampire Diaries then tried finding New Girl, which was actually supposed to be on right now but it wasn’t, so she watched one of those teen mom shows instead. (They were having a marathon, which she thought they only did on holidays.) Telma never watched them, they were so boring and annoying, the girls were all brats who held their babies like props when they weren’t crying or hitting someone in the head (their BFs, BFFs, moms or grandmas) & the boys were big dumb liars, like, seriously retarded. Telma felt sorry for the babies because they were going to grow up to be just like their scary parents, with no idea about how to live or how to help people or how to anything except cry and hit people and take drugs and steal money from your girlfriend’s granny so you could buy a pickup you were going to total anyway.