regina is standing behind the podium. regina is smiling. the paparazzi are taking pictures. regina cannot see anything because there are little blue-green spots in front of her eyes. regina picks at a round red scab on the inside of her wrist. the scab falls to the floor but no one seems to notice. regina presses her wrist to her thigh to stop the bleeding. there is a dark spot on the green dress. regina does not want to give a press conference.

regina realizes she has forgotten the statement that her mother wrote. this makes regina feel like she exists. regina smiles. it is not because she has vaseline on her teeth.

regina contemplates the end of her career. she thinks about ripping the green chanel jersey dress off of her body and making out with the nearest member of the paparazzi. she thinks about expressing her political opinions. she thinks about pretending to be a racist.

regina can see ken standing to the side of the stage. ken is trying to look fatherly and encouraging. regina thinks about what ken would do if she ripped off the green chanel jersey dress and made out with a member of the paparazzi. regina thinks about ken's face turning the color of an overripe plum. regina thinks about his wrinkled skin slipping off in one piece. regina thinks about the squishy yellow fruit underneath. regina smiles. the paparazzi snap a hundred shots of the smile. regina brushes a stray strand of hair from in front of her face. she is glad that she did not tell mark/dan about the press conference. she knows that mark/dan doesn't watch tv or listen to any radio stations that are not npr.

regina opens her mouth. a mockeroserous comes out.

                           >>>>