HOME | DD

Description
Once upon a time there was a perfect town. There was no trash on the ground or pollution in the air. The streets were filled with warm greetings from strangers. There was no unpleasant talk. Everyone had a sense of belonging. Frowns didn’t exist, perhaps only considered when they were upside down in a fleeting attempt to take another perspective. All in all, the town of Speare was simply perfect… until the dishwasher broke.

Barbie hummed softy to herself as she cleaned up the kitchen from lunch. The birds rang full chorus outside and the sun was in full bloom, kissing every patient flower that lined the picket fence. Barbie’s nine year old daughter, Tutti, silently colored her rocket ship launching into orbit. She didn’t even notice when her mother whisked her plate of leftover crumbs away and replaced it with a chocolate chip cookie on a napkin.
As Barbie washed the bigger pots and pans by hand, her husband Ken strode in and kissed her on the cheek. With an air of courtesy, he placed the last two plates from the counter into the dishwasher and purposefully closed it’s door. His finger jabbed the START button.
Nothing happened.
Ken pushed the START button again. Nothing. Ken blinked at the machine, trying to comprehend the situation.
“I think the dishwasher is broken,” He stated plainly, interrupting the afternoon’s peaceful silence. Barbie looked up from washing the skillet. Her mouth made a perfect ‘o’ shape and she blinked at Ken.
“Broken?” She said it slowly, pronouncing each syllable, the word foreign to her tongue. Tutti, feeling the change in atmosphere, looked up from her drawing. She had recently added a dinosaur on the moon. Now it was forgotten. All three family members stared at the dishwasher. A rushing noise filled their ears. The air squeezed around them.

---------------------------------------Ken-----------------------------------------

Ken slid out of his second-hand car and slammed the door shut.
The simplest conclusion he and Barbie came up with was to get a new dishwasher. It was inevitable.
He briskly walked into the hardware store. The scent of pine and stale air from an air conditioner washed over him. He searched a few minutes for the correct isle, passing window panes, toilets, carpeting and bolts of all shapes and sizes before landing in dishwashers.
Rows and rows of dishwashers, each promising heaven and no cleanup. At first Ken searched for the same brand as the original dishwasher until he realized it made no sense to buy the same brand that failed him.
In thought of his new goal, Ken glanced to the side of him at the nearest dishwasher. It was marked half price and offered free installment. Ken eagerly flagged down the salesman who was finishing up with another customer.
Later, at the cash register, Ken slipped his credit card from his wallet and prepared to take full blow on his fragile bank account.
“Would you like to add a lotto ticket to your purchases?” The cashier, who’s name was HI MY NAME IS MIDGE, cocked her head and gave him a five star celebrity smile, sparkling teeth and all.
A strange urge to please that smile settled over Ken. He grinned back and nodded.
“Sure,” he added in a friendly tone. “What harm could it do?”

--------------------------------------Tutti--------------------------------------

Tutti was restless. She had been since the afternoon before when the strange atmosphere made itself cozy and sucked the air from her lungs. She wanted something… something that wasn’t in her reach. She couldn’t see it or touch it, but it was there. She wandered from room to room, gaining worried looks from her mother’s perfect face. But she kept her thoughts to herself. No, I don’t want to color. Yes, school was fine. Of course I’ll help you with the dishes until the new dishwasher is installed tomorrow.
Tutti desperately needed a distraction, so she flopped onto the sofa and flipped to cartoons. She’d watched them so many times they were no longer amusing, annoying, in fact, but they steered her thoughts away from her anxiousness.
There was a sudden whoop from her parents’ bedroom and her dad jogged out and grabbed her mom from dusting and spun her in a full circle. She laughed from the unexpected excitement. Tutti bolted off the couch and joined her mother in demanding what the fuss was about.
Her dad composed himself, beaming at his family for a second before whipping out a square and colorful card. Tutti immediately was disappointed. What’s so special about a small card? Put out, she returned to her cartoons. Her parents excitedly discussed the card.
“Off the couch, love-y, we’re going to collect our winnings as a proud family,” her father insisted. Winnings? An idea struggled to surface within Tutti’s mind. It was what she wanted. She knew it. Eager to ease the idea into blossom, she slid off the couch and scuttled to her room to claim her shoes.
Later, Tutti peaked over the cashier counter to see money by the barrel being fished out of the register. She was impatient to leave, now that her family had completed their objective, but her parents seemed to have struck up a conversation with the manager manning the cashier in honor of the occasion. She walked to her father’s side, trying to see how much money lay in his large hands. The color of the crisp bills was beautiful.
Her ears perked up at the mention of a number in the conversation. Twenty dollars? No, that was too little. It must have been two hundred. She eyed the bills again. Their texture was so different from paper. She wanted to touch it, feel it in her hands.  But why? She’d never wanted money before…
The  idea suddenly enflamed in her mind. It was not the seed of a simple flower, but of an entire valley of tiger lilies gently dancing in the clear breeze, the sun’s caress shining peace within every corner. Her restlessness faded.
Tutti’s lips twitched slightly, almost giving away her happiness. It was not to be shared but with one other person. She turned her attention elsewhere.

--------------------------------------Barbie--------------------------------------

“A new dress would look lovely on you.” The corners of Ken’s mouth quirked up in a hinting manner and Barbie giggled. It was the next morning. Clouds consumed the sky in a grey sheet.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Barbie fluttered her perfect eyelashes and kissed her husband goodbye. She adjusted his tie before he hopped into his car with his coffee. She walked back into the house and continued preparing Tutti’s lunch.
She was just adding the apple slices when she spotted a white envelope from the corner of he eye. The envelope with the two hundred. She picked it up in thought. Ken must have forgotten to grab it before leaving. Their bank account would have to wait.
Barbie sighed, replaced the envelope and added a granola bar to the lunch bag. Tutti slunk out from her bedroom, backpack already positioned over her shoulders. Barbie cast a worried glance her way, but Tutti refused to make eye contact.
“Here you go, Tutti,” she said in her most perky tone while handing her the lunch bag. Tutti slowly took it from her, her eyes focused elsewhere.
The phone rang and Barbie jumped.
“Oh my goodness,” she exclaimed with her hand to her chest. She turned and snatched the phone from the wall. It was her friend Kelly.
Happily, she plopped into one of the dinning room chairs. She dove into the suggestion of an outing, just the two of them, to go shopping for the new fashions and maybe get a pedicure and oh, don’t forget they could go look at furniture for Kelly to replace her musty sofa. Kelly excitedly agreed and Barbie waved goodbye to Tutti who swiftly left house, with the exception that her first try at the doorknob was clumsy and didn’t turn it all the way, causing it to resist her demands. Her second attempt wrenched the door wide and it slammed behind her. A tremor shook the house. An odd sound was muffled from behind the door, possibly a snicker.
Barbie looked curiously after her daughter through the window, but Kelly pulled her attention away, suggesting that they also look at gifts for Ken, who’s birthday wasn’t far away. Barbie agreed, adding those were her very thoughts.
Their conversation continued, updating each other’s lives. The lotto ticket, possible promotion for Ken, Kelly and Brad were thinking of having a child, Kelly lost two pounds on this great diet. It ended with both of them agreeing Kelly was to swing by to pick up Barbie, since she had no other means of transportation.

---------------------------------------Ken-----------------------------------------

On his lunch break Ken drove up to the front of his house in a panic. He couldn’t believe he forgot the money. His heart was thumping, his mouth dry, and his hands fidgeted. He’d been this way all morning. He couldn’t believe he made such an agreement without checking to see if he had the money.
It will be there, he thought to himself. I’ll just put it in my pocket and get back to work.
Ken jabbed his key into the front door key hole and lurched in, forgetting to close the door or even to snatch his keys from their precarious hold in the worn knob. His hand rested on the kitchen counter where the envelope used to lay. Had Barbie taken it? No, she thought he had wanted to cash it.
He ripped open two of the drawers, impatiently shuffling through wire whisks, spatulas, and burned oven mitts. The panic grew in his chest, sucking his precious air. What would his co-workers think of him? Many of them witnessed his bet.
A jerk to another drawer sent it flying from it’s nook and silverware flew out and clattered violently on the floor and was followed by the loud crash! of the drawer landing upside-down. Ken kicked it to see what lay underneath, the force smacking it into a lower cabinet and leaving a huge dent within the old wood. He was not rewarded for his efforts.
He spun around and threw himself over the table, ripping the morning newspaper to shreds, frantically searching for a blot of white amongst grey. Tears of frustration ran down his face, his breath became ragged. In a burst of wrath, he lifted the table and shoved it into the wall. That money was crucial. He needed it back. Todd could try to sue him for betting what he didn’t have.
He ran into the master bedroom and shoved the lamp on the nightstand to the side, sending it flying to its doom towards the hardwood floor. He grabbed the messy stack of bills-to-be-paid and flicked each to the floor after a glance. After a few seconds he threw that last few bills to the floor and wrenched the comforter from the bed. He shook it violently, then chucked it at Barbie’s top-heavy wardrobe. It fell over the blanket with a deep thwump!
Ken launched himself at the dresser, turning it over and yanking each drawer out two by two. Scarves, blouses, and Capri’s flew about. Sweat ran down Ken’s face and dampened the underarms of his dress shirt. His face was red, his eyes wide and crazed.
It’s not here. Why isn’t it here? I need to find it. The living room? I need that money. It might be in the living room. Yeah… it’s probably in the living room. Yeah…
A small pop rang through his head. Ken ran out of the room, partially dazed and began working on the rest of the house.

--------------------------------------Tutti--------------------------------------
Tutti sat quietly in her class. She was on her best behavior, listening attentively to Mr. Weston review the secret pattern of long division. Divide, multiply, bring down, subtract, repeat. It was so simple. Why wasn’t she able to understand it before?
Mr. Weston put a division problem on the board and asked the class to work with their partners to find the answer. Tutti turned to her partner and best friend Tracey. Together they easily worked out the answer, then chatted happily while their teacher worked with a few students who were stuck.
The bell rang, signaling recess and three fourths of the class eagerly left while the rest remained for that light bulb to click.
Tutti walked slowly, feeling her heart speed up every so often. Around her kids screamed and laughed and raced to the doors to their temporary freedom. She smiled to herself, knowing on any other day she would join them gleefully. But today was not an ordinary day. She wanted to seem cool and collected and mature when she saw him.
She pushed open the metal doors and paused a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light. Tutti proceeded down the steps, thinking about what exactly she should say.
It was just her luck that today of all days Allen would come back to school after having the chicken pox. She had missed him in his absence and was bursting with happiness when she heard he was well again. But she refused to let her joy seep out.
She walked over to Allen’s usual hangout, in line for a round of kickball. She spotted him easily with his buzz cut (previous mishap with the scissors) and he was just about to step up for his turn with the last winner. She made quick eye contact without pausing and continued walking to the swing set and waiting patiently, secretly hoping he’d lose so she could talk to him sooner.
He didn’t. Allen was very good at kickball, Tutti admired it. But he wasn’t a crush. They were just secretly friends, pretending to talk to each other cooly because circumstance forced them to. It wasn’t cool for guys to be friendly with the girls, so Tutti regrettably kept a distance from him when around judgmental eyes.
Fifteen minutes passed and Tutti began getting nervous for time, but luckily Allen kicked too softly on his last round and was unable to reach the wall within one bounce. There was a cheer for the winner, but a few pats on the back for Allen. He laughed with them for a second before walking to the swing set.
He hopped onto the swing next to Tutti and gently swung back and forth. His arms and face were still dotted with red here and there, but nothing more. Without looking at him, Tutti broke the ice and whispered,
“Still want that skateboard?”
“What?” The long forgotten conversation surprised him and he made the mistake of looked straight at her.
“You said it was $200, right?” She continued and slipped out a bulging envelope from the pocket of her dress.

--------------------------------------Barbie--------------------------------------

Barbie slid out of Kelly’s beautiful car and opened the back door to grab all the shopping bags; twelve in all. She knew Kelly was a bad influence when it came to shopping, but it was so much fun! She cheerfully waved goodbye to her friend and began heading to the door, but looked back to the car when Kelly didn’t immediately leave. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open in shock.
Barbie looked behind herself to follow Kelly’s gaze and mimicked the same response. Her front door was ajar and she could see the table turned on it’s side and papers all over the floor. She struggled to run to the house with all twelve bags, then realized the thief might still be snooping about, so she clumsily ran back to Kelly’s car.
She threw herself and the bags back into the Jaguar. Kelly got the signal and began backing out of the driveway and turned onto the next street before flipping out her phone and calling 911. Neither noticed the two men watching their car leave, trying to signal them down.

---------------------------------------Ken-----------------------------------------

Ken cursed under his breath and after three hours of trying to win back his money he left the casino table by request of the dealer. He slumped into a bar stool and asked for a coke and whisky. He hated alcohol, but his father, who abused alcohol, lived for a good coke and whisky and Ken wanted to give it a shot. He didn’t want to think about how much money he took out of his account, how much he was suddenly in debt.
But gambling excited him. The thought of winning a big one consumed his thoughts, making him forget about all his worries. The adrenaline got him in a good mood. Even losing made him more determined. Numbers danced in his eyes, he could see the prize; a big house, Tutti going to a great college, servants, money to burn… Ken laughed in hysteria.
His co-worker Todd sat next to him and gave him the most poisonous look. It said everything. He wanted the $200.The Mariners won. The Red Sox lost.  He won it fair and square. Ken gulped his drink and grimaced, partially from the hit of alcohol and partially for his stupidity for making such an impulsive agreement. He rubbed his forehead and took another gulp.
Todd sighed and ordered two shots of vodka. He smacked one of them in front of Ken and gulped down his own, no chaser.
“Cheers,” he spat bitterly, slammed a bill onto the counter, and walked away, flipping his lawyers card in his face.

--------------------------------------Tutti--------------------------------------

Tutti squirmed uncomfortably in the dinning room chair as Officer Manson and Ryan Hadly from Child Services walked back to the house. She came home from school to a trashed house and suspicious officials. At first she thought it was because she stole the money, but they explained that a neighbor had called the police to report that Ken had gone berserk.
She wanted to cry. They were accusing her father of insanity. They wanted to know if he drank, if he hit her, if he was gone all the time. They wanted to know if her mother was the same to be married to a maniac.
Officer Manson’s walkie talkie went static, then another officer’s voice came through. He asked Officer Manson to check out a house, Tutti’s house, for suspicion of theft, but he responded he was already on the scene and that it was the father who trashed the house.
Just at that moment a shadow blocked the doorway and Tutti recognized her dad, but she was too scared to run to him. He walked slowly, looking at the two strangers with watery eyes.
“What are you doing in my house?” he demanded to Mr. Hadly and he responded by covering his nose with his mouth and stepping away. Officer Manson, keeping a safe distance by reference of his nose, stated,
“I’d like you to come downtown with me for some questioning,”
Mr. Hadly came to Tutti’s side, gently took her hand and tugged her to follow him. She, scared for herself and her dad, rose to her feet and obediently left with him to the unknown.

--------------------------------------Barbie--------------------------------------

Barbie nervously sat on Kelly’s expensive couch, waiting for the police to call back to update her. She grabbed her glass of water and sipped it just so her hands had something to do. Her purchases lay forgotten next to her feet. Dressing up nicely for Ken was no longer her top priority.
Kelly’s cell phone suddenly rung and Barbie could hear her answer in the kitchen, her voice going from friendly to serious. Barbie jumped from the couch as Kelly rushed the phone to her, accidentally bumping one of the maids in the process.
The voice on the phone introduced himself as Officer Manson. He stated that her husband was being held for questioning for suspicion of mental instability and possible child abuse or neglect. He also mentioned that after researching Ken’s job and pay, he highly suggested that Barbie claim bankruptcy in reflection on the serious amount of money withdrawn from their negative bank account. Not to mention he would usually suggest she hire a lawyer because she was being sued, but he respectively reminded her she would not be able to afford it. He also was nice enough to tell her Tutti was safe and in Child Services and that he had high hopes for her foster care because she was a lovely, bright little girl. Barbie listened to all of this, saying nothing, just listening to the shatter of her life and feeling the pieces fall to the floor in a dangerous mess.
When she hung up, she could only look at Kelly with her perfect face.
“What am I going to do?” she asked her. Kelly looked down at her feet in condolences on many levels and gently suggested that Barbie should move step by step. Find a job, for instance.
Barbie sat down again, sighed, and stated that she had no work experience and dropped out of high school in her junior year. A thought suddenly occurred to her and she looked sharply at Kelly.
“What do you do to afford all… this?” Barbie gestured to the house in general with it’s fountain in the garden, Egyptian cotton bed sheets, and generously stocked bar. Kelly sat next to her desperate friend and blushed.
“Well…” she started.

---------------------------------------Ken-----------------------------------------

As Ken’s friend Curtis finished lecturing him about responsible drinking, he pulled up his car up to MIKE’S BAR. Ken was about to get out when Curtis said,
“Wait, it’s raining,” and pulled up a black trench coat from the back seat. Ken gratefully shrugged it on and entered the bar with his friend.
It was one of the more famous bars for it’s stage for the girls to dance on. The business brought great money in from it’s drunk and horny customers. Curtis eagerly grabbed two seats lining the stage for the best picture and ordered two beers.
Ken wasn’t as enthusiastic. He had been held in custody for three days and only came home to it empty, trashed, and drafty. Barbie, he heard from Brad, was staying with her friend Kelly and was contemplating divorce. He wanted his wife back. He wanted his daughter back. He wanted his life before he gave into gambling. Winning back the $200 was only his excuse to get that rush he experienced so many years before he married.
Ken sipped his beer. As Curtis promised, it tasted better than hard alcohol and it didn’t get him drunk as quickly.
Ken felt Curtis suddenly turn away from the stage to a woman who was dressed for a slightly different, more experienced and illegal profession. He was disgusted and didn’t bother turning to offer his acknowledgement. He heard them whispering like two naughty school children making plans for later. She whispered she was pricey, but worth every cent. Curtis made a cocky joke in response and she burst into laughter.
A perfect laugh.
Ken swung around to stare at that perfect face frozen in horror, those perfect eyelashes, that perfect mouth. He reached out to touch her beauty, tears in his eyes. His eyes soaked in everything he could. But suddenly his eyes flickered over her attire. His face darkened as the scene seeped into his brain.
It was too much; his absent daughter, his debts, the divorce. His life crumbled around him, shaking him to the core. It shattered like glass, pieces flying in all direction and pierced his skin, imbedding themselves into his flesh and scrapping along his veins and exploding in his mind. He snapped. He screamed out in rage and his hovering fist collided with her face, sending her reeling to the floor.

Description
Once upon a time there was a perfect town. There was no trash on the ground or pollution in the air. The streets were filled with warm greetings from strangers. There was no unpleasant talk. Everyone had a sense of belonging. Frowns didn’t exist, perhaps only considered when they were upside down in a fleeting attempt to take another perspective. All in all, the town of Speare was simply perfect… until the dishwasher broke.

Barbie hummed softy to herself as she cleaned up the kitchen from lunch. The birds rang full chorus outside and the sun was in full bloom, kissing every patient flower that lined the picket fence. Barbie’s nine year old daughter, Tutti, silently colored her rocket ship launching into orbit. She didn’t even notice when her mother whisked her plate of leftover crumbs away and replaced it with a chocolate chip cookie on a napkin.
As Barbie washed the bigger pots and pans by hand, her husband Ken strode in and kissed her on the cheek. With an air of courtesy, he placed the last two plates from the counter into the dishwasher and purposefully closed it’s door. His finger jabbed the START button.
Nothing happened.
Ken pushed the START button again. Nothing. Ken blinked at the machine, trying to comprehend the situation.
“I think the dishwasher is broken,” He stated plainly, interrupting the afternoon’s peaceful silence. Barbie looked up from washing the skillet. Her mouth made a perfect ‘o’ shape and she blinked at Ken.
“Broken?” She said it slowly, pronouncing each syllable, the word foreign to her tongue. Tutti, feeling the change in atmosphere, looked up from her drawing. She had recently added a dinosaur on the moon. Now it was forgotten. All three family members stared at the dishwasher. A rushing noise filled their ears. The air squeezed around them.

---------------------------------------Ken-----------------------------------------

Ken slid out of his second-hand car and slammed the door shut.
The simplest conclusion he and Barbie came up with was to get a new dishwasher. It was inevitable.
He briskly walked into the hardware store. The scent of pine and stale air from an air conditioner washed over him. He searched a few minutes for the correct isle, passing window panes, toilets, carpeting and bolts of all shapes and sizes before landing in dishwashers.
Rows and rows of dishwashers, each promising heaven and no cleanup. At first Ken searched for the same brand as the original dishwasher until he realized it made no sense to buy the same brand that failed him.
In thought of his new goal, Ken glanced to the side of him at the nearest dishwasher. It was marked half price and offered free installment. Ken eagerly flagged down the salesman who was finishing up with another customer.
Later, at the cash register, Ken slipped his credit card from his wallet and prepared to take full blow on his fragile bank account.
“Would you like to add a lotto ticket to your purchases?” The cashier, who’s name was HI MY NAME IS MIDGE, cocked her head and gave him a five star celebrity smile, sparkling teeth and all.
A strange urge to please that smile settled over Ken. He grinned back and nodded.
“Sure,” he added in a friendly tone. “What harm could it do?”

--------------------------------------Tutti--------------------------------------

Tutti was restless. She had been since the afternoon before when the strange atmosphere made itself cozy and sucked the air from her lungs. She wanted something… something that wasn’t in her reach. She couldn’t see it or touch it, but it was there. She wandered from room to room, gaining worried looks from her mother’s perfect face. But she kept her thoughts to herself. No, I don’t want to color. Yes, school was fine. Of course I’ll help you with the dishes until the new dishwasher is installed tomorrow.
Tutti desperately needed a distraction, so she flopped onto the sofa and flipped to cartoons. She’d watched them so many times they were no longer amusing, annoying, in fact, but they steered her thoughts away from her anxiousness.
There was a sudden whoop from her parents’ bedroom and her dad jogged out and grabbed her mom from dusting and spun her in a full circle. She laughed from the unexpected excitement. Tutti bolted off the couch and joined her mother in demanding what the fuss was about.
Her dad composed himself, beaming at his family for a second before whipping out a square and colorful card. Tutti immediately was disappointed. What’s so special about a small card? Put out, she returned to her cartoons. Her parents excitedly discussed the card.
“Off the couch, love-y, we’re going to collect our winnings as a proud family,” her father insisted. Winnings? An idea struggled to surface within Tutti’s mind. It was what she wanted. She knew it. Eager to ease the idea into blossom, she slid off the couch and scuttled to her room to claim her shoes.
Later, Tutti peaked over the cashier counter to see money by the barrel being fished out of the register. She was impatient to leave, now that her family had completed their objective, but her parents seemed to have struck up a conversation with the manager manning the cashier in honor of the occasion. She walked to her father’s side, trying to see how much money lay in his large hands. The color of the crisp bills was beautiful.
Her ears perked up at the mention of a number in the conversation. Twenty dollars? No, that was too little. It must have been two hundred. She eyed the bills again. Their texture was so different from paper. She wanted to touch it, feel it in her hands.  But why? She’d never wanted money before…
The  idea suddenly enflamed in her mind. It was not the seed of a simple flower, but of an entire valley of tiger lilies gently dancing in the clear breeze, the sun’s caress shining peace within every corner. Her restlessness faded.
Tutti’s lips twitched slightly, almost giving away her happiness. It was not to be shared but with one other person. She turned her attention elsewhere.

--------------------------------------Barbie--------------------------------------

“A new dress would look lovely on you.” The corners of Ken’s mouth quirked up in a hinting manner and Barbie giggled. It was the next morning. Clouds consumed the sky in a grey sheet.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Barbie fluttered her perfect eyelashes and kissed her husband goodbye. She adjusted his tie before he hopped into his car with his coffee. She walked back into the house and continued preparing Tutti’s lunch.
She was just adding the apple slices when she spotted a white envelope from the corner of he eye. The envelope with the two hundred. She picked it up in thought. Ken must have forgotten to grab it before leaving. Their bank account would have to wait.
Barbie sighed, replaced the envelope and added a granola bar to the lunch bag. Tutti slunk out from her bedroom, backpack already positioned over her shoulders. Barbie cast a worried glance her way, but Tutti refused to make eye contact.
“Here you go, Tutti,” she said in her most perky tone while handing her the lunch bag. Tutti slowly took it from her, her eyes focused elsewhere.
The phone rang and Barbie jumped.
“Oh my goodness,” she exclaimed with her hand to her chest. She turned and snatched the phone from the wall. It was her friend Kelly.
Happily, she plopped into one of the dinning room chairs. She dove into the suggestion of an outing, just the two of them, to go shopping for the new fashions and maybe get a pedicure and oh, don’t forget they could go look at furniture for Kelly to replace her musty sofa. Kelly excitedly agreed and Barbie waved goodbye to Tutti who swiftly left house, with the exception that her first try at the doorknob was clumsy and didn’t turn it all the way, causing it to resist her demands. Her second attempt wrenched the door wide and it slammed behind her. A tremor shook the house. An odd sound was muffled from behind the door, possibly a snicker.
Barbie looked curiously after her daughter through the window, but Kelly pulled her attention away, suggesting that they also look at gifts for Ken, who’s birthday wasn’t far away. Barbie agreed, adding those were her very thoughts.
Their conversation continued, updating each other’s lives. The lotto ticket, possible promotion for Ken, Kelly and Brad were thinking of having a child, Kelly lost two pounds on this great diet. It ended with both of them agreeing Kelly was to swing by to pick up Barbie, since she had no other means of transportation.

---------------------------------------Ken-----------------------------------------

On his lunch break Ken drove up to the front of his house in a panic. He couldn’t believe he forgot the money. His heart was thumping, his mouth dry, and his hands fidgeted. He’d been this way all morning. He couldn’t believe he made such an agreement without checking to see if he had the money.
It will be there, he thought to himself. I’ll just put it in my pocket and get back to work.
Ken jabbed his key into the front door key hole and lurched in, forgetting to close the door or even to snatch his keys from their precarious hold in the worn knob. His hand rested on the kitchen counter where the envelope used to lay. Had Barbie taken it? No, she thought he had wanted to cash it.
He ripped open two of the drawers, impatiently shuffling through wire whisks, spatulas, and burned oven mitts. The panic grew in his chest, sucking his precious air. What would his co-workers think of him? Many of them witnessed his bet.
A jerk to another drawer sent it flying from it’s nook and silverware flew out and clattered violently on the floor and was followed by the loud crash! of the drawer landing upside-down. Ken kicked it to see what lay underneath, the force smacking it into a lower cabinet and leaving a huge dent within the old wood. He was not rewarded for his efforts.
He spun around and threw himself over the table, ripping the morning newspaper to shreds, frantically searching for a blot of white amongst grey. Tears of frustration ran down his face, his breath became ragged. In a burst of wrath, he lifted the table and shoved it into the wall. That money was crucial. He needed it back. Todd could try to sue him for betting what he didn’t have.
He ran into the master bedroom and shoved the lamp on the nightstand to the side, sending it flying to its doom towards the hardwood floor. He grabbed the messy stack of bills-to-be-paid and flicked each to the floor after a glance. After a few seconds he threw that last few bills to the floor and wrenched the comforter from the bed. He shook it violently, then chucked it at Barbie’s top-heavy wardrobe. It fell over the blanket with a deep thwump!
Ken launched himself at the dresser, turning it over and yanking each drawer out two by two. Scarves, blouses, and Capri’s flew about. Sweat ran down Ken’s face and dampened the underarms of his dress shirt. His face was red, his eyes wide and crazed.
It’s not here. Why isn’t it here? I need to find it. The living room? I need that money. It might be in the living room. Yeah… it’s probably in the living room. Yeah…
A small pop rang through his head. Ken ran out of the room, partially dazed and began working on the rest of the house.

--------------------------------------Tutti--------------------------------------
Tutti sat quietly in her class. She was on her best behavior, listening attentively to Mr. Weston review the secret pattern of long division. Divide, multiply, bring down, subtract, repeat. It was so simple. Why wasn’t she able to understand it before?
Mr. Weston put a division problem on the board and asked the class to work with their partners to find the answer. Tutti turned to her partner and best friend Tracey. Together they easily worked out the answer, then chatted happily while their teacher worked with a few students who were stuck.
The bell rang, signaling recess and three fourths of the class eagerly left while the rest remained for that light bulb to click.
Tutti walked slowly, feeling her heart speed up every so often. Around her kids screamed and laughed and raced to the doors to their temporary freedom. She smiled to herself, knowing on any other day she would join them gleefully. But today was not an ordinary day. She wanted to seem cool and collected and mature when she saw him.
She pushed open the metal doors and paused a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light. Tutti proceeded down the steps, thinking about what exactly she should say.
It was just her luck that today of all days Allen would come back to school after having the chicken pox. She had missed him in his absence and was bursting with happiness when she heard he was well again. But she refused to let her joy seep out.
She walked over to Allen’s usual hangout, in line for a round of kickball. She spotted him easily with his buzz cut (previous mishap with the scissors) and he was just about to step up for his turn with the last winner. She made quick eye contact without pausing and continued walking to the swing set and waiting patiently, secretly hoping he’d lose so she could talk to him sooner.
He didn’t. Allen was very good at kickball, Tutti admired it. But he wasn’t a crush. They were just secretly friends, pretending to talk to each other cooly because circumstance forced them to. It wasn’t cool for guys to be friendly with the girls, so Tutti regrettably kept a distance from him when around judgmental eyes.
Fifteen minutes passed and Tutti began getting nervous for time, but luckily Allen kicked too softly on his last round and was unable to reach the wall within one bounce. There was a cheer for the winner, but a few pats on the back for Allen. He laughed with them for a second before walking to the swing set.
He hopped onto the swing next to Tutti and gently swung back and forth. His arms and face were still dotted with red here and there, but nothing more. Without looking at him, Tutti broke the ice and whispered,
“Still want that skateboard?”
“What?” The long forgotten conversation surprised him and he made the mistake of looked straight at her.
“You said it was $200, right?” She continued and slipped out a bulging envelope from the pocket of her dress.

--------------------------------------Barbie--------------------------------------

Barbie slid out of Kelly’s beautiful car and opened the back door to grab all the shopping bags; twelve in all. She knew Kelly was a bad influence when it came to shopping, but it was so much fun! She cheerfully waved goodbye to her friend and began heading to the door, but looked back to the car when Kelly didn’t immediately leave. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open in shock.
Barbie looked behind herself to follow Kelly’s gaze and mimicked the same response. Her front door was ajar and she could see the table turned on it’s side and papers all over the floor. She struggled to run to the house with all twelve bags, then realized the thief might still be snooping about, so she clumsily ran back to Kelly’s car.
She threw herself and the bags back into the Jaguar. Kelly got the signal and began backing out of the driveway and turned onto the next street before flipping out her phone and calling 911. Neither noticed the two men watching their car leave, trying to signal them down.

---------------------------------------Ken-----------------------------------------

Ken cursed under his breath and after three hours of trying to win back his money he left the casino table by request of the dealer. He slumped into a bar stool and asked for a coke and whisky. He hated alcohol, but his father, who abused alcohol, lived for a good coke and whisky and Ken wanted to give it a shot. He didn’t want to think about how much money he took out of his account, how much he was suddenly in debt.
But gambling excited him. The thought of winning a big one consumed his thoughts, making him forget about all his worries. The adrenaline got him in a good mood. Even losing made him more determined. Numbers danced in his eyes, he could see the prize; a big house, Tutti going to a great college, servants, money to burn… Ken laughed in hysteria.
His co-worker Todd sat next to him and gave him the most poisonous look. It said everything. He wanted the $200.The Mariners won. The Red Sox lost.  He won it fair and square. Ken gulped his drink and grimaced, partially from the hit of alcohol and partially for his stupidity for making such an impulsive agreement. He rubbed his forehead and took another gulp.
Todd sighed and ordered two shots of vodka. He smacked one of them in front of Ken and gulped down his own, no chaser.
“Cheers,” he spat bitterly, slammed a bill onto the counter, and walked away, flipping his lawyers card in his face.

--------------------------------------Tutti--------------------------------------

Tutti squirmed uncomfortably in the dinning room chair as Officer Manson and Ryan Hadly from Child Services walked back to the house. She came home from school to a trashed house and suspicious officials. At first she thought it was because she stole the money, but they explained that a neighbor had called the police to report that Ken had gone berserk.
She wanted to cry. They were accusing her father of insanity. They wanted to know if he drank, if he hit her, if he was gone all the time. They wanted to know if her mother was the same to be married to a maniac.
Officer Manson’s walkie talkie went static, then another officer’s voice came through. He asked Officer Manson to check out a house, Tutti’s house, for suspicion of theft, but he responded he was already on the scene and that it was the father who trashed the house.
Just at that moment a shadow blocked the doorway and Tutti recognized her dad, but she was too scared to run to him. He walked slowly, looking at the two strangers with watery eyes.
“What are you doing in my house?” he demanded to Mr. Hadly and he responded by covering his nose with his mouth and stepping away. Officer Manson, keeping a safe distance by reference of his nose, stated,
“I’d like you to come downtown with me for some questioning,”
Mr. Hadly came to Tutti’s side, gently took her hand and tugged her to follow him. She, scared for herself and her dad, rose to her feet and obediently left with him to the unknown.

--------------------------------------Barbie--------------------------------------

Barbie nervously sat on Kelly’s expensive couch, waiting for the police to call back to update her. She grabbed her glass of water and sipped it just so her hands had something to do. Her purchases lay forgotten next to her feet. Dressing up nicely for Ken was no longer her top priority.
Kelly’s cell phone suddenly rung and Barbie could hear her answer in the kitchen, her voice going from friendly to serious. Barbie jumped from the couch as Kelly rushed the phone to her, accidentally bumping one of the maids in the process.
The voice on the phone introduced himself as Officer Manson. He stated that her husband was being held for questioning for suspicion of mental instability and possible child abuse or neglect. He also mentioned that after researching Ken’s job and pay, he highly suggested that Barbie claim bankruptcy in reflection on the serious amount of money withdrawn from their negative bank account. Not to mention he would usually suggest she hire a lawyer because she was being sued, but he respectively reminded her she would not be able to afford it. He also was nice enough to tell her Tutti was safe and in Child Services and that he had high hopes for her foster care because she was a lovely, bright little girl. Barbie listened to all of this, saying nothing, just listening to the shatter of her life and feeling the pieces fall to the floor in a dangerous mess.
When she hung up, she could only look at Kelly with her perfect face.
“What am I going to do?” she asked her. Kelly looked down at her feet in condolences on many levels and gently suggested that Barbie should move step by step. Find a job, for instance.
Barbie sat down again, sighed, and stated that she had no work experience and dropped out of high school in her junior year. A thought suddenly occurred to her and she looked sharply at Kelly.
“What do you do to afford all… this?” Barbie gestured to the house in general with it’s fountain in the garden, Egyptian cotton bed sheets, and generously stocked bar. Kelly sat next to her desperate friend and blushed.
“Well…” she started.

---------------------------------------Ken-----------------------------------------

As Ken’s friend Curtis finished lecturing him about responsible drinking, he pulled up his car up to MIKE’S BAR. Ken was about to get out when Curtis said,
“Wait, it’s raining,” and pulled up a black trench coat from the back seat. Ken gratefully shrugged it on and entered the bar with his friend.
It was one of the more famous bars for it’s stage for the girls to dance on. The business brought great money in from it’s drunk and horny customers. Curtis eagerly grabbed two seats lining the stage for the best picture and ordered two beers.
Ken wasn’t as enthusiastic. He had been held in custody for three days and only came home to it empty, trashed, and drafty. Barbie, he heard from Brad, was staying with her friend Kelly and was contemplating divorce. He wanted his wife back. He wanted his daughter back. He wanted his life before he gave into gambling. Winning back the $200 was only his excuse to get that rush he experienced so many years before he married.
Ken sipped his beer. As Curtis promised, it tasted better than hard alcohol and it didn’t get him drunk as quickly.
Ken felt Curtis suddenly turn away from the stage to a woman who was dressed for a slightly different, more experienced and illegal profession. He was disgusted and didn’t bother turning to offer his acknowledgement. He heard them whispering like two naughty school children making plans for later. She whispered she was pricey, but worth every cent. Curtis made a cocky joke in response and she burst into laughter.
A perfect laugh.
Ken swung around to stare at that perfect face frozen in horror, those perfect eyelashes, that perfect mouth. He reached out to touch her beauty, tears in his eyes. His eyes soaked in everything he could. But suddenly his eyes flickered over her attire. His face darkened as the scene seeped into his brain.
It was too much; his absent daughter, his debts, the divorce. His life crumbled around him, shaking him to the core. It shattered like glass, pieces flying in all direction and pierced his skin, imbedding themselves into his flesh and scrapping along his veins and exploding in his mind. He snapped. He screamed out in rage and his hovering fist collided with her face, sending her reeling to the floor.