Go Ahead Girl, Be Cringe
….. done had it not been for the other two jabbering in loud whispers about heading to some spot to meet someone called Jesse. If I wanted to overhear conversations then I would’ve planted myself at a wobbly small table at the nearby cafe. My airpods were long gone from my possession, so even though I had my wired earphones in, the left ear had died during the last Mercury Retrograde. Too forgetful to order a new pair on Amazon. Now looking back I am glad that only the right earphone worked and that I listened in on their conversations.
Girl 1 loved to talk. It was almost like she had forgotten where she was or what a library was used for. Girl 2, I think of as the middle child. I don’t think it’s ever about her, she is that friend who is the faithful companion. She hails the cab, calls the Uber, finds a table and watches all their stuff while the other girls convene to the restroom. Girl 3 is my main character. The second I looked up when they had first sat down had already done an outfit check on her. Striped rugby polo shirt, long sleeve, not new. A hand me down from an older brother who talks to her. On her neck was a black velvet choker with a tiny charm that I couldn’t make out from where I was sitting. My God you are so cute, I thought to myself, increasing the Spotify volume. Girl 1 had an uproarious laugh, I looked up to see if any adults were as bothered by it as I was. I am going to be those old people who complain about everyone in the library and I think I’m fine with that. Her phone was on vibrate, but as it was laid on the table, the setting had to have been on high since it vibrated just as loud as an alert notification. After every text came a giggle, another text, she would laugh loudly. Girl 2 wanted in on the occasion, she would be shown the text and would follow Girl 1’s behavior. I looked over at Girl 3 and she was in her own world. A book is raised to cover half of her face and although she is not ignoring the other two, I know she is subtly assuming the role of, “I’m not with them” should any of the patrolling adults ask. Of course Girl 1 dropped her stupid phone and it crashed so loud onto the ground. She spewed out an F bomb that caught the attention of two elderly people trying to read their New York Times. Why hadn’t anyone shushed them? I decided not to, teenage girls terrify me.
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