surprise. Clarissa nearly falls off of the bed.
I KNEW IT, Olivia practically shouts. She thrusts a finger at Clarissa. You've had a girl over!
Henry says, So?
Olivia sneers at Clarissa. So , Mom and Dad are going to be mad at you. I know she's been here at night. I hear her sometimes. She snores. Why do you have a strange girl sleeping in your room, huh?
I don't snore, Clarissa says.
Henry turns to Clarissa and says, Seriously, just ignore her. Nothing she says is going to matter pretty soon anyway.
Olivia snorts. Then she sees the bag. She grabs it off of the bed, starts pawing through it.
Why are you packing a bag, huh? she asks. Are you running away with the runaway girl?
That's when Clarissa slaps Olivia.
Olivia's eyes well up, and she presses a hand to her face in surprise. The tears linger and then spill over heavily, and Olivia dashes from the room, choking back a sob.
Henry smiles. That was nice. But she's really going to tell on me now.
Clarissa says, I had to. What a bitch.
Then she claps her hands over her mouth. Oops. I didn't mean that.
It's okay, Henry says. She sort of is sometimes. I'm just used to it, I guess.
He throws the bag over his shoulder. Coming?
Clarissa follows.
• • •
You're back sooner than I expected, Stacy says.
The children stand in front of the rusted-out Corsica.
You have a bag, Stacy says to Henry.
I packed a few things.
Why? she asks.
Uh, he says, looking furtively at Clarissa. Should I say?
You won't need the bag yet, or even at all, Stacy says.
Wait, you said I could --
Stacy shushes him. Nothing has changed. You just won't require a bag.
Clarissa looks back and forth between Henry and the old Toyota nervously. What's going on here? she asks.
Stacy says, If you'll come with me, I can show you.
The trunk of the Corsica opens gently.
I'm not sure, Clarissa says.
It's okay, Henry says. Really. I promise. You can trust me.
Clarissa studies Henry's face for a moment, then nods. Okay. Nobody's going to eat me or anything, right? There aren't bears down there or something, right?
Stacy says, No bears.
Alright, Clarissa says.
She steps toward the car, and Henry follows.
Just Clarissa this time, Stacy says.
But I --
It's better if she sees things through her own eyes, Henry.
Clarissa stops. If Henry's not coming, neither am I.
Yeah, Henry says.
There's a long pause.
Henry, Stacy finally says. Were there any packages?
Henry shakes his head. No. No packages.
Okay, Stacy says. You both better come on, then.
• • •
When they step off of the ladder, Henry barrels ahead towards the service elevator, but the door remains closed and almost invisible. Instead, a door behind him slides open, revealing the lovely interior of Steven Glass's personal elevator.
Clarissa says, What is that?
It's just an elevator, Stacy says.
Hey, Henry says. How come I had to ride in the service elevator if that one's okay for her to ride in? That one's way cooler.
Stacy says, This is why I thought it best to tour Clarissa alone. You each have very different interests, and I'd like to show you the best parts of the space station for each of you.
Wait, Henry says. Space?
I apologize, Stacy says. This complex is not actually a space station per se. Space station is the nomenclature that Mr. Glass prefers.
Mr. Glass? Clarissa asks. Who is Mr. Glass?
Steven Glass, Henry says. The missing rich man. Remember?
He's here? This is his... house?
Sort of, Stacy says. Step aboard, please. All questions will be answered, children.
• • •
Sit, Stacy says.
Clarissa sits down in the chair. Henry remains standing.
Henry, would you like a drink? Stacy asks.
He looks around the room at the light walls, the leather benches, the hardwood floor. From where?
The panel behind him slides silently open to reveal the elevator's temporary living quarters and micro-kitchen.
Look again,
I KNEW IT, Olivia practically shouts. She thrusts a finger at Clarissa. You've had a girl over!
Henry says, So?
Olivia sneers at Clarissa. So , Mom and Dad are going to be mad at you. I know she's been here at night. I hear her sometimes. She snores. Why do you have a strange girl sleeping in your room, huh?
I don't snore, Clarissa says.
Henry turns to Clarissa and says, Seriously, just ignore her. Nothing she says is going to matter pretty soon anyway.
Olivia snorts. Then she sees the bag. She grabs it off of the bed, starts pawing through it.
Why are you packing a bag, huh? she asks. Are you running away with the runaway girl?
That's when Clarissa slaps Olivia.
Olivia's eyes well up, and she presses a hand to her face in surprise. The tears linger and then spill over heavily, and Olivia dashes from the room, choking back a sob.
Henry smiles. That was nice. But she's really going to tell on me now.
Clarissa says, I had to. What a bitch.
Then she claps her hands over her mouth. Oops. I didn't mean that.
It's okay, Henry says. She sort of is sometimes. I'm just used to it, I guess.
He throws the bag over his shoulder. Coming?
Clarissa follows.
• • •
You're back sooner than I expected, Stacy says.
The children stand in front of the rusted-out Corsica.
You have a bag, Stacy says to Henry.
I packed a few things.
Why? she asks.
Uh, he says, looking furtively at Clarissa. Should I say?
You won't need the bag yet, or even at all, Stacy says.
Wait, you said I could --
Stacy shushes him. Nothing has changed. You just won't require a bag.
Clarissa looks back and forth between Henry and the old Toyota nervously. What's going on here? she asks.
Stacy says, If you'll come with me, I can show you.
The trunk of the Corsica opens gently.
I'm not sure, Clarissa says.
It's okay, Henry says. Really. I promise. You can trust me.
Clarissa studies Henry's face for a moment, then nods. Okay. Nobody's going to eat me or anything, right? There aren't bears down there or something, right?
Stacy says, No bears.
Alright, Clarissa says.
She steps toward the car, and Henry follows.
Just Clarissa this time, Stacy says.
But I --
It's better if she sees things through her own eyes, Henry.
Clarissa stops. If Henry's not coming, neither am I.
Yeah, Henry says.
There's a long pause.
Henry, Stacy finally says. Were there any packages?
Henry shakes his head. No. No packages.
Okay, Stacy says. You both better come on, then.
• • •
When they step off of the ladder, Henry barrels ahead towards the service elevator, but the door remains closed and almost invisible. Instead, a door behind him slides open, revealing the lovely interior of Steven Glass's personal elevator.
Clarissa says, What is that?
It's just an elevator, Stacy says.
Hey, Henry says. How come I had to ride in the service elevator if that one's okay for her to ride in? That one's way cooler.
Stacy says, This is why I thought it best to tour Clarissa alone. You each have very different interests, and I'd like to show you the best parts of the space station for each of you.
Wait, Henry says. Space?
I apologize, Stacy says. This complex is not actually a space station per se. Space station is the nomenclature that Mr. Glass prefers.
Mr. Glass? Clarissa asks. Who is Mr. Glass?
Steven Glass, Henry says. The missing rich man. Remember?
He's here? This is his... house?
Sort of, Stacy says. Step aboard, please. All questions will be answered, children.
• • •
Sit, Stacy says.
Clarissa sits down in the chair. Henry remains standing.
Henry, would you like a drink? Stacy asks.
He looks around the room at the light walls, the leather benches, the hardwood floor. From where?
The panel behind him slides silently open to reveal the elevator's temporary living quarters and micro-kitchen.
Look again,
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