Page 137 of The Best Shot

Tabby: Annie, no. you’re not going do anything

Annie: ...

Ava: ...

Tabby: RIGHT????

Annie: define “anything”

Tabby: ANNIE

Annie: y’all are so lame

Ava: ANNALEIGH PARKER

Annie: FINE!! damn.

Annie: we will simply be supportive friends with violent imaginations

Tabby: thank you.

Annie: for now

Ava: annie, i swear to god

Annie: alright i gotta go

Annie: dog biscuits won’t bake themselves

Annie: goodnight

Tabby: goodnight

Ava: night

39

“NICE PLACE YOU’VE GOT HERE.”

HALE

The text came in while I was standing in the feed aisle, holding two near-identical bags of scratch grain and trying to remember which one Dolores hadn’t turned her beak up at.

Annie: i want in.

Me: In what?

Annie: whatever you’re planning for Shaun. And i know you’ve got something planned.

I set the feed down.

Me: What makes you think that?

Annie: everybody else wants to be the bigger person. thoughts and prayers. let karma handle it

Annie: you’re not going to wait around for karma. i can tell.

Annie: so whatever you’re doing, i’m in