BAD ACTING

LUNOS

        Monday morning I sat on my bedroom floor drawing in a giant sketchbook. The April rain continued to shower LA for the third day in a row. Enjoying the moody weather I doodled in my book, drinking hot green tea. My creative thoughts consumed by visions of Arabian Nights. I worked on magic lamps and wizards hidden in desert sands. The larger sketches of lamps and wizards contained smaller secret sketches of monkeys and jewels. I hid words like wishes and magic shaped into the monkey tails and vapor pouring from the lamps.

        My phone buzzed and I ignored it. A minute later the phone continued to vibrate in the corner so I put down my drawings and retrieved my cell.

        Two texts from Carrie.

        Hey!

        Are you around? Can I stop by?

        My first instinct to ignore her faded when I reminded myself of my new character.

        I texted back.

        Home. Working on a project.

        I can take a break if you want.

        Five minutes later my doorbell rang and I let a wet, smiling Carrie into my apartment.

        Carrie dropped a big blue Channel purse on the floor and stood in front of me pulling her hair back into a long ponytail.

        "I wanted to talk about the other day."

        "Ok."

        "I did not tell anybody about the...you know...vision."

        "Oh. Okay."

        "But I can't stop thinking about it! What did you see?"

        Nothing

        "I don't know if it really was a vision. I just got this dizzy weird feeling."

        "But you did see something, right?"

        "Yeah, I guess."

        "Tell me!"

        I sat down on the floor taking a moment to choose my words. Carrie sat down across from me eagerly awaiting my response.

        "I saw a beach at night, I think. Waves. Then I returned back here in this room but millions of pieces of paper swirled around me. The dizziness consumed me and I found myself on the floor. Then I saw you coming towards me, but you were glowing. Your whole body pulsing with energy like the sun or something."

        "That is incredible! You totally are a psychic."

        I laughed and shook my head.

        "I think I was just high, and maybe dehydrated."

        "No. You have a gift."

        My doorbell interrupted my next retort.

        "Oh, that's Andrew."

        Carrie ran to my door, and Andrew and Matt walked in. Both dripping wet from the rain.

        "Let's smoke some weed!" Andrew yelled, throwing a plastic bag full of green nuggets on the floor like a bomb. He mimed a big explosion with his hands.