A Friendship Worsens

“No, I will become the leader of the world with or without you!”

“Audrey, please!”

“No! If you won’t help, then GO AWAY!”

“Fine! Do whatever you want! Don’t come crying to me when you’re in a jail cell screaming for help!”

The scene played in Audrey’s mind as she shaved the last hair down there.

I don’t need her. I’m doing just fine by myself; the global economy is up. I passed many laws, helped to maintain peace across the globe, and banned the use of fossil fuels around the world.

“Madam, you got a call on line two.”

“Thank you.” She stood up as her assistant walked out. Audrey shuffled her naked body over to the phone and pressed two. “Hello?”

“Hey, darling! How’s the leadership life treating you?” her mom asked.

“It’s going great! I just signed a couple bills that expedite the development of solar roads and raise the minimum wage!”

“Oh, that’s so great, honey! Your dad and I couldn’t be more proud of you!”

“Has anyone whistled at you, yet?”

“Dad!”

“Oh, I’m just kidding!”

“If anyone does, I’ll beat them up!” Audry said.

“Atta girl!” he replied.

Audry chuckled. “No, I wouldn’t. I’d just ignore them and walk on.”

“Yeah, that’s probably the best thing to do. Your mom and I raised you right.”

“Well, thank you.”

“If you need anything at all, give us a call, OK?” Mrs. Turner said.

“Alright, I will.”

“Well, I have chicken pot pie to make and you probably have political stuff to do, so I’ll let you go, now,” Mrs. Turner said.

“OK, I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too! Bye, honey!”

Audrey hung up. She looked out the window and smiled.

Carrie slammed her locker and carried her U.S. history textbook down the hall.

“Hey, Carrie,” a chubby boy said and her mind flashed back to the jerk who locked her out of her own house at the party. “Keep it together, Carrie.” She made it to the last room. She walked in and took her seat in the front row.

 The bell rang.

“Hello everyone, I hope you’re doing well,” Ms. Huffington said in her slightly raspy voice. She brushed her long blonde hair back, walked to the board, picked up a blue

marker, and wrote while she talked. “Your reading assignment for today is page

one fifty-three to one sixty-three.”

Carrie turned to chapter ten, section two: The Road to World War I, and began reading. She tried concentrating as the book talked about some dude named Franz Ferdinand, but her mind was somewhere else. She put her head down and started sobbing.

“Carrie, you OK?” a black-haired girl asked.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” She wiped her tears and looked at the page. Her eyes welled up and she sniffled.

“Carrie? What’s wrong?” Irene asked, sitting behind her.

Now, she has a heart? After she helped Audrey strip?

“I… I… I gotta go. Excuse me.”

Carrie got up and left. She rushed down the hall and then into the bathroom.

She opened the first stall, walked in, laid her head against the wall, and cried. Oh, Audrey! How could you do this to me? I thought we were friends. She wept and remembered the good times they had together: swimming in her pool, shopping at the mall, giggling at cute boys while they were being stupid. How they went to movies, sharing large popcorn as they laughed, cried, or rolled their eyes. Doing homework while gossiping about who went out with the popular girl. Was that all a lie? She couldn’t believe Audrey would do something so crazy and turn on her. She thought she knew Audrey, but…

“I guess not,” she said as tears fell on the floor.

Audrey stared at a bust of Susan B. Anthony in her office.

What would she think if she was alive today? Would she be happy that a young woman practically united the world? She remembered how Anthony helped create the International Counsel of Woman.

Audrey, herself passed many laws, including the Equal Pay for Everyone Act and the Abortion Act.

She already did a lot for the world. She smiled. I guess the world just needed a woman to run it. Realizing she had been stuck inside all morning, Audrey said, “I’m going for a walk, Zexado.”

“OK, I’ll come along,” Zexadao said and followed her out.

“This is the life, eh? Walking outside in the nude enjoying the warm sun...”

“You said it!”

“I just love this!” Audrey twirled around. “I’ve made a difference in the world and I’m only sixteen!”

“Yeah.”

“And it’s all thanks to you!”

“You’re welcome, Audrey. It’s been a pleasure working for you.”

A blue cloud appeared and evaporated. Then, a bird creature stood in front of them.

” Ah, Mokopai, how was Jamaica?” Zexado asked.

“Awesome! I partied and ate Rice and Peas, Callaloo Coco Bread... and more delicious food!”

“Good, good!”

“Wait, you just took a vacation?” Audry asked.

“Yeah,” Mokopai replied.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, I brought back some ganja. Want some?”

Audry felt weird. Why was this demon offering her drugs? ‘No, that wouldn’t be professional.”

“OK, but if you change your mind, call me,” Mokopai said and pantomimed holding a phone up to his ear.

“Uh, pretty sure I won’t.”

“We’ll see...”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“OK, then, well, I’m gonna continue my walk now.”

“Ooh, can I join?"

“Suuuure?"

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, yes, you can join me.”

“Great!”

 Audry continued walking.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Mokopai said.

“Excuse me?” Audry stopped.

“I wanna know about you. You’re the Leader of the World, you know?

“Well, um… I was born in California. I have no siblings. My family moved here when I was seven because mom got a job as a nurse. Um... I love history! I was taking AP U.S history two before I became World Leader and had to quit regular school.”

“Cool, cool. I had five siblings, but my momma sacrificed four to Erebos, Ruler of the Underworld.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s OK, I don’t really remember them. I was only one year old.”

“Oh.”

 Mokopai checked his watch. “Shit! I’m late for something! See you later.”

“OK... bye, I guess?”

A blue cloud, appeared and sucked the bird creature up.

Hmm, what’s he up to? Audry pondered.

 “…And, so we must continue moving forward as a planet. Thank you.”

Claps dominated the conference room as Audrey smiled.

The room emptied except for one.

 She came up as Audrey put her notes away. She took a deep breath when Audrey looked up.

“Hi,” Carrie said.

“Hi,” Audrey replied.

“Can we talk?”

“Go ahead.” She crossed her arms in front of her bare breasts.

“This is weird. You became a nudist and the ruler of the world!”

“Hey, I’m not a ruler!"

“Whatever, my point is I’m worried about you.”

“For your information, I’m doing great! I’ve never been happier in my life!”

“That demon guy is planning something.”

“Bullshit! It’s been six months, and he has helped me out so much. If he were to do something, he’d done it by now.”

“What kind of logic is that? And, what about your parents? Are they happy with your decisions?”

“Yes, they called just a short while ago and told me.”

“Told you what?”

“They were proud of me.”

“Oh, so I am the only one who’s crazy?”

“I suppose so.”

“Do you know how much you’ve hurt me?”

“Why can’t you be happy for me?”

“Because this is INSANE!” Carrie yelled.

“Oh, so I’m insane, now!” Audry shot back.

“I didn’t say that!”

“You said my choice is insane, so I must be insane.”

“Audrey...”

“I’m just some crazy naked bitch to you, now.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I love being World Leader!”

“Why did you choose to become a nudist?”

“Why not? Zexado said I could do anything I want, so I choose to go nude.”

“Is this some kind of weird revenge on those jerks at the party?”

“Not anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was going to have them stripped naked and burn all their clothes, but I realized it would look bad on my image.”

“Your image?”

“As World Leader.”

“You care only about your image?”

“No, I didn’t say that.”

“But you did.”

“No, I said it would look bad on my image.”

“And that’s all you care about? Your image?”

“I don’t need to justify anything to you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I love my new life. I’m helping the world, and people like it. They love me, Carrie. Can’t you be happy for me?”

“That’s it! I’m through with you! Live your damn wonderful life! Just remember you lost your best friend!” Carrie ran to the door.

“Oh, yeah, well, fuck you!”

Carrie stopped, ran up to her ex-friend, and punched her.

Audry placed two fingers on her lip and looked. Blood was on her fingertips. “You... you hit me…” She stared at the girl she had known since kindergarten. “Zexado!”

He materialized beside Audry. “Yes, madam?”

“She punched me! Arrest her!