Angie could hear a loud ringing and it didn't fit with the serene pastoral scene that surrounded her.
Then she clicked - she was asleep and this was a dream (she always had peaceful dreams when
they had been doing a lot of explosion effects or some other highly stressful effect - it was her mind's
way of balancing everything out). She realised as the scene faded that the ringing did in fact not
belong with it and it was her phone, waking her up. She cracked open an eye and stared balefully at
the phone willing the answer machine to pick up, she knew it wouldn't she hadn't set it before she
went to sleep. With a sigh she threw the covers aside, stretched out an arm and grabbed the phone.
"Yeah, watcha want?" She glanced at the clock beside the bed - 3pm - 2 hours since she had fallen
into bed, after working all night on set.
"Oh, I'm wanting to talk to Ms Angela Rameriz, is she there?"
"Umm yeah, sorry, you woke me up. I'm Angie."
"Oh dear, I didn't realise - I'm so sorry I woke you. I'm actually from your Doctor's office - you're
overdue for a check up. This was just a reminder call."
"I had a checkup last week, I can't be due for another one already."
"Oh, ooopps, I put your file in the wrong pile, sorry. Goodbye." And with that she hung leaving
Angie staring bemusedly at the phone.
Angie hung up the phone and rolled over with the intention of going back to sleep, when moments
later the phone rang again. With some colourful mumbling about telephones and inconsiderate
people she rolled over yet again and grabbed the phone. "Yeah, Angie here."
"Hey Ange - how are ya doin' on this bright and sunny day?"
"It's sunny? Oh, well, I guess I should be outside enjoying it instead of trying to catch up on some of
the sleep I missed last night Luce." Her voice took on a distinctly ominous note as she finished the
sentence.
Lucinda sounded surprised at the fact that Angie had apparently been asleep when she called, "You
were asleep? Oh Ange, I'm sorry. I was just speaking to Rollie and he didn't mention that you guys
were up all night working."
Angie muttered through clenched teeth, "I bet he didn't."
Lucinda continued "Well, I was wanting to know if you wanted to go roller-blading but I guess you
want to get back to sleep. Talk to you later." And before Angie could get a word in edgewise
Lucinda hung up the phone.
"Geez, what is it with people today." Angie hung up her phone and decided to have one last attempt
at getting some sleep.
Moments later the phone rang again. "AARRGGHHH!" Angie snatched the phone from it's cradle
for the third time. "Yeah, Angie here." Her voice was clipped with frustration.
"Hey Ange, it's Yvonne here. You sound grumpy, did I call at a bad time?"
Angie was pleased to hear Yvonne's voice - they had not had a chance to catch up much since
Yvonne's husband Matt had almost got them both killed with his law firm's shady deals. "I was
trying to sleep actually, you're the third phone call in the space of like 5 minutes. Are you up in New
York at the moment Yvonne?"
"Oh, you were sleeping, well, I'll call you back later when you're had time to rest. Bye"
"Wait Yvonne, don't..." But she had already hung up the phone. Angie stared at the phone receiver
in her hand. "Is there some kind of conspiracy going on here, or what?"
Angie gave up on trying to sleep, after having the phone go off three times in her ear her nerves were
somewhat shattered and there was no way that she would be able to go back to sleep for some time
despite the fact she was pretty tired. She sat down at the dining table with a fresh cup of coffee
when the phone rang for a fourth time. "Hello, Angie here."
"Hey Ange, are you busy?" It was Rollie, his voice sounded distant, she could tell he was using the
speakerphone from across the room.
"Not at this precise moment Rollie, I was trying to sleep but I've given up on that for now."
"Oh good. I need a hand with something fairly urgently."
"Rolllliiieee, you want me to work, now, after being up all night? Whoa, back up, you need help
urgently right, and you're using the speakerphone, where exactly are you?"
Rollie sounded reluctant to share his wearabouts with her over the phone. "Lets just say that I'm
stuck for now and I need some help to get down."
Angie sounded resigned, this was not the first time this had happened. "Ok, I'll be over there soon,
just give me a chance to get dressed first."
"That sound like a good idea. I'll see you soon."
Angie hung up the phone and went to get dressed. _______________
Angie was lost in thought as she roller-bladed over to the shop to rescue Rollie from his latest
predicament when she slowed down to cross a busy street. The weather had been wet lately, the
roads were predominantly dry but in some places there were quite big puddles. It was in front of
one of these that Angie paused to check for traffic.
A car came zipping down the street quite close to the curb, it drove straight through the puddle in
front of Angie, spraying water and mud everywhere, effectively covering Angie from head to toe in
watery mud. She cursed loudly looking down at herself as some of the mud and water dripped off.
"Great, what am I gonna do now, I'm soaked wet." Going home was not really an option,
particularly if Rollie was hanging from somewhere upside down, so she decided to continue to the
shop and try and clean herself up after she got there. _______________
Angie skated up to the door of the shop. Everything was quiet, too quiet she thought. She pushed
open the door, it was dark inside. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "Rollie? Hey,
Rollie, where are you?" She realised Bluey had not barked in greeting - which was really odd. A
shiver ran down her spine - there had been a lot of weird things going on lately and this had her
decidedly uncomfortable. She called out again - to activate the lights. "Lights!" Nothing happened.
"That's odd. I wonder what is wrong with those."
She took a step forward, there was something on the floor - some kind of mat maybe? And then
something brush against her shin as she moved her leg forward. All of a sudden everything was
chaos as she was jerked upwards by the net (ok, it wasn't a mat, it was a net!) she was standing on,
the lights flashed on and a group of people standing in the lounge area yelled "SURPRISE!"
Angie's heart took a moment or two to decide whether or not she was going to have a heart attack
from the shock. When it kicked back in, and she got her breath back she stared down at the people
- who were now about half way through the Happy Birthday song. They all had big grins on their
faces and Rollie was in front singing as loud as he could - with the biggest grin on his face. Francis
(with his entire family, Sara had played the Doctor's secretary for the phone call), Mira, Colleen,
Lucinda, Kit, Yvonne and many more of her friends were all having a great time, scaring the hell out
of her. There was a banner on the wall that read "Happy 25th Birthday Angie!", and the shop had
been festooned with balloons and streamers as well.
She took advantage of a break in the singing to make her feeling known, "ROLLIE! I'M GONNA
KILL YOU! GET ME DOWN FROM HERE RIGHT THIS MINUTE!"
"Well, you know Ange, letting you down now might not be such a good idea - especially if you're
planning on killing me. I'd think it would be safer it I left you there for now."
"ROLLIE!"
"Ok, ok, I let you down." Rollie walked forward so that he could untangle Angie when she was
lowered to the floor. "Bluey, release trap."
Bluey barked twice and Angie was lowered slowly to the floor. The slow speed of the descent gave
Angie a chance to get over her initial anger and shock and she began to see the funny side. When
Rollie finally got her untangle and on her feet she was laughing so hard she had tears streaming,
making white lines in the mud on her face. She gave Rollie a big bear hug in thanks.
Rollie smiled down at her, "Happy Birthday Angie."
