Kerri C


We got off the plane well before the Fosters. There were about 70 passengers between us and them. I waited patiently at one side of the gate, eyes on the stream of passengers. Most of my attention was on Kerri, though.

She hung halfway through a window of the carrier. “Have you ever seen any less likely friends?” she was asking.

“I know,” I said, “but I’ve come to appreciate the differences between us. It makes our few common interests that much more interesting.”

“I’m talking about PET and ANNIE!”

“Oh. The pets.”

“Yeah, the pets, oh glorious master. I was thinking-”

I swung my head around to look at her. “What did you call me?” She NEVER calls me ‘master.’ She only barely acknowledges that I’m her owner, most days.

“Um… It’s something Annie said,” Kerri said quickly.

“I get the feeling there isn’t a whole lot Annie WON’T say,” I said with a chuckle, then turned back to watch a woman herd children through the gate. “Anyway, what about the two of them?”

“Well… You know how I’ve been worried about LWR.”

“About a lack of ideas,” I nodded. She says that. I haven’t noticed a change in quality.

“Well, maybe I’m just bored after 15 years of it,” she said. “But I was thinking… Something… Something about two sylphs as diametrically opposed. I think… I can think of quite a few story lines for them. Working title, and that’s just for right now, kind of a ‘I’m With Stupid,’ thing.”

I turned to face her again, holding the carrier up to his eyes. Surely Kerri wasn’t going to write a strip that made fun of Pet, or interpreted Pet’s mannerisms as stupidity?

“But, but, but,” she said quickly, “BOTH of them think the other one’s stupid. One for the other being so mean, one for the other being so sensitive and trusting.”

“Not stupid, then.” I rubbed his chin. “Weirdo. Everyone can relate to a weird roommate.” I thought of college and a student named ‘Sharpe.’ Who we all called Notso.

“Perfect!” she shouted in glee. She dragged herself back inside and picked up a pencil lead. I heard her scribbling furiously.

The Fosters showed up soon after that. Denise had the carrier, Ray had everything else. The three of us sat and allowed Pet and Annie to step into Kerri’s carrier as she started to explain her thoughts.

We humans walked towards the exit.

As we cleared security, we saw the chef from Portion Control. She had a sign welcoming ANNIE and Denise and Pet and annie’s owner.

Ray and Denise laughed. I lifted the carrier so the sylphs could see.

Deliah smiled to recognize Ray and also the three little faces in the carrier window as we got closer.

“Oh, SHIT!” she suddenly swore. She turned to look at the nearest escalator. That was the direction of car rentals, the baggage conveyors, taxis… Everyone stopped dead where they were.

“Problem?” Denise asked slowly. I wasn’t sure if she was asking Ray or his former girlfriend.

“You’re Kerri Soote!” Deliah said to my carrier. “You and your owner! You’re here for the premiere!” She turned to the escalator again. “Which means I just blew off Electra and HER owner!”



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Index

104. Annie B

106. Electra B