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It is just the type of thing people love to hear The whole audience releases a collective "Aw" Cahter
"We’ve all seen your public service announceet chills when I see you rise out of that wheelchair" Then she turns to the audience "Areement; then she turns back to Risa "Yet I would think when you were an AWOL you "
"Well," says Risa, "ouldn’t be against it when you’re the one being unwound?"
"So exactly when did your feelings change?"
Risa takes a visibly deep breath, and Caedbut I foundto accept a broader perspective If it hadn’t been for unwinding, Caether today There’s always going to be suffering in the world, but unwinding takes suffering away fro ful lives"
"So then," Jarvis asks, "ould you say to kids out there who are AWOL?"
Risa looks down rather than at Jarvis when she speaks "I would say if you’re running, then run--because you have every right to try to survive But no "
"Maybe evenif they’re unwound?" proue into an introduction of a top fashion designer, here to present a whole new line of trend-setting patchwork clothes inspired by Cairls
"We call it Rewind Chic," says the designer, and leeful applause
48 - Risa
Once their appearance with Jarvis and Holly is over, Risa holds Cae and out of view of the audience Then she releases it in disgust Not disgust at him, but at herself
"What is it?" Ca"
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
She looks for the bathroom but can’t find it This blasted studio set is a maze, and everyone from the interns to the crew stares at theet celebrities on this show every day, so what makes them any different? But she knows the answer to that: After a while a celebrity is just a celebrity, but there is only one Caolden child of huilt" by association
Finally she finds the bathroom and locks herself in, sits on the toilet, and buries her head in her hands To have to defend unwinding--to have to say that the world is a better place because innocent kids are being unwound--shreds her inside Her self-respect, her integrity are gone Now, not only does she wish she hadn’t survived the explosion at Happy Jack, she wishes she had never been born at all
Why are you doing this, Risa?
It’s the voices of all the kids at the Graveyard Why? It’s the voice of Connor, accusing her, and rightfully so She wishes she could explain her reasons to him, and the deal with the devil she made with Roberta A she-devil with the power to build herself a perfect boy
And perfect, he very well may be At least by society’s definition Risa can’t deny that with each day, Carows , and has the capacity to be profoundly hen he’s not being profoundly self-centered The fact that she’s starting to see him as a real boy and not a pieces she said today on ca at the bathroom door
"Risa," Ca me"
"Leavemore, but when she finally leaves the bathroo He would probably have waited all day and all night She wonders whether such unyielding resolve ca he’s developed on his own
She suddenly finds herself bursting into tears and throwing herself into his ar why She wants to tear him to bits, yet she desperately wants hi he represents, and yet she wants to cry on his shoulder because she has no other shoulder to cry on Around the to be inconspicuous about it Their hearts are warmed by what appears to be the embrace of two souls in love
"Unfair," he says "They shouldn’t s if you’re not ready to do them" And the fact that he, the subject of all this attention, understands her, empathizes with her, and is so inside her evento be like this," Caht now she can only i worse
49 - Cas that Roberta hasn’t told him Her control over Risa is ratitude for a new spine, because Risa isn’t grateful at all It’s very clear that her spine is a burden she wishes she didn’t have to bear Then why did she consent?