Chapter 4

Peggy Crist can smell an animal outside her window. She walks over to the sink and faucets water to a mug with a dog and a christmas tree on it. She returns to the window and pushes her face against the screen a little bit. Some water spills on the carpet. Peggy yawns, she ends her yawn with a high pitched noise made from the front of her throat. She closes the window and walks into the kitchen. She touches the top of a jar and thinks about the sound of a bus full of children. There is a Buger King bag on the top of the trash that she pushes down, pinning a paper towel between her hand and the pile. When she removes her hand she leaves the paper towel in the can. The sweatsuit on her body is baggy, the elastic on the pants is tied.

Peggy reads the names from CDs on her shelf. Jock Jams, Wallflowers, No Doubt, Mariah Carey, Smash Mouth, Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans on the I'll Be Missing You single, Jewel, Third Eye Blind, Meredith Brooks, Spice Girls, The Verve Pipe, Sugar Ray. Peggy hasn't bought a CD since 1998 and she doesn't intend to. She walks over to the stack of CDs near the CD player. She sees The Cardigans and Monica, she puts them back on the shelf. She walks over to the CD player and opens it to see what is inside: Jimmy Ray, self titled.

She shrugs her shoulders and hums as she presses the button on the machine. Peggy dances slightly as the song starts and Jimmy Ray begins the album, "Weeellll...". Peggy sings along and begins to dance more violently, "Are you Johnny Ray? Are you Slim Ray? Are you Paid Ray?" She spreads her feet, her sweatpants sag, she bends her neck so her hair hangs behind her back, "Who wants to know? Who wants to know-oh-oh?" She walks back into the kitchen dancing every few steps. She picks up a spoon and holds it up like a microphone. "Are you Sting Ray? Are you Nick Ray?" She sings louder, "Are you Jimmy Ray? Who want's to know? Who want's to know-oh?" Peggy puts down the spoon and walks into her bedroom. She sits on the bed. She keeps moving her head to the beat. Peggy opens the window. As soon as she opens it an animal vocalizes on the other side. She slams the window shut. Her heart is racing. Jimmy Ray keeps singing in the other room. Peggy is scared, she looks to make sure the curtains are drawn. For a second she imagines Jimmy Ray dancing on the other side of the window. Peggy wishes she was at a party and lays on the bed. She puts her hand on her chest and feels it vibrate from the heavy heart beat beneath.