SMILE ✔︎

K N O W M E

K N O W  M E

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J U N E  1 9 9 8

Bev follows me as I eat chips out of the bag at this weird makeshift table.

"Hey.." she says excitedly, her hands twisting in front of her as though she was nervous, but she radiates excitement in every form. I smile and chuckle a little at her antics, "Hi."

"How old are you?" She asks nervously, her lips pursed as she looks anywhere but at me. I raise my eyebrows in confusion, stuffing a chip in my mouth. She stares me down waiting for me to answer.

"I'm 17..." I mumble, now with furrowed eyebrows.
She smiles and claps her hands, the 'nervous' falling off of her as she speaks, "Please date my brother!" She says and I laugh, "Royce?"

She nods and I shake my head, "no no no, hun. If you think I'm in his league you don't know him, and I've known him for like three total seconds." I say it all while pouring sprite into Royce's slushee cup.

I'm thirsty! And it's an excuse that my tongue isn't blue, it got washed away.

"Well then why were you snuggling next to the waves!" She accuses and I shake my head, "I don't know man... he's just really cool and I feel comfortable around him."

I stuff a chip in my mouth and she huffs, "Well then get closer with him!"

I laugh. "I think he's coming over to mine tomorrow." I say and she smiles, clapping.

"Dude I don't know you but if I get to know you I think I'll stay with the opinion that y'all are perfect for each other!" She says, continuing as she counts the reasons on her bony fingers.

"You're similar in age, you both live here, he gave you a sip of his slushee—I stalk my brother, I'm sorry—and he definitely likes you more than the other girls. You just gotta get to know him and he'll be amazing I promise!" She says and I smile at her.

"I already know he's amazing, of course he is... I just feel like he'd get bored with me." I shrug.

He's so bubbly and excited. Just like her.

She rolls her eyes, "Come on! He wouldn't get bored as long as you play along with him. He likes getting immediate satisfaction, so he likes when he talks to random people and they immediately get him, which I think you've already passed on."

I shrug, eating my last chip and deciding that it was enough.

I hold onto the empty slushee bottle and smile at her, "We'll see Bev... I don't think he'll like me at all. But I'll talk to you later!"

Once I get to the crosswalk I don't see as many people around here since it's not pink right now, but so many people are still walking along the roads.

I run across, getting cut on the arm by something or someone along the way. I wince, traveling into the store wnd out of the dark sidewalk and seeing my mom at the register.

"Hey! Can you turn off the sign? I didn't wanna get up..." she says and my dad slowly drudges up the stairs. "Yea that's perfectly normal..."

"I was sitting in a stool all day! I feel like my back is jello!"

I laugh, turning off the sign and shaking my cup at my mom before chugging the drink through Royce's straw. It never occurred to me that we were using the same straw I until now..

That our lips had practically touched if you thought about it...

Out of mind space for all that was going on in my head, thinking of Bev, Royce, Koa, and my new home, I sigh out, "I'm going to bed now.." walking up the stairs quickly