noteasytobepink | Wheelsy AU ~ Phonecall 1

Wheelsy AU ~ Phonecall 1

Starla tapped her fingers on the counter and held the phone tucked next to her ear. It was clean, and neat, but not exactly the color she'd wanted for her kitchen. She'd have to see if the rental agreement would let her change the counters to something lighter, something less black marble and more wood perhaps? A light pine? Regardless, it was something to think about while the phone rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Of course Bill wasn't home, it was the middle of the day over on that coast! Why had she thought he might be? She nibbled a lip and heard the distinctive rattle of the answering machine getting ready to click over. All the money the government had thrown at Wheelsy to get it rebuilt from it's 'natural disaster' and Bill still hadn't upgraded to a better machine. "You still have a tape, Bill?" she laughed when it finally clicked on. "Still? Haven't I been telling you to upgrade since before I came out here? What happened to the one I got you for Christmas? I eve put a nice recording on it for you!" He was still Bill. Ever, and always, Bill.

"Anyway, that part I told you about? I got it! Not even an understudy, isn't that great?" She was beaming ta her kitchen, a bright, accomplished smile. "It's just like I dreamed back when we were little!" Oh, click, message ended. Oh she hadn't even...

...right, dialing back, listening to the rings. "Sorry about that. You need a better machine Bill! Anyway, I was wondering if you could get the 15th and 16th off next month? I've been saving a bit and I do still need an escort to the premier of our movie. Call me back alright?"

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"She's a nice girl, Starla. You ain't gotta worry."

He couldn't help a small chuckle at her concern.

"We're gettin' along fine, an' she seems to be doin' alright. My only complaint is she seems t'have so much damn energy I'm havin' trouble keepin' up with her."

"Nice and 'well intentioned' ain't the same thing Bill and you know it!" She snorted over the phone, bound and determined to be a bit worried.

"Why do you have to keep up with her? If she's got energy let her do runnin' or take over those school yard escorts or something! You deserve your rest as much as the next!"

"She's both, then," he replied, still trying to assauge her worry.

"I did let her run. She was playin' tag in the grocery store an' kept tryin' t'drag me into it. Had everyone else playin' along, too."

...huh.

"Well, that could have been fun." Starla admitted at last. "A bit of rule breaking, a bit of games? And you should let her run more. Like down to McPerry's farm and back, or set the kids on her. Use that energy Bill, since you're employin' her."

"I'll be sure an' do that."

He really would, when Clarice was more healed up.

"But, y'know, don't right me off yet. I ain't an' old fogey who's gotta leave all the work to the whippersnappers."

"I know that much Bill, they'd have to be putting you in your grave before you finally relaxed proper, I"m just saying since she'd making you tired keeping up, well, point her at somethin' else!" And if she could reinforce the 'boss' and 'elder' image in his mind so much the better?

"You say it like it's a bad thing, Starla."

He happened to be very proud of his work ethic, although he did know where she was coming from.

"Well, we did talk 'bout teachin' her football. 'Course, if it turns out she really can lay a lick on someone, I wouldn't wanna be the one gettin' it."

He'd already had his share of football injuries back in high school.

"She could hurt someone? Who is she, GI Jane?" Starla laughed, taken by surprise. She was going through so many mental images at this point, from teenage hitchhiker, to weepy damsel, to built like a brick shit house...

"She's this-- crazy girl."

He laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Not really crazy, of course. But, I dunno, she's got a personality, that's for sure."

"...Bill, you're worryin' me." She said that flat out since, well, crazy girl. Though not really?

"I'm sorry, Starla. Really, it's fine. She's just different, that's all."

He gave a self depreciating chuckle.

"You know me, small town guy, set in my ways. She comes from somewhere outside of Wheelsy an' well, it's all strange an' new out there."

"Boy you're gonna be a bit shy when you come here huh?" She chuckled. "I'll have to take pictures if one 'outsider' can set you on your ear, well, taking you out of Wheelsy is gonna be somethin' to see." Yes, better to focus on that instead of the new girl at Bill's. Yep.

"Well don't you go sellin' tickets or nothin'," he said, embarrassment creeping up.

"It won't be the first time I've ever been out of Wheelsy, y'know. I think I'll manage."

Those trips he took outside of the town were few and far between, though.

And certainly not all the way out to California now were they? "I'd never sell tickets to you Bill, that'd feel dirty."

"Well good, I'm glad t'hear that."

Finishing off his beer, he set the empty bottle down.

"Really though, I know what I'm doin', an' it's nothin' foolish. You don't gotta worry 'bout me, alright?"

"Bill, whenever you say that it's usually time to start worryin'." Starla had to point that out! "But I"ll withhold judgement for now I guess. You're gonna fill me all the way in when you're here though. An I expect picture."

"Oh come on, that ain't true."

The both kind of knew that it was.

"I'll keep you updated, but you want a picture of my houseguest?"

"'Course I do Bill. Gotta know who's takin' advantage of my favorite sheriff don't I?" And to reassure herself that Clarice wasn't a Damsel. Or didn't look like her either, cause that'd be creepy. "You don't want me seein' her?"

"She ain't takin' advantage," in any sense of the word.

"An' of course you can if you wanna, I'll be sure an' bring you a picture."

It'll of course require some explanation, but that's alright.

They had a story for the pink at least!

"So you say Bill, but us women have our ways and we worry." Starla chuckled. "On that note, and seein' as how I think I heard an empty beer bottle, I should let you go."

He laughed and let the issue go.

"Yeah, I guess it is gettin' late," he admitted reluctantly.

"I'll uh, talk to you later?"

"Yep, and change out your machine!" she probably waved cheerfully at the phone as she hung up?

And Clarice was...out of the shower, in PJs, and humming to herself so she didn't hear his phone conversation?

"There's nothin' wrong with my machine." He laughed.

Looking at the phone in his hand after she'd hung up, he ran his thumb along the side of it and gave a soft sad smile.

"Take care of yourself, Starla."

Getting up from the table, he dropped his empty into the trash and took the phone back to the cradle to hang it up.

"So...who is she? Is she pretty? Why isn't she here?" Clarice called the moment she noticed movement through her door. "And..." she drawled, leaning out to look at him, "Why aren't you smiling?"

He about jumped when she spoke up; lost in a wistful fog.

Screwing on a smile, he gave a chuckle to her barrage of questions.

"She's just an' old friend. Livin' out west for right now, an' just checkin' in."

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