Read Online Zippered Flesh 2: More Tales of Body Enhancements Gone Bad by Kealan Patrick Burke, Charles Colyott, Bryan Hall, Shaun Jeffrey, Michael Bailey, Lisa Mannetti, Shaun Meeks, L.L. Soares, Christian A. Larsen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kealan Patrick Burke, Charles Colyott, Bryan Hall, Shaun Jeffrey, Michael Bailey, Lisa Mannetti, Shaun Meeks, L.L. Soares, Christian A. Larsen
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surgery would cost, but they wouldn’t feel that they could turn her request down after that.
She knew them way too well.
Now the question was, outside of baby-sitting, what could she do? There was dog walking, car washing, leaf raking, and snow shoveling. She could also help around her own house more—cleaning and such—and put her parents even further in her debt.
Oh, that’s a fine plan—everyone gets something out of it—especially me , Lucinda thought.
That afternoon, she launched into “Operation Operation” and biked over to every grocery store and pharmacy in town. She posted a list of jobs she could do and the prices for each, along with tear-off flaps with her phone number on them. In no time at all, she was up to her eyeballs in work.
She still didn’t have any friends at school, but this time it was her choice not to. She had far too much to do to fit friends into her big picture. No, she figured that once she was perfect she’d be at least eighteen and she’d find a rich man to marry her and be set for life. After all, why play with boys when what you really wanted was a man, right? A boy can’t take care of you and give you what you want.
The only thing that didn’t change in her life, at least for a while, was her monthly movie “date” with Charlie, her one true friend. She’d never forget that.
Lucinda smiled, remembering Charlie’s reaction when the final bandage had been removed.
He had been perplexed and said, “You don’t look any diff’rint to me.”
“But Charlie, don’t you remember the big ugly thing that was right here?”
“Nope. I don’t ‘member that.”
“But it was there. Don’t I look beautiful now?”
“Sure, Lu. You were a’ways bootiful.”
Lucinda smiled. “You’d have noticed it if you were older.”
“Nah, I don’t care ‘bout stuff like that. All I know is when you have somethin’ cut off, it means there’s less of you left, and I like as much of you as can be, Lu. Maybe you should gain some weight.”
Lucinda had laughed and hugged her little friend, feeling sorry for him that he was so terribly naïve about the way the world really worked.
Her plan went along perfectly until one chilly day in January. When she got home from baby-sitting that evening, her mother and father were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting. If their expressions were any indication, things were not looking good for her.
“Hi you guys. Hey, I have to tell you the cute thing that Mrs. Dillard’s kids did. You’d have—”
“Lucinda Ruth Parker, you will take off your jacket and you will sit yourself down and explain this, please,” her mother said.
No, not good at all.
Once Lucinda sat, her mother pushed her report card across the table. She stared at it and the Ds and Fs stared back. Her highest grade was a C minus, and that was for Physical Education.
“I don’t understand, Lu,” her father said. “It’s always been As and Bs with you—and mostly As. What happened?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you what happened, George. It’s all this work she’s been doing—running here, running there. It’s no wonder her grades have slid. She doesn’t have time for homework—even though she’s been telling us that she’s finished it every night.”
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Lucinda said.
“Then explain, Lu,” her father said.
In answer, Lucinda stood. “I’ll be right back. I have to get something out of my room.”
“We want an explanation, young lady.”
“That’s what I’m going to get, Mom.”
Lucinda smiled. This couldn’t have been better timed if she’d planned it for a year. She reached under her bed and drew out a chipped gray-green metal strongbox the size of a hardcover book. She opened it with the tiny key she wore around her neck, then took it back to the kitchen with her.
“Here’s why,” she said, handing the box to her father.
“What’s this? Please tell me it’s not drugs, Lu.”
“Just open
She knew them way too well.
Now the question was, outside of baby-sitting, what could she do? There was dog walking, car washing, leaf raking, and snow shoveling. She could also help around her own house more—cleaning and such—and put her parents even further in her debt.
Oh, that’s a fine plan—everyone gets something out of it—especially me , Lucinda thought.
That afternoon, she launched into “Operation Operation” and biked over to every grocery store and pharmacy in town. She posted a list of jobs she could do and the prices for each, along with tear-off flaps with her phone number on them. In no time at all, she was up to her eyeballs in work.
She still didn’t have any friends at school, but this time it was her choice not to. She had far too much to do to fit friends into her big picture. No, she figured that once she was perfect she’d be at least eighteen and she’d find a rich man to marry her and be set for life. After all, why play with boys when what you really wanted was a man, right? A boy can’t take care of you and give you what you want.
The only thing that didn’t change in her life, at least for a while, was her monthly movie “date” with Charlie, her one true friend. She’d never forget that.
Lucinda smiled, remembering Charlie’s reaction when the final bandage had been removed.
He had been perplexed and said, “You don’t look any diff’rint to me.”
“But Charlie, don’t you remember the big ugly thing that was right here?”
“Nope. I don’t ‘member that.”
“But it was there. Don’t I look beautiful now?”
“Sure, Lu. You were a’ways bootiful.”
Lucinda smiled. “You’d have noticed it if you were older.”
“Nah, I don’t care ‘bout stuff like that. All I know is when you have somethin’ cut off, it means there’s less of you left, and I like as much of you as can be, Lu. Maybe you should gain some weight.”
Lucinda had laughed and hugged her little friend, feeling sorry for him that he was so terribly naïve about the way the world really worked.
Her plan went along perfectly until one chilly day in January. When she got home from baby-sitting that evening, her mother and father were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting. If their expressions were any indication, things were not looking good for her.
“Hi you guys. Hey, I have to tell you the cute thing that Mrs. Dillard’s kids did. You’d have—”
“Lucinda Ruth Parker, you will take off your jacket and you will sit yourself down and explain this, please,” her mother said.
No, not good at all.
Once Lucinda sat, her mother pushed her report card across the table. She stared at it and the Ds and Fs stared back. Her highest grade was a C minus, and that was for Physical Education.
“I don’t understand, Lu,” her father said. “It’s always been As and Bs with you—and mostly As. What happened?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you what happened, George. It’s all this work she’s been doing—running here, running there. It’s no wonder her grades have slid. She doesn’t have time for homework—even though she’s been telling us that she’s finished it every night.”
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Lucinda said.
“Then explain, Lu,” her father said.
In answer, Lucinda stood. “I’ll be right back. I have to get something out of my room.”
“We want an explanation, young lady.”
“That’s what I’m going to get, Mom.”
Lucinda smiled. This couldn’t have been better timed if she’d planned it for a year. She reached under her bed and drew out a chipped gray-green metal strongbox the size of a hardcover book. She opened it with the tiny key she wore around her neck, then took it back to the kitchen with her.
“Here’s why,” she said, handing the box to her father.
“What’s this? Please tell me it’s not drugs, Lu.”
“Just open
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